Comments on How to Wash a Car

Thanks for the tips. I never knew you could wash a car like this.

I never knew there was such a science to washing a car.

Great article! A great way to get your car looking good--and it costs a lot less than the drive-through wash! If you don't have a chamois, just grab an old towel that you don't care too much about to dry it; works like a charm.

I just tried this method and wanted to add a few remarks/tips: 1) Shade is preferable but a cooler time of day will suffice if shade is not available relative to your hose length. 2) A lot of the supplies can be purchased at a 99 cent store. I do not recommend using their towels for drying, they leave little fluffy things everywhere. But they did have 100% cotton t-shirts which worked well for drying as well as for cleaning the windows. 3) It takes a lot of elbow grease so if you can, bring a friend, blast some music, and keep an iced bucket of beer handy. 4) You will probably need a brush or other heavier duty device for the crevices of the hubcaps (mine are plastic so I'm unconcerned about scratches - if yours are more upscale then obviously use something gentler than a brush etc.). The mitt and the sponge I had did not cut it. And as mentioned elsewhere, it's good to have ...

I use a device call the dirt dropper,this helps remove debris from brushes,mitts,sponges.ect. Reducing the posibility of scratching the finish.

I like the tip on washing and then rinsing sections at a time, after years of washing cars I had never thought of that, the rest of the tips make obvious and good sense. bandsman

Nevermind about dish soap stripping oil and wax - these can be replaced. What you need to avoid is having your card washed with soap poweder, like clothing detergents. I've just discovered that my car finish is looking dull (and scratched) because our maid has been washing it with Tide every Saturday for the past 18 months! I thought my college room mate was stupid for not figuring out why his Monte Carlo was rusting while he continued to wash it in clothing detergent... Please put the word out . . . I can't bear to see this happen again.

WHAT YOU SHOULD TRY IS THE ICE POLISH FROM TURTLEWAX. IT WORKS GREAT!!!! POLISH NOT WAX OR ICE AS THEY SAY SHOULD DO THE SPIT AND POLISH VERY WELL. IT GIVE YOU A NICE SHINE TOO. USE THE CLAY BAR FIRST THEN WASH USING THERE OWN KIND OF CAR WASH THEN POLISH IT TAKES ME 3-4 HOURS BUTS THE SHINE I GET FROM IT IS WELL WORTH IT.

One thing, it's a VERY good idea to have two buckets. I always have one filled with car wash and the other with clean water. I also have two separate mitts: one for the really grimy sections like the section near the bottom and the aluminum wheels. The other is for the upper section. This prevents road grime and other debris from scratching up your paint. I learned the hard way. Using two buckets isn't unusual, I know a lot of people who wash their cars this way. Oh, and don't forget to toss out and refill the rinse bucket when it turns gray! That's dirt/debris from your car!

One thing, it's a VERY good idea to have two buckets. I always have one filled with car wash and the other with clean water. I also have two separate mitts: one for the really grimy sections like the section near the bottom and the aluminum wheels. The other is for the upper section. This prevents road grime and other debris from scratching up your paint. I learned the hard way. Using two buckets isn't unusual, I know a lot of people who wash their cars this way. Oh, and don't forget to toss out and refill the rinse bucket when it turns gray! That's dirt/debris from your car!

A well written article. I definitley need to do this. 5*

well when i wash my car 1st i wet it down.then i use 2 buckets of water with car shampoo.but i use this only when im not waxing car.if im waxing i use a road traffic film remover.if i wash in the summer i start at the bottom 1st with my bottom bucet and sponge.then i change 2 second bucet and sponge for the rest of the car,bottom bucet does up about 18 inches and round wheel arches.then i hose off and dry drying all the flat surfaces 1st as they tend to dry qwickest then i do the side in the sun light.in the winter i wash the top 1st as it gives the bottom half of the car a little longer to soak and sofens the dirt a little more.