# Sticky  Good Washing Technique



## Dave KG

In this thread I hope to explain some good practices for washing a car that help in the prevention of inflicting swirl marks to paint. 

*Whats Wrong With A Sponge?*
Millions of people wash their car using a sponge. But if you read the threads on this forum you will see that hardly any members are washing their cars using a traditional sponge... Why is that? It all comes down to the flat flace of the sponge:



Imagine automotive paintwork with your typical dirt and grit paricles sutck on the top of the paint, that you want to wash off to revela your car's shine. Some of these dirt particles are sharp:



Now, if you place a sponge down ontop of these grit particles as you would do if you were washing your car with a sponge, the grit particles become trapped between the face of the sponge and the paint - they have no where to go owing to the flat face of the sponge:



When you wipe the sponge across the paintwork, you wipe the sharp grit particles straight across the paint. As they move over the paint, the dirt particles leave a thin hairline scratch:



These little scratches are highly visible in bright light because they catch the light, and this is what gives you the dreaded swirl marks that rob yuo paint of gloss and colour and ruin the car's look. A pic of bad swirl marks, the result of sponge washing of a car:



*Wash Mitts*
Lambswool and Sheepswool wash mitts have been developped to get around the problems of sponges trapping grit particles by the flat face. If you run your fingers through a lambwool mitt, you can see that it is deep pile and not flat faced:



Returning to the grit partciles on paintwork, when the wash mitt is placed onto them, the grit particles are absorbed into the mitt - safely away from paintwork so that they cannot scratch the paint:



Therefore, sweeping the mitt across the paint doesn't sweep the grit over the paint also and so you don't inflict lots of tiny hairline scratches.

_Note: While washmitts are considerbaly better than sponges, it is impossible to completely avoid inflicting the odd swirl marks here and there using a wash mitt. What follows in this thread are tips on how to keep these inflicted swirls to an absolute minimum._

*Which Wash Mitt?*
There are a great number of washmitts on the marked nowadays, ranging from lambswool and sheepswool to cotton chenille to microfibre. In my experience the best mitts are the lambswool and sheepswool. When choosing a mitt, choose one with a soft deep pile that will be kind to paintwork. Two excellent mitts are:

_Meguiars Lambswool Wash Mitt_
_Eurow Sheepskin Wash Mitt_

and there are others too.

*So Many Shampoos! Which to Choose?*
At the end of the day, shampoo choice for your car is going to come down to personal prefernce. But there are so many shampoos on the market its hard to know which ones to go for! A couple of things to look for when choosing a car shampoo:

1. Lubricity in the washing solution - you want a shampoo that makes the washing solution feel nice and lubricated so that dirt particles can be encapsulated by this lubricant and any that aren't absorbed into the wash mitt will slide off the paint without scratching in the rinsing water. Soapy suds are pleasing and can make car washing fun, but lubricated wash solution is more important.

2. A shampoo should contain no harsh detergents if you are washing a car that you have spent many hours polishing, sealing and waxing. Harsh detergents strip wax straight off the paintwork leaving your paint surface dried out and unprotected. Fairy Liquid is therefore a big no no for washing cars. You feel what happens to the sking on your hand if in prolonged contact with harsh detergents, it dires the skin out - it will do similar damage to paint.

With this in mind, there are still a huge number of car shampoos that fit the bill - ones that I have used and rate are the following, so if you're struggling on which to choose, try one of the following:

_Meguiars #62 Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner_ (my favourite)
_Meguiars Gold Class Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner_
_Meguiars Hyper Wash_ (awsome dilution ratio of 400:1 - lasts ages!)
_Poorboys Super Slick & Suds_
_Pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner_
_Einszett Perls_

*What is the "Two-Bucket Method"*
Again, millions of people use a single bucket of car wash solution to wash their car, but if you read the threads on this site you will find most members wash their cars using the "Two-Bucket Method" - whats that?

As suggested by the name, the two bucket method uses two buckets, not one. In thie first bucket, you have your car wash solution as normal. In the second bucket you have clean fresh water. First off you soak your mitt in the wash solution and begin washing the car (as described below). Then, before dunking the wash mitt back into the wash solution, you rinse it out in the second bucket of fresh water - this rinses out the dirt and grit particles from this mitt so that they cannot come into contact with your paint, reducing the number of swirls inflicted.

A grit-guard is also a very worthwhile investment and sits at the bottom of the bucket (I have two, one in the rinsing bucket and one in the wash solution bucket). When dunking you mitt into the fresh water bucket, rub it across the grit guard to increase the amount of grit particles which are removed from the mitt. Also, it keeps them trapped at the bottom of the bucket so even less chance of the mitt picking them back up and them reaching your paintwork to inflict scratches.


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## Dave KG

*Washing*
Here I describe the generic technique I use to wash cars...

_Wheels, Arches, Door Jambs_
Start with these. When washing your wheels using a wheel brush, the shampoo solution (or wheel cleaner solution) can spray up onto paintwork, and if youve just cleaned the paintwork, you'll end up needing to clean it again to remove the dirty spray from wheels! Don't forget to open all doors and boot and clean the doorjambs and the insides of the door (without getting wash solution into the locking mechanisms, I cover these up) - these areas can pick up a lot of dirt as well and it adds something a little extra to open the door and see the jambs as clean as the rest of the car as these areas are often forgotten about.

_Pre-Rinsing_
This loosens up dirt and wets the paintwork ready for washing. Using a hose pipe, direct a *gentle spray* of water at the paintwork at a shallow angle. If you blast the paintwork with high pressure at ninety degrees to the paintwork, you'll force grit into the paint and cause scatches. Just a gentle spray of water to wet the paintwork is all that is required. If you don't have access to a hose, use a watering can with the rose fitted to produce a gentle spary of water:



_Shampooing_
This is the major stage of the washing process, and the time when most scratches can be inflicted if care is not taken. This removes fresh surface contimaniation from paintwork such as dust, grit, mud, road film etc... Add the correct amount of car wash solution (according to the dilution ratio on the bottle) to your bucket and fill with water to produces suds and lubricated wash solution:



The water can be cold, or warm - I prefer warm water as it keeps my hands warm, especially in winter!!

Now, use the two bucket method described above. Use two washmitts - one for the top areas of the car (roof, bonnet, upper sides above the wheel arch line) and one for the lower areas (below the wheel arch line, front and rear bumpers). Use a light parallel motion when washing, with out applying forceful pressure that will inflict scratches.



If a mark is stubborn and wont come off with gentle movement of the wash mitt, it will require a stronger cleaner such as tar remover or clay. Start from the roof and work down, therefore the large quantities of dirt that form on the lower parts of car are not transferred to the traditionally cleaner upper areas of the car. Try to avoid letting the shampoo dry on the paintwork as this will cause streaks and soap spots, for this reason try to avoid washing in direct sunlight. If you are in direct sunlight, it may be neccessary to wash and rinse a panel art a time. Continue until the car is completed.

_Rinsing_
Once washed, the next step is to rinse away the soap bubbles and film. If using a hose I first of all use a light spary of water to wet the paintwork (using the rose on the watering can), just like the pre-rinsing step. Then follow this up with a flow of water from the hose (rose off the water can this time). Most shampoos are free rinsing and require this flow of water to make the rinsing water "sheet" off of the paintwork. (This sheeting effect will work best on well sealed and waxed paintwork). On a sealed/waxed car, keep rinsing until the water sheets cleanly off the paintwork and leaves behind only water beads and not flat regions of water. This makes the car essentially self drying! Rinse from the top of the car down.

