Pressure Washing Car

[John F. Russo]

Does anyone use this method routinely?

I have a 1,500 psig pressure washer that I have never used on my car.

90% of the time I wash my car by hand with a lamb's wool glove from Griot's Garage and rinse with a spray hose.

Is there any advantage of use only the fan spray option of a pressure washer?

[J-MAN]

I use a hose end foamer that I picked from Target to do a soak, then my pressure washer to remove as much dirt as possible, then on to the wool mitt.

[vkirkend]

I use mine occasionally and it's a 2500 but mostly to soak the car and rinse.

[ctrlraven]

I only like to use one on the lower parts of all the panels to get road grime, caked on dirt and tar off or on bird droppings (spot cleaning).

[fastblackmerc]

I never use mine.... why risk causing any damage?

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

I don't get it either, what is wrong with a garden hose? If the garden hose and a wash mitt doesn't take it off than a clay bar will. I wouldn't want to find out what happens with loose dirt being blasted across the finish with that much pressure.

[Dr Caleb]

Is there any advantage of use only the fan spray option of a pressure washer?

I've always pressure washed my vehicles, just not in my driveway.

The car wash is high pressure, wide stream. It gets the wheel wells and kick panels better than by hand IMHO. Bugs too. I've never had any negative effects from pressure washing. But, I'd never use a heavy stream either.

And I never use the brush at the car wash. I use the foam, but apply it with my own mitt.

[fastblackmerc]

I don't get it either, what is wrong with a garden hose? If the garden hose and a wash mitt doesn't take it off than a clay bar will. I wouldn't want to find out what happens with loose dirt being blasted across the finish with that much pressure.

Just wait until that nice chuck of paint get ripped off......

[GordonB]

My advice, FWIW, NEVER EVER use a Pressure Washer on any part of our MMs. If you need more blasting power than a hose end spray nozzle, then you need special cleaning with a clay bar on the body or tar remover for the wheels. Undercarriage & engine compartment may need degreaser in places but not more than a follow-up full-blown hose end spray nozzle. Just my 2 cents.
GordonB

[Vortech347]

low pressure mist only....

if using a high pressure setup is a must stand 10-12ft back and let the water slow down.

If you have acessive dirt/bugs. Wash that area by hand twice.

[Leadfoot281]

I haven't got a single scratch on my Marauder after 5 years of using car washes and pressure washers. Heck, I live on a gravel road. Everytime I drive it, it gets dusty. Because of that, it gets washed almost everytime I drive it.

Still NO scratches after 5 years! There are a few rock chips but those certainly did not come from the pressure washer.

My washer is rated at 1,900 psi which is much stronger than the local car wash. It will hurt if your fingers get in front of it. The thing is strong!

I really wouln't want to try and pull a half once of road tar off the car using a Clay Bar. Especially considering road tar is generally full of sand in this area.

Wash mitts? Forget it! Now that's a good way to scratch your car. Having just one grain of sand in the mitt and you're screwed.

[duhtroll]

Most detailers I've talked to say use a foam gun and clean wash mitt. I've never seen one recommend a pressure washer. I know this because I asked the same question a few years ago. I was looking for the easy way out. The answer is there is no easy way to keep your paint looking new. It takes time and effort.

Never, EVER use a pressure washer. You're just asking for it if you do.

Wash mitts can be washed themselves, BTW...

[cv2000pi]

No mitts or sponges ever, just old T-Shirts or wash clothes with all sewing, sleeves and tags cut off. I do not want to chance of picking up sand, pebbles or even bugs in the cloth. Two buckets, one clear water and one with soap, rinse out before applying suds again. Different cloth for tires, wheels door jams and fender edge. Garden hose only. Sad part most my neighbors never wash or wax their cars anymore in their driveways.

[knine]

50,000 psi and steel wool has been working for me.

[joedee]

I can't believe you would even consider using a pressure washer on any car unless you are planning on stripping the paint because you are going to repaint it.

