FAQ - Wash Process

[Tom_vRS]

This seems to get asked quite a bit, so fingers crossed my little write up below is helpful.

On a car thats well waxed, the wash process I'd recommend is:

• Pressure wash to remove the worst of the crap. Don't forget the wheel arch liners and under the sills and bumpers.
  
• Snow foam and leave to dwell for about 10 minutes - this will depend on how well the foam adheres to the bodywork. You should physically see the foam dragging the muck off the car as it breaks it down.
  
• Whilst the snow foam is dwelling, I go round and clean all the wheel faces with a lambswool mitt, and the insides of the wheels with my EZ brush. I also give the exhaust a wipe with a manky old microfibre cloth (MF).
  
• Pressure wash again to rinse - this should leave the car pretty damn clean
  
• Maybe repeat the snow foam & pressure wash if the car was heavily soiled or lacking in wax.
  
• At this stage, if the car isn't spotless (and if its waxed and cleaned weekly it should be), do a contact wash using a good shampoo, and 2 bucket method with a lambswool mitt. Some people swear by grit guards - I like to use a nice tall, large capacity bucket, only dip the mitt in the top 1/3 of the bucket and rub my hand over the mitt to release any debris that were picked up whilst washing.
  
• Then dry the car, I find the hose pipe, open end and turned down low run slowly over the car drags most of the water off.
  
• Then use a quality drying towel such as a waffle weave, or plush mf to gently pat the car dry, or wipe gently. I like to use a quick detailing spray to help with the drying and lubricate the drying cloth. As a bonus this seems to rejuvenate the paint after the wash process.
  
• Then I use a spray wax like Pinnacles (this smells divine), as it takes literally 2-3 minutes to go over the car. Ultimately this is ontop of the Colinite 476S, so the Pinnacle is just a quick top-up.
  
• Quick tyre dressing, clean the windows, quick Autosol on the exhaust, hoover and wipe all the interior plastics with a damp MF and job done May need to clean the mats (expecially the bindings) with AG Interior Shampoo.
  
• The whole process takes me about 1 & a 1/2 hours from start to finish, including setting up and packing away.

I guarantee if you use this process, the car will keep looking better than new, and only LIGHT paint correction/polish will be needed on a bi-annual basis. I think I will be doing a light paint correction and re-wax with the Colinite every 4 months or so, and the wheels off for a reclean and wax every 2 months or so as this gives you a chance to clean the arch liners and brake calipers etc!

For me, the expense of a pressure washer and snow foam and lance etc is a lot of outlay, but the idea imho is to avoid contact washing the car where possible to avoid the onset of swirl marks and random deeper scratches as far as I can. Ensuring you only use quality drying towels and MFs, and you will be 90% of the way there. However, imperfections will still occur, and you will still get light scratching and swirling - but such is life

[MICKSVRS]

This seems to get asked quite a bit, so fingers crossed my little write up below is helpful.

On a car thats well waxed, the wash process I'd recommend is:

• Pressure wash to remove the worst of the crap. Don't forget the wheel arch liners and under the sills and bumpers.
  
• Snow foam and leave to dwell for about 10 minutes - this will depend on how well the foam adheres to the bodywork. You should physically see the foam dragging the muck off the car as it breaks it down.
  
• Whilst the snow foam is dwelling, I go round and clean all the wheel faces with a lambswool mitt, and the insides of the wheels with my EZ brush. I also give the exhaust a wipe with a manky old microfibre cloth (MF).
  
• Pressure wash again to rinse - this should leave the car pretty damn clean
  
• Maybe repeat the snow foam & pressure wash if the car was heavily soiled or lacking in wax.
  
• At this stage, if the car isn't spotless (and if its waxed and cleaned weekly it should be), do a contact wash using a good shampoo, and 2 bucket method with a lambswool mitt. Some people swear by grit guards - I like to use a nice tall, large capacity bucket, only dip the mitt in the top 1/3 of the bucket and rub my hand over the mitt to release any debris that were picked up whilst washing.
  
• Then dry the car, I find the hose pipe, open end and turned down low run slowly over the car drags most of the water off.
  
• Then use a quality drying towel such as a waffle weave, or plush mf to gently pat the car dry, or wipe gently. I like to use a quick detailing spray to help with the drying and lubricate the drying cloth. As a bonus this seems to rejuvenate the paint after the wash process.
  
• Then I use a spray wax like Pinnacles (this smells divine), as it takes literally 2-3 minutes to go over the car. Ultimately this is ontop of the Colinite 476S, so the Pinnacle is just a quick top-up.
  
• Quick tyre dressing, clean the windows, quick Autosol on the exhaust, hoover and wipe all the interior plastics with a damp MF and job done May need to clean the mats (expecially the bindings) with AG Interior Shampoo.
  
• The whole process takes me about 1 & a 1/2 hours from start to finish, including setting up and packing away.

I guarantee if you use this process, the car will keep looking better than new, and only LIGHT paint correction/polish will be needed on a bi-annual basis. I think I will be doing a light paint correction and re-wax with the Colinite every 4 months or so, and the wheels off for a reclean and wax every 2 months or so as this gives you a chance to clean the arch liners and brake calipers etc!

