How do you wash your car?

[xJulianx]

I'm just about to go out and wash my car and I'm interested as to how the rest of you wash your car(s). I personally (after giving it a quick plain water wipe down) use Autoglym:

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/2954/autoglymex4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

It's pretty good stuff. I just tend to use the 'Bodywork Shampoo' and then the 'Super Resin Polish' afterwards. After that I go over everything with a leather. And then on the windows I use the 'Car Glass Polish'. :)

[bartelby]

Same as you!
Not that I can be bothered to wash the current car.

[xJulianx]

Same as you!
Not that I can be bothered to wash the current car.

Ahh another Autoglym man! I don't really wash my car that often, once a month at the most, but it's such a nice day today I may just go out and give it a clean. I know some people that religiously clean their cars nearly every other day!

Then again, they have very nice cars...unlike my Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 (2000 reg). Ugh.

[Father Jack]

Through the nearest auto car wash ...... I'm a lazy sod :eek:

FJ

[bartelby]

Then again, they have very nice cars...unlike my Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 (2000 reg). Ugh.

I used to give our Alfa Romeo the full works; top to bottom, inside and out once a month and a wash and shampoo weekly.

I've kinda given our Fiat Stilo a wipe with a damp sponge once in 5 months.

[nbs2]

Depends -

In the winter, I just go to the brushless gas station places. All I really care about is getting salt off of the undercarriage.

In the summer, I try something different almost every time - trying to find what works right for me. Haven't tried Autoglym though (is it available in the US?).

[xJulianx]

Haven't tried Autoglym though (is it available in the US?).

I should think it is. I've always seen it as 'the standard in car washing', but perhaps not?

EDIT: I just went to their website and I can tell you it is a British company with only links European sites. I'm sure that you can get a hold of some on eBay, or even at a good car garage?

[miniConvert]

Autoglym. It's the only way.

(other than the Mini, I'll pay any old sod to clean that for me if it means I don't have to :D)

[iBlue]

Wash the car? Shiiiiit, that thing gets washed when it rains! :D

(or we just take it to the muppets up the road for £5)

[bartelby]

(or we just take it to the muppets up the road for £5)

I wondered what Kermit was up to now-a-days!

[BoyBach]

At the local jet wash.

[Abstract]

Rain is my friend.

If a bird takes a dump on my car, I scrub it off with a window wiper at the petrol/gas station.


Once a year, I'll take it in and get the inside and outside washed and vacuumed for around $20 US. Actually, I'm going to start doing it more often.

[dcv]

With a little white top and plenty of soapy water... :rolleyes: :D

[wordmunger]

I take it outside when it rains.

[xJulianx]

I'm getting the general impression that the MacRumors community don't care too much for clean cars. :p

[bartelby]

I'm getting the general impression that the MacRumors community don't care too much for clean cars. :p

When do we get chance to clean cars when we're on here all day!?!:confused:

[Black&Tan]

I'm a little picky. I use Zaino products, which is a polymer based wash and polish system.

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

I usually start with the tires, using a tire cleaner such as Westleys Bleche-White. Then I rinse the car overall with clean water to get off the larger dirt particles. I then begin to wash with Zaino Z-7. I don't use a regular sponge, but a cotton washing pad with a foam core. I do all the horizontal surfaces first, then the sides, but only half way down the car to avoid brake dust and larger dirt particles. Then I wash the lower half of the car. Finally I wash the wheel rims. I use a synthetic chamois to remove the water from the bodywork and a regular chamois for the wheels and tires

Finally, I apply Zaino Z-2 car polish. If I'm feeling particularly nutty, I'll follow up with a Z-5 Scratch & Swirl hider and a Z-6 Gloss enhancer. For the tires, I'll follow up with Eagle-1 tire dressing gel to achieve a rich black.

Yes it's a little overkill, but the results are worth it. Incidentally, this all goes on a restored 89 Mustang GT, with a new paint job and custom body panels.

[Abstract]

With a little white top and plenty of soapy water... :rolleyes: :D

Complete with denim short-shorts?

[blackscooby]

I use nothing but Zymol products.
Both the wash and cleaner wax. Smell fantastic :)

[kretzy]

I just don't bother. The weather is so silly at the moment that there's no point in washing it. It'll rain, then get windy, then become sunny = permanently dirty car. Plus not washing it conserves water.

[oblomow]

I never wash my car. I wait for the rain. Just clean the headlights and the front windscreen occasionally. Green cars as the best, nobody can tell
that they'll get black marks on the trousers when they lean against the car...

