Automotive Detailing: *The official thread*

[Tornadom]

The anything and everything related to automotive detailing thread.

Here we can share tips and tricks of the trade, as well as answer any questions that you may have. I will add how-to's and other usefull tid-bits that can point you in the right direction when the time is right.

[Tornadom]

Today's project and lesson:

The two bucket wash method

The idea of washing your car with two buckets may sound strange, but it really is a good practice. Most people are familiar with Micro-marring, that is, the small swirl marks in the car's clearcoat that seem to get worse with age. The truth is, mirco-marring is caused by friction, friction that more often than not is caused by poor washing methods. While there will always be a certain amount of micro-marring associated with washing your car, it can certainly be minimized by following good car washing practice. Even better news is that micro-marring can be corrected with a good detailling practice, which I will cover another time.

So what is the two bucket method, and how does it work?

Quite simply, you use two seperate buckets while washing your car... that's it. Grab two car washing buckets and make sure they are clean, free of debris and other free radicals that are eager and waiting for something to scratch. By using one bucket dedicated to suds, and the other for removing debris from the sponge you can minimize the amount of contaminents being dragged, swirled and pressed into your paint.

Fill the first bucket up with clean water and set it aside, then measure the correct amount of car washing soap into your second bucket and fill it with water, hopefully creating a wonderfull bucket of suds. I recommend using a quality car washing shampoo from companies like Mothers or Meguiars and measuring the soap according to the lable rather than just pouring some in and adding water.

After your two buckets are ready for use, you will need to prepare your sponge for use. I like to use a lamb's wool washing mit for the main body of the vehicle, and a micro-fiber sponge (looks like a large dog-bone) for areas of heavier contamination like the grille, front bumper, rear fenders. To prepare the sponges, remove them from the zip-lock bag that you should be storing them in and spray them with the hose. Spray them and squeeze them dry a few times in order to loosen and remove any contaminents that have been lingering around since their last use. After they are clean, drop them into the suds and let them soak while you prepare the car for washing.

With a positive shutoff nozzle attached to your hose (got to save water, so never let the hose run free), begin spraying your vehicle from the top to bottom, and front to rear. The better you remove debris with the water, the less chance of scratching your paint when the washing begins and the easier it will be to get it clean. Spraying the car does two things: it makes it wet, and it applies water to the paint.

With the car rinsed, the sponges and buckets ready it is time to start washing! Most people will tell you to wash the car from front to rear and top to bottom - this is simply not true - you should wash your car in the same direction as the air travles over it during normal operation. If you primarily drive in reverse, it would be better to wash your car from the rear to the front. Spend a lot of time up-side-down? The wash it from bottom to top in order to achieve stellar results... otherwise, front to rear, top to bottom is a good practice. Take your preferred sponge out of the suds and tackle one body panel at a time, then return the sponge to your bucket of pure water and shake it around to loosen any debris. Return this sponge to the suds and then attack another body panel. Be sure to rinse each body panel after you are done washing it in order to keep the soap from creating a film on the paint. Avoid touching the wheels with your good sponges, saving them for the very end of the wash. After the body is clean and rinsed, you can use an old sponge to clean the wheels and tires of the vehicle. Or, if you prefer you can wash them before the body, as long as you use a different bucket for them. The whels are nasty, and you do not want that grime getting mixed in with your clean car washing buckets and sponges.

Drying the vehicle is the next step in this process, and I am a big advocate of a leaf blower. Drying a large vehicle sucks and equally, so do water spots from not drying it. I use an electric leaf blower to remove the majority of water from the car, again, blowing the air in the same direction as it would travel over the car when driving down the road. So why not just drive it around the block to dry it? Because roads are dirty, and a wet car is more prone to retaining road debris than a dry one. So, blow dry the majority of the car, then attack it from top to bottom with a clean, absorbant micro-fiber drying towell or chamois if you are skilled enough to use one.

While the above method will do nothing to make your car cleaner than a normal car washing technique, it will save your paint and save you time when you detail it the next time. This is good car washing practice, and is used by automotive detaillers all over the world. There is more to it, such as adding grit gaurds to your buckets, using soft water and even using exotic animal's fur for washing brushes, but that article above covers the basics. I know too much for my own good when it comes to detailling cars, so if you have any more detailled questions (no pun intended) feel free to ask away!

I will go over other techniques when I get around to actually doing them, and will probably post pictures of today's car washing for reference.

[Tornadom]

Here we are... two buckets, a good sponge for the body and a crappy one for the wheels


Fill the first bucket with plain water and the other with your car wash suds


Rinse the vehcile well before you start to wash


Here is a closer look


Even closer


Closer yet, get the idea?


After you have washed the first body panel, rinse the sponge in the plain water bucket


Push the sponge into the water to begin the rinse cycle


Make sure to submerge the sponge completely in the rinse water


You will start to see the sponge bubbling in the water, this is a good thing


The more bubble come off of it, the cleaner it is getting


Just a little longer


The sponge should now be ready to tackle the next body panel


This is how I like to start the drying process


After you have blow-dried the car and attended to the remaining water with a micro-fiber towell, don't forget to use an old towell to get the door jams and other areas of the car


If you did it right, you should be nice and clean


A good reflection on your car, is a good reflection on you


Make sure both sides shine equally


Dry the glass well so it doesn't leave spots


Even the headlights need to be cleaned and dried

[Goose]

I use Rain-X too

[Tornadom]

Rain-ex works well on glass, as does metal polish. The difference being that metal polish actually makes the glass shiny, not just slipery.

[Goose]

Oh, and i use tiger fur too

[david529]

Thats pretty cool, i didnt know that. One day when i decide to have a pretty vehicle i will have to remember this. Then again, i am planning on painting my truck with a few rattle cans, and washing it up against the side of rocks and tree's.

[Tornadom]

Originally Posted by david529

Thats pretty cool, i didnt know that. One day when i decide to have a pretty vehicle i will have to remember this. Then again, i am planning on painting my truck with a few rattle cans, and washing it up against the side of rocks and tree's.

Yeah, my trail rig (when I actually get around to finding/building one) will wear a few coats of Krylon ultra-flat spray paint.

I'm a stickler for keeping nice things nice, so any vehicle I have owned with at least semi-decent paint has been cared for.

[Djaric]

I'm still lost on this washing thing...
You have... two buckets?

[steve0827]

please please please use microfiber when cleaning your car. you're car will love you back :P