How has your car washing changed

[billz]

Has peoples cleaning changed since first owning a Zed and if so how.
I will start.
Before
I used to wash the whole of the car including wheels using a sponge then rinse off
Then i would apply the Polish, but have always used AG Polish but applied it with old T Shirts.
Now.
I use 1 bucket to wash the wheels using only microfiber cloths and a brush with a microfiber sleeve over it to get behind the spokes.
I then rinse the car,
I then apply Snow Foam prewash
I then rinse the car
I then wash the car from top down using a microfiber sponge
I then rinse the car
I then towel the majority of water off using a Green microfiber cloth 24"x24"
Then i go over the car with a softer Yellow microfiber cloth again 24"x24"
Then i go over it again with a super soft Blue microfiber cloth again 24"x24"
I do not use the 2 bucket method as i only dip the sponge into the top of the water to rinse what is on it off then re dip for the next pass.
I only now polish the car once every 3 months using a DA machine polisher giving the car a full detox including a Claying and use a detailer in between washes (every 2 weeks)
So what and how has your car washing changed

 

[Redline]

Not been too dirty yet since @Russell O did the full treatment on the paint, but....

Rinse
Snow foam using karcher snow foam lance (10 - 15 secs to do whole car).
Leave for 2 mins
Rinse (low pressure)
Snow foam again
Rinse
Dry with microfibre towel (first time the car is touched)
Polish up with a superfine microfibre towel.

Wheels take longer than the rest of the car.

My car now has its own set of microfibre towels. Gail's gets the same but I do use a microfibre sponge on the second wash. It's a daily use so picks up a lot of grime.

No bucket used on my car.
However, I did make a grit guard for the bucket. Last year I put some lawn protection matting down so I can park a car on the grass. Had some left over so I cut a bit out. The best bit is it floats so if you put a sponge or cloth in the bucket, it's suspended off the bottom. Much cheaper than the proper thing.

 

[Faheem]

When I first got my zed (it's my first car) I didn't have the correct equipment to wash the car so I had to get it washed, and it killed me to see them using a plastic blade to dry the car down and to see them doing so many things incorrectly. Obviously with the car not being theirs, the job was very rushed and the car didn't look as good as I would want it to.

Now I own a pressure washer, a machine polisher and about £100 worth of cleaning solutions. So in that sense it's changed a fair bit. I'll post a picture of all my stuff later on today when it's time to wash my car.

 

[GazHyde]

Mines the same just become more frequent with it being black

 

[Shelly]

Yes same here
I wash my Z more
And use showroom shine products
It's very therapeutic washing my Z

 

[Jack Ratt]

I really admire the dedication to cleaning your cars on here. Mine gets a clean every time I think about it, which isn't very often. It is kept in a clean dry garage though.

I usually start with hoovering the interior, then I clean the wheels with soapy water and a nylon brush to get between the spokes, then I clean the outside. I generally use 4 to 6 buckets of soapy water and use the hose to rinse afterwards.

I use Autoglym products to clean my cars

 

[Sean d]

I have never cleaned cars in the past, at best they would get whipped through a car wash, since I got the Z things have changed as I can't bring myself to go out in it if it has any dirt on it whatsoever, more often then not it gets a leather down.

 

[Mac Romans]

Now that's an excellent question @billz ......
What's the deadline for my dissertation and can I have an extension please?

 

[Mnbrennan]

I used to just wash with a sponge and a bucket of soapy water.

Now however:

Jet wash off as much dirt as possible
Use some iron decontaminator on the wheels
Rinse wheels off
Snow foam the car
Rinse off
Wash using 2 buckets with grit guards
Use a water blade (car has already been clayed etc so I know the paint is clean)
Use a large microfibre cloth to dry fully

Every few months:
Go around the car with all purpose cleaner and a brush to clean nooks and crannies
Clay bar
Polish (with DA)
Wax twice

For shows:
Use trim restorer
Use tyre foam
Go over with quick detailer

The interior gets a going over every couple of months with a vacuum and small brush to get in small areas. Leather cleaner, dash cleaner

And then under the bonnet gets a going over.

 

[MidlifeZ]

Snow foam the car first before anything otherwise the foam sits on top of your first rinse, which would be a bit pointless as the idea of the foam is to loosen the dirt, I also do not use drying towels anymore because that can invite more damage, instead i use a metro blaster sidekick which is great for the Z but a little small for larger cars, this is a great bit of kit for blasting out from wheels and gaps including door shuts etc. I currently use Bilt Hamber snow foam and auto wash with a Dooka mitt for the bodywork and either finish off with Obsession wax Phantom or a spritz of V7.

