By Jason Gauer
Detailer/Owner - Jason's Auto Spa
We've all heard the term "Hand Wash" and to
most, it defines a slow, careful, and soft exterior car wash.
But on the other hand, what good is a hand wash when you've been
using the same year-old wash mitt without any thorough cleaning
and the place you store it is on the dusty shelf next to your
hammer? Or you leave it in the bucket, with all the sediment
that has settled at the bottom from your latest wash? Or even
down to, using the wrong mitt? We're
going to go over the proper way to wash your vehicle to ensure
that you really are giving your vehicle the best care, well,
next to Jason's Auto Spa that is.
First and foremost
KICK THE BUCKET!
Here is why...
Grit that was on your vehicle, gets
transferred to the wash mitt, and most of it will end up in your
wash bucket. Some of the grit will sink, some will also linger
around near the surface as the bubbles and dense soap and foam hold
it up there. At the same time that you have dipped the wash mitt
into the bucket to get more sudsy soap water, grit will come off
the mitt, and as you agitate the mitt into the bucket you are
swirling the grit around - and guess where it will end up? Most
of it will be back on your wash mitt as it did not have a chance
to settle.
The image on the right
illustrates (poorly) what is happening inside the wash
bucket as you re-sud
your wash mitt. The far right arrow pointing down is
where you are pushing the wash mitt into the bucket. By
the simple act of displacement, the wash mitt is pushing
against the water, the water is being
pushed against the grit, the grit is in turn moving
again, and just like the water you are displacing by
pushing the wash mitt into the bucket - The grit will
either come to the surface and adhere to the wash mitt
as you lift it back up out of the water, or be sucked
back into the wash mitt as you squeeze it and let it
refill with water and soap. Keep in mind that not all of
the grit will ever settle to the bottom, some will be
held at the top by the bubbles and foam.
In short, the wash
bucket should be resigned to holding old nuts and bolts
from the garage as you open the box to your new foam
wash gun. We've washed hundreds of vehicles with our
Multi-Ratio Gilmour Foamaster Foam Gun (Part 75QGFMR)
and have had zero issues - No light clear coat
scratches, swirls, nothing. Once you use it, you'll see
how much it speeds up the washing process and how much
safer it really is. |
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HOW OLD IS THAT
WASH MITT?
I've seen it and heard it countless times
when asked about how the vehicle is cared for. "I only hand wash
it." Excellent! Now what do you use to wash it...As I'm being
directed to a tired old dilapidated wool mitt curled in the
corner of an old wooden shelf.
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For the avid at-home
detailer, or Sunday afternoon wash aficionado, a high
quality wash mitt is the cornerstone for doing the job
right. Microfiber has an advantage when detailing due to
the small channels that lock in hazed-over wax and
polish but, for washing, just say no. The microfiber's
tiny channels will work against you when locking in grit
that has been taken off the vehicle, and you'll keep
swirling that grit around your car running the risk of
causing light clear coat scratches that will need to be
repaired later down the road. Similar can be said for
chenille due to it's weave. For these reasons, we
proudly use Genuine Sheepskin
for it's properties in allowing grit to slide off the
ends of the wool hairs.
For every wash mitt, maintenance is key. After you have
washed your car, be sure to run water through the mitt
and inspect it closely. Fold the mitt once and apply pressure to
squeeze out excess water. Lay it on top of a Ziploc
bag while it air dries or just toss it in your clothes
dryer (No dryer sheet.) After it is dry, put it inside
of that Ziploc bag for next time.
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THE FOAM GUN
There seem to be several different choices
when it comes to foam guns, but after using the Gilmour
Multi-Ratio Foam Gun (Part 75QGFMR) we do not see a need for
using anything else.
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There is an adjustable slider at the
top to adjust the soap to water ratio, letting you
decide how dense or watery the wash will be. The foam
gun has a quick disconnect so you can switch from
foaming to rinsing immediately. The soap to be used can
be a special foam gun specific soap, or any brand you
may find at an auto parts store. Turtle Wax Platinum has
great foaming abilities, while Meguiars Gold Class does
not. We have used our Gilmour Foamaster Foam gun for
washing hundreds of vehicles, bring dropped five feet up
in the air, scraped around the ground, etc... and it has
never failed. Strong brass connectors and a very well
built (Made in USA) shell make this foam gun the choice
by Jason's Auto Spa. You can find them online at most
detailing websites for $60.00 but Amazon.com is often
selling them brand new below $40.00. I would expect a
product of this caliber to sell for $100.00, but you can
have it for much less with the same value.
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SPRAYING DIRECTION
Avoid spraying directly against the
surface if you are able to.
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| DIRECT
STREAM |
DOWNWARD
STREAM |
| A
direct stream of water will first
push the grit into
your clear coat, scratching it, before the grit
flows downward by gravity. As you can see, rinsing this way can cause a lot of
damage. |
A
downward stream of water will do less harm as a direct
stream. Rather than pushing grit into your clear coat,
it is aimed to push the grit downwards and not directly
in. This will allow the grit to move away freely,
lubricated by the water and/or soap, by gravity.