:eek:


Joe

[cassidy]

If you think you never got a scratch from a mitt or a pressure washer you have bad eyesight, low standards, or bad lighting.

The ONLY way to wash a MM is out of the sunlight...with a NEW 100% cotton towel (only Meguiars makes an all cotton towel...other may have abrasive poly thread or design elements)...

You rinse the car for ten minutes loosening all the dirt.

You use a FOAM GUN and make the car disappear beneath bubbles
you rinse...you do it again this time lightly rubbing the FOAM on the surface of the paint...DO NOT DO THE LOWER BODY WITH THE GOOD TOWELS...IF YOU DROP IT ON THE GROUND IT BECOMES A BATH TOWEL (there is no way to wash the grit out of the terry material)

Yes I am the ultimate fanatic...I would not ever let the dealer wash the car before presentation...also you must dry it with the world's most powerful electric pressure washer from Toro...

This is THE way to do it...

After I spent SIX hours washing and waxing the MM...I pass some idiot who JUST turns on his automatic sprinklers!!! True story.




Cassidy
(yes, I am more of a fanatic than Jason)

[Leadfoot281]

I was thinking that you folks are all on crack or something. Or maybe you all just got really bad Maaco paint jobs. Maybe you're all using 3,600psi gas powered industrial pressure washers. :confused: I don't know what's going on.

In 5 years I've pressure washed my car no less than 250 times and have had ABSOLUTELY ZERO negative effects. No clear coat getting stripped off, no holes blasted through the sheet metal.. NOTHING.

Or so I thought...

Something just didn't add up. :confused: So I went looking for proof that I was right about pressure washing a car.


I located some pics of my Marauder when it was new. Compare to how it looks today and you'll see that I am wrong. You guys have changed my mind. Pressure washers ARE evil. :rolleyes:

http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss335/1911Kimber/Before.jpg
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss335/1911Kimber/After.jpg

[n3fvg]

I was thinking that you folks are all on crack or something. Or maybe you all just got really bad Maaco paint jobs. Maybe you're all using 3,600psi gas powered industrial pressure washers. :confused: I don't know what's going on.

In 5 years I've pressure washed my car no less than 250 times and have had ABSOLUTELY ZERO negative effects. No clear coat getting stripped off, no holes blasted through the sheet metal.. NOTHING.

I have pressure washed, hand washed or "drive through" car washed all my cars and never had a problem with any paint blasting off, etc. If you are having paint problems, washing by hand won't solve them!

I have to agree with the above statement...
"I was thinking that you folks are all on crack or something. Or maybe you all just got really bad Maaco paint jobs."

I own six vehicles, one is a rare collector musclecar - only 74 produced. If I spent six hours each washing and waxing, it would take me 36 hours a week to take care of my cars and motorcycle. I have a life outside my car(s)!:lol:

[duhtroll]

OK for the record, if you are rinsing the car well enough so that your new cotton towel is not going to scratch it by rubbing dirt/grains of whatever all over the car...

Why, again, will a wash mitt not work?

It is the exact same concept. Either there is dirt on the car when you start or there isn't. If there is, both have the same problem. If there isn't, neither has the problem of scratching the car.

IIRC Jason uses a new wash mitt for each car. I don't, but mitts can be washed and I have yet to find sand in it. I have this machine in my basement that cleans my wash mitt for me with the touch of a button. and since I rinse the car well, there shouldn't be sand on it anyway, so no problem.

6 hours is a bit much for one vehicle, unless you're NASA. Then it is a bit light. :D

I hope you are using temp controlled, softened, filtered water in a room with decent air filtration or that Toro air dry system is not any better than a Sham-Wow. It is probably much worse if you are forcing impurities into the paint at high velocity rather than soaking them up.

Wait, you have a wind tunnel, don't you? Then the drying angles will be correct for not essentially sandblasting your clear coat with hard water and particulate matter in the air!