Service wash is normally 4 hours.
Full detail could be 3 days.

But like Mac I would need a couple of days off work to go through things in Detail lol and yes it used to be fairy liquid and one of those purpose made lol soft brushes and throw the water over when i'm finished but thank god and DW not any more.

 

[Bampz]

Used to be quick wash with power washer , since Z has own bucket ,woollen mite, microfibre cloths, Maguires shampoo, AG products , sponges, all stored in wooden box , so car is rinsed washed rinsed dried hoovered at least every fortnight polished every couple months

 

[Kit]

For me I still do it the same way as always. With all cars.
Pressure rinse, (Not hood or side windows it may get in) snow foam (not hood again) pressure rinse. let it dry then Show Room Shine.
The hood get the Auto Glym hood wash and seal kit treatment.
When I first got the car I did clay bar and power polish it to give it the super smooth finish.
My first car used to get the Fairy Liquid wash and bucket rinse and if I was feeling good maybe a towel dry.

 

[Grumps]

Not as yet but hoping so just after Christmas!

 

[Nodzed]

Power wash (warm)
2 buckets wash (no sponges only micro fibre)
Power rinse (cold)
Dry (micro fibre)
Buff (micro fiber)

The Mazda goes to the Polish for a quickie

 

[andyglym]

Similar to most above;

1. Stone gaurds off
2. Jet wash car
3. Sponge roof down and rinse
4. Wash all glass and rinse (micro fibre from here on)
5. Wash top half and rinse
6. Wash bottom half and bumpers and rinse
7. Wash wheels (and dust caps) and rinse
8. Open boots, doors and bonnet, wash and rinse
9. Spray down top to bottom (doors, boot and bonnet closed)
10. Shammy doing door, boot, Bonnet and wheels last, glass first
11. let stand and take care of drips etc
12. Mats out and hoover interior and shine plastics

On a bad day I'll also;

1. Wash and re-proof all leather
2. Treat all rubber seals (Wurth)
3. Wash engine bay
4. Autoglym SRP
5. Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection
6. Autoglym High Definition Wax
7. Autoglym Bumper Gel for black bits
8. Autoglym Glass Polish in and out
9. Autoglym Carpet Fesh
10. Autoglym Tyre Dressing
11. Autoglym Wheel Sealant
12. P.O.W.E.R checks
13. Re-fuel with RON97/98

Roof down then go for a drive and rinse, shamy and put under her blanket 'till the next time.


Edit: when I had my FRST and I was on a Fire Crew I'd blow all the moisture out of the shut lines etc with an airline and leave her in the appliance bay all night. Appliance outside on trickle charge

 

[FRANKIE]

Has peoples cleaning changed since first owning a Zed and if so how.
I will start.
Before
I used to wash the whole of the car including wheels using a sponge then rinse off
Then i would apply the Polish, but have always used AG Polish but applied it with old T Shirts.
Now.
I use 1 bucket to wash the wheels using only microfiber cloths and a brush with a microfiber sleeve over it to get behind the spokes.
I then rinse the car,
I then apply Snow Foam prewash
I then rinse the car
I then wash the car from top down using a microfiber sponge
I then rinse the car
I then towel the majority of water off using a Green microfiber cloth 24"x24"
Then i go over the car with a softer Yellow microfiber cloth again 24"x24"
Then i go over it again with a super soft Blue microfiber cloth again 24"x24"
I do not use the 2 bucket method as i only dip the sponge into the top of the water to rinse what is on it off then re dip for the next pass.
I only now polish the car once every 3 months using a DA machine polisher giving the car a full detox including a Claying and use a detailer in between washes (every 2 weeks)
So what and how has your car washing changed

Take the cover off the car when it's going to rain.

 

[Low Rider]

I know this much. Since owning the Zed I've never washed a car so much

 

[andyglym]

I know this much. Since owning the Zed I've never was a car so much

In the "good old days" when I was on shift mate we worked 24hrs on, 24hrs off. In the winter flying finished at about 5pm leaving the evening and all night to do my car in a 4 bay fire appliance fire station so I'm slacking by comparison, I now have to wash my car in my own time and that's just bad form!

 

[Low Rider]

I once washed my car in work time and once the boss found out he went ballistic so it was a win win for me

 

[MidlifeZ]

If you don't already then try Replacing the microfibre sponges with a dooka pad or carpro mitt, you won't regret it.