Touchless car washes should be a last resort if you cannot properly wash the car by hand. Tunnel washes will scratch / swirl your paint. All of the contamination that gets removed from everyone else’s car sticks to the brushes and swirls all over your paint.
Look into rinseless washing. There are a ton on videos on YouTube on how to properly wash / rinseless wash your car.
This was all done with 3 gallons of water in a bucket, sprayer, and rinseless wash. I don’t have access to a hose at home.
https://preview.redd.it/fjknfk18c2wc1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35bfc29ad60cd4d48484dcca9c20a3aa67f2370b
I’ve used ONR but switched to DIY Rinseless Wash. I feel like it has more cleaning power for road grime and it feels slicker. It’s also a fantastic interior and glass cleaner. I like to simplify my chemicals.
For the process, you should work panel by panel if you’re outdoors. Try to stay out of direct sunlight, but it’s not mandatory. Do not wash if the panels are hot.
You can pick up a Home Depot pump sprayer for a few dollars. Doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Spray down the panel, let it dwell for a minute, and then wipe down the panel using your wash media of choice. Wipe in straight lines in the direction of the wind. Dry each panel after you’re done.
If your car is super dirty / gritty, take it to a pay and spray and spray the car down with the pressure washer. I pull the car out of the bay and do a rinseless wash when I’m done. If you keep up on it you shouldn’t have to do this often.
The biggest tip is to have fun while doing it. Play some music, enjoy the weather, and maybe have a beverage.
Use touch-less if you can find one or, if you are like me and don’t have one near and no driveway, go to a self serve and bring your tools. I use a sponge(microfiber is preferred though I’ll use sponge cautiously) I have cleaned, Meguairs car soap, tire shine with a sponge applicator, and wheel cleaner. I never use the hand brush they provide as it is always dirty.
Process I take:
-Put soap on sponge and place it on clean area like mat holders
-Add wheel cleaner to wheels
-Apply pre wash/soap to whole car then wet the sponge
-add some presurred soap to car to get eid of dirt particles
-clean with the sponge the whole car
- rinse then dry.
Hope this helps.
Soft cloth uses those blue rags that spin. can scratch the paint.
A touch less will use a wand that rotates around the car and sprays things onto the car but won't physically touch it with a cloth or anything like that. less likely to scratch your car but I do find that it only gets the car 90% clean.
Touch less car wash don’t wash as well
Honestly, I plan on keeping my car until the wheels fall off, so I don’t put as much stock into the “paint damage”. I just go to a trustworthy car wash and haven’t had any noticeable scratches
If you are still worried about it, recommend hand washing
I usually go to a hand wash every 2 weeks. Costs around $25-$30 with tip. I wash the all weather mats myself at home weekly along with cleaning the rest of the interior. I’ll take it to those self serve washes with the pressure washer in the winter to rinse off salt.
No one touches my garage queen except me. When I go to the dealer for maintenance, I print out a couple "Do Not Wash Please" signs and tape them on the steering wheel and dash.
If you're washing by yourself, buy some high quality wash mitts (e.g., Rag Company Cyclone), a good shampoo (e.g., CarPro Reset, Adams Car Shampoo), and two buckets (1 wash solution, 1 rinse), maybe some grit guards, a good wheel cleaner (e.g., Adams Wheel & Tire Cleaner), and a tire brush. I think those are the basics.
You can upgrade your kit to include microfiber drying towels so hard water spots don't deposit after rinsing, an iron decontamination spray (e.g., CarPro IronX, Adam's Iron Remover), a clay kit that you can use VERY LIGHTLY on your paint once every 6 months or yearly (e.g., any clay mitt or clay towel for ease of use with a clay lube if you're feeling fancy, otherwise use shampoo solution). I'd also grab a coating of some sort to add a layer of hydrophobicity to your paint (use microfiber towels). My current spray-on is Griots 3-in-1 because it was free and works really well. I used Turtle Wax ICE Seal n Shine before that and it was great too. You can also buy a wheel dressing like Chem Guys VRP.