_Drying_
Another risk stage as far as scrathes are concerned. First off, I find that using a waffleweave drying towel is far safer and more effective than using a chamois leather. A couple of examples of good quality waffleweave drying towels are:

_Meguiars Water Magnet Drying Towel_
_Poorboys Waffleweave_

Also Pakshak towels are very very good too! Rather than sweeping the towel across the paintwork to remove the water, I prefer to pat dry the car. The sweeping of the towel has more risk of inflicting scratches as stray grit particles may be picked up and inadvertantly swept across the paint inflicting swirl marks. Instead, pat dry the car by laying the towel down over the wet paintwork. Gently pat the towel, then lift off the paintwork. The towel will absorb the water to dry the paint. A thin flim of water may be left behind but this will quickly evaporate to leave a sparkling, streak free finish.

And there we have it - safe washing technique to avoid inflicting dreaded swirls into paintwork.


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## ShineQuest

:thumb: now I know what the 2 bucket method is!


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## CPHB

*Hello from Sweden*

*Concerning pre-rinsing:*

In Sweden, in winter-time, we have sand, salt and snow on the roads. Your car feels like a sandpaper when you touch the paintwork. It feels like the sand is glued to the paintwork

It isn´t enough with "gentle rising" cause you will have at lot of grit that will scratch even if you use a mitt.

Here is my procedure

Spray degreaser ( on a dry car) from down and up to the windows. Let the degreaser work for ca 5 min (It must not dry). The degreaser works best on dry surfaces

Then use a jetwash with high-pressure in an angle of ca 45 degrees and a distance of least 30cm, to slice of the grit.

Then spray jetwash-detergent (mixed in water 1:10) as above, and let it work for another 5 minutes. This alkaline detergent works on wet surfaces

Than again use the jetwash as above.

Now you can use a "gentle spay" of water to rinse off any grit that accidently get stuck on the paintwork during the procedure above.

Then you can wash the car as described in the former segment above.

Most of the wax has now disappeard so it is necessary to use a "wax-it-wet" -wax, or similar, regulary (at least every third wash).

If you do like this, you have clean water in the buckets after the wash. This shows that all gritt is removed before you wash with schampo and mitt . It´s only the "traffic-film" that remains.

This is how I try to not get scratches during wintertime. In the summer you can do as Dave

I use this when i spray degreaser and detergent (I have two  )










Was my english understandable ?

Do you think this was reasonable ?

Best regards
CPHB


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## robertdon777

Great write up and a must read for any newbie or sponge jockey out there. It really is one of the most important areas in keeping a car perfect and reducing the need to polish defects out so often.


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## Dave KG

CPHB makes excellent points for techniques to wash your car if its badly covered in salt and dirt as described. 

English very good by the way, especially considering its you second language (I'm guessing its your second language)! :thumb:


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## Gray

Another great write up, keep 'em coming


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## CPHB

Hello again


I see no need for claying when using my method. You "lift" the grit from the surface instead of "moving it around". ( I´m a little scared of claying - it´s very easy to make a scratch IMO)

Dave: 

Thank you for your judgement 
Yes, english is my second language, and it was a long time ago I learned english in school. ( You see, I´m an old man now, passing 50 a couple of years ago)

Best regards
CPHB


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## Dave KG

CPHB, you're English is very impressive! French is my second language, Spanish my third language and I am no where near as fluent in these as you are in English. :thumb:


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## robertdon777

CPHB, very good point about the salt etc., we suffer the same here in winter and thats why the Snow Foam wash and the Karcher Foam guns have proved to be so popular over the last few months on this forum!.

Any way to lessen the washing inflicted swirls appearing is good in my book:thumb:

Great English by the way.

Rob


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## Throbbe

Awesome write-up again Dave. Could you host it somewhere that doesn't need you to be registered. Would save me repeatedly explaining why sponges are bad on other forums!


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## Dave KG

Throbbe said:


> Awesome write-up again Dave. Could you host it somewhere that doesn't need you to be registered. Would save me repeatedly explaining why sponges are bad on other forums!


Yep, I'll just log out and see what bits of this forum can be accessed and copy the post across providing the moderators don't mind...?

Have just logged out and cleared all cookies from my broswer and I was still able to view this thread... I reckon that means this can be viewed without being a member...??


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## CPHB

robertdon777

I too have a foam-gun, but I use it as a "third stage" after the degreaser and the alkaline jatwasher-detergent.

In the summer, I exclude the degreaser but uses most of the times the jatwasher-detergent.

The detergent is excellent on insekts

CPHB


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## corksta

Nice write up. I've never tried the pat dry technique, will give it a go on sunday!


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## Ant GTI-6

Nice one Kickin, Top write up.:thumb: 

A lot of time, effort and thought went in to that. Hats off to ya mate.

Its good to see all the info in one place at last. I had to hunt high and low for correct techniques on the forums . But then i still learnt more from meeting the Jedi Master himself Steve:thumb: .

any one looking for the correct wash procedure can not go wrong if they follow your wise words:thumb: 

Regards
Ant


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## GOGS

Wow! what a write up Dave, very informative. :thumb: 


cheers
GOGS


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## Neil_S

Another great guide Dave, some good pointers.

I always like to use a completely separate bucket for wheels to avoid any possibility of brake filings getting on my paintwork.


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## Alex L

Amazing Dave


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## ayr320cdmsport04

Nice one again m8!:thumb:


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## Colv

Yeah, incredible guide

exactly the kinda thing a newbie needs to read:thumb: 

certainly taught ME a lot! :newbie: 
Thanks Dave


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## meta_volante

*Thank you so much...*

What a brilliant thread  That has answered most of my questions as a novice in one hit - brilliant!!! keep up the good work :thumb:


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## Dave KG

Glad you're finding this thread useful!  :thumb:


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## stoper

Some extra tips picked up there, pat drying etc thanks,

Funny how we all pick everyones good ideas and add them to our own to try to perfect the techniques.

I always rinse the wash mit before moving onto a new panel, tedious but cautious


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## benclelland

Some bits in that I didn't know so I've found this very useful. Thanks


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## base-1

Just shows how little I know, nice guide 

Sorry, little I KNEW


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## nicklepickle

*Hard Water film*

Just one point - if you pat dry and leave a thin film of water, you will leave a thin film of calcium carbonate if you live in a hard water area (ie limescale). Can only be avoided if you use clean rain-water or fully dry the car.


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## stargazer

Great info and advice chaps. Two buckets from now on.
I've just ordered a wash-mit too. Hopefully cleaning my car will be a far more easier task. Some may call me obsessive when cleaning, but I feel when you have something special It's worth looking after. Please find following links to website:-

http://bmwmovies.net/displayimage.php?album=6&pos=0

Look forward to your comments


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## stargazer

Silver 325i Sport with a sky blue backdrop. Approx 6-7 pictures


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## Brazo

Didn't even look at this properly until today when I was looking for a wash guide to steal I mean 'borrow' for a customer 

Really good detail Dave!


