# Cleaning sand and mud



## rowlf (Dec 28, 2014)

I have recently moved house (bad timing) where the road is a dirt road full of pot holes.

I found that it is often used as a short cut for a number of delivery vehicles. When their wheels go into these pot holes, it splashed out muddy water onto my car!!

Now the car has a thick layer of sand and mud all over it.

In order to minimise scratches, what is the right sequence of washing it? I was thinking snow foam as a pre-wash would not be effective due to the layer of mud on it.

What is a good solution?


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Definitely do a hood, thorough pre-wash. Rinse, snowfoam, rinse again, two bucket wash, but make sure your wash mitt is clean etc. 

I'd be more inclined to go and fill in the potholes though, at least that would deal with the problem rather than a symptom. I take it it's a private road? 

Cooks

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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

Technique is more important - snow foam from the bottom of the car upwards so that the foam higher up runs down giving dirtier parts more foam time, slow methodical rinsing roof downwards etc


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## rowlf (Dec 28, 2014)

Thanks guys.

Good suggestions.

I will try your methods tomorrow. Is there any special solubles that can let the sand/mud detach from the paint much more easily when I jet wash it? Foam x 2 enough to do the trick?

Yeah stupid private road. Any videos links and tricks to fill pot holes much appreciated. It really pains my heart to see my car becoming like this.


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

1. BH Autofoam is a fairly good choice, the dilution for PIR (Panel Impact Ratio - around 4%) depends on your pw flow rate. I can usually get away with around 2% unless its filthy, it doesn't dwell long which is ok in winter but dries out really fast come the warmer weather. Powermaxxed TFR is also another good choice typically used via a pressure sprayer, left to dwell and power washed off. I've also got some Garage Therapy Zero Decon which is a shampoo but can be used as a foam with varied dilution, its made for stripping old protection. Haven't had a play with it yet but its strong stuff on all accounts so go easy if you choose it but would use as a snowfoam to remove the dirt rather than as a shampoo, once you have as much of the dirt off as possible would go with a regular shampoo. The harsher the chemicals the more dirt you remove, but you may also compromise the LSP if its got a sealant or wax on, but can always use a topper product to get you though to when we get some milder weather.

You could also go for several washmitts, do part of the car, discard the washmitt and use another to clean the next few areas, this should help keep the rinse bucket cleaner.

What products do you have or currently use now? this may give us an idea of if it will be up to the job

Not much knowledge on potholes but if they are dry I would have thought the bond will be better and longer lasting (assuming tarmac?) . Something we had down our road which is single track lane and the pothole repairs just never lasted as was always damp bar summer and under trees, also being single track their was no real way of avoiding it and concerned over and tyre or suspension damage. Councils must have a budget left at some point of the year they have to spend and the fact id kept logging it every so often must have paid off, they could have repaired that section properly and would have done the job. In the end they tore up most of the road and re-laid it.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

rowlf said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> Good suggestions.
> 
> ...


Fire a bag of post-Crete into the hole, and put a cone beside it or park in front of it until it goes off. Doesnt take long tbh.

Cooks

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## rowlf (Dec 28, 2014)

Christian6984 said:


> 1. BH Autofoam is a fairly good choice, the dilution for PIR (Panel Impact Ratio - around 4%) depends on your pw flow rate. I can usually get away with around 2% unless its filthy, it doesn't dwell long which is ok in winter but dries out really fast come the warmer weather. Powermaxxed TFR is also another good choice typically used via a pressure sprayer, left to dwell and power washed off. I've also got some Garage Therapy Zero Decon which is a shampoo but can be used as a foam with varied dilution, its made for stripping old protection. Haven't had a play with it yet but its strong stuff on all accounts so go easy if you choose it but would use as a snowfoam to remove the dirt rather than as a shampoo, once you have as much of the dirt off as possible would go with a regular shampoo. The harsher the chemicals the more dirt you remove, but you may also compromise the LSP if its got a sealant or wax on, but can always use a topper product to get you though to when we get some milder weather.
> 
> You could also go for several washmitts, do part of the car, discard the washmitt and use another to clean the next few areas, this should help keep the rinse bucket cleaner.
> 
> ...


Just finished using the BH and switched to Auto Finese snow foam. Maybe I will be a bit heavy handed and put 1/5 to create more foam. Not sure things work like that. The other stuff I would be using are turtle wax shampoo and Wowo's waterless wash and quick detailer which I use to wipe over. Not much left of Wowo's citrus but I doubt it could do anything with removing sand.

I never tried Garage Therapy before but one thing to consider for next time when the car goes pear shape again and it certainly will if nothing is done about the pot holes.

As it is a private road, I heard from new neighbours that the council has washed their hands off it. Really dangerous when you think about it. Deliveries van never care when driving through it as it isn't their vehicle they have to worry about.