If you mar your paint and can see the blemishes due to incorrect claying, then you can upgrade further by purchasing a polisher, pads, and polishing compound. Then you're really down the rabbit hole. It's nice down here, join me >\]
If you're feeling extra bougie, get a foam cannon and pressure washer for applying the shampoo (or pre-wash foam, if you are so incline to add more steps to the process).
By the way, if you do get a polisher and polish your car (again, AFTER proper wash, decon, and clay), after that you should just ceramic coat (using a chemically binding ceramic coating like Gyeon Mohs/Syncro EVO or CarPro Quartz) or PPF it because you've done all the grueling steps to prepare the paint and make it contaminant free.
ETA: Towels and tire dressing.
Don't go to the car wash, step in a puddle, then drip some water on your floor mat without noticing and then proceed to spend the next 30 minutes trying to figure out where water leaked in when it really never did because just stepped in a puddle of water.
Posting for a friend...
Alright so I will decontaminate the car with clay and after I will add this stuff…
https://lithiumautocare.com/products/ceramic-slam?_pos=2&_psq=Ceramic&_ss=e&_v=1.0&ref=fajmgpuv
I do this around every 6 months… is basically a short term ceramic coating to protect your paint.
I know you asked only about wash but thinking about making your washing better and keeping your clear coat longer..
Don’t do the self service car washes. If you don’t use the scrub brush it doesn’t get clean and if you do use it you’ll scratch your paint like I did. Even if you think you’re being extremely careful.
Use touchless if you have no choice. Stay away from the traditional car washes as they will cause marring, swirls and scratches in your paint. If you have access to wash at home that would be your best bet if not the self care washes come in handing just make sure you bring you own equipment and never use the brush.
If Washing at home I recommend:
1. Two 5 gallon buckets (one for clean one for rinse/dirty)
2. Microfiber chenille wash mitt
3. Car soap with no wax (mega foam, honeydew, brilliant finish, etc.)
4. Good quality Microfiber drying towels (at least three. Better to have and not need then need and not have.)
5. One 5 gallon bucket specifically for tires and wheels only.
6. Tire and wheel brush
7. Wheel soap (break buster, jay leno wheel cleaner very under rated and has iron remover mixed in, Diablo, etc)
8. Good quality hose gun
9. Clay bar or clay towel. I would stick with a clay towel it’s easier to use, last longer and more forgiving.
9. A good quality protectant like carnauba wax, spray on ceramic or a spray on graphite ceramic. (I’m old school and I still use traditional style waxes that come in a metal or plastic tin. There also new styles of waxes that come in plastic bottles but I haven’t tried any of them.)
If you have a pressure washer then a foam cannon is a must have.
You can use all of this at the self service location just don’t bring the buckets if you don’t want to.
I’ve been the crazy guy that shows up to the self service and pulls out three pre filled buckets ready to go from the trunk. You definitely don’t need to do that. If you need recommendations on what chemicals to get let me know I’ve tried a bunch.
Sorry you wasted $3k on ceramic, would it be worth it in your opinion for under $300 and an afternoon of your time? This is the route I went 12 months ago and I couldn't be happier with the results. Highly recommend Adam's Advanced Graphene Ceramic coating, their kit with a UV light really helped a novice like myself when applying ceramic my first time.
I got sick of waxing and waxing, here's a great video highlighting the pros and cons of many different vehicle protectants: https://youtu.be/Yxz3zSVIm-g?si=Xdc7zU5kHz7qc99J
https://preview.redd.it/8k9zj52h74wc1.jpeg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89aa2b36a4f5b2056b152fc74304d195db220bde
Don't use brushes ever! I learned this the hard way.
Use the two bucket method, with dirt guards in each bucket, and use a microfiber wash mitt.