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## Dave KG

Brazo said:


> Didn't even look at this properly until today when I was looking for a wash guide to steal I mean 'borrow' for a customer
> 
> Really good detail Dave!


lol, thank you Brazo! :thumb:


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## Rabbit

Thanks for the nice advice man! :thumb: 

I've read your whole post, and I must admit that I learned a lot from it. All you say here is just logical, but you have to know it. 

The only down side is the price of the mitt and the drying towel.

But I guess we'll just have to live with that :buffer:


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## alx_chung

This is great stuff!! Guess I need to open the wallet and start buying some of the recommended stuff.
Alex


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## rob_hawke

thanks for this! ive been wanting to know about the 2 bucket method for ages! lol


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## Conqug

w0w great topic.. just read it all.. i now know so much more than i did 10mins ago

Cheers


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## SteveO

Great thread.....right I am off outside to try this out. Thanks.


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## Polarbert

What do you reckon to autoglym shampoo? I've been using it for ages and never had any problems. http://separacja.pl/en/


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## Dave KG

Polarbert said:


> What do you reckon to autoglym shampoo? I've been using it for ages and never had any problems.


Its an excellent shampoo that does what it says on the bottle and works very well. Nice to use, quite click so nice and sfae and good to wax protection. :thumb:


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## wytco0

*Which Degreaser and spray?*

Early on in this brilliant thread CPHB mentions spraying degreaser as a first stage for winter washing.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a suitable degreaser and spray?


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## adb

wytco0 said:


> Early on in this brilliant thread CPHB mentions spraying degreaser as a first stage for winter washing.
> 
> Does anyone have any recommendations for a suitable degreaser and spray?


I use Meg's APC through my foam gun as a good degreaser, followed by a two bucket wash with Meg's Hyperwash.


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## Mouse

This is an excellent guide. Will be my first step in the world of detailing :thumb:


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## eagleeye

I have been using a Meguiars Microfiber mitt for a while and on the whole have been very impressed with it but have now seen great reviews for the ShMITT. I don't think they are available here yet as I Googled it for UK sites but nothing turned up.

The one drawback with the Meguiars Mitt is that when fully loaded with foam it tends to slip off my hand as the elasticated collar is not that tight so it can make it quite tiring to use. The ShMITT seems to solve this problem, as well as being much longer lasting than the likes of lambswool and even microfiber.

Anyone used one?

P.S. I know it's Christmas but these snowflakes are getting a bit annoying


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## AR-CoolC

The Shmitt is available from both Carwashnwax and Clean and Shiny on here :thumb:


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## eagleeye

Indeed it is - so much for Google . I've ordered the two so will see how they perform compared to the microfibre mitt.


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## Superboy

Dave KG - thank you so much for writing this......and I thought after years of washing cars I knew what to do.....didn't know a thing!
I went out today and purchased a lambs wool mit and another bucket.
My new car's gonna have no scratches now.


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## beambeam

Excellent - this has helped clear up a lot of questions I wanted to ask, thanks!


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## ghiaxman

just starting on this two bucket method but it works atreat


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## craiga

good read


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## dhracer

Excellent guide, I've always wondered what the 2 bucket method was :thumb: 

How often should I replace my wash mitt/sponge (see below)? From the diagrams it seems inevitable that over time it will have more grit trapped in it?

I'm using a sponge at the moment but this makes me think I should go back to a mitt  - it's a zymol sponge that is supposed to lift the dirt into the sponge too and it seems to work very well, any thoughts?


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## Dave KG

dhracer said:


> Excellent guide, I've always wondered what the 2 bucket method was :thumb:
> 
> How often should I replace my wash mitt/sponge (see below)? From the diagrams it seems inevitable that over time it will have more grit trapped in it?
> 
> I'm using a sponge at the moment but this makes me think I should go back to a mitt  - it's a zymol sponge that is supposed to lift the dirt into the sponge too and it seems to work very well, any thoughts?


Many people use sponges and are happy with them, personally I prefer a mitt and in my eyes they are safer than foam or sponges - but so long as your are getting a safe two bucket wash and not inflicting severe marring, go with what works for you. A sheepskin mitt would be my personal preference here though.

As for how often to replace... When the mitt starts to molt, or looses its plushness when wet is the time to replace the mitt. Dirt or grit building can be address by very thoroughly rinsing the mitt through with water after every wash which gets the vast majority out.


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## TRILL

will be useing the 2 bucket wash from now on after reading this :thumb:


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## bullit

learnt my first tips, lol


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## MarksCar

*Quality!*

Another excellent guide. Thanks


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## edthedrummer

Brilliant thread, just what i was looking for.


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## Gromit

I've just bought a mitt and have yet to use it.

Reading this thread - if any mitt is coming off your hand when fully loaded/sodden, then get yer sewing machine out boys (and girls).

Make a strap, seatbelt webbing is good, sew some velcro onto it half+half or something like, hook one side and loop the other, sew the strap to the mitt cuff leaving a flap for you to fold over - et voila - no more falling off.

Read sewing machine instructions first for the newbies....:lol:


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## jaggster5

never knew there was so much to learn about washing.....just learning so thanks for the guide.


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## cheekymeister

Top guide - this has proved invaluable over the last few months (especially with a black car...) :thumb:


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## m3sye

loving the wash mitt due to this thread thanks


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## tsj

I will be using this method from now on 

I've been using a single bucket/sponge method so far... not impressed with it though.


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## sonny.j.h

wow great thread and indeed a great forum, learnt so much, like said above, I did not know there was so much too washing a car, I have a strange feeling this is going to be expensive lol


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## sonny.j.h

Great Post Dave KG, thanks to you i have just spent about 80 quid on cleaning stuff for the car lol, will let you know how i get on!


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## danw

im impressed! great information from now on i will be doing this by the book. I honestly didnt realise that the sponge was such a problem, im gonna throw them out!


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## danw

thats some great information there im really impressed! from now on I will be following this to the letter. i had no idea the sponge caused a big part of swirling. im going to throw mine out


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## m33porsche

danw said:


> thats some great information there im really impressed! from now on I will be following this to the letter. i had no idea the sponge caused a big part of swirling. im going to throw mine out


might be worth reading up on the z sponge and grout sponge reviews. Provided that the pre-wash stage is right a sponge may infact be a safer bet. A few members, including myself, have reported fine marring induced by LW mits due to fine particulate matter not being properly washed out of the mitt during the wash stage.


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## Dave KG

I would still personally say that, especially if no pre rinse was carried out, that the Lambswool would be safer owing to it allowing a place for the dirt to go... Providing to brush trough the mitt with your fingers each time you rinse it out, I've seen no problems with using Lambswool on both soft and hard finishes. 

I tried the Z sponge and was completely unconvinced by it - felt like cheap packing foam to me, and I couldn't see what made it so expansive compared to a normal spnge - there's still nowhere for any grit to go but the surface... If the pre-rinse is sounds, this is not a problem but if not I can see it creating issues...


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## m33porsche

I remember reading this thread and dumping the sponge as many seem to be doing. I do agree that with most wash routines a mitt is probably better as if you've got relatively large grit particles on the surface when you apply your sponge you will inflict damage.

For me, and I suspect some others on this forum the problem is different. I have extended the wash phase considerably as a result of the knowledge I have acquired on this site, wash to dry ratio used to be about 50:50, I'd say I'm now spending 75% of the time on the washing phase.

