In another life, I owned and operated a detail/modification shop which was traded for a law degree. I still clean my own cars as well as some cars for friends and family (it is my "therapy") and the third bay of my garage at home is set up like a detail bay. My $0.02 FWIW:
It is ok to use a "speed shine" product on a car to remove a smudge of fingerprints, a water spot, a little dust, a fresh bird dropping and the like from a clean car but do not use waterless car wash in place of a real car wash. If the car is that dirty, wash the car.
Brief overview of what I do/use when washing the car:
To Wash With:
Two buckets; one with just water, the other with soap and water. I use the water only bucket to rinse off the wash brush after it comes of the car, then it goes into the soap and water bucket before going back on the car. This takes all the crap out of the brush and does not introduce it into the bucket of soap and water that you are going to slather all over your car.
In/on the buckets: cross hatch grating (thank you Home Depot - it is the white plastic hatching used in recessed commercial flourescent light fixtures) suspended several inches over the bottom of the bucket so that the brush does not accidentally touch bottom, pick up some crap that already came off the brush and then makes its way into the soap and water bucket and potentially onto my car. This was not my idea - when I saw it in Griot's Garage, I copied it for myself. He used to sell the bucket for some elevated price (now much cheaper). My buckets are on casters - rolling buckets (I feel like the high school janitor)
The Brush: I have had it for 15+ years. It cost me $200.00. It is a hand laid, all natural hair brush. Very soft and durable - it has only ever been used on my babied cars (couple of Corvettes, a Supra, a couple of IASCA show cars I used to compete with). I have a synthetic
brush for the daily drivers that are almost as soft yet don't scratch the finish. It is on a broom handle so I can reach the tops of SUVs or the bottoms of sports cars without bending over. ( I am getting lazy).
The soap: Something very foamy, sudzy and made for cars. Don't waste money on $40.00 per gallon soap.
Hose and nozzle of your choice. I have some great nozzles (with foamy applicators if you wanted to do a bucketless wash - why bucketless is beyond me but you could if you wanted to). I have installed quick disconnects on all nozzles and hoses for speed. (Even have them on my sprinklers for the lawn, the wife loves it).
To Dry With:
Towels: Waffle Wave Microfibers and smaller microfibers (like the ones used for wax removal)
Jelly blade
Speed Shine
Additional accessories:
Cigar of your choice - I prefer either Padron Anniversarios or Bolivar (country of origin re: Bolivar not to be discussed here)
Throat lubricant - Coffee, beer, or bourbon. Your choice. My motto - it is 5 pm somewhere............
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Wash from top to bottom, front to back and hose the car off the same way. This uses the benefits of the drip/wind rails engineered into the car for removing rain water.
I dry the car from top to bottom, front to back as well, doing only one section at a time. I take one pass with the big towel to remove almost all of the water (except for streaks), then I use the speed shine and the smaller towels for a streak free finish. The jelly blade I use on the windows (to save the towel). On my daily drivers, I use the jelly blade on the entire car before I take a pass with the towel - it has yet to scratch a car. Even knowing this, I have yet to use it on a black Corvette (I think that would be tempting fate).
I do use my car duster between drives on the vette because it has yet to see any inclement weather. Worst thing that happens is dust and fingerprints. Occassionally bird crap. Thankfully, there is speed shine............
07 Z51, great writeup and I could not agree more. I have never been "in the business", but follow almost the same practices, except that I always start with the jelly when drying for all my cars.
Also, I love black cars, but after having two of them at one time, I doubt that I will ever have another one. Too much work.....
I've used Meguirs, Mothers, Automagic, Griot's, Ardex, Pro, Production, and a couple of others.
Recently I tried one made by Meguirs; a new formula. Not cheap: $10 per 16 oz. Not available in larger bottles (yet). I love it - optical brighteners, makes the paint feel like I just waxed it. Due to cost, I only use it on my Vette. My buddy who is also a detailing freak swears by Griot's. I do not agree but, hey, I guess that is why ice cream comes in many flavors..............
I use a commercial product made by Automagic on the daily drivers - appx $25 per gallon - almost the same shine but not the same "just waxed" feel. I get both products from a place called PAL Automotive, South Plainfield, NJ. Ask for Mark. He has some great stuff. I don't know if he can do mail order but give it a shot.
Last edited by 07 Z51; 12-09-2007 at 07:54 AM.
Reason: Typo
Great write up 07 Z51. I have had 3 black cars and use many of the precautions you mentioned but I just learned a couple more
Agree on the water blade - I use it on the wife's Tahoe - that thing just has too much surface area (measures in acres) and she drives it to Walmart and the mall anyway. But for my Vette - use it on the glass only.
On my vette, I do use my hand to rake the water off before towelling to save on towels. Obviously, my hand is very clean since I just washed the car.
I like the grating in the bottom of the bucket trick. Gonna do that!
No problem with putting water on the car in nice weather but not when its below freezing. Also in the future I hear in certain parts of the country DEP has a big problem with soapy runoff from washing cars. i guess it runs into the streams and lakes and ocean and does damage while pay car washes go into the sewer system.
No problem with putting water on the car in nice weather but not when its below freezing. Also in the future I hear in certain parts of the country DEP has a big problem with soapy runoff from washing cars. i guess it runs into the streams and lakes and ocean and does damage while pay car washes go into the sewer system.
OK, couple of cures to the Winter Car Wash blues:
Have a hot water line ran. I did. Now I can wash with warm, cold, hot - whatever. Great for degreasing too. Use the hot water at the end of the wash (to melt the frozen droplets), pull into the garage and dry the car off. Now, frozen is no longer the issue.
If no hot water outside, hose car off immediately at end of wash (to hopefully melt some of the frozen stuff), pull into the garage, and use a heat gun from a distance to get the frozen stuff. OR buy a kerosene heater for the garage. This winter, I am having heat installed in the garage (using a closed loop, hot water baseboard system with a timer). It will keep cars and garage warm all winter so playing in the garage will not be a bone chilling event. Also, because it is a closed loop system, the expense to operate will be de minimus (I have been told less than $30/month to heat a 700 sq garage with 14 foot ceilings to 50 - 55 degrees). Also, can heat the garage to 70 if I really wanted too.
As for the DEP, when I see them coming up the cul de sac, I will close the garage door.....................
I use spray detailer on a car at show time to touch up and remove a finger print or whatever but that's it. After it's clean a California Duster is my friend. I think Florida has pollen 13 or 14 months out of a year! These damn oak and pine trees spew forth pollen like sand in the Sahara! Goodness!
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