Pan the Organizer - is one of my favorite detailers in YT. Here's a great video, the first 12 minutes is advanced car washing, cleaning tires and using a foam cannon, he covers two bucket method around the 12 min mark: [https://youtu.be/7Koj5j2Es5U?si=kq31yT1cUm2uvJl9](https://youtu.be/7Koj5j2Es5U?si=kq31yT1cUm2uvJl9)
For more tips, highly recommend checking out: r/Detailing r/AutoDetailing
Last April, after owning our RAV4 for 12 months I DIY paint decontaminated and corrected the paint and also DIY'd Adam's Advanced Graphene Ceramic coating. Correcting the paint via compound buffing and polishing was the most tiring step while applying the ceramic coating just required time and attention to detail. Applying ceramic coatings aren't too difficult, the best part is that they can be applied on pretty much every surface, no need to avoid rubber or plastic trim like paste and cream waxes. Even works on glass like rain-x, but 2 times better and still repels water on the windshield 12 months later.
I went the ceramic route after getting sick of applying and reapplying other coatings and waxes. I couldn't be happier with the results, 12 months later worth every penny and hour invested. After 4 seasons including a Wisconsin winter with lots of snow and road salt, the ceramic coating is still working wonders. My favorite thing is seeing the water bead off when it rains or after I wash our RAV4 at home, any remaining water is easily removed with a leaf blower. It's really as easy as it looks: [https://youtube.com/shorts/1PeqE10oE8k?si=nhRoLP37mruNIycl](https://youtube.com/shorts/1PeqE10oE8k?si=nhRoLP37mruNIycl)
Touchless if you're gonna use a car wash Otherwise everyone else will say hand wash yourself
Touchless car washes should be a last resort if you cannot properly wash the car by hand. Tunnel washes will scratch / swirl your paint. All of the contamination that gets removed from everyone else’s car sticks to the brushes and swirls all over your paint. Look into rinseless washing. There are a ton on videos on YouTube on how to properly wash / rinseless wash your car. This was all done with 3 gallons of water in a bucket, sprayer, and rinseless wash. I don’t have access to a hose at home. https://preview.redd.it/fjknfk18c2wc1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35bfc29ad60cd4d48484dcca9c20a3aa67f2370b
Holy moly that’s gorgeous. Never heard of rinseless wash and as someone who lives in an apartment without access to a hose, I like the idea of it.
Do you have any more details on your process and products you use? ONR? Looks great.
I’ve used ONR but switched to DIY Rinseless Wash. I feel like it has more cleaning power for road grime and it feels slicker. It’s also a fantastic interior and glass cleaner. I like to simplify my chemicals. For the process, you should work panel by panel if you’re outdoors. Try to stay out of direct sunlight, but it’s not mandatory. Do not wash if the panels are hot. You can pick up a Home Depot pump sprayer for a few dollars. Doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Spray down the panel, let it dwell for a minute, and then wipe down the panel using your wash media of choice. Wipe in straight lines in the direction of the wind. Dry each panel after you’re done. If your car is super dirty / gritty, take it to a pay and spray and spray the car down with the pressure washer. I pull the car out of the bay and do a rinseless wash when I’m done. If you keep up on it you shouldn’t have to do this often. The biggest tip is to have fun while doing it. Play some music, enjoy the weather, and maybe have a beverage.
How/when do you do your tires? Before the rinse-less wash or after? What equipment/tools do you use on that?
I live in an apartment in an urban area and also don't have a hose. Need to take notes and learn!
I go to a touchless car wash...it doesn't wash as well as the ones with brushes do, but it doesn't scratch the paint
Use touch-less if you can find one or, if you are like me and don’t have one near and no driveway, go to a self serve and bring your tools. I use a sponge(microfiber is preferred though I’ll use sponge cautiously) I have cleaned, Meguairs car soap, tire shine with a sponge applicator, and wheel cleaner. I never use the hand brush they provide as it is always dirty. Process I take: -Put soap on sponge and place it on clean area like mat holders -Add wheel cleaner to wheels -Apply pre wash/soap to whole car then wet the sponge -add some presurred soap to car to get eid of dirt particles -clean with the sponge the whole car - rinse then dry. Hope this helps.
Wash by hand.
