[theplayer]

Ok I would like to know how to PROPERLY wash my car, meaning be able to get rid of like swirl marks, and that ugly orange bird poop like stuff that just won't go away no matter how hard you rub.
So what is a clay bar anyways? I would also like to know any good brands that I should buy for my car for cleaning(NOTE THIS IS FOR EXTERIOR CLEANING ONLY) I just want to know how to clean the outside, Rims, Tires, Grills, Paint, Glass, ect... Thanks...
Oh as well how long does it normally take to do a PROPER job?

[SpecC]

IMO, the best way to wash it is with a sheepskin mitt, your choice of soap, and two bucket method with grit guards. sponges have grown on me though. i want to buy more zymol or DD uber wash sponges when i get the chance to order again. mine caught too many big chunks of dirt in it

two bucket method basically works like this
1 bucket = your rinse solution. this is just water
other bucket = your wash solution. soapy water goes here

so you wash a panel, dump your DIRTY mitt or sponge into the rinse bucket while you rinse off the car. go agitate the mitt or sponge a bit in the rinse bucket. then pick it up, wring it out, dump it in the wash solution and repeat.

DI has grit guards for you, and DD does too i think

for rims, if you want to clean the inside, i like my ez detail brush and swissvax wheel brush. regular soap works for that too. after using it, i always rinse off each brush because these get nasty!

a clay bar is a piece of specialized clay that is meant to take off the contaminations on the surface of your paint, leaving it smooth and not rough. when dirt builds up, it kinda gets stuck to your paint. clay bar pick this up. you can look up videos on how to use clay bar properly. it's not hard or dangerous as long as you do it properly.

to get RID of swirl marks... you're going to need a machine polisher and some good abrasive polish. there's no way around it.

[E90Brian]

There are tons of resources available to you on the car detailing process. Here's a good one that is a sticky on the e90post detailing forum: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9145

[Joonsup]

use Dawn dish washing liquid, 1000 grit sandpaper, and a hammar.





























j/k

[Innovative Detailing]

At Innovative Detailing we stay away from mitts. These mitts are the most definate way to cause scratches over time. I only use the best quality sponge that I have been able to find with very small pores that allow the dirt to blow out when you dip it into a clean water bucket (2 bucket method, 1 w/soap, and 1 with clean water) and dip and rinse often. Unlike a sponge, a sheepskin mitt or wool mitt has a tendency to hold the dirt and debris in the wool or synthetic fiber. And when you dip the mitt into a clean bucket of water the dirt will not release from the fibers like a sponge. Caution Always have 2 sponges, 1 for your upper and vertical panels and 1 for your lowers such as fender well lips and lower bumpers. Keep them seperarated and use them accordingly for the best results.

We conducted a month long test on clients black cars the we maintain weekly. When we switched from sponges to mitts we saw our dark colored cars gain lots of fine hairline scratches and cobwebbing. Enough for me to say STOP USING MITTS I dont need to be braking out the Porter Cable every month on these cars when they are prestine to begin with.

To rid of the following.....

1) Swirls - Wash and care for vehicle properly, do not use aggressive or inferior products.

2) Orange Marks (Bee excretement) - Usually a hard spot, orange or yellow in color will come off but tends to leave a colored mark on the paint especially white cars. A non abrasive cleaner wax will work but eventually the UV rays tend to stabilize this stain and it dissapears on its own.

Tons of products out there, just use what works best for you, ease, cost, efectiveness, otherwise you will spend a ton of money on things that will just sit in a cabinet

Good Luck
Dave @ Innovative Detailing

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by Innovative Detailing

At Innovative Detailing we stay away from mitts. These mitts are the most definate way to cause scratches over time. I only use the best quality sponge that I have been able to find with very small pores that allow the dirt to blow out when you dip it into a clean water bucket (2 bucket method, 1 w/soap, and 1 with clean water) and dip and rinse often. Unlike a sponge, a sheepskin mitt or wool mitt has a tendency to hold the dirt and debris in the wool or synthetic fiber. And when you dip the mitt into a clean bucket of water the dirt will not release from the fibers like a sponge. Caution Always have 2 sponges, 1 for your upper and vertical panels and 1 for your lowers such as fender well lips and lower bumpers. Keep them seperarated and use them accordingly for the best results.

We conducted a month long test on clients black cars the we maintain weekly. When we switched from sponges to mitts we saw our dark colored cars gain lots of fine hairline scratches and cobwebbing. Enough for me to say STOP USING MITTS I dont need to be braking out the Porter Cable every month on these cars when they are prestine to begin with.

To rid of the following.....

1) Swirls - Wash and care for vehicle properly, do not use aggressive or inferior products.

2) Orange Marks (Bee excretement) - Usually a hard spot, orange or yellow in color will come off but tends to leave a colored mark on the paint especially white cars. A non abrasive cleaner wax will work but eventually the UV rays tend to stabilize this stain and it dissapears on its own.