OOOO! Wash the car in a vacuum...



If you think you never got a scratch from a mitt or a pressure washer you have bad eyesight, low standards, or bad lighting.

The ONLY way to wash a MM is out of the sunlight...with a NEW 100% cotton towel (only Meguiars makes an all cotton towel...other may have abrasive poly thread or design elements)...

You rinse the car for ten minutes loosening all the dirt.

You use a FOAM GUN and make the car disappear beneath bubbles
you rinse...you do it again this time lightly rubbing the FOAM on the surface of the paint...DO NOT DO THE LOWER BODY WITH THE GOOD TOWELS...IF YOU DROP IT ON THE GROUND IT BECOMES A BATH TOWEL (there is no way to wash the grit out of the terry material)

Yes I am the ultimate fanatic...I would not ever let the dealer wash the car before presentation...also you must dry it with the world's most powerful electric pressure washer from Toro...

This is THE way to do it...

After I spent SIX hours washing and waxing the MM...I pass some idiot who JUST turns on his automatic sprinklers!!! True story.




Cassidy
(yes, I am more of a fanatic than Jason)

[Vortech347]

50,000 psi and steel wool has been working for me.

Thats funny **** :beer:

[CBT]

one is a rare collector musclecar - only 74 produced.

I can't be the only person wondering what it is, can I?

[fastblackmerc]

I can't be the only person wondering what it is, can I?

He must have one of those "special" Marauders.

[n3fvg]

I can't be the only person wondering what it is, can I?

1971 Plymouth GTX with a 440-6 engine

As my avatar says Long time Ford and Mopar guy

[n3fvg]

He must have one of those "special" Marauders.
:stupid:


1971 Plymouth GTX with a 440-6 engine

As my avatar says Long time Ford and Mopar guy

[CBT]

1971 Plymouth GTX with a 440-6 engine

As my avatar says Long time Ford and Mopar guy

Nice, love that body style.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

cassidy is correct. If you are washing a normal "great condition" car that still has a normal amount of swirls in the paint if you look at it UN WAXED in the sunlight (wax hides swirls until it evaporates) you won't notice any additional minor swirls you are adding.

I have buffed a few panels on my MM starting by wet sanding deep scratches, then using a rotary with a wool bonnet with an aggressive cutting compound, and then progressively going to finer compounds and less aggressive pads. The resulting surface becomes so perfectly scratch free, that the next time I washed and dried the car, I could see just how easily scratches are added. Literally even using the 2 bucket wash method, you will scratch the car. Pushing down a little hard here and there to remove stubborn polishes, with brand new microfiber towels, will occasionally scratch. You have to tear the tags off of the microfiber towels because the tags definitely scratch.

It's just that most people are not starting out with a freshly, completely detailed blank canvas (and I"m not talking about a waxed-over, not otherwise buffed to perfection car) so you can't tell if you add just a few light scratches here and there.

I don't think I want another black car again (but they look soooo good)! I gotta detail the rest of my car in the same heavy duty way to get rid of the years of car wash mitt and weathering swirls and then I'm sure I will be afraid to wash it ever again. Offroadkarter can attest to my "protective dirt" methodology right now. And my paint isn't perfect, I can't imagine how anal I would be if I started out with perfect paint.

Steve

[CKMustangCobra]

If it wasn't such a PITA to drag it out everytime... I would use a pressure washer all the time.

People who are scared of damage with one don't know how to use it.

[John F. Russo]

I haven't got a single scratch on my Marauder after 5 years of using car washes and pressure washers. Heck, I live on a gravel road. Everytime I drive it, it gets dusty. Because of that, it gets washed almost everytime I drive it.

Still NO scratches after 5 years! There are a few rock chips but those certainly did not come from the pressure washer.

My washer is rated at 1,900 psi which is much stronger than the local car wash. It will hurt if your fingers get in front of it. The thing is strong!

