Auto care (washing/cleaning)

I'm 80 years old and I go to the do-it-myself car wash. Soap wash>rinse>no streak rinse and drive to dry. Wax with NuFinish once a year (maybe Hood twice) and the car looks great after 8 years when I usually sell. I save my energy for the oil & filter changes. Ed
 
I'm sure there are a lot of people on the hairdressing forum that will tell me that I'm wrong then link videos comparing Paul Mitchell to Prell, but my point is they both do the same thing: clean your hair better than hand soap or dishwashing soap. There's no real need to get fancy at Pep Boys. :)
I'd never take a pressure washer to my paint job so I cant comment on the cannons, but the reason I've always used simple green is because it's cheap, available anywhere, non toxic, biodegradable, and you can water it down to the strength you need.

I get your point, I'm just saying that I personally think it's good to know that there are differences and to understand what they are. If two 1L bottles of soap are priced the same and perform the same, but bottle A provides 25 more washes because it requires less product per wash, I'm going to buy bottle A. I like to know where my dollar is going.

You're right though, there's no real "need" to use this or that. One might work better than the other at the same price point, but if that doesn't matter to the buyer, no big deal.
 
One thread is a guy with peeling clearcoat saying "Screw Mazda and their crappy paint", and the other is full of people telling you to pressure wash your paint job.
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There's nothing wrong with using a pressure washer on your car. You'll have to use a lil common sense (not so common I know) while doing so. It doesn't take a genius to know that you shouldn't get the pressure wand too close to the paint otherwise you risk damage. Using a pressure washer saves time and water and it does a much better job of rinsing.
 
There's nothing wrong with using a pressure washer on your car. You'll have to use a lil common sense (not so common I know) while doing so. It doesn't take a genius to know that you shouldn't get the pressure wand too close to the paint otherwise you risk damage. Using a pressure washer saves time and water and it does a much better job of rinsing.

My paint is already in rough shape so I don't care so much these days, however if I had a new car, it would get a properly used touchless pressure washer first to get all the dirt and grit off before I ever washed it with touch.
 
There's nothing wrong with using a pressure washer on your car. You'll have to use a lil common sense (not so common I know) while doing so. It doesn't take a genius to know that you shouldn't get the pressure wand too close to the paint otherwise you risk damage. Using a pressure washer saves time and water and it does a much better job of rinsing.

I just use a hose sprayer. With a pressure washer, even if its a household one, a momentary lapse in technique or attention can easily bring the wand down wrong. I think your guys in a parking lot types use it because it'll get bugs and bird poop off faster, but I'm not sure that's the best way to tackle those anyway.
 
The pressure washer that I have is electric so not super powerful. I only use it if I am doing a more detailed wash using the foam cannon since the hose is already hooked up to the PW. I just make sure I have the right nozzle and stand back from the car a few feet. It really came in handy when I had mold & mildew around the hatch hinges (I now try not to park near trees at work). I could not clean that out with a mitt or by hand. The PW cleaned it out super quick and I was surprised at how much came out of some the body panel joints that did not come out with a regular hose. I also use boars hair brushes to go around those tough areas and again it is surprising how much dirt comes out of those areas. Every step I take I try to be cautious about the paint and it seems like the CX-5 paint for the 2014 was thin with a lot of orange peel. My wife's new Honda is not the greatest paint either, but it seems much better than the quality of my CX-5.

When I decided to jump into DIY detail for the CX-5 I had two goals.
1. I tend to buy new cars, pay them off immediately or in a year then drive them until they are usually not worth much. If I keep the car looking like new it helps me not get new car fever.
2. I wanted to practice and get better at detailing with a throw away type car so that if I ever do step up to Porsche or other higher end I will feel more comfortable detailing it myself.

Detailing is tough work and I can see why the good Pros get over $1K to detail a car. I am far from having pro skills, but to me it super rewarding after the DIY effort and that makes it worthwhile IMO when I step back and see the end result. The bad thing is that both the CX-5 and my wife's car are white so they really do not pop like a darker color paint that is corrected and detailed.
 
I just use a hose sprayer. With a pressure washer, even if its a household one, a momentary lapse in technique or attention can easily bring the wand down wrong. I think your guys in a parking lot types use it because it'll get bugs and bird poop off faster, but I'm not sure that's the best way to tackle those anyway.

Of course you can mess up your paint with 'a momentary lapse in technique or attention' when using a pressure washer. You can also mess up your paint with the nozzle on the end of the hose if you're not careful. (most are made of metal and if you're inattentive you can scratch your paint with it) You can even mess up your paint with the water hose if you're not careful.

I've been using a pressure washer to wash my vehicles for over 20 years and the only incident I've had was when I tried to rinse a bit of soap from my hand and I got the tip of the wand too close to my skin. I've also used a pressure washer to wash my RV. Have you ever seen how many decals there are on a RV? Never had an issue with decals getting pealed off either.

YMMV
 
Of course you can mess up your paint with 'a momentary lapse in technique or attention' when using a pressure washer. You can also mess up your paint with the nozzle on the end of the hose if you're not careful. (most are made of metal and if you're inattentive you can scratch your paint with it) You can even mess up your paint with the water hose if you're not careful.

I've been using a pressure washer to wash my vehicles for over 20 years and the only incident I've had was when I tried to rinse a bit of soap from my hand and I got the tip of the wand too close to my skin. I've also used a pressure washer to wash my RV. Have you ever seen how many decals there are on a RV? Never had an issue with decals getting pealed off either.