Tons of products out there, just use what works best for you, ease, cost, efectiveness, otherwise you will spend a ton of money on things that will just sit in a cabinet

Good Luck
Dave @ Innovative Detailing

sponges??? i never heard of this method before. what kind of sponges? I would think the sponge material is rough and would produce the fine scratches so I stayed away from them and currently use 2 sheepskin mitts.

[Innovative Detailing]

We use an American made fine pore hydra sponge, it is one of the denser sponges on the market, domestic or import. This top quality sponge has all the advantages of the best natural sponges but last much longer. They are also super soft, very absorbent and will not trap dirt or debris......

Dave @ Innovative Detailing

[Turbo_435i]

take it to the gas station drive thru
and viola', washed.

[Innovative Detailing]

Then call me after it gets jacked up! Love that kind of business!

[SpecC]

Originally Posted by Innovative Detailing

We use an American made fine pore hydra sponge, it is one of the denser sponges on the market, domestic or import. This top quality sponge has all the advantages of the best natural sponges but last much longer. They are also super soft, very absorbent and will not trap dirt or debris......

Dave @ Innovative Detailing

iirc, they are quite expensive for one but worth the money. where do you get yours? i've been meaning to buy one too

Originally Posted by schybrid

take it to the gas station drive thru
and viola', washed.

no. words in this order do not belong in this section of the forum

[Innovative Detailing]

Originally Posted by schybrid

take it to the gas station drive thru
and viola', washed.

no. words in this order do not belong in this section of the forum

SpecC,
I couldnt agree with you more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I get these thru one of my WD's, I usually buy 8 at a time for the best deal....

Dave @ Innovative Detailing

[JayeJaymes]

Originally Posted by schybrid

take it to the gas station drive thru
and viola', washed.

yeahh and make sure you find one that has the spinning brushes for deep cleaning action

[theplayer]

I would like to say thanks to all the people for giving me good info on how to maintain a happy nice clean car, and I would also like to say thanks to all the stupid replys on how to keep my car clean...Seriously wtf? Anyways thanks guys!

[Houman21]

FMINUS gave me one of these best sponge
ever! Better than the sheepskin!

[purplewidow]

it takes 1-3 hours depending for a wash..it usually takes me about 2-3 hours because i am anal and like things done right.. for a complete detail it takes me 24 hours..i have a bad back so you could maybe take 3 hours off.. most awesome details i see take about 2 days. by the time you

wash- swissvax and p21s are my go to shampoo's and a zymoil or uber sponge.(be very careful with the sponge and use two one for the lower half and one for the upper with two buckets..be careful of the grit you can get in the sponge.

clay- riccardo(not for US sale) cg blue works ok with their extreme qd as lube or cg lubar

polish- menzerna sip, po83

final polish- menzerna 85rd 106ff 106fa

swissvax cleaner fluid-a must in my eyes..i won't lay an lsp down without it

Chemical Guys jetseal 109 (incredible for ease of use and to top with a nuba wax)

then swissvax BOS, Concourso, Crystal Rock..or any other wax

if you can spare it get a swissvax master kit and pick out a wax of your choice.. i would contact phil at detailerdomain and ask if he could put something together for you he has the best selection of quality and by far the best vendor on the net..Phil you kick some serious ass buddy!!! if you want to learn how to polish. get a makita!!! don't be afraid of the rotary..just go slow and keep it under 1200rpms until you get used to it. be warned detailing can get expensive real fast. but damn it is beyond totally worth it to me at least!!!!

[normtrum]

Originally Posted by purplewidow

it takes 1-3 hours depending for a wash..it usually takes me about 2-3 hours because i am anal and like things done right.. for a complete detail it takes me 24 hours..i have a bad back so you could maybe take 3 hours off.. most awesome details i see take about 2 days.

this is a good point.....if you really want to do a top notch job.....you have to be patient. Take your time and do it right. If I'm doing a full detail, which includes stripping old product, doing a little isolated touch up polishing, and then re-sealing/waxing....it will take me 2 days.

[Innovative Detailing]

It all starts with learning how to wash your vehicle properly and then maintaining it after you have detailed it. Otherwise you can put all that effort and all that time into making your vehicle beautiful, and one butcher wash and your vehicle is jacked up again........

So make sure your washing techniques are right on!

I see this day in and day out.....

Owner has a gorgeous Porsche 997 or BMW, detailed and washed regularly and black in color. While the vehicle is getting serviced, they dealer gives the car a courtesy wash. The results: a vehicle that needs to be polished again because (hose-a or hose-b or whoever) is providing an agressive and inferior wash.

I have walked the wash/detail area at the local high end luxury dealerships many of times, and its unbelievable that they use filthy mitts, strewn about or these brush sticks that are intended for the tops of RV's..So dont let this happen to your car....

Dave @ Innovative Detailing

[Turbo_435i]

how bout local kid, dirty sock, and some dawn dish soap

[eleven11]

http://www.autopia.org/

Enjoy!

[Raz335]

I'm going to ONR my car tomorrow after a few months of hard NY winter driving. I'll take some 50/50 shots to show how amazing this stuff is.