[iSaint]

If/when I have a nice car I take care of it fairly well. I run the current family van through the car wash. Sometimes I wash it in the summer just for the fun of playing with the water with my kids.

[ErikCLDR]

I've had my car 3 days and it needs a wash. I did a little off-roading in it, it does very well. I cleaned some of it off before I got home so my parents wouldn't completely wonder what I did.
Before there was mud on the 1/4 panels and mirrors.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/ErikCT060/P1010001-1.jpg

[MultiM]

DIY Car Wash or Automatic car wash. Depends on how much time I'm willing to spend on it.

[devilot]

Used to wash my baby every weekend and wax her at least once a month. :o But she hasn't been waxed in well over 1.5 years now. :( I don't deserve her.

Use Zymol shampoo. Worked in sections (top to bottom) but continually rinsing to lessen the chance of water spots. Don't use a sponge, use a special cloth that's softer than a chamois.

For drying I use an Absorber (https://www.cleantools.net/website/inner.aspx?pg=productspage.aspx).

[spicyapple]

Through the nearest auto car wash ...... I'm a lazy sod
Forgive me, Father. I'm very lazy too.

Esso Touchless Car wash for me. Drive in, drive out in 5 minutes.

[BoyBach]

Anyone have any tips/advice or products they'd recommend for cleaning alloy wheels?

[Chrismcfall]

With a little white top and plenty of soapy water... :rolleyes: :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq0PsrKO0LU :D

Erik: That a Discovery 1? Think it is, 'cause the 2 has different handles. Nice car, especially for a 1st car. Beautiful cars, LR's. Love to drive one, but, knowing England, there be some "Chelsea Tractor Tax" involved.

[true777]

Full-service brushless car wash + undercarriage + wax where they also vacuum interior, wipe all interior surfaces, clean interior windows, and then hand-polish the outside of the car after the brushless wash, plus condition the tires... all for $8.95.

Lozano's Brushless Car Wash in Mountain View, CA.
Free popcorn, free lemonade and coffee, free rides for the kids to keep them busy... perfect place.

I go once a week; it's such a fun place, and my car always looks sparkling.

[ErikCLDR]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq0PsrKO0LU :D

Erik: That a Discovery 1? Think it is, 'cause the 2 has different handles. Nice car, especially for a 1st car. Beautiful cars, LR's. Love to drive one, but, knowing England, there be some "Chelsea Tractor Tax" involved.

Yes that is a Discovery 1- its a 1998 LSE edition. Everyone has trouble with the door handles hahah. Its a really fun car to drive, even though its incredibly underpowered and slow. I love it to death.

[killr_b]

I'm a little picky. I use Zaino products, which is a polymer based wash and polish system.

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

I usually start with the tires, using a tire cleaner such as Westleys Bleche-White. Then I rinse the car overall with clean water to get off the larger dirt particles. I then begin to wash with Zaino Z-7. I don't use a regular sponge, but a cotton washing pad with a foam core. I do all the horizontal surfaces first, then the sides, but only half way down the car to avoid brake dust and larger dirt particles. Then I wash the lower half of the car. Finally I wash the wheel rims. I use a synthetic chamois to remove the water from the bodywork and a regular chamois for the wheels and tires

Finally, I apply Zaino Z-2 car polish. If I'm feeling particularly nutty, I'll follow up with a Z-5 Scratch & Swirl hider and a Z-6 Gloss enhancer. For the tires…snip.

ZAINO IS the car wash and polish system of GODS!!!!!!!

I use only Zaino products and can not see a point in any other brand. ;)

[Cassie]

My mom pays me to do it.:rolleyes:

[killr_b]

Zaino products are the bomb. Nothing else comes close.

To wash your car correctly:

With 2 gallons or more of properly prepared Zaino Z7 car wash soap wash your rims lightly and get the sidewalls of your tires. Use a 100% Made in the USA white cotton hand towel. Rinse well in between tires.

Next, spray your car down with water until the surfaces are cool to the touch. Prepare 4 gallons of Z7 car wash soap. Use a 100% Made in the USA white cotton hand towel to wash, or a very fine wool sheep skin that is rinsed thoroughly between uses to remove dirt.
Beginning with your roof wash with stokes that go front to back. Move to the hood and then to the trunk lid.
Then wash all the glass.
Wash off all the soapy water and spray the sides of your car until cool to the touch. Wash the top half of each side, followed by the rear- only down to the bumper line.
Next wash the front grill.
Now the bottom of the sides, thoroughly rinsing the towel in between 2 square foot sections. Finally the rear bumper. This is last due to the grime that is expelled from the exhaust.

