Washing and waxing question

[03marauder]

Just a quick question about washing and waxing. What are you guys using to wash your cars. A brush or some sort of chenille wash mitt? Is one better than the other for the paint. What should be used to dry after washing? And when waxing, applying scratch x, or polish, what do you use to remove the product. I've been using a wash mitt, chamois, and fine terry cloth towels for the process, but I'm not pleased with the results. I don't think I've put any/many scratches in the paint, hard to tell with what is already there. I'm just looking for other opinions.

[Rider90]

1) No brush, ever, even the tires get the back of the wash mit
2) I have a few different mitts of different materials, in summer time the mitt with the "bug screen" on the back comes in handy the most. One mitt is reserved for the wheels only.
3) After washing I dry with house-hold shower towels, but lately I have used the vinegar trick (Search that one) + towels
4) To remove the wax after putting it on? Auto Zone has terry towels, which I hate, but they do the job and leave you with a dusty mess to clean up. Just use the car duster after that. If not, Auto Zone has microfiber towels or some title that sounds cool - these work great when polishing or cleaning glass (although newspaper is best on glass)


What aren't you pleased with after washing? How many miles? I "Clayed" my car at 14k miles and it made a big difference in my little world. Clayed = Clay Bar, also available at Autozone.

[mpearce]

Wash mit on everything for me...( I have a ton) I have some I only use on the car, I have some I only use on the tires/wheels etc. I use one of those chamois things I got from sams club. It was a leather one that was cured with fish oil or something. It works like crazy. I love it. No spots, no swirls, nice shine, every time.

-Mat

p.s. Wax? Zaino!

[03marauder]

I use the clay bar too, makes a huge difference. The wash mitt I'm fine with, I also have a seperate one for the wheels. I'm mostly not happy using terry towels to "buff" out the polish and wax. It just always seems like it is scratching the car. Or just feels that way, I don't know. Just wondering if there was a better way to go. I've always thought I went the extra miles taking care of the car compared to other people, other people not on this site that is.

Edit: almost 30k miles

[de minimus]

I use a 100% cotton rag ( and be careful, some 100% cotton from countries other than the USA and Canada is not 100% cotton) to wash with and a leather chamois to dry. The Meguiars clay bar kit is excellent and makes a huge difference. I use a dry 100% cotton rag to remove the wax - Meguiars NXT (3 coats)
Some of the wash mits that I've seen are not all cotton and my belief is that any synthetic fibre is going to scratch the paint.

[Donny Carlson]

I bought a lower end pressure washer at Lowes. I rinse off the car first with the pressure washer, then soap it down with the soaping attachment on the pressure washer, using Meguiars car wash soap. I then prepare two buckets, onw with Meguiars car wash, one with clean water. I then wash the car using a Meguiars angle body brush:

http://www.meguiars.com/whatsnew/images/product_X-1030.gif

The tires and wheels have a separate brush:

http://www.meguiars.com/whatsnew/images/product_X-1020.gif

The brushes are rinsed in the clean water bucket before resoaping.

I use the pressure washer to rinse, then do a drip rinse.

Drying is done with a leaf blower.

Then clay bar if needed.

Then two coats of Meguiars NXT Tech Wax, applied with their applicator or similar, removed using microfiber towels. Meguiars sells a microfiber towel that's a bit more expensive than generic, but is larger. Works like a charm and you can wash them out.

NXT quick detailing between washes, or a spritz of NXT spray wax for touch up.

[04funmerc]

I use sam's club bulk terry cloth towels, Wash them first and there is very little lint or white stuff comming off. Use 1600LB. power wash for pre-wash wet down at about 4ft., closer for bugs. Rinse same way, no bugs so 4ft.
Chamios dry. Thinking of trying Zaino.

JIM

[svtguy]

I like to dry by first using a squweegee. How do you spell sqweegee? I think its called California Sqwegee or something. It works great at getting most of the water off. Then I follow it up with a chamois to get the small drops and streaks it leaves behind. I like it a lot. No spots or anything afterwards. And yeah I use mits to wash too. Thinking about getting this spray gun to attatch to the water hose from Costco. It has a soap dispenser also and you switch back and forth to wash and rinse.

[Shaft333]

Mr. Clean wash thing and a wash mitt. No drying with towels.

Using Zaino this season and following their directions. Apply with their applicator and buff with a large 100% cotton American made bath towel. Two of them.

Haven't used the polish enough to truly concrete my opinion. However I am a firm believer in the Mr. Clean thing.

[mrjones]

This is probably gonna have more people hollering than Sarge's original vinegar trick, but I use a truck washing brush. Yep, the kind used to wash big trucks and buses. It has a 5' wooden handle, and very soft bristles. I was pretty skeptical when I first saw this, but I started using it 17 years ago, and have had good results. The secret to not scratching the car is keeping the brush washed out between washing sections of the car.

I always rinse the car well first, and then spray it with soap using a foam gun I got from Zep. This thing holds about a quart of soap/water mix and attaches to the garden hose. It sprays out a thick foam that sticks to the car and makes it easy to wash. I always use Zep products to wash, either their Blue Magic soap, or their Zep-O-Shine which contains a wax.

[ADE 1000]

Nothing but made in USA 100% cotton white bath towels touches the paint on any of my cars, for both washing and drying. This in combination with Zaino products has yielded some impressive results.

[Todd]

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?&SKU=66073
I use the Griots Garage boars hair wash brush. No scrathes and makes washing much easier. I have had 2 of them so far. I will not wash cars without one now.


I wash a section and when I go back for more soap/water I dunk it in the Griots wash bucket and shake it under water a few times to make sure any dirt/sand/etc thats left after a thorough rinsing in the beginning drops off and into the bottom of the bucket. Works great.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?SKUupsell=66070

[fastblackmerc]

Mr. Clean wash thing and a wash mitt. No drying with towels.

Using Zaino this season and following their directions. Apply with their applicator and buff with a large 100% cotton American made bath towel. Two of them.

Haven't used the polish enough to truly concrete my opinion. However I am a firm believer in the Mr. Clean thing.
I too use the Mr. Clean car wash system. have never had to wipe the car down nor have I had any water spots on the glass or paint. Will be claying the car in a week and trying the Meguire's 3 step system for the wax. IMHO... if you have a black car use the Mr. Clean system... best thing since "sliced white bread". I also use a wash mitt, one for the body and one for the wheels.

[blackf0rk]

I use no brushes or mits with my car; as I do not like the idea of rubbing dirt around on the finish :) I go to a car wash when I fill up and get a great no touch car wash. When I get home, I wipe her down with Mcguiar's Quick Detailer and a microfibre rag.

[Petrograde]

I use a wash mitt and Zaino... :up: