How do you just wash your car and not polish and wax it?

robg said:

What do you guys do when you "just" wash your car?

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Wash with a good car wash, rinse, dry.

I wash only in the shade, and I shampoo/rinse/dry panel by panel. Slow but great results. Then I use a quick detailer spray to finish it up. No water spot problems.

For the hardcore folks, use distilled water to rinse. I did that today. Even if it dries on you, it shouldn't leave water stains.

robg said:

Sometimes I see people make comments like "I wash my car once a week but wax once a month".

If I were to just wash my car, I'd have a lot of water spots on it. The water spots mean that I have to use some paint cleanser (like P21s cleanser) to get them out. If I use the cleanser, then I need to apply a new coat of wax-- so its like a whole vicious cycle.

What do you guys do when you "just" wash your car?

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Water spots shouldn't be an issue if you use CWB + cotton towels to dry your car. Plus, when you use a quick detailer like Z6, water spots are not an issue at all.

Edit:

Here's a pic of my car after a good wash + Z6



Trust me, there are NO water spots on that baby...

Alex -- your M3 is just stunningly beautiful. It was hard for me to close the browser window and stop staring at it.

It makes me want to go detail the hell out of my jet black 325 right now!

Maybe I will try distilled water with a spray attachment. I'd think think that using distilled water in a spray bottle would only be effective on a car that wasn't very dirty. How nuch distilled water did it take to rinse the car? Did you just pore it from the bottle or did you spray it?

Does anyone make some sort of hose filter attachment to purify water and remove most of the minerals? That would be a great detailing tool!

robg said:

Alex -- your M3 is just stunningly beautiful. It was hard for me to close the browser window and stop staring at it.

It makes me want to go detail the hell out of my jet black 325 right now!

Maybe I will try distilled water with a spray attachment. I'd think think that using distilled water in a spray bottle would only be effective on a car that wasn't very dirty. How nuch distilled water did it take to rinse the car? Did you just pore it from the bottle or did you spray it?

Does anyone make some sort of hose filter attachment to purify water and remove most of the minerals? That would be a great detailing tool!

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Oh, I'm not at that OCD level yet... I don't rinse my car with distilled water, so I can't tell... Al just did it though (see the thread he started earlier today).

Actually, I should start doing the same because sometimes I find swirl marks all over my car and I'm pretty damn sure it's dirty water that's causing them... When that happens I agree with you... I can't just wash and quick detail it. I have to throw one or two coats of Z5 on. Then, I gotta finish with a coat of Z2, which sucks because there goes your weekend... But the results are rewarding...

Edit:

But I'm sure that's history now that I've got ZFX and PC... :thumb:

Okay I am lazy

I know black looks great when it is nice and clean but I confess one of the reasons I chose Steel Blue over Topaz or Orient was ease of maintenance. So far I have been able to just wash my car--just waxed for the first time but the dealer did it at delivery. I think the key is a cool car in the shade and to quickly get the water off. I bought a CWB and think it will help minimize spots. I do have a truck that is black and it is a PITA to keep clean.:tsk:

robg said:

Maybe I will try distilled water with a spray attachment. I'd think think that using distilled water in a spray bottle would only be effective on a car that wasn't very dirty. How nuch distilled water did it take to rinse the car? Did you just pore it from the bottle or did you spray it?

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A gallon jug of distilled water will do the whole car (rinsing), as long as you're conservative. Just use a spray bottle. If you use the pouring method, try 2-3 gallons (if your car is dirty, this is preferable). I think I paid $2 or so for my gallon of distilled water.

Does anyone make some sort of hose filter attachment to purify water and remove most of the minerals? That would be a great detailing tool!

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I think you actually need more than a filter to soften water to eliminate hard water spots. I don't know enough about this subject, but there should be chemical ways to soften your water too (some sort of tablet you drop in your water?)

alee said:

I think you actually need more than a filter to soften water to eliminate hard water spots. I don't know enough about this subject, but there should be chemical ways to soften your water too (some sort of tablet you drop in your water?)

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Al is right about this. I have a water softner that works quite well but if I'm not quick in drying, I still get some spots

Lately this is not a problem since we can not wash at home

Al,

I understand your rinsing method w/ spray bottle, but how do you do the wash level with using minimal water?

I'm growing tired of paying $4 to fill my buckets and using low pressure spray to rinse at the DIY car wash stalls
:thumbdwn:

PM 325xiT said:

I understand your rinsing method w/ spray bottle, but how do you do the wash level with using minimal water?

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The correct answer is... don't let your car get dirty.