To make this real this involves (once the wheels are done!)

- PW rinse
- soak in a wax friendly TFR applied from a sprayer
- PW rinse
- Foam and leave for 5 mins
- PW rinse
- NOW SPONGE SAFE!

After this routine all particles have been removed, all that is left is a thin layer of grime, mainly on the lower body panels.

Now here is the mitt issue. The main benefit of the mitt is that it gives the particles somewhere to go other than across the paint surface, but these have already been removed so potentially this advantage is negated. Furthermore, fine traffic film adheres to the LW fibres extremely well and unless a thorough rinse/wash is completed between EACH application of the mitt to the paint you run the risk of dragging dirty fibres across the paint. I have established that was the root of MY issue. The resultant marring was not scratches, as you'd see from grit being "sponged" across the surface, but much denser and lighter uni-directional marring. I've satified myself that these are from the wash stage by using different washing and drying patterns.

Now the sponge bonus.....when either a mitt or sponge comes into contact with this grime there will inevitably be some matter being initially dragged across the paint before any pick up and withdrawal into fibres or sponge can occur. This potentially damaging phase can be mitigated with plenty of lubricating suds. Now, here's the rub (no pun intended), a sponge (silicone free) WILL hold loads more lubricating fluid so potentially reduce this risk.

When all is said and done this marring is the result of bad technique, BUT, given "sponge safe" paint as a starting point (ie the pre-wash phase stages as above effectively completed) I believe that a sponge is the easier implement to use to avoid marring.

My tests will go on! I've run a grout sponge and found this removed the marring but inflicted 3-4 scratches so it isn't perfect. Next I will test the Z y m o l sponge and have added 2 grit guards into the equation to aid removal of grit.

It's an intriguing subject given the passion with which respected veterans of this site have differing views, even given the majority opt for the mitt. 

I'll remain open minded to find a solution that works for me and share my findings here. :thumb:


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## Ray in Kingwood

the more i read th more I learn.....great post


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## MB^

Very informative post, I have learnt the 2 Bucket method!


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## dotnetdave

well i have been trying the grout sponge and believe its been the cause of the light swirling on the car i do the following

1) Rinse with PW
2) Cover in snow foam \ shampoo mix, leave for 5 mins
3) Rinse with PW bottom up
4) TBM
5) Open ended hose rinse.

The one thing i did like with the sponge is that it hold a lot more shampoo mix in it and more lubrication than the mitt. So yesterday i put the sponge inside the mitt and found this to be sooo much better getting the benefit of the sponge holding more shamoii mix inside the mitt and benefit of the mitt with the longer fibres.


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## wool

great tips keep em coming

cheers wool


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## psykik

Dave KG super article.

Im new. My problem is drying. I note you said pat dry with a waffleweave? I have a real problem with this as my current technique leaves waterspots still and sometimes i scratch the paint work struggling to get them out.

I need photos of your drying method please. Next time youre washing please take some so i can learn the right way step by step.

Thanks in advance!


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## Dave KG

psykik said:


> Dave KG super article.
> 
> Im new. My problem is drying. I note you said pat dry with a waffleweave? I have a real problem with this as my current technique leaves waterspots still and sometimes i scratch the paint work struggling to get them out.
> 
> I need photos of your drying method please. Next time youre washing please take some so i can learn the right way step by step.
> 
> Thanks in advance!


This guide is being revamped....

I have a camera with video capability for detailing guides that are coming up


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## psykik

Dave thanks, this cant come too soon, im an absolute disaster at drying, by the time ive dried one panel theres water spots everywhere, if i do it faster, it doesnt dry properly, if i use elbow grease i get loads of light scratches everywhere....ugh i just have to learn the right way....im getting desperate here! Help!

thanks


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## Tom_O

Very informative, and clear. Thanks!


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## funkdude

Thanks for much for everything. about to order all the products and for will try to wash my own car for now even though my place does not have a hose / outdoor tap and i live on the 4th floor.. if anyone know where in london where I can wash a car with hose / tap that will be good..

Another question...How do you clean / wash the Sheep Skin / Wool Wash Mitss and the Micro Fibre Drying towels? Can I just put all of them in the washing machine?

THanks


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## Dave KG

funkdude said:


> Thanks for much for everything. about to order all the products and for will try to wash my own car for now even though my place does not have a hose / outdoor tap and i live on the 4th floor.. if anyone know where in london where I can wash a car with hose / tap that will be good..
> 
> Another question...How do you clean / wash the Sheep Skin / Wool Wash Mitss and the Micro Fibre Drying towels? Can I just put all of them in the washing machine?
> 
> THanks


Lambswool/Sheepskin mitt: rinse in cold water after use, allow to air dry.

Microfibres can go in the washing machine on a normal wash, just dont use any fabric softener. Air dry.


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## Keefe

Hi Dave,

What about the 3M sponge? It has pores of various sizes on its surfaces. Don't they trap dirt like the mitts?


----------



## trykkertor

What about the Meguiar's MicroFiber mitt?









I have a synthetic washing mitt. Love to use it. I actually got it for free with a grit guard i bought.








But then I bought an expensive Meguiar's MicroFiber mitt.
After reading this how-to-guide, I am not sure if it's ever going to be used.
Do you think the dirt will be trapped deep enought in the MF-mitt?
It seems pretty shallow compared to my synthetic mitt.

Any views on this subject?


----------



## Keefe

What about the 3M sponge? It has pores. Does that help? I am driving a black car that has been inflicted badly with swirl marks. I am not sure if it was caused by the aggressive pads and compounds used by my valet. Or it could be my 3M sponge.


----------



## whitelockben

thanks for this ... give me some conifdence to try a detail myself!


----------



## OCDMike

ah-ha! finally, another 'term' understood! :speechles

I kind of guessed that this was how it worked, i'm quite a logical thinker!

But thanks for the info, really helpful! :thumb:


----------



## AL_B

trykkertor said:


> What about the Meguiar's MicroFiber mitt?
> 
> I have a synthetic washing mitt. Love to use it. I actually got it for free with a grit guard i bought.
> 
> But then I bought an expensive Meguiar's MicroFiber mitt.
> After reading this how-to-guide, I am not sure if it's ever going to be used.
> Do you think the dirt will be trapped deep enought in the MF-mitt?
> It seems pretty shallow compared to my synthetic mitt.
> 
> Any views on this subject?


Hi,

I have a couple of MF-mitts, but stopped using them a couple of years ago. I was advised that the MF-mitts don't have a deep enough pile, so the dirt gets stuck in the fibres and is hard to get out. Were as a Wool-mitt has a deeper pile and is softer, therefore easier to rinse out and remove the dirt.

Perhaps someone will agree or disagree with this. I'm not sure if the advice is correct or not, but I switched to wool mitts anyway. Still get swirls though, no matter what I use.  And I'm being very careful.

AL


----------



## Mattt-VTR

This is a really good, simple, straightforward guide!



Nice one


----------



## jasonbarnes

very good stuff there some good tips :thumb:


----------



## BMW^Z4

very helpful


----------



## dgh

thanks inow know the two bucket method


----------



## gioprivatemove

Great info...
Is it save using Noodle mitt? or ***** Sponge?


----------



## CYMRU AM BYTH

Nice write up, first class!


