# 2 bucket Method a waste of time?



## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Nope


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## svended (Oct 7, 2011)

Bloody hell. What state was the car in if thats the dirt you got from it.


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## Babalu826 (Aug 7, 2011)

In your case that is a definite no lol. Aside from that if my rinse bucket gets that dirty i usually dump it out and refill, but im sure this was just for demonstration purposes :thumb:


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

This was the second refill bud


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## Adrian Convery (May 27, 2010)

Can't agree more


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Oooft !

Another perfect example


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

I can't see the first pic, but do you guys pre-soak/snow foam?


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## InvaderZim (Aug 24, 2010)

just curious, now that I just bought a dark gray car, is the 2 bucket method better than blasting the wash mitt off with the hose before dipping it back in the wash bucket each time?


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

InvaderZim said:


> just curious, now that I just bought a dark gray car, is the 2 bucket method better than blasting the wash mitt off with the hose before dipping it back in the wash bucket each time?


This is the only way i wash, no 2 buckets for me :doublesho, always wash mitt thouroughtly with the jetwash after each panel is washed, i can count the grains in the bottom of my one wash bucket :thumb:

Have to agree with the TBM if you dont wash ya mitt out properly, also goes to show how much dirt is suspended in the water, ready to cause a load of those swirly things we dont like here on DW :thumb:


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## Big Buffer (Jan 1, 2011)

Its good practice, however at some stage something will get on the paint and you will get swirls.
Nothing wrong with jetting the mitt either just a bit more time consuming.


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

InvaderZim said:


> just curious, now that I just bought a dark gray car, is the 2 bucket method better than blasting the wash mitt off with the hose before dipping it back in the wash bucket each time?


This is the only way i wash, no 2 buckets for me :doublesho, always wash mitt thouroughtly with the jetwash after each panel is washed, i can count the grains in the bottom of my one wash bucket :thumb:

Have to agree with the TBM if you dont wash ya mitt out properly, also goes to show how much dirt is suspended in the water, ready to cause a load of those swirly things we dont like here on DW :thumb:


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2011)

two bucket method FTW i tell all my friends but they dont trust me!lol,at least i dont have swirls!!!


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## Defined Reflections (Jun 4, 2009)

To be honest i do use 2 buckets, but i prefer to snowfoam then a good rinse (sometimes twice on a bad car),then i have another foam lance with shampoo in to cover the car shampoo (saves bending down to the shampoo bucket)
Then just have one bucket with water to rinse the mit after a pass because the car is already covered in shampoo.


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## stealthwolf (Sep 24, 2008)

Wouldn't jetwashing the mitt cause damage to it?


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## Tazz (Aug 23, 2010)

i dont use the 2bm at the moment, i just fill one ucket to the top and make sure i dont put the wash mitt to the bottom of the bucket when rinsing/gathering more soapy water

i do however wash everything after 1 use, car wash mitt, wheel wash mitt, car drying towel, wheel drying towel, microfibres and app pads

for the show car when finished i shall be using the 2bm


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## Andy from Sandy (May 6, 2011)

Before this two bucket malarky and cleaning a panel at a time I would do a single wipe and then rinse the sponge. I would never make a second wipe over a panel. Having gone over a panel one wipe then rinse at a time I would then go back over the whole panel again, all the while putting very little pressure on the sponge.

I can't see how doing a panel at a time between rinses is not going to cause swirls as you will dragging the dirt from one wipe to the next.

I always thoroughly wet the car before I start with a gilmore soap sprayer bottle thingy!


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Each has their own opinion obviously.

The car was done in a very short time and the customer was hanging around so I decided to show him the 2BM.

Easy to teach and he will now use 2 buckets through the winter


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## alxg (May 3, 2009)

Well each to their own but I for one am a firm advocate of the 2BM; I cleaned my car today and although it didn't look too bad before, it was given a Magifoam Pre soak of about 15 mins which after blasting off left the car looking really clean and sheeting water well. After a careful wash the rinse bucket was filthy which surprised me but just goes to show how effective it can be. 
There will always be varying opinions on all things to do with detailing, you just need to go with what you feel works for you.


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

This car was pre rinsed but is a motorway whore so 6 weeks of grime and 5000 miles with no previous protection present.


