The correct items you need to wash and dry your car to help maintain a swirl free finish
First off don't use a sponge or chamois (use these for door shuts, wheels or the bin)
- Two buckets (with grit guards if possible)
- A lambswool wash mitt (two if possible)
- A microfibre drying towel (again two if possible)
- A pressure washer (with a foam lance if possible)
- A good quality shampoo without wax (Meguiars gold class or shampoo plus is recommended)
At the bottom of this page I have put a list and a link to the products I would recommend getting
Top Tips
- From starting on the wheels to finishing drying a vehicle it takes me from 1-1/2 hours to 3 hours depending on the size and the condition of the vehicle. If you are doing it faster than this then you will be running a higher risk of inflicting swirls into your paintwork, doing the job as best as possible takes time, never rush if the car is dirty leave it until you have more time
- Use a separate bucket for washing your wheels (not the two buckets you use for the paintwork)
- Always ensure the equipment you are using is clean (clean your buckets after use, check your wash mitt regularly during washing to ensure it is clean and the same with the drying towel)
- Remember anything that comes into contact with your car more than likely will scratch it
- Never press hard or use your nail to remove a mark or something on the paintwork, there will be a specialist product or technique to remove it safely without damaging the paintwork
- Any other questions please do not hesitate to contact Simon Belli
Pre wash
This process will remove a lot of the loose dirt and make washing far easier and safer
Soak the vehicle with your foam lance or if you do not have a foam lance with water, remember if your vehicle is very dirty this can be done a couple of time if need be. This process will allow the dirt to soak and make removal much easier
Pressure wash off at a 45 degree angle facing downwards, doing all the sills and bumpers first and then moving from top to bottom
The two bucket method
This process is the safest way to maintain you vehicle, it is all about doing as much as you can to keep the swirls to a minimum. The worst wash techniques can inflict scratches to a cars paintwork heavy swirls and really dull the finish to a car in very little time at all
Fill one bucket with water and your wash shampoo and the other with clean water
Do the cleanest panels first and the dirtiest last, top to bottom, leaving the bumpers and sills till last
After every panel you should rise your mitt in the clean water to release the dirt trap in the mitt, check to see if it is clean and then back into the shampoo bucket for the next panel, you may need to do this more than once a panel if the car is very dirty
You should be using no pressure at all just gliding the mitt across the paint
Rinse the car with a hose one or two panels at a time, this will avoid the shampoo drying out staining the paintwork
Remember : Never press hard or use your nail to try to remove a mark or something on the paintwork, there will be a specialist product or technique to remove it safely without damaging the paintwork
Drying
Your microfibre drying towel is designed to allow tiny pieces of dust, grit and other matter that can land on your car when drying without inflicting light swirl marks that a chamois would
Use your microfibre drying towel and start at the top working downwards, gentle pull the towel across the paintwork and dab your vehicle dry, again using no pressure at all
Don't forget to dry the door shuts, boot and sills (use a chamois or an old drying towel for this)
Below is a list of products I would recommend getting
All these products can be bought from http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/ this is a company I use myself and highly recommend
- Two Meguiars buckets with grit guards
- Two Meguiars lambswool wash mitts
- Two Miracle dryer towels
- Meguiars gold class shampoo
- A super spray hose (if you cannot not justify a foam lance and snow foam)
Any other questions please do not hesitate to contact Simon Belli