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## rowlf (Dec 28, 2014)

Cookies said:


> Fire a bag of post-Crete into the hole, and put a cone beside it or park in front of it until it goes off. Doesnt take long tbh.
> 
> Cooks
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


Is it good for dirt roads? If so I am all for it


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

rowlf said:


> Is it good for dirt roads? If so I am all for it


No idea at all. It's great for putting posts in though, so itll fill a hole.

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## grunty-motor (Aug 11, 2016)

I have a similar problem that i put up with for quite a few years then finally did something about it at the start of 1st lockdown. These were all 2nd hand chips from a neighbours garden who was laying artifical grass. I keep meaning to order a couple tonne more and spread a bit further 

If it is just a dirt road, then i think postcrete edges would just break up, unless you dig it out first. I fill ours in with chips.


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

rowlf said:


> Just finished using the BH and switched to Auto Finese snow foam. Maybe I will be a bit heavy handed and put 1/5 to create more foam. Not sure things work like that. The other stuff I would be using are turtle wax shampoo and Wowo's waterless wash and quick detailer which I use to wipe over. Not much left of Wowo's citrus but I doubt it could do anything with removing sand.
> 
> I never tried Garage Therapy before but one thing to consider for next time when the car goes pear shape again and it certainly will if nothing is done about the pot holes.
> 
> As it is a private road, I heard from new neighbours that the council has washed their hands off it. Really dangerous when you think about it. Deliveries van never care when driving through it as it isn't their vehicle they have to worry about.


Im in need of some more shampoo and interested in the other GT ones for regular use, I think its called 'One: car Shampoo', supposed to be super slick from reviews on youtube. They also do a wheel one but I prob wont bother as also need a bulk shampoo for the other cars as we have 5 so its a never ending cycle.

You could also try logging some of the potholes under the councils site (lancashire county council for me), if nothing comes of it no loss, if it does at least its one less thing you have to do. May not allow you to site the spot on the map if it is indeed private. I also agree Company vehicles will be mostly treated badly. We only have one newish car and the rest are between 6-15 years old, I am the only one I know of down the road that actually took the time to bother logging the problems and there are cars even older than ours to much newer and more expensive, everything from a 2002 berlingo van to Range Rovers and a Tesla Model S with big wheels.

Another consideration although I know a lot of people don't like them could be, considering mudflaps. They wont keep the car immaculately clean by any means but may catch some of the dirt that tries to fling up the lower parts. The size of them will also depend how effective they are, I had a clio years ago and they were tiny and quite pointless, the fiestas are a reasonable size.


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## idrobbo (Mar 14, 2018)

Unfortunately if the road's not adopted by the Council there's no point reporting it, not their responsibility.


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## HEADPHONES (Jan 1, 2008)

A good pre soak works wonders.
When the car is really covered in crud I like to wait til it's been raining.
Then I'll wash the car while it's still wet or if the rain has turned to a light drizzle.

Much more dirt comes off when pressure washing the pre wash TFR off and the remaining dirt comes off with almost no pressure being needed with the mitt.

Also when using the mitt I use a second sponge in my left hand to provide a constant stream of clean shampoo over the area my right mitt is cleaning.
Same principle as cleaning sand out of your eye....... you'd preferably clean it under a constant stream of clean water with minimal pressure while cleaning your eyeball!


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## rowlf (Dec 28, 2014)

HEADPHONES said:


> A good pre soak works wonders.
> When the car is really covered in crud I like to wait til it's been raining.
> Then I'll wash the car while it's still wet or if the rain has turned to a light drizzle.
> 
> ...


2 buckets, grit guard and a hose spray gun here I come.

Not being able to park car on the side of house certainly provided some more challenges as well. I might even invest on cable cover and 2 witches hat in case cars run over my hose and wires while I am using the jet wash.

@grunty-motor - are those wooden chips? Or gravel?


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## rowlf (Dec 28, 2014)

HEADPHONES said:


> A good pre soak works wonders.
> When the car is really covered in crud I like to wait til it's been raining.
> Then I'll wash the car while it's still wet or if the rain has turned to a light drizzle.
> 
> ...


It is a good idea but I never want to it rain ever in my area again. Those splashes from the pot holes onto my car is going to infuriate me. Found out even the skirts have mud now.

Long term wise. The pot hole really needs to be solved as soapy water from washing going to create puddles in them.


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

rowlf said:


> It is a good idea but I never want to it rain ever in my area again. Those splashes from the pot holes onto my car is going to infuriate me. Found out even the skirts have mud now.
> 
> Long term wise. The pot hole really needs to be solved as soapy water from washing going to create puddles in them.


Oh how I remember, used to creep up the lane in 1st or second gear keeping the speed as low as possible to try and minimise the dirt flung up in the days after a wash, unfortunately the next road which leads to the main road isn't a lot better unless there is no other traffic and drive down it staying away from the deteriorating edges.


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