Best car wash equipment?

I've used the California Water Blade. It works okay, but I'm afraid of one little particulate getting trapped in the blade and scratching, I've had it happen.

The leaf blower works *great*, thats what I do when doing a traditional hose wash, I rinse, use the leaf blower, then dry with the waffle weave towel. Works very well, I have a small inexpensive electric leaf blower I use for this. I really think the Optimum No Rinse option may be what you are looking for...

I don't like mitts personally because IMHO when they get full of water they tend to fall off your hand, thats why I like sponges and pads.

As for Griots...in general I have been underwhelmed by almost all the products I buy from them. Its a great catalog, but most of the products are rebranded and very expensive. I just bought a few of his microfiber towels and was very disappointed (they have tags...why on earth would you put a hard paper tag on a towel you bought specifically because it doesn't scratch?), and I've been equally disappointed in almost all the chemicals I've bought from them. They're expensive too. Far better products out there IMHO.

As for dish soap, as another poster says it does have its place for the occasional deep clean when you want to strip wax and grease from the paint. Occasionally used it won't hurt the vehicle. If you're uncomfortable with that something like PrepSol or other deep cleaners specifically formulated for that purpose exist as well, but at MUCH higher cost.

Another product I use when drying is Eagle One's Wax as U Dry. Its available in car parts stores, Target, etc. It does a good job of adding a little extra oomph to the wash process, lubricates drying to avoid scratching, and will lengthen the time in between waxings...

Don't use the Absorber, very poor product IMHO, and it will scratch the paint surface...

 

Since your original post said you didn't want to wax, I didn't provide my input, but here goes.

For years I used Zymol wax on my cars. It's a high quality carnauba wax that produces a phenomenal finish (go to a concours like Pebble Beach, for example, and most of the winners use it). Great depth of color and shine. Downside is it doesn't last very long, and the application/removal process is a pain.

Some years ago, based on a recommendation on an auto forum, I tried One Grand Blitz wax. Also a high quality carnauba wax with great depth or color and shine. Unlike Zymol, it lasts a long time (for a carnauba), and the application/removal process is very easy. And it's probably half the price of Zymol, and a jar lasts forever:
One Grand Blitz Carnauba Wax - 12 oz Jar

Here's a post I did a while back will my favorite detailing products:
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...ing/62907-my-favorite-detailing-products.html

 

Agreed. I bought one years ago, and although I didn't experience any damage, I heard of folks who did, so I used it twice and threw it out. Plus I still had to go back with a chamois to finish so it didn't really seem to save much time.

 

This is where the dish soap comes into play. Just basic Dawn dish soap will remove old wax from the car.

 

I've never worried specifically about about wax removal. First, the high quality carnauba waxes I've used, like Zymol and One Grand Blitz, naturally deteriorate over time; and second, my cars get clay bared a few times a year, which removes wax along with surface contaminants.

If you want to get all crazy about this subject, you can visit the numerous detailing forums, like autopia. Do so at your own risk.

 

I wouldn't let Dawn or any other detergent near any of my cars.

Even the manufacturer recommends against it:
FAQ
Can I use Dawn to clean things other than dishes?
Dawn is so effective in cutting grease on dishes that over the years, consumers have used Dawn on other greasy messes around their homes, from cleaning kitchen messes like grease build up on the stove range hood to oily spots in the garage. Dawn is not recommended for window cleaning, car washing, body wash or washing hair.

 

I felt the same way originally, but I've been using it for years now and it is 100% safe for the vehicle. I am fanatical about the condition of my cars, and I use ONR probably 90% of the time. One of the big plusses to me in the summer is that it does away with the issue of water spotting which is something I have always struggled with when washing dark colored cars in the hot summer sun.

If you go to autopia.org, thats a huge detailing forum with a lot of enthusiasts and professionals you'll see almost everybody uses it, and there are tons of writeups on how to use it as well as videos of it in action etc. People use it when washing clients' Ferraris, Rolls Royces, Aston Martins, etc. Perfectly safe.

Now, they use it in the winter too and I personally feel with caked on road salt the car needs a high pressure spray first to flush the abrasive stuff away, so what I do is take the car to a coin op spray place or a touchless wash, spray it off, drive it home and use the ONR in the garage. Just did the Lexus last night.