----------



## mynamehere

Excellent thread for a newbie like me, just what I was looking for.

The more simplistic the post the better for me.

Some folks mentioned routines like :
_
- PW rinse
- soak in a wax friendly TFR applied from a sprayer
- PW rinse
- Foam and leave for 5 mins
- PW rinse
- NOW SPONGE SAFE!_

Firstly what is PW rinse? (power washer?)

a wax friendly 'TFR' ? -

if someone could explain the above terms I'd appreciate it
and please excuse my cleaning ignorance 

What is the idea of the routine above? 
Is it to loosen dirt on the car ahead of scrubbing it with a mitt/sponge?

cheers


----------



## badly_dubbed

pw= power washer
TFR = traffic film remover


----------



## WINNIB08

good guide! Very informative!


----------



## Kev8002

Cheers Dave KG - really easy to read helpfull guide! 
You have done me and im sure alot of other newbies proud mate!

Kev


----------



## Sid

mynamehere said:


> Some folks mentioned routines like :
> _
> - PW rinse
> - soak in a wax friendly TFR applied from a sprayer
> - PW rinse
> - Foam and leave for 5 mins
> - PW rinse
> - NOW SPONGE SAFE!_


I understand that if you use the BH Auto-Foam, that it's best NOT to pre-rinse at all beforehand, as it works best when the car is dry?



Dave KG said:


> This guide is being revamped....
> 
> I have a camera with video capability for detailing guides that are coming up


This is a great article Dave ... I wrote something similar (however less detailed) on other forums a couple of years ago. ...The day I spent 13 hours washing my car!! 
:detailer:

I can't wait for your new guide!!
It has been a VERY long time since I washed my car PROPERLY, and it needs the TLC now. Just wish your guide was ready now, before I spend loads of money on new products.

I use the same shampoo: Meguiars #62, it's brilliant.
Lambswool mit, and the 2 bucket process (sometimes 3 or 4 for the alloys!), and a garden hose.

What I have learnt from the short space of time being on this site (hmmm... about 12 hours reading today!), is that I need:
- 2 x grit-guards
- a £250-£300 Pressure Washer, such as a Nisflik 140 or Makita HW131 (or over £500 for a Kranzel!)
- a CYC foam lance
- BH Auto-Foam

...and to pat dry my car, like in your article!

If I use the foam lance, you can put warm water in there, which negates the need to spend £1k+ on a hot water system PW?

Questions I asked in earlier posts (the BH Auto-Foam one), is something I picked up on AndyC saying I think, that you don't need to always use the normal hand wash if you use the Auto-Foam and then pressure wash rinse it off. Maybe do it twice... or is this only recommended for winter?

Are there any instances where you wouldn't use Auto-Foam everytime??
I guess this depends on frequency of washing the vehicles?

I am trying to figure out for myself the 'bestest' method ever! haha

Many thanks!
Sid


----------



## andy monty

Sid said:


> I understand that if you use the BH Auto-Foam, that it's best NOT to pre-rinse at all beforehand, as it works best when the car is dry?


thats how i use it



Sid said:


> I use the same shampoo: Meguiars #62, it's brilliant.
> Lambswool mit, and the 2 bucket process (sometimes 3 or 4 for the alloys!), and a garden hose.


make sure you use a separate wash mit for the wheels or you'll end up with metal particals from the brake dust scratching your paint



Sid said:


> - 2 x grit-guards
> - a £250-£300 Pressure Washer, such as a Nisflik 140 or Makita HW131 (or over £500 for a Kranzel!)
> - a CYC foam lance
> - BH Auto-Foam


you don't have to spend that amount BUT like everything you get what you pay for



Sid said:


> If I use the foam lance, you can put warm water in there, which negates the need to spend £1k+ on a hot water system PW?


nope the hot water is to help mix and thin the snow foam



Sid said:


> Questions I asked in earlier posts (the BH Auto-Foam one), is something I picked up on AndyC saying I think, that you don't need to always use the normal hand wash if you use the Auto-Foam and then pressure wash rinse it off. Maybe do it twice... or is this only recommended for winter?
> 
> Are there any instances where you wouldn't use Auto-Foam everytime??
> I guess this depends on frequency of washing the vehicles?


You can do a touch less wash with it once the car is well waxed/sealed it does get the car 95% clean which at this time of the year is a good thing you can do it a couple of times a week to get the salt off it


----------



## Sid

andy monty said:


> make sure you use a separate wash mit for the wheels or you'll end up with metal particals from the brake dust scratching your paint


Yep, I understand that. Thanks.
Might also think of getting these amazing wheel brushes that PJS has mentioned: 
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=1361654#post1361654



> You can do a touch less wash with it once the car is well waxed/sealed it does get the car 95% clean which at this time of the year is a good thing you can do it a couple of times a week to get the salt off it


By using a pressure washer all the time, the car NEEDS to be waxed and sealed first though? what if the car hasn't had that attention for a while, but it needs a foam soak...?


----------



## vbacky

Big thanks to Dave KG ! Now I know what the two bucket method works =)


----------



## aces007

thanks again dave your posts have helped understand the world of detailing alot more and now in this late hour i know what the two bucket method now is. cheers mate very helpful


----------



## supercharged

This is great info, and thanks for sharing, Dave. Although I've noticed that you are a big sheepskin fan, I tried those and they are not for me...Sheepskin mitt is quite expensive, and it doesn't even lasts 20 washes for me...it is more difficult to work with, and it fricken hardens after every use, making it less comfortable to use...maybe it's just me, but I've tried very many of them, OTC, and boutique, and decided to stick with Z sponge... Presoaking is the key for me, lots, and lots of snow foam...then a good rinse...if I see grit, I blast it with a pressure washer...So far I've not seen any issues using my Z sponge...
Again, to each their own. I'm not a big fan of LC Ulti-Mitt, but I do like Edge Shmitt... Natural Sea Sponge is another nice one...
But those Megs synthetic mitts, are horrible...it's like washing your car with a sand paper - literally!:doublesho


----------



## chattan

Very helpfull :thumb:


----------



## EastUpperGooner

This was the first thread I read on here a few months ago, very good guide.


----------



## mwbpsx

a lot of this post does not say if you want to maintain your wax finish or go back to paint. in my view the same theory applies. depending on the shampo or detergent used the theory is to remove any gritty deposits without abrasion. get a foam gun on a dry car and leave it to work or gently hose for a generous time untill your paint no longer feels rough to your bare hand...........then start washing


----------



## fellowsuk

this is a great guide! brilliant for people starting out, its made me ditch my sponge anyway!


----------



## buldy

Very good guide. It definetly helped me


----------



## S4LFV

Excellent Advice


----------



## GarySX

Another great read.


----------



## Gizmo68

Thanks for the useful explanation on what i have been doing wrong all these years! (i tried a cheap wash mitt a few years ago and hated it - i will now buy the correct one and try again)


----------



## crx

Cheers for the info, good reading!!


----------



## Owensy

What an excellent read :thumb:

I thought i knew what I knew what I was doing until I read this thread..... NOW I DO! :driver:

Owensy


----------



## jimmyca69

Excellent post - thanks for info


----------



## Mej

11111


----------



## mundo

my sponge is history

and the 2 bucket system is in effect as from 9.30 am tommorow

glad i joined this forum....learnt so much already

thanks

mundo


----------



## hotbaws

Exactly what I was looking for being a total newbie.

