cleaning tips to prevent swirls?

[flyfishing]

Will the car washing experts here please tell me how to clean and wash my car w/o creating scratches and swirls please???

Thanks.

[Undisputed]

Make sure the motion you make on the panel flows with the car. So you would wipe the hood from front to back. Not side to side. Your strokes would be in the direction of front of the car to rear of the car. Same on the doors. You wouldn't want to wipe them up and down. As far as the trunk, I wipe that one from left to right as opposed to front to back.

I hope I explained that well.

[A4A4A4]

Always use CLEAN microfiber cloths.

[B6JoeS4]

Well first of all, you would be better posting this in the detailing forum but i will help you out.

1. you need to be using a good soap. this is probably the most important part. a good car soap will have lubricants that allow the wash pad to glide over the paint and grab the dirt particles. the lubrication allows the dirt particles to slide off without scratching the paint. do not be fooled by suds. lots of suds does not mean that you are using a good soap or that you are getting a good wash. in fact, soaps that sud more, tend to be worse for the paint as there are less detergents in soaps that sud a lot.

2. wash pad/mit:
a good mitt is key this is the part that actually touches the car so a good quality mit is vital. do not go for part store synthetic wool mits. they just scratch the paint. instead, get yourself a good microfiber was mitt or a real wool mitt.

3. method. never ever ever ever ever scrub. just set the mit on the surface and drag it. do not apply any pressure. the good lubricants in your soap will take care of the rest. i like to wash one panel at a time and rinse it off immediately. i like to spray down the entire car frequently as i wash it to make sure i dont get any water spots. this si especially important if it is hot outside

i like the two bucket method. this is where you have 1 bucket with your soapy water and one bucket with plain water. after you wash a panel, don't just stick it back into the soapy water and release all of that dirt you just washed off back into you soapy water. instead, after you wash a panel, sick you mit in the clean water bucket and jiggle off all of the soap form the mit. this will keep your soapy water dirt-free. i also use grit guard on the bottom of the of my buckets. this lets all of the dirt to settle down to the bottom of the bucket and it is blocked off so your mit doesn't get contaminated by it

A good sealant and/or wax on you paint is important. this keep the dirt form sticking to the paint and make it much easier to remove when you go to wash it. it also helps to protect the paint

good drying towel is as important as a good wash mitt. this also touches your car so you should be using a microfiber waffle towel or something similar

good wash soap:
http://www.chemicalguys.com/Premium_..._p/cws_301.htm

good mitt:
http://www.detailersdomain.com/uberg...lwashmitt.aspx

grit guard for your buckets:
http://www.detailersdomain.com/gritguard-1.aspx

good, cheap sealant:
http://www.detailersdomain.com/collo...rwaxno845.aspx

drying towel: ( and yes, i am telling you to buy a $18 towel)
http://www.detailersdomain.com/uberj...towelblue.aspx

unfortunately, even this method will still swirl your paint. its jsut the way it works. however, these above mentioned methods will reduce it by A LOT. the swirls can be removed with some machine polishing
ALMOST FORGOT: : NO AUTOMATIC CAR WASHES! THAT INCLUDES THOSE RIDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED TURTLE WAX WASHES.

[todd1010]

I highly recommend a foam gun and a boar's hair brush to wash your car.

[jneutron]

+1 for all of the above, great advice especially for dark colored cars. After washing my DSB A5 every week since I picked it up April using the advice above, no swirl marks.

[HobbesA5]

B6Joe has it right. As somebody who has owned black cars my whole life I have endeavored to learn as much as possible about maintaining the paint. The two-bucket method is the best way to go.

And I would never use a brush on my paint, no matter what animal gave up its hair to the cause. I know plenty of folks say it's fine, but I don't buy it.

[TapouTx914]

Thumbs up for all of the above tips. Unfortunately taking care of the paint is no easy task even with the right methods. Unfortunately my car is outdoors making it extremely difficult and it does have some swirls. Currently it is under a cover since it is not in much use but even the cover may cause some swirl marks. Its a hard fight to win haha but taking care of the paint is definately worth it. Remember down the road you can always take it to a detailer or take up the task of doing a full detail yourself. I do not reccomend detailing yourself with no prior experience with a buffer as you may cause more damage though.

[Ryan_T]

I use a microfiber mitt for the body and two buckets, but I can tell that I'm slowly adding swirls. Maybe one or two new lines per panel each wash. So it's not perfect, thinking about trying boar brush, but I can't imagine any brush can be any less swirly than a soft mf mitt.

[B6JoeS4]

I use a microfiber mitt for the body and two buckets, but I can tell that I'm slowly adding swirls. Maybe one or two new lines per panel each wash. So it's not perfect, thinking about trying boar brush, but I can't imagine any brush can be any less swirly than a soft mf mitt.

try a genuine wool mitt. they are much much softer than the mf mitts
http://www.detailersdomain.com/uberg...lwashmitt.aspx

[Sd76]

B6JoeA4


Nice write up....thanks for your time!

sd

[flyfishing]

B6JoeA4


Nice write up....thanks for your time!

sd

agreed. thanks for your write up. i washed my car today with my old washing mitts, but put 0 pressure. gonna order all the good stuff now.


so the next question is, does anyone have tips for claying? i got pesky bug stain that won't come out!

[QuattroS5]

Well being were on the topic of cleaning cars. I was going to start a new Post about what product u guys would reccommend for the interior, being I want to give it a nice shine, but dont want to use something that would discolor it. So what are u guys using for the interior thats safe and gets the job done? Let me know, thanks...