Although any grit will still slide off of your clear
coat no matter what, this way prevents the grit from
being pushed IN to the
clear coat and significantly reduces the risk of
scratching during the hand wash. |
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| Always wash the vehicle in
the shade. Set the Genuine Sheepskin Wash Mitt on the windshield. Get the
wash mitt wet before use, which will also use the water
as a weight so it does not blow off the windshield if it
is windy outside (You can also set it under your wiper). If the windshield is heavily soiled
with dirt or bugs, rinse it with water and spray foam on
it before laying down the wash mitt. |
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| In a downward direction, spray foam
on one side of the vehicle. Soak the wash mitt heavily in foam. |
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After one side of the vehicle
is heavily foamed, allow the foam to slide off for about
15-30 seconds. This will allow any loose grit to remove
itself, before you apply pressure with a wash mitt.
Re-foam the surface, spray foam on the wash mitt, and wash from top to bottom.
Agitate in this order:
- Roof, hood, trunk
- Tops of the doors & glass
- Middle of doors & fenders
- Bumpers and rocker
panels.
Rinse that side with water in a downward
direction. Repeat Step Two & Three for the other side, and the
front and rear end. When you get to the other side, use
the other side of the wash mitt. If you think the
vehicle is very dirty, read below, and also keep in mind
you can always use more wash mitts (Safest method) or
continually rinse the wash mitt with the pressure of the
hose while massaging out any sediment with your hand.
IF YOUR VEHICLE IS HEAVILY
CONTAMINATED IN SEDIMENT
- It is highly suggested
that you do not use the wash mitt if there are thick
layers of sediment on top of the clear coat. This
will only lead to surface marring and scratches. If
this is your case, I suggest driving your vehicle
through a touch less car wash and allowing the heavy
detergents from that wash to remove as much sediment
as possible. Touch less car washes are heavy in
detergents in an effort to do a good job without
touching your surface, and these detergents will
work the best to remove sediment without surface
marring. This will only be effective on a moderately
dirty vehicle. Please read the next step if you
have, or look like you have, gone off-roading in it.
MUDDY VEHICLES
- If your vehicle has thick
layers of mud on it's surface from off-roading,
don't expect a delicate wash to remove it. You've
basically covered your vehicle in everything
possible that would scratch it's surface and to
remove it in a delicate fashion would be an
unreasonable expectation. The damage has already
been done, as the mud, dirt, and rocks scratched
your clear coat when they were slung onto the
vehicle. If you are looking to restore that deep
shine and remove the scratches at this point, your
vehicle will need more attention after the wash.
- The best way to remove
heavy layers of hard mud and dirt from your clear
coat would be a pressure washer using the downward
stream method. In comparison to all of the damage
you have already caused, there are not many options
at this point. It is not a good idea to go through a
touch car wash as this will only grab the mud, and
swirl it all over your vehicle.
- Once the heavy layers of
caked-on mud have been removed, you can proceed with
the directions as followed but I suggest you re-foam
the vehicle surface twice before using the wash
mitt. Allow the foam to slide off for about 15-30
seconds each time which will remove any remaining
sediment before using the mitt.
MUD WILL STAIN YOUR CLEAR
COAT - REMOVE IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
I have seen it many times in the past -mud that dries on top of your
clear coat will stain it and polishing will be required to
repair this. Please remove the mud as soon as possible
to prevent further damage.
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Rinse the vehicle off
entirely.
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Apply foam one wheel at a
time. As the foam settles, detach the foam gun and rinse
the wash mitt with water. Use a lot of water pressure
against the mitt, to loosen up and remove any grit that
may be there from your other exterior surfaces. Once
this is done, reattach the foam gun and foam the wheel
and the wash mitt. Use the wash mitt on the wheel, being
very careful to ensure it does not come in contact with
the ground.
Some people will substitute the now-used wash mitt for a
new one at this time, and if you're doing anything like
my
Stage V Package, you are using one brand new wash
mitt for every wheel.
Rinse the wheel off with water once it is clean. Repeat
this for all of the wheels.
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Time to
dry!
I suggest using an electric leaf blower for vehicles
that have many curves and crevices. Since the ground is
already wet, you do not have to worry about "Kicking up"
anything onto the vehicle within reason. Other options
can be a quality microfiber drying towel or clean jelly
blade, but keep those bath towels in the house! If you
are not moving onto the clay bar process next, it is
suggested to use a quality detail spray like Zaino Z-6
with a nice microfiber towel.
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Feel free to ask questions or submit
feedback, comments, compliments, or concerns to
Jason@jasonsautospa.com and let me know how it
worked out for you.
Copyright © 2007-2009 Jason's Auto Spa LLC
This article and it's images may not be re-distributed
at any time. |
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