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

I always use the TBM unless the car is pretty clean after foaming and several rinses. gritt guards aren't needed though...


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

stealthwolf said:


> Wouldn't jetwashing the mitt cause damage to it?


id of.thought those that do this turn the machine down to low pressure...


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## scottys.m3 (Apr 3, 2011)

Not gettin to the bottom of the bucket ? 

Does thst make a difference because the grit an dirt must move about when u put the MIT in


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## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

bearing in mind this is from a SF down and rinse, re-foam and 2bm...


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

scottys.m3 said:


> Not gettin to the bottom of the bucket ?
> 
> Does thst make a difference because the grit an dirt must move about when u put the MIT in


gravity keeps dirt at the bottom, only putting the mitt in the top half will keep it away from the grime. not that there should be any real dirt if the car foamed and rinsed thoroughly first, just traffic film...


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## alxg (May 3, 2009)

I don't use grit guards either, they seem counter productive to me; just shake your mitt/sponge in the top of the water and off you go.


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

I use them as they came with the buckets 

I'm on the fence with the technology tbh


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## T.D.K (Mar 16, 2011)

I get my car pretty filthy during the week but my shampoo bucket is never THAT dirty. The rinse is pretty disgusting though.


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

The last pass of the mitt when i finished went into the shampoo bucket so some of the dirt in the shampoo bucket is because of that. Hardly any dirt at all in the shampoo bucket


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## Defined Reflections (Jun 4, 2009)

If you put your mitt in the bucket and start swirling the water around im pretty sure its possible for the dirt to rise off the bottom,so i suppose it depends how you wash the mit in the bucket


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Yeah

I never swish the water - Disturbs to much crap 

This is just my opinion but the 2bm will always work for me, maybe not everyone but for me it does so.....


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## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

Works for me - especially at this time of year:










I don't do the 'grit guard' thing though.


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## alan hanson (May 21, 2008)

Tazz said:


> i dont use the 2bm at the moment, i just fill one ucket to the top and make sure i dont put the wash mitt to the bottom of the bucket when rinsing/gathering more soapy water
> 
> i do however wash everything after 1 use, car wash mitt, wheel wash mitt, car drying towel, wheel drying towel, microfibres and app pads
> 
> for the show car when finished i shall be using the 2bm


but then aren't you putting dirty water onto your car again?

i like the sound of cleaning the mitt with a hose rather than a dunk in the buckets and squeeze out but i hate getting the hose out and set up pain in the ****. simpler cleaning the car can be the better especially with ONR


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## PG Monkey (Apr 19, 2010)

I use 2BM but find it's important to renew the clean water in the rinse bucket. 

Sometimes I'll rinse out and refill the rinse bucket twice whilst washing. Worth mentioning that I don't have a pressure washer to pre-wash.


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

stealthwolf said:


> Wouldn't jetwashing the mitt cause damage to it?


Had my megs mitt since feb this year still going strong nothing falling out of it :thumb:

Also forgot to mention, i spend approx 3/4 hour using the Karcher to jetwash as much of the dirt off the car before i even touch it, then i take 20-30 mins washing the car. I clean the mitt after i've washed each panel, i do this once every week :thumb:


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## chillly (Jun 25, 2009)

ITHAQVA said:


> Had my megs mitt since feb this year still going strong nothing falling out of it :thumb:
> 
> Also forgot to mention, i spend approx 3/4 hour using the Karcher to jetwash as much of the dirt off the car before i even touch it, then i take 20-30 mins washing the car. I clean the mitt after i've washed each panel, i do this once every week :thumb:


Yep me to Swill out my mit after every panel and i use 3 mits:doublesho


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

chillly said:


> Yep me to Swill out my mit after every panel and i use 3 mits:doublesho


I use a noodle mitt & an EZ brush for the wheel arches so you beat me by a mitt, chilly you is da mitt meister  :thumb: REEEESpect :thumb:


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## chillly (Jun 25, 2009)

ITHAQVA said:


> I use a noodle mitt & an EZ brush for the wheel arches so you beat me by a mitt, chilly you is da mitt meister  :thumb: REEEESpect :thumb:


No i think you beat me mate you use ez brush for arches i use a bog brush


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

chillly said:


> No i think you beat me mate you use ez brush for arches i use a bog brush


:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## NissanMan (Aug 24, 2010)

Never seen a bucket that dirty, with a foam and PW there should never be that much dirt unless cleaning a load of break dust off the wheels....again the PW should have done all that.