Well done!


----------



## swissvat

According to Zymol their sponge is perfectly safe to use ,and has been for years.i spoke to them about it as I use the swissvax washpudle on one car then replace it and use it again only for the lower part of the vehicle.As far as Swissvax are concerened a sponge should not be used but Zymol know their stuff so I still use it .


----------



## Bergli

Great! I Will try this!


----------



## msa1712

No wonder all these micro swirls just never seems to dissapear!! Ive been dragging the debris all over!!! Thanks for the info!!


----------



## monkeydog

Oh man! I've been doing it so wrong for so long!!! Thanks for this


----------



## tehglu

than's for this...glad to know i've not been doing it all wrong!



need me some grit guards now


----------



## Mikebj

Hi Dave,

Thank you very much, that was really informative and just what my car ordered:lol:

Cheers
Mike


----------



## Riley89

Great write up!


----------



## RobboC

Love it..hours of reading, eyes are bleeding but I'm sure its all very worth it.

Top guides folks!

R.


----------



## NoobWash

Sponges are perfectly safe in the right hands.


----------



## -Kev-

you don't say! :lol:


----------



## ryang

good tips thanks DaveKG


----------



## weavers

I like sponges. Main reason is they are easy to clean and they let go of containments easily. I find with mitts that they hold onto dirt during the whole wash. I really have to scrub the mitt on the grit guard and it the mitt still has debrie on it. It doesn't matter if its mf, lamb or whatever. sponges and ONR I find are great. At the end of the wash I can toss the sponge into the washing machine

have you guys tried the lake country sponge. it has groves cut into it and i find the groves picks up dirt and keeps it away from paint. then it lets go of dirty when in the wash bucket. i find you can do this yourself with sponges at home with a knife or a box cutter.


----------



## Titanium Htail

I bought the guy next door a mitt, for his newer car, he used an abrasive to remove bird poo and asked me how it looked, well the bird stuff had gone ! His new car arrives this week, I am spreading the DW word !.

A ten point printable plan would help, rather than saying hello now I say, what a nice car how do you wash it ?

John.


----------



## audigex

A couple of thoughts:

First up, would it make sense to put (diluted) shampoo in a spray bottle to give extra lubrication to a small area before washing with a mitt? I figure it can't do any harm.

Secondly, how do I tell when I need to re-protect the paint if I'm waxing every couple of weeks (or however often the car needs doing) - would it make sense to snow foam, rinse with the hose and pat dry - then spray and dry some test areas with a spray bottle to test beading - once it stops beading nicely, re-wax.


----------



## iClean

nice one mate jus wat i needed to know about washing


----------



## tom-225

audigex said:


> A couple of thoughts:
> 
> First up, would it make sense to put (diluted) shampoo in a spray bottle to give extra lubrication to a small area before washing with a mitt? I figure it can't do any harm.
> 
> Secondly, how do I tell when I need to re-protect the paint if I'm waxing every couple of weeks (or however often the car needs doing) - would it make sense to snow foam, rinse with the hose and pat dry - then spray and dry some test areas with a spray bottle to test beading - once it stops beading nicely, re-wax.


1. This isn't something I've ever done or heard of. Don't see the point if you've got a wet enough mitt it won't be needed.

2. You'll be able to tell when you are washing if the car has any protection. Oh and I hope there will be a mitt wash between the snowflakes and drying stages mate


----------



## Machine_Valet

More or less the same as what I do, Good to know I'm doing it right


----------



## KDiddy

Are we saying that this thread actually confirms now that during the hosepipe ban, I can actually get away with as an example (a graden sprayer) with G101 and then during pre-rinse use the watering can, wash as normal?

I picked my car up Saturday and am desperate to wash it?!?


----------



## flyhalf_Luke

so useful ive always used lambswool mitts


----------



## Sid_M

Hi all, 

Newbie here, so reading through the sticky's.

Plan is to buy all the gear and start detailing my cars, will start with a few bangers and work up till I have the confidence to do the better ones 

great write up & tips btw :thumb:

Can I just check (i've skim-read the thread) this order is correct re washing:

1. Gentle rinse,
2. Snowfoam (is this the right time to snowfoam?) and leave for 5 mins,
3. Gentle rinse again,
4. Using a mitt & 2 bucket method, wash the car (do one panel at a time if it dries up too quick.
5. Rinse,
6. Dry using waffleweave towel,


----------



## Red_Stafford

Dave KG said:


> *Washing*
> Here I describe the generic technique I use to wash cars...
> 
> _Wheels, Arches, Door Jambs_
> Start with these. When washing your wheels using a wheel brush, the shampoo solution (or wheel cleaner solution) can spray up onto paintwork, and if youve just cleaned the paintwork, you'll end up needing to clean it again to remove the dirty spray from wheels! Don't forget to open all doors and boot and clean the doorjambs and the insides of the door (without getting wash solution into the locking mechanisms, I cover these up) - these areas can pick up a lot of dirt as well and it adds something a little extra to open the door and see the jambs as clean as the rest of the car as these areas are often forgotten about.
> 
> _Pre-Rinsing_
> This loosens up dirt and wets the paintwork ready for washing. Using a hose pipe, direct a *gentle spray* of water at the paintwork at a shallow angle. If you blast the paintwork with high pressure at ninety degrees to the paintwork, you'll force grit into the paint and cause scatches. Just a gentle spray of water to wet the paintwork is all that is required. If you don't have access to a hose, use a watering can with the rose fitted to produce a gentle spary of water:
> 
> 
> 
> _Shampooing_
> This is the major stage of the washing process, and the time when most scratches can be inflicted if care is not taken. This removes fresh surface contimaniation from paintwork such as dust, grit, mud, road film etc... Add the correct amount of car wash solution (according to the dilution ratio on the bottle) to your bucket and fill with water to produces suds and lubricated wash solution:
> 
> 
> 
> The water can be cold, or warm - I prefer warm water as it keeps my hands warm, especially in winter!!
> 
> Now, use the two bucket method described above. Use two washmitts - one for the top areas of the car (roof, bonnet, upper sides above the wheel arch line) and one for the lower areas (below the wheel arch line, front and rear bumpers). Use a light parallel motion when washing, with out applying forceful pressure that will inflict scratches.
> 
> 
> 
> If a mark is stubborn and wont come off with gentle movement of the wash mitt, it will require a stronger cleaner such as tar remover or clay. Start from the roof and work down, therefore the large quantities of dirt that form on the lower parts of car are not transferred to the traditionally cleaner upper areas of the car. Try to avoid letting the shampoo dry on the paintwork as this will cause streaks and soap spots, for this reason try to avoid washing in direct sunlight. If you are in direct sunlight, it may be neccessary to wash and rinse a panel art a time. Continue until the car is completed.
> 
> _Rinsing_
> Once washed, the next step is to rinse away the soap bubbles and film. If using a hose I first of all use a light spary of water to wet the paintwork (using the rose on the watering can), just like the pre-rinsing step. Then follow this up with a flow of water from the hose (rose off the water can this time). Most shampoos are free rinsing and require this flow of water to make the rinsing water "sheet" off of the paintwork. (This sheeting effect will work best on well sealed and waxed paintwork). On a sealed/waxed car, keep rinsing until the water sheets cleanly off the paintwork and leaves behind only water beads and not flat regions of water. This makes the car essentially self drying! Rinse from the top of the car down.
> 
> _Drying_
> Another risk stage as far as scrathes are concerned. First off, I find that using a waffleweave drying towel is far safer and more effective than using a chamois leather. A couple of examples of good quality waffleweave drying towels are:
> 
> _Meguiars Water Magnet Drying Towel_
> _Poorboys Waffleweave_
> 
> Also Pakshak towels are very very good too! Rather than sweeping the towel across the paintwork to remove the water, I prefer to pat dry the car. The sweeping of the towel has more risk of inflicting scratches as stray grit particles may be picked up and inadvertantly swept across the paint inflicting swirl marks. Instead, pat dry the car by laying the towel down over the wet paintwork. Gently pat the towel, then lift off the paintwork. The towel will absorb the water to dry the paint. A thin flim of water may be left behind but this will quickly evaporate to leave a sparkling, streak free finish.
> 
> And there we have it - safe washing technique to avoid inflicting dreaded swirls into paintwork.


Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## abdullaa

thanks m8


----------



## Otter Smacker

Thanks mate:thumb:


----------



## Prgreer

Thank you,


----------



## fourplay

*Thanks!*

Just what I needed to get started!


----------



## Brooky89

Thanks for the guide!


----------



## SystemClenz

Such a great write up I thought I'd bump it


----------



## stevenkidman

Good write and understandable with images. The whole concept is very innovative and creative.


----------



## Neri

Thanks a lot, mate! I'm doing everything quite fine so far! :thumb:


----------



## flatlinerz

great info here thanks!


----------



## Atongmu

Nice guide!


----------



## FrontRowForward

Great stuff. Thanks.


----------



## matthew413

I'm a lurker here, but just wanted to say thanks, have got some great results following this guide.


----------



## jmc197

Nice guide mate , I thought I knew what I was doing, lol , going to take your advice on patting dry and I will calm the jet wash down , cheers


----------



## Shanusascarabus

2 buckets bought... meguiars wool mitt and water magnet also... now bring on the 2 bucket method... even if it is with cheaper simonz ect shampoo ( need to use up before buying meguiars gold ).

Thanks for the tips guys


----------



## Berylburton

Shanusascarabus said:


> 2 buckets bought... meguiars wool mitt and water magnet also... now bring on the 2 bucket method... even if it is with cheaper simonz ect shampoo ( need to use up before buying meguiars gold ).
> 
> Thanks for the tips guys


Don't worry about the shampoo, the differences between most decent brands is minimal. Your wash technique is significantly more important. :thumb:


----------



## gdavison

As this is such a informative thread to pass on to folk new to the methods, is it possible to get the photo links repaired ?


----------



## Cy-Zuki

Great info, one of the first threads I wanted to read. As a newb though, I think it is a shame the pics are missing.


----------



## james_death

Cy-Zuki said:


> Great info, one of the first threads I wanted to read. As a newb though, I think it is a shame the pics are missing.


The thing is the thread is nearly 9 years old and not surprising the pictures have long gone I'm afraid.

Still a great thread mind...:thumb:


----------



## ChrisMEI

Try This  Takes ages to load, But pictures are there 

http://web.archive.org/web/20070907072201/http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4637


----------



## Cy-Zuki

Thanks very much Chris - downloading as I write (type.. sorta!).


----------



## ChrisMEI

No worries I use that site alot if any threads are missing see if it works usually does


----------



## Cy-Zuki

Gem of a site! I have never seen or heard about that before - another tick in the box for DW and members!


----------



## MatD

Brilliant write up, I did most of this before minus the tap dry and wash one panel, rinse and clean the mitt.

I'll also order a new mitt, was using a micrfiber wash mitt


----------



## Nobski

Good to know / revise, thanks


----------



## Jackfly

Dave KG said:


> In this thread I hope to explain some good practices for washing a car that help in the prevention of inflicting swirl marks to paint.
> 
> *Whats Wrong With A Sponge?*
> Millions of people wash their car using a sponge. But if you read the threads on this forum you will see that hardly any members are washing their cars using a traditional sponge... Why is that? It all comes down to the flat flace of the sponge:
> 
> 
> 
> Imagine automotive paintwork with your typical dirt and grit paricles sutck on the top of the paint, that you want to wash off to revela your car's shine. Some of these dirt particles are sharp:
> 
> 
> 
> Now, if you place a sponge down ontop of these grit particles as you would do if you were washing your car with a sponge, the grit particles become trapped between the face of the sponge and the paint - they have no where to go owing to the flat face of the sponge:
> 
> 
> 
> When you wipe the sponge across the paintwork, you wipe the sharp grit particles straight across the paint. As they move over the paint, the dirt particles leave a thin hairline scratch:
> 
> 
> 
> These little scratches are highly visible in bright light because they catch the light, and this is what gives you the dreaded swirl marks that rob yuo paint of gloss and colour and ruin the car's look. A pic of bad swirl marks, the result of sponge washing of a car:
> 
> 
> 
> *Wash Mitts*
> Lambswool and Sheepswool wash mitts have been developped to get around the problems of sponges trapping grit particles by the flat face. If you run your fingers through a lambwool mitt, you can see that it is deep pile and not flat faced:
> 
> 
> 
> Returning to the grit partciles on paintwork, when the wash mitt is placed onto them, the grit particles are absorbed into the mitt - safely away from paintwork so that they cannot scratch the paint:
> 
> 
> 
> Therefore, sweeping the mitt across the paint doesn't sweep the grit over the paint also and so you don't inflict lots of tiny hairline scratches.
> 
> _Note: While washmitts are considerbaly better than sponges, it is impossible to completely avoid inflicting the odd swirl marks here and there using a wash mitt. What follows in this thread are tips on how to keep these inflicted swirls to an absolute minimum._
> 
> *Which Wash Mitt?*
> There are a great number of washmitts on the marked nowadays, ranging from lambswool and sheepswool to cotton chenille to microfibre. In my experience the best mitts are the lambswool and sheepswool. When choosing a mitt, choose one with a soft deep pile that will be kind to paintwork. Two excellent mitts are:
> 
> _Meguiars Lambswool Wash Mitt_
> _Eurow Sheepskin Wash Mitt_
> 
> and there are others too.
> 
> *So Many Shampoos! Which to Choose?*
> At the end of the day, shampoo choice for your car is going to come down to personal prefernce. But there are so many shampoos on the market its hard to know which ones to go for! A couple of things to look for when choosing a car shampoo:
> 
> 1. Lubricity in the washing solution - you want a shampoo that makes the washing solution feel nice and lubricated so that dirt particles can be encapsulated by this lubricant and any that aren't absorbed into the wash mitt will slide off the paint without scratching in the rinsing water. Soapy suds are pleasing and can make car washing fun, but lubricated wash solution is more important.
> 
> 2. A shampoo should contain no harsh detergents if you are washing a car that you have spent many hours polishing, sealing and waxing. Harsh detergents strip wax straight off the paintwork leaving your paint surface dried out and unprotected. Fairy Liquid is therefore a big no no for washing cars. You feel what happens to the sking on your hand if in prolonged contact with harsh detergents, it dires the skin out - it will do similar damage to paint.
> 
> With this in mind, there are still a huge number of car shampoos that fit the bill - ones that I have used and rate are the following, so if you're struggling on which to choose, try one of the following:
> 
> _Meguiars #62 Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner_ (my favourite)
> _Meguiars Gold Class Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner_
> _Meguiars Hyper Wash_ (awsome dilution ratio of 400:1 - lasts ages!)
> _Poorboys Super Slick & Suds_
> _Pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner_
> _Einszett Perls_
> 
> *What is the "Two-Bucket Method"*
> Again, millions of people use a single bucket of car wash solution to wash their car, but if you read the threads on this site you will find most members wash their cars using the "Two-Bucket Method" - whats that?
> 
> As suggested by the name, the two bucket method uses two buckets, not one. In thie first bucket, you have your car wash solution as normal. In the second bucket you have clean fresh water. First off you soak your mitt in the wash solution and begin washing the car (as described below). Then, before dunking the wash mitt back into the wash solution, you rinse it out in the second bucket of fresh water - this rinses out the dirt and grit particles from this mitt so that they cannot come into contact with your paint, reducing the number of swirls inflicted.
> 
> A grit-guard is also a very worthwhile investment and sits at the bottom of the bucket (I have two, one in the rinsing bucket and one in the wash solution bucket). When dunking you mitt into the fresh water bucket, rub it across the grit guard to increase the amount of grit particles which are removed from the mitt. Also, it keeps them trapped at the bottom of the bucket so even less chance of the mitt picking them back up and them reaching your paintwork to inflict scratches.


