Safely Washing your car

The Equipment:

Most people have a sponge, a bucket, a hose, a chamois of some kind and their usual car wash solution to use for their weekly or whatever wash. For the non enthusiast this is fine and all they are prepared to do to keep the car clean. The enthusiast who wishes to maintain their babies like new appearance for as long as possible can do a little more that this.

The Sponge:

A sponge from your local supermarket usually just isn't up to the job of safely washing the car. A normal man made sponge will hold alot of water but has many flat spots where dirt cannot get away until rinsed and will push the dirt up against the paint surface. Another option is to use a good thick 100% cotton towel material that has a deep pile so the dirt is pushed deep into the pile away from the paint. Unfortunately towel material doesn't absorb much water in comparison to a sponge so it's easier to end up washing with too little water which causes problems also. Another option is good quality microfibre wash mitt. These suffer from similar problems as the cotton towels but are the best option for water restriction enforced washing methods as I'll go through later.

One historically popular choice is a natural sponge with lots of irregular and deep holes in it that will both hold alot of water and allow the dirt plenty of places to go that isn't up against the paint. Unfortunately they are sometimes not all that readily available and if not of the highest quality can hold bits of shell and other hard materials and should be inspected very closely before their first use.

My solution is to have a man made "sea sponge" material wrapped in a thick 100% cotton material. This will both hold plenty of water to allow the dirt to be lifted and floated away and a nice deep pile to allow the dirt to be kept away from the paint surface more effectively.

The perfect addition is to first use a good quality filtered water high pressure washer that will remove almost all the dirt before you even touch the car. This isn't possible for everyone however.

The Bucket:

Don't be stingy with an item that doesn't cost more than a couple of dollars. Whatever was in the bucket the last time it was used is more than likely going to end up on the car. Buy THREE and use them ONLY for washing the car. I'll get into the reasons for this soon.

The Hose:

Obviously this is only an option for those with no water restrictions in their area. Even without water restriction you can still do your part to save water and do a better job while you?re at it. Make sure you have a water gun or some other flow control device attached so you only have the water running when you need it and get better pressure for rinsing.

The Chamois:

Until recently the high quality "natural hide" chamois was the king of car drying materials, and is still a good option. Microfiber Chamois or drying towels are the popular option today with good reason. Cheap synthetic chamois, while doing a good job of drying the car can easily cause micro scratches by creating the situation of two very flat surfaces having dust and dirty water (rinsing doesn't always wash away 100%) between them. A material that is soft and has an uneven texture to it will give the dirt a little room to move and not be forced onto the paint nearly as hard. Microfiber drying towels are very easy to use and a good one will absorb enough water to dry two cars in a row. If you have more than two cars this isn't the best option however as they don't wring out as well as a traditional style chamois. A good microfiber chamois is made to mimic the qualities of a natural hide chamois. It has an uneven texture, absorbs a fair amount of water and is easily wrung out when full ready for use again. Where they are better than a natural chamois is in their easy washing and are less likely to wear down to a flat surface.

Other "drying" tools like the water blade don't rate very high in my books as a safe drying method. They can easily cause scratches if a stray particle of dirt is left behind from the washing procedure.

Another option is to use an air blower (again with a filter so dust from the air isn't blown onto the wet car at high speed) so that no physical contact is required when drying the car. A leaf blower is one example of an item in use for this. Again this isn't a reasonable option for most.

The Car Wash:

Don't pick the cheapest car wash solution you can find just because this is the one item you have to regularly purchase. The cheaper products are usually cheap because they use low quality materials in the mix, such as salts to encourage foaming and a thicker gel like solution in the bottle. A good quality wash solution may cost more for the bottle, but you usually don't have to use as much per wash and will do a much gentler job.

For the water restriction conscious individuals, products like QEW (Quick & Easy Wash) are a reasonable option and advertise allowing you to wash the car with as little as 4 liters of water. Using the car wash matched to the products you use to wax/protect the paint (if you do) is a good idea, as they are usually of reasonable quality and specifically made to remove as little as possible of that particular wax formula with each wash.

This goes for your wheel cleaner also. If you wash the wheels regularly then a gentler wheel cleaner like P21S Wheel Gel which is more like a thicker version of their car wash and has no harsh cleaners in it, is all you need. If you?re not so regular about it or have particularly bad brake pads for dusting then the harsher cleaners work better for caked on brake dust. As is the case with all surfaces that may require a harsher cleaner to do the job, use only what is necessary, don't go straight for the most acidic one you can find when a PH neutral gentle cleaner will do the job also.

===============================

Washing the Car, When/Where to wash:

For the best results and if at all possible always wash the car in the shade AND with the paint cool to the touch. This means you can't move from full sun to shade or pull up after driving and expect to get good results just because the car was in the shade at the time of washing. If the paint isn't cool to the touch you might as well have done the job in the sun. If you intend to wash the car within a short time of diving, open the bonnet as soon as you stop to allow the bonnet to cool as quickly as possible and to release the engine heat so when you close it before washing it doesn't just warm up again from the hot engine. This rule also applies for washing the wheels. Washing your alloys when still hot from driving can be the cause of your particular wheel cleaner damaging the finish. In particular with acidic wheel cleaners, they will react faster on a hot environment meaning the manufacturer advised time will be too long. For example one cleaner that is supposed to be left on for 3-5 minutes may normally potentially cause damage in 10-15 minutes. On a hot surface the reaction time can be halved so damage can occur in as little as 5 minutes.