[B6JoeS4]

so the next question is, does anyone have tips for claying? i got pesky bug stain that won't come out!

post a picture of the bug stain. it really depends on how bad it is. worst case scenario is that you will have to use a polisher. if you have tried claying it and it wont vome out, that is most likely what you need because the chemicals from the guts of the bug have etched the paint. this means that the clearcoat is sort of "chewed up" and it will need to be compunded/polished out.

[B6JoeS4]

Well being were on the topic of cleaning cars. I was going to start a new Post about what product u guys would reccommend for the interior, being I want to give it a nice shine, but dont want to use something that would discolor it. So what are u guys using for the interior thats safe and gets the job done? Let me know, thanks...

This is a GREAT kit. its fairly priced too
http://www.detailersdomain.com/uberi...interiors.aspx

has everything you need to get the job done with pro-detailer results

[flyfishing]

b6joe! 3 more questions

1. how many mitts do you use on a wash? 1 or 2
2. how do i put sealer on? do i put pressure? circular motion? what cloth do I use?
3. how much pressure do i use on drying towel? no pressure and just fwd to back movement??

i got the bug guts out with repeated soaping. i do need to find a good thread on claying though...im scared to do it.

[B6JoeS4]

b6joe! 3 more questions

1. how many mitts do you use on a wash? 1 or 2
2. how do i put sealer on? do i put pressure? circular motion? what cloth do I use?
3. how much pressure do i use on drying towel? no pressure and just fwd to back movement??

i got the bug guts out with repeated soaping. i do need to find a good thread on claying though...im scared to do it.

1. 1 mit. just rinse ot off in the non-soapy water and then dunk it in the soapy water.

2. you put a sealer on just like a wax. apply it with a foam applicator pad in a circular motion. let it cure for 1-3 minute or until it gets chalky and then remove it with a microfiber towel.

3. if you are using a microfiber drying towel, you should not need to put any pressure on it all. a good microfiber drying towel literally sucks up the water and it goes over it.

as for claying, there really is not much you can do that will hurt the paint. the things i would be worried about are not using a good lube (such as that meguiars quick exterior crap). or running the claybar over paint that does not have any lube on it. if this happens, the clay sticks to the paint and leaves marring form the clay. this can be difficult to remove but you can usually remove it with the claybar itself.

here is a good mild kit that will keep your paint looking fresh and it is pretty much fool-proof:
http://www.detailersdomain.com/adams...tailspray.aspx

Here is a GREAT how to and general faq on claying your whip:
http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-d...-cleaning.html

now accepting + rep

[QuattroS5]

This is a GREAT kit. its fairly priced too
http://www.detailersdomain.com/uberi...interiors.aspx

has everything you need to get the job done with pro-detailer results

Great link thanks man...

[HobbesA5]

Some folks use two mitts, a separate one for the lower rocker panels. I use just one mitt, but I do my rocker panels last.

One important point is that you should never use the same mitt/sponge on your wheels that you use on your paint. The brake dust particles are very abrasive and you don't want to chance residual particles marring your paint on future washes. Once you use a mitt or sponge on your wheels you should only use it for wheels from that point.

[Ryan_T]

Oh..snap. I've been using the Meg's Quick detailer crap as lube. I figured it's better than water or soap, and smells tolerable. So what's a good lube?



And don't go there...

[motivated]

Another question. What the best thing to do my windows with? Very annoying when I think they are streak free than I get in it to go for a drive and have smudges or streaks all over the place.

[A4A4A4]

Another question. What the best thing to do my windows with? Very annoying when I think they are streak free than I get in it to go for a drive and have smudges or streaks all over the place.

Windex and newspaper

[akasch]

Windex and newspaper

only if you don't have window tint. Windex has ammonia which isn't good for the tint. Try to find a non-ammoniated window cleaner or just try using a damp rag and then wipe off with a dry microfiber

[HobbesA5]

Another question. What the best thing to do my windows with? Very annoying when I think they are streak free than I get in it to go for a drive and have smudges or streaks all over the place.

Get a glass cleaner called Stoner's Invisible Glass (cheap and readily available at many stores such as Autozone and Wal-Mart). It's ammonia-free and designed for automotive glass. You can also get special microfiber towels designed for cleaning glass (low nap) that do a good job, but they aren't a requirement.

[motivated]

Get a glass cleaner called Stoner's Invisible Glass (cheap and readily available at many stores such as Autozone and Wal-Mart). It's ammonia-free and designed for automotive glass. You can also get special microfiber towels designed for cleaning glass (low nap) that do a good job, but they aren't a requirement.

Ahh good solution, thanks for the info.

[B6JoeS4]

Oh..snap. I've been using the Meg's Quick detailer crap as lube. I figured it's better than water or soap, and smells tolerable. So what's a good lube?

http://www.chemicalguys.com/CLAY_BAR...cly_100_16.htm

[B6JoeS4]

And as for cleaning glass, there are many very effective ways of doing it. most people, including me use automotive glass cleaner and a regular microfiber towel.

i would stay away from Windex. the ammonia hurts tint if you have it and strips wax if it gets on your paint. it can also dull the rubber trim around your windows.

newspaper WILL scratch your window tint!

here are a couple good automotive glass cleaners:
http://www.chemicalguys.com/Window_C...cld_677_16.htm
http://www.detailersdomain.com/adamsglasscleaner.aspx
( i like the adams stuff a little bit more.)