For me, the expense of a pressure washer and snow foam and lance etc is a lot of outlay, but the idea imho is to avoid contact washing the car where possible to avoid the onset of swirl marks and random deeper scratches as far as I can. Ensuring you only use quality drying towels and MFs, and you will be 90% of the way there. However, imperfections will still occur, and you will still get light scratching and swirling - but such is life

Good write up Tom:thumbup:

[cheezemonkhai]

Foam, walk away.

Rinse, walk away.

When dry clean windows if needed.

Works well, but I do have 2 layers of gloss guard and about 4 layers of Colli 476s on the car.

[Johnny50]

Good write up Tom.

Saves a lot of questions that does.

[Baker21]

You bored at work or something?

Good write up Tom, you want a job?

[Tom_vRS]

Good write up Tom, you want a job?

I don't think you could pay enough!!!

[EddyH]

What's snow foam and where do I buy it?

[Tom_vRS]

Snow foam is basically a concentrated detergent. For example: Clean Your Car - car care products UK do one called Super Snow foam.

It clings to the bodywork to break down muck so it can be pressure washed off, thus avoiding doing a contact wash.

[BigW]

Have Stickied this tom

[BigW]

What's snow foam and where do I buy it?

Autobrite is a good place to look for snowfoam Eddy, they also sell the lance's too (IIRC they offer the two in a kind of package buy)

E-Commerce

Snowfoam is a thick lather, that lays and clings to the car, the idea is that leaving the foam to dwell till it drops off loosens some bonded contaminents.

I personally foam the car twice, once after a rinse, let it dwell and run off then a quick rinse and another coat of foam watching the colour of the foam running off.

Foam going on.

Foam Dwelling

Run off.

[Gillywibble]

Wouldn't disagree with anything you've said Tom. I don't pre-rinse. I reckon paint correction once a year if not less following a correct washing method.

Great write up

[cheezemonkhai]

Have to say the BH foam is so good that it looked like i have washed it with a mitt when I tried it after this weekends sandy rain and a few hundred miles.

Excellent stuff.

You'll see what I mean when you try it Tom

[Johnny50]

Have to say the BH foam is so good that it looked like i have washed it with a mitt when I tried it after this weekends sandy rain and a few hundred miles.

Excellent stuff.

You'll see what I mean when you try it Tom

So you would recommend that over AB SSF then ?

I'm running low so looking for a replacement.

[cheezemonkhai]

I would have done but tried it on a mini at the weekend and after diluting it 50:50 it didn't foam up well.

I'm just talking to BH and also going to ping Karcher to make sure I didn't over dilute it.

Will report back when I know

[Sonic_Vrs]

If you rinse with tap water it leaves drying marks. How do you all combat that?

Only way I know is to use a de-ionising water gun?

DO halfrauds sell snow foam? where can I go to get some?

[ethos]

Is it this wax spray you are talking about?

Elite Car Care Pinnacle Crystal Mist Detail Spray 16oz

I normally use 915, but would like to use a softer wax after washes. Should help the 915 last a bit longer too...

[cheezemonkhai]

If you rinse with tap water it leaves drying marks. How do you all combat that?

Only way I know is to use a de-ionising water gun?

DO halfrauds sell snow foam? where can I go to get some?

A drying MF town and some Meguires last touch

As far as I'm aware halfords don't sell it.

[Tom_vRS]

Ah, thats disappointing Mark.

Calculate the flow rate of the lance, then time how long it takes to empty say 500ml, then you will be able to work out the concentration from that!

With the Elite I have 100ml topped up to 1l and thats pretty much perfect for 2 washes.

[Baker21]

A drying MF town and some Meguires last touch

Agree with that as this is what I use.............

[Tom_vRS]

If you rinse with tap water it leaves drying marks. How do you all combat that?

As per the original post :P

Then use a quality drying towel such as a waffle weave, or plush mf to gently pat the car dry, or wipe gently. I like to use a quick detailing spray to help with the drying and lubricate the drying cloth. As a bonus this seems to rejuvenate the paint after the wash process.

I too use Megs last touch, and normally do a final drying wipe over with a nice plush MF.

[cheezemonkhai]

Ah, thats disappointing Mark.

Calculate the flow rate of the lance, then time how long it takes to empty say 500ml, then you will be able to work out the concentration from that!

With the Elite I have 100ml topped up to 1l and thats pretty much perfect for 2 washes.

What lance is that with Tom?

I'll bring you a sample up to the meet in a small jam jar and you can have a go see what you think.

The karcher lance is about 30:1 so a few of us are looking at it.

It does lube up and clean very well when it foams up, I just think I'm having hard water issues with it when trying the lower concentration.

[Baker21]

What lance is that with Tom?

I'll bring you a sample up to the meet in a small jam jar and you can have a go see what you think.

The karcher lance is about 30:1 so a few of us are looking at it.

It does lube up and clean very well when it foams up, I just think I'm having hard water issues with it when trying the lower concentration.

Tom has the Elite Lance...........

[cheezemonkhai]

I think all the Elite/AB/AutoRae Lances are the same anyway, but I've been using the Karcher gun.

[Johnny50]

Going to purchase some BH foam next week.

Do you add anything to it ?

Or is it good on it's own ?

[cheezemonkhai]

It's good on it's own.

I'm just working out the dilution ratios for me. Might go an buy a HD lance from I4detailing.