Why three buckets? The first is for use in cleaning the wheels. This bucket will get brake dust particles caught in the small scratches and imperfections in the plastic of the bucket. These particles will then be in the water the next time you fill it so you absolutely don't want to ever use this bucket for cleaning the paint. Brake dust is very abrasive and easily scratches the clear coat. With the other two buckets, one is for holding your soapy water and the other for holding clean rinsing water. It doesn't matter as much if you mix these two up between washes but its better if you don't. Mark them with a permanent marker or use different colours if you want to remind yourself which is which.

Cleaning the wheels:

Always try to wash your wheels first. Normally you would want to clean the dirtiest part of the car last but since you are using a different bucket and tools for this part than from the rest of the car, it's better to get it done first. One good reason for this is that the cleaners for wheels can be quite harsh and just in case you spray a little on the paint around the wheel, you want to be able to wash it off when washing the rest of the car. Another reason is that cleaning the wheels can take just as long as cleaning the rest of the car, and it's usually better to get the hardest part of the job out of the way first.

--------------------------------------------------

No Water Restrictions method.

Initial Rinsing:

Give the paint surface a good hard spray with the nozzle one step away from the tightest stream. Make sure you pay particular attention to the areas that hold the most dirt like the side skirts and bumpers.

Washing:

Starting from the top and working down, wash the car using straight motion only. Avoid circular motions as these more easily add to problems like swirl marks. It is best to have two sponges/mitts/whatever so you can use them as follows. Put both in the soapy water to begin with and use one to clean the first part of the car. When you need to rinse the sponge put it in the clean rinsing water and leave it there. Use the second sponge to clean the next part of the car, and then when more soap/water is required again take the original sponge from the rinsing bucket and put in the soapy bucket then place the current sponge in the rinsing bucket and use the freshly soapy sponge. Continue rotating the sponges like this for the entire wash.

What this is doing is keeping the dirt away from the soapy water as much as possible. Putting the used sponge in the clean rinsing water for the minute it takes to use the other, will allow the dirt it has gathered to fall away to (hopefully) the bottom of the bucket. Then when you go to use it again it is not nearly as dirty as before and won't contaminate the soapy water with all that dirt. Also if the rinse water starts to look too dirty you can easily empty and refill with clean water without using more car wash. This means that the soapy water and sponge you are using will be allot cleaner than they would be from just using one bucket. An added bonus is that you shouldn't have to use as much of your wash solution as there is less dirt reacting with the product. I've found I use 2/3 of the normal amount of wash using this method.

Final Rinse:

Rinse the car in the same way as the Initial Rinsing. Then remove the nozzle and the plastic adaptor at the end of the hose leaving just the green hose material exposed. Adjust the pressure of the water flow so you have a nice smooth flow. Rinse the car again using the smooth flow of water you are now have. This is called water sheeting, as the slower smooth flow of water will create a situation where all the beads of water merge together and more easily slide or sheet off the surface. What this means is that less water is left on the surface so it will be easier to dry. This works better on a smooth waxed surface but is also beneficial for unwaxed surfaces. It will also allow the water to more easily get into the gaps between panels to properly rinse away the soap and dirt there. Slower moving water will get into more areas than a fast flow will.

Drying:

Using a good microfiber drying towel is my favorite tool for this step. Working from top to bottom dry the car, again using only straight motions not circular. Avoid using this good towel when drying inside the doors and other areas where dirt still lingers out of sight. You can an old chamois for this as it doesn't matter as much if it gets dirty.

--------------------------------------------------

With Water Restrictions method using a water saving product like QEW:

QEW requires only 4 liters of water to wash your car as you require no water to rinse the car after washing. Technically the manufacturer states you don't need to rinse before washing either but I believe it is better to do so anyway as this will at least remove the loose dirt first. This method also works best when using good quality microfiber Wash Mitt and Chamois. If you are careful and take proper caution with this product you can do it just as safely as normal washing.

Initial Rinsing:

Use your clean rinsing bucket or a watering can to pour water over the car. Make sure all surfaces are wet.

Washing/Drying:

Wash the car using a good microfiber Wash Mitt and Chamois and using the same method as the "No Water Restriction" method except in this case after washing each panel, dry it with the microfiber Chamois immediately. You can more easily get away with using only one Wash Mitt in this case as the time it takes to dry each panel after washing will allow the dirt to mostly rinse from the Mitt in the rinsing bucket.

QEW can be used in this way as it doesn't leave any streaking behind when dried straight away after application and without rinsing with clean water. This is why you only wash one panel at a time and dry straight away instead of washing the whole car before drying.

--------------------------------------------------

Finishing Up:

Pay attention to your cars drip points. Each make/model of car will have its own spots that collect water and only release it slowly over time. These spots can be around the radio aerial or the window water channels. Sometimes you can use your finger to gently lift the rubber seal that is holding back the flow so that it all comes out at once, allowing you to dry the area and not have a continuing drip leave a trail of dried water.

Greg
Eclipse Detailing Supplies
www.eclipsedetailing.com.au