Car washing

[SL350_SWINDON]

Hi all, when washing car what's the best applicator? Sponge, mitt, cloth? Recommendations please

 

[Palfrem]

Swarthy looking eastern European usually....

 

[JRH30]

Tend to use a meguiars mitt but down to personal choice.

 

[Bri]

(Best applicator) A slim good looking blond with big sponges

 

[Chrishazle]

On a slightly more serious note - lambswool mitt for the "cleaner" areas above the waistline, microfibre mitt for the dirtier areas and wheels - reason being that the microfibre mitt can go in the washing machine, lambswool cannot.

Getting picky - 2 buckets, one with soapy water, other with clean water, both with grit guards. Mitt to soap, then car, then clean water, then soap and repeat - so you rinse any grit out of the mitt before you put it back onto your paintwork.

Rinse, then dry with large microfibre towel - not a blade and/or chamois.

Sounds a PITA, but easy once you've done it once or twice.

 

[martyp87]

I have two MF wash mitts, one for my dad's Sprinter, one for the wheels and finally, a big lambswool wash mitt for the paintwork on the CLK/CL.

I also comb the wash mitt as that is recommended... Yes, I've lost my mind...

 

[Les S211]

Dooka wash pads. Tried all the rest, found these the best.

 

[Mike Walker]

Have a look at any posts by R2D2. All the information one will ever need is there!

 

[MDC250]

Noodle mitts.

One for top half, one for lower, one for under sills, wheel arches etc and one for wheels.

 

[J4miejenks]

Dodo wookie, tried and trusted!

 

[ARTiSAN]

Def not a sponge or cloth(?) to wash with and recommend the two bucket method with grit guards described above.

The two bucket method sounds like a pain however you soon get used to it and will be surprised how dirty the water in the 'rinse' bucket gets. With only one bucket this would have been reused !!

 

[def90cars]

While I comment the effort for the two bucket method.. I find the massively over generous use of soapy water is good.
Two buckets per cars.
One bucket for roof down to door handles. One for the rest.
I drive my car at high speed on dirty roads so a little dirty water is OK if apply tenderly.

 

[MDC250]

The two bucket method sounds like a pain however you soon get used to it and will be surprised how dirty the water in the 'rinse' bucket gets. With only one bucket this would have been reused !!

Having only started cleaning my cars 'proper' this year, I'm genuinely surprised how much crud does get lifted off into the rinse bucket. That's after a pre-wash spray and foam on what looks like clean paint (that's silver for you!). Will never go back...still not 100% convinced about the grit guards but they can't do any harm.

 

[ARTiSAN]

Having only started cleaning my cars 'proper' this year, I'm genuinely surprised how much crud does get lifted off into the rinse bucket. That's after a pre-wash spray and foam on what looks like clean paint (that's silver for you!). Will never go back...still not 100% convinced about the grit guards but they can't do any harm.

Grit guards or the similar Scratch Shields (do the same thing) are to minimise scratching the paint whilst washing. It's cheap insurance really. If need be you can get away with only using one in the 'rinse' bucket.

On dark coloured cars you need all the help one can get so snow foam, two bucket method, drying towels (not chamois or blade !!!!!) and de-ionised water for the final rinse.

 

[Flying start]

Check out Dooka wash pads there so good

Very soft on paint work..

 

[Harrythedog]

Grit guards or the similar Scratch Shields (do the same thing) are to minimise scratching the paint whilst washing. It's cheap insurance really. If need be you can get away with only using one in the 'rinse' bucket.

On dark coloured cars you need all the help one can get so snow foam, two bucket method, drying towels (not chamois or blade !!!!!) and de-ionised water for the final rinse.

I'd be careful using DI water as the purer it is the more it rots metal

 

[zenman63]

Swarthy looking eastern European usually....

Then you will be having new callipers and refurbishing the wheels and rusty wheel nuts.

 

[crockers]

Can't beat a brillo pad for getting brake dust off your wheels.....

 

[Leabrooks]

I'd be careful using DI water as the purer it is the more it rots metal

No it doesn't, thats rubbish, its the salts, lime and other nasties in normal water that rots the metal, the water is just the carrier and catalyst of the impurities, back to school me thinks!