One bucket has always been more than enough for me, and a once a month wash of the truck still leaves the water clear even after i do the wheels at the end.

not read all the posts here, but something in the wash method is missing imo.


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## dcj (Apr 17, 2009)

NissanMan said:


> Never seen a bucket that dirty, with a foam and PW there should never be that much dirt unless cleaning a load of break dust off the wheels....again the PW should have done all that.
> 
> One bucket has always been more than enough for me, and a once a month wash of the truck still leaves the water clear even after i do the wheels at the end.
> 
> not read all the posts here, but something in the wash method is missing imo.


I,m with you, the only time the water is this dirty is if the wheels are ditched. I dont use snowfoam but pre spray thoroughly with apc and there is very little dirt if any left on the car. I do use the 2bm with a grit guard but I,ve never seen the rinse water even nearly as dirty as some of the examples on here.


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

6 weeks.. 5000 miles 

ive done 3800 in 11 months :lol:


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## HeavenlyDetail (Sep 22, 2006)

InvaderZim said:


> just curious, now that I just bought a dark gray car, is the 2 bucket method better than blasting the wash mitt off with the hose before dipping it back in the wash bucket each time?


I would think most people use pressure washers so this wouldnt be an option.


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Company car Craig. Up and down to Cornwall all the time


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## rushy (Apr 13, 2006)

I've always used Grit Guards but personally unless the car hasn't been PW then I cant see particles being big enough for them to work??


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## tzotzo (Nov 15, 2009)

While you put the wash mitt from the rinse bucket back to the wash one, transfers water to the wash bucket. That way your making the shampoo dilution ratio lesser than it was initialy in the wash bucket. Causing the wash mix less slippy than it has too be.
wouldn't that cause swirls as well/?


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Well it cause a hell of a lot less damage than if i was slapping all the filth onto the car


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

Concours CC said:


> Company car Craig. Up and down to Cornwall all the time


Hope you use your passport to come dewn ere


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## dcj (Apr 17, 2009)

tzotzo said:


> While you put the wash mitt from the rinse bucket back to the wash one, transfers water to the wash bucket. That way your making the shampoo dilution ratio lesser than it was initialy in the wash bucket. Causing the wash mix less slippy than it has too be.
> wouldn't that cause swirls as well/?


I put shampoo in both buckets to prevent that.


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

ITHAQVA said:


> Hope you use your passport to come dewn ere


:lol:

Sometimes it feels like I forgot my passport when I stop at the Truck stop on the A30. The woman there is a funny old bat :lol:


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Yarp dirty rinse bucket all the way...

What a filthy thread this is.

Posting all your Dirty Water Pics...:lol:


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## tzotzo (Nov 15, 2009)

dcj said:


> I put shampoo in both buckets to prevent that.


isn't that a waste of shampoo? 
And, it makes the original shampoo mix stronger, and it may weaken any protection.

tbh i ve only tried once the 2bm and i confused the two buckets, ending up using one.

Anyway, from what i understand there is no perfect wash method.
It comes down to personal preference.


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## dcj (Apr 17, 2009)

tzotzo said:


> isn't that a waste of shampoo?
> And, it makes the original shampoo mix stronger, and it may weaken any protection.
> 
> tbh i ve only tried once the 2bm and i confused the two buckets, ending up using one.
> ...


Oh yeah, 2 caps of AG Bodywork conditioner shampoo in each bucket, costs a fortune.


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## tzotzo (Nov 15, 2009)

Well i don't use AG stuff.
But my main concern is that, if you use plain water in the rinse bucket, the mix in the wash bucket weakens and that causes swirls. If you use shampoo in the rinse bucket it strengthens the mix in the wash bucket causing damage to protection.

The safest practise imo is to use 2bm and after dipping the mitt in the rinse bucket, squeeze it, outside of it and the put it again in the wash bucket.

Too much time to be honest, but again it comes down to personal taste


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

This is the thing.

Some things work for some and not others, no one is going to be "right" as some things people do on here I don't agree with but lots of others do so each to their own IMO.


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