YMMV

+1...100% agree
 
I use the 2 bucket method for now with a grit guard, Adams car shampoo or Optimum, from there clay and wax twice a year , I use Meguiars Ultimate wax and polish and clay twice a year but in between I use there Synthetic spray wax after every wash (even on seals ,lights, rims and black trim wheel wells etc..) I do keep Megs Last Touch around for quick wipe downs and dilute it for claying. Sounds expensive but i buy by the gallon off of Amazon and get about a year and a half out them but perhaps less since getting the wife a new car.
 
I have been detailing autos for 50 years and never, never use soap. Soap removes your wax. I always wash it down with water. Then use a mitten and wash from top down no matter how dirty it is. I have a 1996 f250 I bought new that looks like it just came off the showroom floor. Everyone thinks it has been repainted. I use eagle one wax as you dry every time it's washed. This is just my opinion. I would post a pic of the truck but can't seem to load it.
 
I have been detailing autos for 50 years and never, never use soap. Soap removes your wax. I always wash it down with water. Then use a mitten and wash from top down no matter how dirty it is. I have a 1996 f250 I bought new that looks like it just came off the showroom floor. Everyone thinks it has been repainted. I use eagle one wax as you dry every time it's washed. This is just my opinion. I would post a pic of the truck but can't seem to load it.

Sorry, but this is old school thinking. Today's high end detailing products do not strip away wax or any other protective coating. I foam my cars everytime I wash them to provide lubrication and remove the majority of any surface dirt on the paint, before I proceed with my 2 grit guard bucket wash technique. I then blow dry the car to minimize any contact with the paint during the drying process. I have no swirls, hazing or marring on the paint.

My wife thinks I'm nuts but she loves her super clean CX5.

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My 1998 Toyota 4Runner we bought brand new, now with 175K miles (for reference purposes). Picture taken about 1 month ago.

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Trivial question

Did you foam in the driveway and then pull it into the garage. Must have or you have some very good foaming skills. :)
I foam and wash in the drive early before the sun is a factor and just about have to use the pressure washer to break up the dense foam and move it off the drive. Other times for a quick wash I will wait until 5 PM when shade is cast on the drive for a foam and two bucket wash.

I often talk detailing with a coworker and we wish we had a large open garage like high end pros so the entire process could be done in good lighting and not in the sun. I start early and try to get past the decontamination part with Iron X and then pull it into the garage for the rest, but I have to plan it by setting the alarm for an early rise and go at it fast. Once I get to the point where surface temperature is important I will pull it into the garage, take a lunch break and let the paint cool. With both of our cars being white they cool very fast.

Your CX-5 paint looks great and so does the 4Runner.
 
Trivial question

Did you foam in the driveway and then pull it into the garage. Must have or you have some very good foaming skills. :)
I foam and wash in the drive early before the sun is a factor and just about have to use the pressure washer to break up the dense foam and move it off the drive. Other times for a quick wash I will wait until 5 PM when shade is cast on the drive for a foam and two bucket wash.

I often talk detailing with a coworker and we wish we had a large open garage like high end pros so the entire process could be done in good lighting and not in the sun. I start early and try to get past the decontamination part with Iron X and then pull it into the garage for the rest, but I have to plan it by setting the alarm for an early rise and go at it fast. Once I get to the point where surface temperature is important I will pull it into the garage, take a lunch break and let the paint cool. With both of our cars being white they cool very fast.

Your CX-5 paint looks great and so does the 4Runner.

I actually do foam in the garage. I have a Detailed Image foam cannon that I can adjust the output, only makes a slight mess, but my garage floor gets a solid cleaning every weekend! I have installed overhead lights in the garage so I can see any paint imperfections relatively easily. I used to do exactly what you do for washing...early wake up calls and driveway washing. Very hard to do in the summer months in California as it is pretty warm outside early on so I slowly set up the garage.

We used to exclusively buy light colored cars, but the wife didn't like the contrast of all the black plastic on the CX5 against the white paint, so we got the easy to maintain Machine Gray...lol. At least my daily driver is white!

Thanks for the compliments...my detailing hobby has turned into an out of control compulsion (help)
 
Thanks for the compliments...my detailing hobby has turned into an out of control compulsion (help)

Yep like a meth addict, every time Detailed Image send out the email for discounts I feel compelled to buy and they know it :). I just have to immediately delete and yet once again this morning I jumped on one of these gizmos and decided to get from Amazon. I saw a video of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned) for the first time. There are a bunch of cheap versions on ebay, but I figure after buying a cheap $13 foam cannon that is tough to control I would get something a little better.
 
Yep like a meth addict, every time Detailed Image send out the email for discounts I feel compelled to buy and they know it :). I just have to immediately delete and yet once again this morning I jumped on one of these gizmos and decided to get from Amazon. I saw a video of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned) for the first time. There are a bunch of cheap versions on ebay, but I figure after buying a cheap $13 foam cannon that is tough to control I would get something a little better.

You are going down a dangerous path my friend :). I made the mistake of joining the Autogeek Facebook group...these guys are at a different level!
 
303 wipes

Has anyone used 303 wipes [labeled "multi surface cleaner"] on any of the leather [dash, seats]? I ass-u-me they're ok since the leather is finished, but wonder if anyone can confirm that.
 
I don't use the wipes, but I use the 303 spray on my dash and interior. Not the leather though, I use a conditioner for that.
 
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