Hand wash cloth to get without micro scratches

Anything to avoid buying and what to get at my big box store that will be good to get to wash my car with?

 

Microfiber, but it's not necessarily what you wash with, it is what may still be on the paint after you rinse and the ability of your soap to keep cloth and paint lubricated while washing. That's why clay bar is important.

Also make sure you "scrub" in straight lines, not in circles.

Matt

 

there's a following for those buckets with a false bottom. theory is that dirt/ solids won't be picked up and redistributed on the vehicle as the wash process proceeds.

this kind:

$10 The Grit Guard Insert (Red) - Fits 12" Diameter Bucket

https://www.amazon.com/Grit-Guard-Insert-Red-Diameter/dp/B000N3W8J0

 

And use two buckets. One to rinse your dirty mit, the other has soap. And I use a dedicated bucket for wheels only.

 

I spray on soap with a hose attachment and use a pole brush to wash. Did that for 11 years with my 07 and people thought the paint looked brand new.
I used a few different waxes on my 07. On my 18 I'm just using the hybrid wax from car guys but I'll do a semi yearly/yearly full wax with a buffer.

Never had a swirl, but then again mine is silver and it's way more forgiving.
Your biggest caution will be cleaning that plexi in the instrument cluster. Gotta be real careful there.

 

Clay is an abrasive and has nothing to do with love marks from washing. Clay removes contaminants from the clear that otherwise could not be removed with a normal wash, these contaminates are not causing those love marks. You should not be using clay often as it will mar the paint, and will require a compound/polish step to fix.

Use the two bucket method with good soap and keep the paint wet. Do not use excessive force. I use these: https://www.detailersdomain.com/collections/wash/products/detailers-domain-microfiber-wash-mitt

 

Check out TheRagCompany. They make some amazing Microfiber stuff for any use.

I pretty much only use TheRagCompany and Adams Polishes on my vehicles.

Also the two (or three) bucket method is huge like others have said. And if you have/can get a power washer and a foam cannon it helps a ton with getting most all of the debris off your paint before you even touch it with the wash mit.

Only use the wash mit in straight lines, never in circles. If for some reason your mit does scratch the paint, straight line scratches are much easier to fix than swirls.

Also pay attention to the soap you use, some are meant to strip all your waxs/sealants off, most do not. So if you just waxed your truck you don't want to use a strip wash cause then youll end up having to do a full detail every time you wash instead of just maintaining the wax/sealant you already have on it. However every so often you will want to strip it all off and start fresh to keep the paint from looking cloudy from adding layer on layer of wax/sealant.

 

Clay can remove some contaminants that would not be dislodged with a rinse or light wash, but would otherwise be knocked loose by using a mitt/cloth, and then dragged underneath. 2-3 bucket method is probably the most important thing to remember just doing a normal wash as others have mentioned.

I only clay 1-2 times a year for the reason you mentioned as well.

Matt

 

Go to a drive through. Been doing it for years and my trucks always look great.

G.

 

This may not be a big deal if you have a car that ISN'T black. But I get scratches from automatic car washes every time I go through there. Because instead of being washed off, the dirt is pounded into the sides of your car by those dirty spinner machines. I've gone thru twice and I can already see where it scratched up my car. Never again.

It should be said though, that if you go to a car wash place advertises hand washing your car, you'll be alright. Still cheaper to wash your own though.


Getting back to the topic though, I would avoid waxes that leave white residue on plastics. I've found that its pretty much impossible to do a wax job without getting at least a little of that stuff on my car's plastic (usually the fenders since mine's the OR model). Nu Finish leaves a residue and some of the others (I think its the carnuba wax in them?). I know meguires doesn't and some others with special carnuba formulas have found a way around it, but just check the bottles and see if they say to stay away from plastic trim or if they advertise that they don't discolor plastic or rubber. There's so much plastic on cars these days, its worth it to avoid these waxes imo.

If you do get some residue on the plastic, don't freak out. It won't hurt the plastic, it just doesn't make it look clean and you can get it off with some detailing spray or some of plastic restorer (but be prepared to do all the plastic if you choose the restorer route to make it look uniform since it darkens the color)

 

True, about black.

G.

 

Yeah, I started really getting into detailing my own cars a few years ago, and will never take mine back to an automatic wash. I have a 2014 Charger that got a huge scratch up the hood and the roof from something that was embedded in the wash mat.

I will say though, it's not always cheaper, you can get into some pretty spendy detailing equipment and products lol.

 

You have two options to stop staining your plastic:

1) Masking tape all plastics off (personally this is what I use because I use a DA to apply)
2) Stop waxing about 1" away from plastics, come back with a clean applicator and be more careful/go slower


If you do get some wax on a piece of plastic, Meguiars M39 and a toothbrush will take care of it.

 

Absolutely. It's expensive to get started. But there's also a big difference between a simple wash and a full detail. If all you're doing is washing, a couple buckets and some no rinse car wash w/ a 6 pack of microfiber towels is all you need. I guess he didn't really ask about waxing and detailing. So I probably didn't need to bring it up, whups

 

You must not like your paint to punish it like that.
Can we take a swirl finder light to it or sit back 10'.

 

reddit.com/r/autodetailing has a lot of information in the side wiki. Also I just waxed my car with Meguiars Ultimate Liquid Wax and it left no residue on the black trim, but Meguairs ULW is more of a sealant than a wax.

 

I only use the wash with no brushes. Just high pressure wash.

Have done it with all my cars/trucks. Clay once a year and it looks great.

 

Here's a few tips:
Use the 2 bucket method with grit guards to minimize a dirty wash cloth.
DO NOT use a drive thru car wash and those broom type scrubbers to wash your car. I promise, you will get swirls or scratches.
Use a good soap to keep the paint lubed when washing your car. You can get a foam gun fairly cheap from Amazon for pre-soaking before the initial wash.
Buy some quality microfibers for drying because I have seen cheapie ones cause swirls.

Here's a wash mitt I recommend:

$9 Meguiar's X3002 Microfiber Wash Mitt, Super-Thick Reusable Wash Mitt for Ultimate Finish White 10.00" x 8.00"

https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-X30...&qid=1533150363&sr=1-7&keywords=car+wash+mitt

But remember the main thing is to keep it clean from contaminates and never use to much pressure when scrubbing.

 

For wax/sealants I use

$21 Collinite 845 Insulator Wax-Easy to Use Carnauba+Polymer Wax Sealant-High Gloss Shine+Durable Hydrophobic Beading & Long Lasting Paint Protection for Cars/Boats/Trucks/RVs & Motorcycles (16 fl oz)

Collinite 845 or Wolfgang sealant DGPS. Join the autogeek forum and read read read.

 

Collonite is awesome stuff, takes a bit of elbow grease but is well worth it!