Hello KG,

Nice to know you!
regarding the pictures in this post, why can not I open it? Could you share them with me again? Appreciate if you can send mail to me, [email protected]
Thanks in advance!


----------



## mb1

If I haven't got the degreaser is it ok to use Snow Foam as a pre wash


----------



## granteee

Hi Guys

Just wondering if someone can explain to me why 2 buckets?

Now I know that sounds stupid as it's pretty simple but what I want to know really is why if you're using a deep bucket with grit guard do you need to rinse before soaping again?

Surely if your mitt has small particles of grit in it after your first pass and you dip it in your soapy bucket and rub on the grit guard there, there is no need for the second bucket???

I'm not looking for an argument, only justification in a second bucket. You guys are the experts obviously. I'm a COMPLETE newbie! Also I'm from Fife so am as tight as a Camel's Ar8e in a sandstorm!


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## Mcpx

granteee said:


> Hi Guys
> 
> Just wondering if someone can explain to me why 2 buckets?
> 
> Now I know that sounds stupid as it's pretty simple but what I want to know really is why if you're using a deep bucket with grit guard do you need to rinse before soaping again?
> 
> Surely if your mitt has small particles of grit in it after your first pass and you dip it in your soapy bucket and rub on the grit guard there, there is no need for the second bucket???
> 
> I'm not looking for an argument, only justification in a second bucket. You guys are the experts obviously. I'm a COMPLETE newbie! Also I'm from Fife so am as tight as a Camel's Ar8e in a sandstorm!


Grit guards and deep buckets do help, but they are not magic and dirty water is dirty water. The object of the exercise is to remove the dirt from the car on the mitt, so then you need to remove the dirt from the mitt. If you do that in your wash bucket then chances are you will just be picking up the same dirt and returning it to the car. If you use a second bucket to clean the mitt before returning it to your wash bucket then there is less chance of that happening.

Best way to justify it is to try for yourself, beg, borrow or steal a second bucket and if you do it right you'll be left with half a bucket of clean soapy water and a full bucket of very dirty rinse water. If you choose a lighter coloured bucket it'll be even easier to see just how black the water is. All of the muck and grit that you find in your rinse bucket would otherwise have been put back onto the car and rubbed into the paint, which is where all of your scratches and swirls come from.

Forget about grit guards or expensive wash mitts for now, an additional £1 bucket is absolutely the most effective tool you can use to help protect your paint from self inflicted damage and once you see that black murky soup, you'll never go back.


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## granteee

Thanks Mcpx

Makes sense now. Just thought if you pre clean, snow foam or whatever before hand, then the soapy bucket wouldn't get dirty.

But this is a page for detailing I suppose.....NOT just cleaning

My bad 

I live and learn.

Thanks again


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## Mcpx

granteee said:


> Thanks Mcpx
> 
> Makes sense now. Just thought if you pre clean, snow foam or whatever before hand, then the soapy bucket wouldn't get dirty.
> 
> But this is a page for detailing I suppose.....NOT just cleaning
> 
> My bad
> 
> I live and learn.
> 
> Thanks again


Understandable, but if it wasn't dirty you wouldn't have to wash it!

Take a look HERE might seem a bit long but it's excellent information and Larry is the man. Probably one of the top detailers in the world, more often found working on multi million $ Ferraris and other irreplaceable exotics. Also a totally self professed nerd and extremely nice guy.


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## DrH

To add a different opinion though.
I have always and still do use 1 bucket.
I have the shampoo in the one bucket.

However

Before returning the mit or pad to the bucket for a new amount of shampoo I rinse it out with a hose quite a lot. 
Doing this I always end up with clean water left in the wash bucket.

The wash mit then never is rinsed in anything but clean water


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## Andy_H

thanks for this, perfect for a newbie like me


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## todds

Dave KG should be as proud as punch to see this thread still going strong even though he will become a famous author in the not so distant future when the detailing book he co-wrote with two other greats on DW is published . ive already booked mine weeks ago on amazon
todds


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## chongo

todds said:


> Dave KG should be as proud as punch to see this thread still going strong even though he will become a famous author in the not so distant future when the detailing book he co-wrote with two other greats on DW is published . ive already booked mine weeks ago on amazon
> todds


Same here, I can't wait to get this book very soon:thumb:


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## israel123

Must read for every newbie like me


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## Carlos Fandango

*1 bucket, 2 buckets or better still no buckets*

Whilst watching different youtube channels I watched this video (link below) regarding using car wash in a spray bottle and dispensing with the buckets. I have tried this method of car washing and it is a breeze compared to the 2 bucket method. Fill up a spray bottle with water and car soap ratio 10:1. Using a hose rinse panel and wash mitt then either spray car soap dilution directly onto panel or wash mitt. Once you have washed the panel rinse the mitt and panel thoroughly with the hose and repeat again on the next panel. Surely it must be safer to rinse the mitt with fresh water from a tap. Also added bonus of using less car soap into the bargain.


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## SadlyDistracted

Dave KG said:


> *Washing*
> Here I describe the generic technique I use to wash cars...
> 
> _Wheels, Arches, Door Jambs_
> Start with these. When washing your wheels using a wheel brush, the shampoo solution (or wheel cleaner solution) can spray up onto paintwork, and if youve just cleaned the paintwork, you'll end up needing to clean it again to remove the dirty spray from wheels! Don't forget to open all doors and boot and clean the doorjambs and the insides of the door (without getting wash solution into the locking mechanisms, I cover these up) - these areas can pick up a lot of dirt as well and it adds something a little extra to open the door and see the jambs as clean as the rest of the car as these areas are often forgotten about.


A word of caution, if not changing wash and rinse buckets contents, wash the dirtiest areas _last_, as you do not want to be washing the cleanest areas with the muckiest (most potential to inflict damage) wash and rinse water!


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