Car Washing

I use 2 methods that work great! 

1- This used to be my favorite method- "The 2 bucket Method" Using 2 buckets,
one for "the suds" and one for "the rinse". Wet the entire vehicle washing away
anything that can be removed with water pressure. Wash one section at a time,
using a Microfiber Wash Mitt, as they are great for cleaning and you use less
pressure on the finish, decreasing the chance of adding any marring to the
finish since the Microfiber is doing the cleaning and you do not have to
"scrub". Remember, use ONLY the weight of the MicroFiber Wash Mitt on the
surface you are cleaning. You do not have to use pressure, as the Mitt
will do the cleaning for you, virtually eliminating the possibility of
adding the infamous swirls from washing the car using outdated methods. 

After washing each section(always working from the top down and keeping the car
wet), rinse the mitt in the rinse bucket, as this will keep your washing
solution clean and free from debris (remember to keep the vehicle wet as you
are washing).  When you are finished washing the vehicle, switch to wash mitt
#2 (you NEVER want to use the same wash mitt for your tires/wheels as you
use on your paint, as brake particles and road grime can and will get
embedded and can cause swirls to your finish). 

2- This is my favorite method- Using only one bucket with car wash shampoo, use
the same method as above, except when it comes time to rinse the mitt, use the
spray jet to "pressure wash" the wash mitt clean. It is faster and less
"bending and stooping" :) 

Another great "trick" is to use a 1-3 gallon bug/weed type pump-up sprayer, add
your favorite car wash diluted to the manufacturers recommendations and spray
on as a "pre-soak" before washing. After soaking for a few minutes, rinse off
with a heavy stream of water from your hose using a good sprayer that will
gige you a fair amount of pressure. You will rinse all the heavy dirt off
your finish, the pre-soak will loosten up the road grime and you will have
MUCH less debris on the paint to wash off, thus lessening the possibility
of adding swirls when hand washing:)



Car Drying 

There are 2 methods that work great for drying your car after washing- This is
my favorite method :) 

1- I use an electric leaf blower to remove the majority of water from the
surface, from around and in the mirrors, the door jambs, trim, windows, etc,
etc. It works great and there is absolutely no harm to the car (just be
carefull to keep the air on the vehicle and do not point at the ground). 

I always stressed out when I thought I was finished drying only to notice water
dripping from "hidden" locations on the vehcle..., (this eliminates that
scenario :) ) 

After using the leaf blower and removing most of the water, it is time for the
"final dry". I use a large 24"x36" "Waffle Weave Microfiber Towel". The correct
way to dry is to either "blot or pat" the water with the towel and allow it to
soak up the water (you never want to "wipe" with ANY type towel, as this
could cause swirls or micro-marring if anything has been trapped between the
towel and surface of the car). 

One other way that works well is to hold the towel by 2 corners while slowly and
lightly "dragging" the towel along the surface, using ONLY the weight of the
towel. 

2- If an electric leaf blower is not available- After washing, turn off the
water, remove the water sprayer, turn on the water about 1/2 way and use the
water to dry the car... This may sound strange at first, however, using a
sweeping motion, working from the top down, it will sheet the majority of the
water off the car. Follow-up using the Waffle Weave Microfiber Towel as
described above.