I am curious as to what are your guys techniques when washing your vehicle. For example what kind of soap or conditioner you use and what do you use to wash it with, maybe foam pad, microfiber, cloth, or a brush with a soap dispenser. How many passes do you make? Also what do you dry it with? Do you add anything at the end? Spray wax etc....

I am intersted in your techniques; primarly to get the maximuim cleaning and especially to minimize the scratching. I have a black truck and since I have had it I have tried different techniques to make it look good and not to scratch it.

My technique:
Right know I am using Meguires Gold Conditioner to clean it. I make about two passes and then I use a microfiber towel or a microfiber sponge. I then dry it with a microfiber towel as well. I wax it about every month and a half and polish it about every year.

I and what do you guys think about the California blades? I use to use it but i think it scratches your vehicle, so I stopped. Please chime in!!!!!!

 

I use meguiars gold class soap with a soft fur like mitt...i usually only need to do it once. I have the meguiars grit gaurd bucket too, it has a plastic piece at the bottom that keeps the mitt or sponge up off the bottom of the bucket so you don't pick up grit. I have had my truck 3 years and have never had a prob with it. I usually wash my mitts about once a month in the washing machine just to keep them all clean. To dry, i use "The Absorber".

 

My last 2 jobs before I enlisted in the military involved washing and detailing cars. I'm pretty popular in my shop because I still enjoy washing cars and I don't mind washing fellow co-worker's cars. Anyways, I keep it simple when I wash my truck...1 bucket, 2 washing mitts, Turtle Wax Zip Wax car wash, and the "Absorber" to dry it. I use one washing mitt to clean my wheels, tires, and wheel wells. After that is done I empty the bucket and fill it back up with clean soap and water. Hose the truck down and wash the roof, hood , and bed cover. Hose down the truck and wash the front fenders, doors, and bed. Hose down the truck and wash the tailgate/rear bumper and grille/front bumper. Hose down the truck for a final time. I use the "Absorber" to dry the truck. Sometimes, I'll hose down the engine compartment to keep it looking good. That's about it. I've used the California water blade on my WHITE 1978 Camaro Z28 and it works great. However, I haven't got the courage yet to use it on my BLACK truck.

 

I use Blue Coral Soap and a mitt to wash....i was in sections...rinsing before and after....i use Bleche White on my tires and jus soap on the wheels since they're painted.....to rinse...i take the nozzle off and jus let a slow stream of water rinse the truck off one last time before i dry....this causes the water to justr sheet off instead of bead up....youd be amazed at how easily it dries....then i use an air compressor and Absorber to dry it off..and occasionally use the "in between waxes" detail wax....makes it easier to clean and dry next time....otherwise i wax twice a year....

 

I use the mr clean auto wash thingy with the soap, but the purified water **** doesnt work imo. So I use the cafilornia blade *making sure there is not dirt on the surface to scratch the paint* and then I go over it with the Absorber chamois (sp).

I just learned that caranuba wax isnt worth a **** and the stuff to use is Acrylic wax. (reason being below)

I wax twice a year and keep my truck covered as much as possible to prevent UV damage and acid rain damage and such

*reason why caranuba sucks **** posted by a member at showtruckscene.com

Carnauba wax is the coating on the surface of the leaf, i.e., cuticle. Leaves of this fan palm are removed individually from the tree, cut and shredded, and then dried, so that wax flakes off. A pound of carnauba wax is obtained from about 20 leaves. This powder is melted, strained, and then molded into blocks, to be shipped to manufacturing countries.

There are a thousand and one uses for carnauba wax, but you are most likely to hear about it as the principal ingredient in car polishes, even applied as a spray at the car wash. Carnauba is also important for the best furniture polishes, as for hardwood floors, but can be found as coating on dental floss, disposible cups and plates, even lipstick.

Now... the problem with carnauba is that it has a very low melting point and a very low freezing point. This is a problem almost anywhere in the country b/c on a sunny day the surface temp of a hood can be well over 200*... it only takes a matter of minutes for all the protection that WAS there when you waxed to be gone.

Carnauba is so wide spread b/c it was the standard for so long. Now there are MUCH better options. Multi-stage paint treatments like Zaino, DER, and to a lesser extent NXT are acrylic based.

Acrylics will bond better with paint, resist elements, and are constructed of smaller particles so the fill surface scratches better. When I used to work part time in HS for DER we used to demonstrate the heat resistance of carnauba and acrylic side by side:

we'd take the hood of a black car (from a junk yard) and repaint it with high quality black paint... half would be waxed 5 coats deep with carnauba/silicone based wax (usually maguires or mothers) then the other half with 1 coat of DER... we'd spray white spray paint on both sides, then douse it lighter fluid and set it on fire. The carnuaba side would burn clear down to the primer or even metal. The DER treated side would be easily wiped clean with a damp towel... even the spray paint would come off.

Its basic chemistry.... carnauba and silicone based waxes will make a car shiney, but they don't provide any long term protection. Temps in the 70's with sun will break down multiple coats of carnauba while acrylics will withstand heat in excess of 400*

If you are really serious about taking care of a paint job then a multistep acrylic is the only way to go.

 

I use techniques I learned at www.detailcity.com . I use Poorboy products.

 

Autopia.org is another very good website for detailing.

I am just beginning to take detailing serious. From what I have read though a 2 bucket method with rinsing in one and loading back up with clean water in the other is the method to use. A wool mitt with straight line motions not circular is the way to go.

Also microfiber towels are not created equal, after using some popular car store towels I bought some meguires microfiber towels and saw for myself what a difference they are. They absorb better and are easier to remove wax and polish with, they also have silk edges that do not scratch you paint. There are several places to buy quality towels, I only chose the meguires because I could buy them locally.

Thanks Kyle

 

Later, rinse, repeat.....then conditioner.

 

I use the pressured washers at car washes. Found one by my house that works extremely good. Takes 9 bucks usually. But fiber scratches are kept to a very, very minimum when nothing touches your paint. No Sponge, mitt or anything abrasive that can hold dirt touches my paint when I "wash" it. Ever. That is where the problem lies. I presoak the **** out of it and it works pretty dam well. Use an absorber to dry, I keep 2 in a little crate of my wash **** in case **** happens. Then after all that fun is over, its Zaino time. I use 100% cotton Hanes tagless t-shirts to remove the dried wax.

 

I use Meguirs car wash with a clean microfiber mitt. I do half the truck with one mitt and use the other mitt for the other half. I have my wife constantly rinsing the truck while Im washing and rewashing. I dry with a clean chamois (sp?) Every other wash I wax with Carnuba cleaner wax and then again with NXT wax. I then polish my wheels with mothers and the powerball and then go over each wheel by hand with Gords. A car wash is an all day affair for me.