I really wouln't want to try and pull a half once of road tar off the car using a Clay Bar. Especially considering road tar is generally full of sand in this area.

Wash mitts? Forget it! Now that's a good way to scratch your car. Having just one grain of sand in the mitt and you're screwed.

If not a mit, what do you use?

[John F. Russo]

50,000 psi and steel wool has been working for me.

I really like your ethical dilemma test.

It's like a modern day version of the Ten Commandments without saying they are.

[Leadfoot281]

If not a mit, what do you use?

I use a Husky brand power washer that I bought at Home Depot for $170. It's rated at 1,900 psi and I have never seen it scratch my car.

It's either that or a trip through the coin-op in town. This is followed up with a quick towel dry. It generally gets a coat of wax (Mothers) once or twice per month.

Maybe the pressure washer is scratching my car. I sure don't see any scratches. No swirl marks either for that matter. Besides that, if you need an electron microscope to see them, does it even count?

And who washes their car and lets it go without wax?

As soon as I notice bird poop and dead bugs taking longer to rinse off, I wax my car. No issues in 5 years.

In one hour I can pressure wash and dry the car and give it coat of wax. If pressure washing was so bad, why would dealers do it? Heck, I've seen brand new Corvettes getting blasted with water AT THE FACTORY to test for leaks.

The thought of actually using a mit to clean my car send shivers up my spine. How are you supposed to go from the rocker panel and wheels to the hood without dragging crud along with it anyway? Perhaps you'd be OK if the car just dusty.

My car gets DIRTY! We're talking gravel, tar, sand, bugs, gritty bird poop, ect. Why would I want to rub that all over the car?

Bird poop is actually very abrasive. Birds don't have teeth. They eat rocks to help grind up their food. These pulverized rocks wind up spattered all over my car.

I still don't have any swirl marks because pressure washers don't swirl anything.

You guys do what you want. My car looks great and got a lot of compliments at the Car Craft show. One guy asked me what year it was. I asked him; "What year do you think it is?". He said; "ummm 2008?"

I rest my case.

[duhtroll]

Dealers pressure wash cars because it is faster.

Detailers use foam guns and wash mitts because it is a better system. I'm sure detailers are looking to do things "the slow way" because it is not like they make money by the job...

Blasting crap INTO the paint hurts it far more than wiping it OFF the paint. But hey, why use logic?

And the purpose of the foam is to lubricate whatever is on there so you don't have to use much pressure to get it off. Blasting away with high PSI can't possibly be as good.

[Dr Caleb]

The thought of actually using a mit to clean my car send shivers up my spine. How are you supposed to go from the rocker panel and wheels to the hood without dragging crud along with it anyway? Perhaps you'd be OK if the car just dusty.


I was always taught to start at the top, and work my way down. Wheels and rockers last so you doin't drag any dirt from the bottom to the top. (Not that there ever was dirt on any of his cars or trucks)

And the guy that taught me (an ex boss) had me wash his 68 Plymouth GTX 'Vert and other prized possessions. Nearly once a week at least.

[Leadfoot281]

Dealers pressure wash cars because it is faster.

Detailers use foam guns and wash mitts because it is a better system. I'm sure detailers are looking to do things "the slow way" because it is not like they make money by the job...

Blasting crap INTO the paint hurts it far more than wiping it OFF the paint. But hey, why use logic?

And the purpose of the foam is to lubricate whatever is on there so you don't have to use much pressure to get it off. Blasting away with high PSI can't possibly be as good.

Well, you got me. You obviously know the condition of my paint much better than me. Who needs testimonials?

My clay bar doesn't seem to pick up much imbedded stuff. Clearly the clay bar must broken.

Perhaps the next "logical" thing for me to do is bolt a blower on my car and buy something that jams law enforcement radar. That would sure beat leaving home 5 minutes earlier. :rolleyes:

Live long and prosper.