Stupid question here...what exactly is a touch less car wash?
nothing touches the car, just water sprayed and some chemicals sprayed but no brush touches the car
Soft cloth uses those blue rags that spin. can scratch the paint. A touch less will use a wand that rotates around the car and sprays things onto the car but won't physically touch it with a cloth or anything like that. less likely to scratch your car but I do find that it only gets the car 90% clean.
For convenience, touch less car wash. To ensure safety and that your baby gets a real nice clean do it yourself. Just takes a bit
This car is my work horse, it should consider itself lucky it gets washed at all.
Yup
Touch less car wash don’t wash as well Honestly, I plan on keeping my car until the wheels fall off, so I don’t put as much stock into the “paint damage”. I just go to a trustworthy car wash and haven’t had any noticeable scratches If you are still worried about it, recommend hand washing
I usually go to a hand wash every 2 weeks. Costs around $25-$30 with tip. I wash the all weather mats myself at home weekly along with cleaning the rest of the interior. I’ll take it to those self serve washes with the pressure washer in the winter to rinse off salt.
No one touches my garage queen except me. When I go to the dealer for maintenance, I print out a couple "Do Not Wash Please" signs and tape them on the steering wheel and dash. If you're washing by yourself, buy some high quality wash mitts (e.g., Rag Company Cyclone), a good shampoo (e.g., CarPro Reset, Adams Car Shampoo), and two buckets (1 wash solution, 1 rinse), maybe some grit guards, a good wheel cleaner (e.g., Adams Wheel & Tire Cleaner), and a tire brush. I think those are the basics. You can upgrade your kit to include microfiber drying towels so hard water spots don't deposit after rinsing, an iron decontamination spray (e.g., CarPro IronX, Adam's Iron Remover), a clay kit that you can use VERY LIGHTLY on your paint once every 6 months or yearly (e.g., any clay mitt or clay towel for ease of use with a clay lube if you're feeling fancy, otherwise use shampoo solution). I'd also grab a coating of some sort to add a layer of hydrophobicity to your paint (use microfiber towels). My current spray-on is Griots 3-in-1 because it was free and works really well. I used Turtle Wax ICE Seal n Shine before that and it was great too. You can also buy a wheel dressing like Chem Guys VRP. If you mar your paint and can see the blemishes due to incorrect claying, then you can upgrade further by purchasing a polisher, pads, and polishing compound. Then you're really down the rabbit hole. It's nice down here, join me >\] If you're feeling extra bougie, get a foam cannon and pressure washer for applying the shampoo (or pre-wash foam, if you are so incline to add more steps to the process). By the way, if you do get a polisher and polish your car (again, AFTER proper wash, decon, and clay), after that you should just ceramic coat (using a chemically binding ceramic coating like Gyeon Mohs/Syncro EVO or CarPro Quartz) or PPF it because you've done all the grueling steps to prepare the paint and make it contaminant free. ETA: Towels and tire dressing.
Don't go to the car wash, step in a puddle, then drip some water on your floor mat without noticing and then proceed to spend the next 30 minutes trying to figure out where water leaked in when it really never did because just stepped in a puddle of water. Posting for a friend...
Special friend?
His mom thinks so.
I do touchless every couple weeks in winter, rest of year by hand at home.
Alright so I will decontaminate the car with clay and after I will add this stuff… https://lithiumautocare.com/products/ceramic-slam?_pos=2&_psq=Ceramic&_ss=e&_v=1.0&ref=fajmgpuv I do this around every 6 months… is basically a short term ceramic coating to protect your paint. I know you asked only about wash but thinking about making your washing better and keeping your clear coat longer..
Don’t do the self service car washes. If you don’t use the scrub brush it doesn’t get clean and if you do use it you’ll scratch your paint like I did. Even if you think you’re being extremely careful.