I have been using detail spray 2 times a day for every day that I take the car out. That's the only way I can get away with not doing a proper shampoo.

My car has been pretty much pristine for the last few weeks, and I had to increase my supply of quick detailer to keep up with my daily routine. :tsk:

Robg, these are my rules to washing(which also avoid water spots)

Never wash in sunlight, find a shaded area.

Use a two-bucket method, 2nd bucket is to rinse the wash mitt.

Don't use TOO much car shampoo, and use hot water to fill the bucket to about 2/3 mark, then swirl the water by hand to make sure the shampoo has time to break up, then give it a shot of cold water from the hose to "Foam" the water up, you should end up with a nice "head" of foam.

Do the finish first, the bumpers and wheels last, try to use a different wash mitt for the finish and the bumpers/wheels (I use 3 as mentioned in another thread)

Turn the wash mitt over after each wipe.

Use linear motions when washing, not circular.

Rinse with a straight hose, let the water "sheet" off the finish, rather than spraying it when rinsing.

Wipe dry ASAP, I actually wipe it dry before beginning on my wheels. I like the CWB and Syn. Chamois.

Use a good detail spray and cotton towels to 'finish', should only take ya about 10 min. and the detail spray I use takes out any water spots.

Water spots are more apparent on finishes that are not or have not been waxed in a while.

alee said:

The correct answer is... don't let your car get dirty.

I have been using detail spray 2 times a day for every day that I take the car out. That's the only way I can get away with not doing a proper shampoo.

My car has been pretty much pristine for the last few weeks, and I had to increase my supply of quick detailer to keep up with my daily routine. :tsk:

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I thought that might be the case:yikes: In fact, Wed night when I got home (prior to change out of shirt and tie), I noticed some dust on hood so I got out my Final Inpsection and got at it Worked my way around to passenger side, when I notice the 2nd garage door going up (Mrs. Phil pulling in). I get the combo look from her :dunno: , but finished the job off Tried to explain but......(phil saving his breath)

Since I need to get wax on soon I think I'll bite the bullet and buy several gallons of distilled to do shampoo at home. Thinking of Dawn wash at DIY.

(bright idea popping into to phil's head) Go visist Mike and stop by to see his sister and save all these problems:thumb:

alee said:

Taking these lines out of context creates a totally different picture ... :lmao: :lmao:

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:lmao:

The evil mind of Al

You guys totally crack me up.

Yes, I wash my car at least once a week, but that one time might be at the coin-op carwash with the high-pressure wands. If I do that, I don't even dry the thing except to drive fast for 10-15 minutes afterwards to blow the water off.

And a hand wash with a careful drying leaves no water spots as far as I can tell.

Maybe I'm just not anal enough. That accusation would sure crack my wife up who thinks I'm nuts as it is.

Ripsnort-

I guess I knew most of what you said-- although the tip about using the hot water is interesting. I guess I just need to be even more "OCD" in following these directions. Or, I guess I should just never get closer than about 6 inches to my finish so I won't see all of the little marks. Same thing w/ interior rattles-- I could just turn up the stereo- but I feel the need to turn it down so I can try and pinpoint the rattle-- but inevitably just get more frustrated.

I think i just need to chill a bit more.. ACtually, I go back and forth between being extremely obsessive about my car and almost not giving a rats ass. For some reason, when the car was brand new and I had it in europe I was much less obsessed. I drove it at high speeds on the autobahn, parked it outside, didn't wash it for a month, let bugs accumulate, and generally just enjoyed myself and the car. Then, I get back to the US, and start getting obsessive (rattles, steering, washing, etc). Maybe its hanging around all of you guys and being taunted w pics of Alee's and Alex's cars :dunno:

Robg:"ACtually, I go back and forth between being extremely obsessive about my car and almost not giving a rats ass."

Time is a big factor with me...as summer progresses, I too will probably be paying less attention to it. In a couple of years I figure if I can just do one big detail job on it each year, with a couple waxes, that'll be good enough for me.

The "hot water- let- the- soap- break- down-then add cold" was suggested by a Griots tech person, so I have no idea if it works or not, I just do it anyway, easy to do.

TD said:

You guys totally crack me up.

Yes, I wash my car at least once a week, but that one time might be at the coin-op carwash with the high-pressure wands.

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If you wash once a week I'd hate to find out how many times a day Al does it. :yikes: I have no idea how I'd manage to wash it on a weekday, even. (no, I will NOT get up at 5am nor wash it in the dark after sunset)

Unless it rains, it takes my car 2 or 3 weeks to even look like it wasn't washed just the other day.

I suppose it helps that my car is white and is garaged at home and in a structure at work.