I did a quick search, but did not find any recent threads.

What would be better to avoid adding swirls:

1. Go to one of those self-service wash bays?

2. Use one of the "rinseless" quick wash products like Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine?

3. Plead with my dealer to use his heated wash bay?

 

^^^ Go to bed ^^^

J/K Doc, sweet ride you got.


Whatever car wash you go to make sure its HAND only and no machines, and MAKE sure they dry it with a chamois. I bought 2 of them and brought them to the guys that washed my black 997tt and didnt have swirl marks. On a flat black car you can imagine how bad they are. Chamois is the last step though as the swirl marks are really done mainly if a dirty sponge/wash mitt is used but the guys I used knew I was **** about that stuff so they always made sure they brought clean ones out, helps to tip them BEFORE the wash itself.

Good luck, nothing beats washing the car urself though but it takes too damn long , but if you have the time go for it. I dont believe in them "rinseless" things too much.

Bajo

 

Dude...I'm up because of the baby...as I'm sure you are also...

Which hand carwash do you use in the winter? Ther were plenty in the city, but I can't seem to find a convenient one in the western burbs...

 

Baby just went up to bed with Momma, I am looking at the clock going WTF dummy the other 2 lil ones will be up at 6 am on the dot.



I use a place on Ogden ave in Berwyn always. Know the owner there and the manager she always makes sure they do my car right. Been using them for a long time.

If you ever wanna use my shop to wash it let me know, bring your stuff and I got the water and air.

There are no good ones in the western burbs, fullers sux ***.
There was a place I just noticed on Joliet east of Willow Springs called
I detail or something to the tune of that, they are in the old Mcgrath lexus building I think. I seen them as my kids doctors are in the building next door.

 

Al, self serve bays are cool if you avoid the brush and soap it with your own wash mitt and soap, feeding the timer is a pain in the butt though and it gets REALLY cold being around that fine mist. The touchless wash bays are useless, they never get the car completely clean and everything left will scratch your paint when you dry the car. Those touchless things are bad too. Find yourself a place that will hand wash it for you in a heated garage and call it a day, it's not worth the trouble.

Reminds me of when I was at NU. I had a VW GTI and the car was covered with road salt and grime. I thought I was being smart and went to have it washed because it was simply too cold to wash it myself. I went to an automatic wash with tracks and brushes but it was one of those that let you ride in the car through the wash and people dry it for you at the end for an additional fee. I guess you could call it a half service wash. Anyways, I had it washed and passed on the drying part because I was a student and didn't want to pay for the drying step. My friends and I went to a restaurant for lunch and couldn't freaking get out of the car! The doors were frozen shut because of the car wash water. We cranked the heat and finally forced one of the doors open but I remember saying, "Note to self, don't be cheap."

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. If you go to Home Depot or something, you can get a adapter for your kitchen sink or bathroom sink that will let you hook up a garden hose. You could get hot water outside but it's still a pain and it's still going to be cold out there.

 

Great story.....Since we don't get the frigid weather on the west coast, I know clients on the east coast use their sink warm water. You can wash the car in the garage and have a drain there, wash it in the garage and squeegee the water out after the wash, put heaters in the garage. I've heard if you wash in the driveway, you can ice it down; not good. You can try the "water-less" washes; I've heard from clients that it's OK and not all it's cracked up to be. I'm still concerned about scratching the finish. I know there are polymers in the washes to prevent that, but I'm curious to see what the paint looks like after you wipe it down with alcohol to remove the polymer wax in the product. I guess the last resort is to take it to a car wash and know in the spring you'll have to pull out the porter cable and the menzerna.

 

Optimum No Rinse Wash, Another tutorial i put together for the bmw club.

[QUOTE]The scenario.

You live in an appartment with no access to a hose bib, or maybe your appartment complex does not allow onsite washes.

You live in a condo down town where your car is in a lower level parking garage. The garage does not have proper drainage or fixtures for washing a car.

It is 20 degrees outside. Your car has been through two weeks of slush and you can not stand looking at the dusty vehicle any more. But you can not wash it outside, and you know a detail spray wash will induce marring.

You have just driven 600 miles durring a club sponsered drive. The car looks like it is a electric bug zapper.