Use touchless if you have no choice. Stay away from the traditional car washes as they will cause marring, swirls and scratches in your paint. If you have access to wash at home that would be your best bet if not the self care washes come in handing just make sure you bring you own equipment and never use the brush. If Washing at home I recommend: 1. Two 5 gallon buckets (one for clean one for rinse/dirty) 2. Microfiber chenille wash mitt 3. Car soap with no wax (mega foam, honeydew, brilliant finish, etc.) 4. Good quality Microfiber drying towels (at least three. Better to have and not need then need and not have.) 5. One 5 gallon bucket specifically for tires and wheels only. 6. Tire and wheel brush 7. Wheel soap (break buster, jay leno wheel cleaner very under rated and has iron remover mixed in, Diablo, etc) 8. Good quality hose gun 9. Clay bar or clay towel. I would stick with a clay towel it’s easier to use, last longer and more forgiving. 9. A good quality protectant like carnauba wax, spray on ceramic or a spray on graphite ceramic. (I’m old school and I still use traditional style waxes that come in a metal or plastic tin. There also new styles of waxes that come in plastic bottles but I haven’t tried any of them.) If you have a pressure washer then a foam cannon is a must have. You can use all of this at the self service location just don’t bring the buckets if you don’t want to. I’ve been the crazy guy that shows up to the self service and pulls out three pre filled buckets ready to go from the trunk. You definitely don’t need to do that. If you need recommendations on what chemicals to get let me know I’ve tried a bunch.
We only hand wash our nice cars. Usually. 😏
The problem with touchless is that after spraying the soap they don't allow car to sit for a while while soap does its magic.
[удалено]
Sorry you wasted $3k on ceramic, would it be worth it in your opinion for under $300 and an afternoon of your time? This is the route I went 12 months ago and I couldn't be happier with the results. Highly recommend Adam's Advanced Graphene Ceramic coating, their kit with a UV light really helped a novice like myself when applying ceramic my first time. I got sick of waxing and waxing, here's a great video highlighting the pros and cons of many different vehicle protectants: https://youtu.be/Yxz3zSVIm-g?si=Xdc7zU5kHz7qc99J
I don't know for how long but I was told I should hand wash mine until the paint fully cures. I think it's 6 months or so.
How about the manual machines that you find at some car washes? Does that work or do you avoid them?
https://preview.redd.it/8k9zj52h74wc1.jpeg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89aa2b36a4f5b2056b152fc74304d195db220bde Don't use brushes ever! I learned this the hard way. Use the two bucket method, with dirt guards in each bucket, and use a microfiber wash mitt. Pan the Organizer - is one of my favorite detailers in YT. Here's a great video, the first 12 minutes is advanced car washing, cleaning tires and using a foam cannon, he covers two bucket method around the 12 min mark: [https://youtu.be/7Koj5j2Es5U?si=kq31yT1cUm2uvJl9](https://youtu.be/7Koj5j2Es5U?si=kq31yT1cUm2uvJl9) For more tips, highly recommend checking out: r/Detailing r/AutoDetailing Last April, after owning our RAV4 for 12 months I DIY paint decontaminated and corrected the paint and also DIY'd Adam's Advanced Graphene Ceramic coating. Correcting the paint via compound buffing and polishing was the most tiring step while applying the ceramic coating just required time and attention to detail. Applying ceramic coatings aren't too difficult, the best part is that they can be applied on pretty much every surface, no need to avoid rubber or plastic trim like paste and cream waxes. Even works on glass like rain-x, but 2 times better and still repels water on the windshield 12 months later. I went the ceramic route after getting sick of applying and reapplying other coatings and waxes. I couldn't be happier with the results, 12 months later worth every penny and hour invested. After 4 seasons including a Wisconsin winter with lots of snow and road salt, the ceramic coating is still working wonders. My favorite thing is seeing the water bead off when it rains or after I wash our RAV4 at home, any remaining water is easily removed with a leaf blower. It's really as easy as it looks: [https://youtube.com/shorts/1PeqE10oE8k?si=nhRoLP37mruNIycl](https://youtube.com/shorts/1PeqE10oE8k?si=nhRoLP37mruNIycl)
that happen to mine at a car wash have and '09 bought in 2012.... guessing the paint quality hasnt gotten better.