If you PM me your address I'll send you some of mine in a little bottle for you to try...you'll love it. Put 4 capfuls or so in a bucket of water and you're set to go.

Just as an asterisk...I don't sell this stuff or have any financial backing in the company at all...its just one of my all time favorite detailing products.

Not on a routine basis, but truly Dawn is a very safe and accepted method of stripping waxes and oils before a full detailing. Once a year or twice a year before you clay, polish & wax won't hurt the car.

 

+1

A little time on autopia.org (or autogeek.net) and the next thing you know you'll have a PorterCable dual action polisher, 4 kinds of polish, mounds of microfiber towels and ... and ... or was that just me?

When I'm really on my game I like to wash, clay, polish, Klasse and then wax. That might be once a year. Wash when dirty thereafter and wax again when it strikes me as necessary. Prius is so small it goes pretty quick.
Yes you can go crazy and see great results, but after the fever dies down it comes down to a good wash and the occasional wax/sealer. Hit the plastic bits with 303 once in a while.

Best thing overall? Park inside. My parents don't have covered parking and the extra weathering, especially on the plastics and rubber seals, is really dramatic.

- D

 

Agreed--been using 303 for a a long time.

 

I'm embarrassed to tell y'all what I do. I use a damp cotton washcloth rinsed in warm water and give my "Ruby Sue" a rub down every day, including wheels. When the weather permits, one Saturday night a month, I take her outside for a good garden hosing, including her undercarriage.

If she's going to town, Ruby Sue likes to have me put a little makeup on her. I use the $5 Turtlewax (easy on; easy off), or God forbid, I might catch her huffing some Pledge!

Good luck to the rest of you with your cleaning processes.

Happy Motoring,

Tom

 

I'm the same way, my driveway is the closest one to the cross street and my neighbors walk by all the time and I know I'm the neighborhood joke "There's Steve out there washing that car AGAIN!". Oh well...

I use it in the garage all the time and its a godsend in the winter.

This is the product I use and where I buy it from:

Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine: clay lubricant, optimum rinseless wash, no rinse car wash, optimum detailing products

Thats the 7 oz bottle which is a good bottle to buy and try, I buy it by the gallon now.

All you do is mix 4 capfuls or so in the bucket, and use your microfiber wash mitt or sponge (I prefer the sponge). Start at the roof and work your way down, washing in straight lines front to back. Dry each section as you move on to the other.

I do the roof and greenhouse first, then the hood and front end, then the trunk and the back end. Then the drivers side and then the passenger side going from top to bottom.

Do the wheels and tires last. I bought a boars hair brush for the wheels and a stiffer nylon brush for the wheel wells to keep from having to crouch down.

The reason you go from top to bottom is so not to spread dirt from the dirtier bottom to the top. Thats why you do the wheels, tires & wells last too because it fouls the water.

In terms of wax, I use old waxes, Meguiars #16 and Pinnacle Souveran. Souveran is expensive as hell...I also like Clearkote's Carnuaba Moose...

 

just got my gallon of optimum no rinse car wash today...ordered from amazon....i was skeptical, but it seemed to do a great job on my blue metallic 2010 prius... also used it on my other car and was very happy with it....one bucket of warm water with one oz of liquid..... no rinsing needed...saved
a lot of water.... too bad it isn't available at more locations

 

I just discovered the best washing equipment EVER! I took advantage of some 60 degree temps and washed the Prius in the driveway. While waiting for Ruby Sue to drip dry, I got out my Toro electric yard blower (200 MPH air flow). It blew off the water and left the paint intact. How nice is that! No more dripping wet shammies. So for you DIYers with an electric blower, give it a try. I suspect that using a gas blower would send oil/fumes onto the car.

Happy Motoring,

Tom

 

The Walmart towels aren't great, a lot of detailers use them for wheels and interiors, engine bays etc but they are pretty rough to use on paint.

No problem there, when it comes to products you can buy in stores Meguiars is about the best you can buy. There are better products for sure available online, but the Meguiars products are fine.

The problem with the Quick Wax is it has no durability, so really after each wash it'll be gone.

I probably would take that back and buy Eagle One's Wax as U Dry. You can use that with every wash (traditional or an ONR wash) and it will provide you with looks and protection.

You won't have a use for that, really products like that need a buffer.

Good! Let us know how it goes.

Not enough power...