To dry your car:
Use a $50 electric leaf blower that is new- as in not dirty at all.
To get water runs use a 100% made in the USA white cotton towel.

Now to really wash those rims.
Use Zaino clay bar and a spray bottle of somewhat concentrated Z7 (one capful of soap). Spray the Z7 as needed for smoothness of clay strokes. This will remove all dirt, tar, brake dust and particles from your wheels. If you drop a clay bar, either get another or learn to be skilled at shaving off the contaminated areas with a pocket knife. Clay bar is not required for rubber.
Rinse and wipe with a 100% made in the USA white cotton towel.
Dry them with your handy leaf blower.

Next, polish your car with Z2 combined with ZFX accelerator. The ZFX literally make polishing your car a wipe on/ wipe off process. NO rubbing or buffing required. It should dry very fast, so do this in sections. About 30 min for the entire car to be polished. Use only Zaino applicators. It's ok, they're cheap.

From here you can either add more Z2, or some Z5 but it will take a lot longer since Z5 is not accelerated by ZFX. You can also use Z9 on leather and Z12 on glass. Z14 is great for all the plastic trim on trucks.

I say 100% Made in the USA white cotton towels for two reasons:
One- no dyes in white. ;)
Two- other 100% cotton towels have shown to actually contain some nylon and other impurities. The USA ones don't.

I once saw a corvette with 25 coats of Z2 and it looked like glass. Sweet.

Alright, I'm spent. :p

[Plymouthbreezer]

I use the $6 regular gas station car washes in the fall/winter/spring, since up here, it's never actually good weather. In the summer, I wash and wax by hand.

But I'm ridiculous. I wash and vacuum my car every three days regardless. :rolleyes:

[Sun Baked]

You mean you are supposed to remove that protective layer of grime and mud holding the vehicle together. :confused:

[aquajet]

Anyone have any tips/advice or products they'd recommend for cleaning alloy wheels?

I bought a rim cleaning tool from Autozone. Basically, it's an array of giant pipe cleaner-looking things. I use dish soap and then apply a coat of wax.

I wash the car about every two weeks by hand. I never use an auto-wash for a few different reasons:

1. The brushes might be contaminated with something that could scratch
2. Brushless auto-washes aren't very effective
2. It's not a good idea to spray wax over the entire vehicle. It could cause problems with the windshield wipers -- wipers skip across the glass, dried wax wiped into neat little piles on the sides of the windshield, etc...

[Black&Tan]

I bought a rim cleaning tool from Autozone. Basically, it's an array of giant pipe cleaner-looking things. I use dish soap and then apply a coat of wax.

Dish soap is not the best detergent to use on your paint. It strips all the oils out of the paint, and can actually increase the rate of deterioration. However, it will strip the previous coat of wax off, if that's what you're getting at. I plan on using dish soap to start out the season, followed by a clay bar and plenty of Zaino. If it's any indication, the last time I used dish soap was 4 years ago, prior to my first application of Zaino.

[aquajet]

I only use dish soap on the rims. And maybe once in a blue moon to strip off old wax, and then apply fresh wax of course.

[mactastic]

There's a guy who comes by my office every other week (I think he can sense when we get paid) who's got a trailer with a tank of water, vacuum, etc.

He cleans my truck for $20 inside and out. Does a great job too, and it doesn't take any time away from my life ever. Of course I only do it about once a month instead of every two weeks.

Talk about lazy... I'm like a rug on Valium when it comes to car washing. And I really need to take both our cars in for a real detailing one of these days.

[cycocelica]

I used to spend 2 hours washing my first car (2000 Toyota Celica) when I really cared (wash everything and then wax it). Now I have a Subaru that i like but I don't care for cars like I used to so I just do a quick wash (no more the 45 min) and never wax.

[NightFlight]

Well, I own an automotive detailing company so that might give you some indication of how often I wash my car... And yes I still do it myself. :p

[Chrismcfall]

Yes that is a Discovery 1- its a 1998 LSE edition. Everyone has trouble with the door handles hahah. Its a really fun car to drive, even though its incredibly underpowered and slow. I love it to death.

Cool. I love the Disco 3. Beautiful, and practical. A Range Rover Sport is still nice though, and built on a Disco 3 anyway, so good for offroading.

[nadyne]

I once saw a corvette with 25 coats of Z2 and it looked like glass.

I do three coats of the Z2 on my baby. I love how it looks afterwards.