What are the benifits of a Optimum no rinse wash?
1) it can be done indoors/garage.
2) it can be done with a very small foot print, IE a parking space.
3) It is compact enough to be carried with you on a long road trip and used at motel or venue.
4) It is far less likely to induce marring compared to a tunnel car wash.
5) it is less likely to induce marring compared to a detail spray wash.

What are the down sides.
1) It is more likely to induce marring compared to my foam gun car wash.
2) The first few times it can be quite unnerving.

What supplies you need
(1) 5 gallon bucket with grit gaurd.
(1) 2 gallon bucket
(1) 8oz bottle of Optimum no rinse
(1) 16 oz sprizer bottle
(1) paint stirrer stick
(5-10) Microfiber wash towels or 2 sheep skin mitts.
(1) Waffle weave drying towel.



Step one:
Your five gallon bucket is your rinse bucket. You will wring out your mitt or wash towel in here. Your two gallon bucket is your wash solution. Your 16 oz spritzer is full of wash solution to prep heavily soiled areas.
First fill your buckets and spritzer with warm/hot water


Step Two:
2 oz of optimum no rinse goes in your solution bucket, 1 oz goes in your rinse bucket, and 1/2 oz goes into your spritzer bottle.
Use the paint stirrer mix the buckets.


Step Three:
Pre soak your wash towel in your wash solution. Spray down a 12x12 inch to 18x18 inch area with your spritzer bottle. Then lightly ring out the wash towel and wipe down the panel with very light pressure. Besure to use straight lines.

The car before





Step 4:
Put the wash rag in the rinse bucket. Rub and squeeze out the dirt in the rag completely. Re soak in wash solution and move on to the next area. As a towel no longer rinses clean grab a new one.

Before shot of one panel



After shots

 

A few more side by side shots.


Bumper



Step 5:
Spray down the tires and rims. Including the inside of the rim. Wash the tire, rim face. Then wrap the towel around the paint stick use this to clean the inside of the wheel. Grab a new towel for each rim.

Final shots





For those wondering here is the total foot print of water left on my garage floor.



Special thanks to redmond rocket for supplying the mazda speed 6

 

Find a local pro to do it for you in the cold!

If the paint is really cold, hot water is not good for it, so try to use luke warm water on it. You can crack a windshield if it's cold & you put hot water on it.

I hate the drive in wash bays, they strip everything off your car, & no matter what you do, they seam to put in swirls.

Either pay to have it done, or deal with being cold, I found that wearing rubber gloves helps with the cold wash, it's the drying off that kills the fingers. If it's really cold, dry fast, or you will ice up the car, & not be able to get into it!

 

I have used Optimum No Rinse before, and it is excellent. Just go slow and rinse out your wash mitt alot.

 

For what is worth Phil told me yesterday he has ONR on the way... WOOOT let's hear it for the most awesome vendor.

 

When we remodeled our house last year I had the plumber hook up a hot and cold hose bib.. now I wash the car almost all year round..Only have to worry about the ice issue when its really cold. When I remodel the garage in a month Im going to have a floor drain and run a gas line for some heat... Ill be detailing and washing 12 months a year with no frozen body parts! Cant wait!

 

I go to the local wash bay, rinse the heavy road salt and dirt of the car using only the rinse setting on the spray wand.

Before my garage when I lived in a apartment I built a T fitting and connected it to the washer and dryer hookup. Then ran a 100ft house out the front door. I would also use warm water in the bucket to keep my hands warm.

Washed the car like normal,

I do this no matter what, but if your car is properly waxed this will work. Take the hose nozzle off the hose, run a thick steady stream of water over the car avoiding as much splashing as you can, there will be very little water left on the car to dry.

MAKE SURE you dry all the door jambs and seals VERY well.

Dry car, spread rock salt all over wet areas so your neighbors dont bite the dust.

 

I too swear by Optimum No Rinse. Hell, I use it more than regular car wash regardless of the time of year simply due to its ease of use and the fact that I can apply it in my garage regardless of weather or time of day.

 

i either detail my cars or pay my friend to professionally detail then for me but man doing it yourself in the cold is like torture! hands will be numb once you finished with a runny nose