It's widely known that a simple car wash is the best way to keep your vehicle in tip-top shape. But it’s a common misconception that taking your vehicle to a retail car wash will save you time versus doing it yourself. Assuming there is one nearby that does a half-decent job, let’s estimate you spend 5 to 10 minutes driving there. Then add another 5 minutes waiting in line to have someone help you. Even on a slow day, it will still take more than 30 minutes for them to wash and dry your car. And let’s not forget the drive back. That means the total time spent on this endeavor is around an hour, roughly the same amount of time it would take you to wash your car in the driveway.
An even bigger concern is the damage that an outside car wash might inflict on your vehicle. Improper washing and drying is the leading cause of swirls and scratches. By putting in some sweat equity, you ensure your car will be looking good for many more miles. In this article, we’ll teach you how to wash your car efficiently without causing any damage by adopting the Two-Bucket Wash Method.
When utilizing the traditional method of washing with a single bucket, the dirt that you removed from your car with your wash mitt is mixed into your clean wash water. This means your wash mitt isn’t completely clean and becomes trapped with grime. As you continue to use the dirty mitt during the wash, abrasive particles are transferred back onto the car exterior, leading to scratching and marring of the vehicle.
To fix this issue, we will designate a rinse bucket and a wash bucket. The rinse bucket will contain plain water to rinse your wash mitt clean, while the wash bucket will hold your soap solution. You’ll want a bucket large enough to hold an ample amount of water to easily remove dirt from your wash mitt (3 to 5 gallons).
Another important part of the set-up is to equip your wash and rinse buckets with Grit Guard inserts. These inserts are placed at the bottom of the bucket and helps remove dirt from your wash mitt. They also help keep the dirt at the bottom of the bucket to ensure you’ll have a clean, scratch-free wash mitt after every rinse.
Once the Grit Guard inserts are in place, fill your rinse bucket with clean water. Then squeeze 1 to 3 ounces of soap into your wash bucket and fill it with a stream of water from your hose to create some nice suds.
Start by rinsing the car with a strong blast of water from your hose. This will remove any loose dirt and debris, and start breaking down stuck-on filth and grime. Now the surface is ready to be washed.
Soak your microfiber wash mitt in the wash bucket, pick up some suds, and choose which section of the car to start washing. The general order will look something like this: roof, windows, hood, trunk, front and rear, sides, and then wheels, tires, and wheel wells. Use a separate, dedicated brush to clean wheels, tires, and wheel wells.
You’re going to gently wash the dirt and grime off each section in lines from top to bottom. Since the bottom of the car is typically the dirtiest, washing from top to bottom prevents any dirt at the bottom from being carried to the top.
After washing each section, you’ll want to rinse off the dirt on your wash mitt. Dip your wash mitt into the rinse bucket and rub it against the grit guard at the bottom to remove all the grime. Wring the mitt out onto the ground to eliminate any dirty water and remaining debris. Once your mitt is clean, place it back into the wash bucket to fill the mitt with more suds before tackling another panel.
Rinse the car immediately after washing to help avoid soap from drying on the surface.
After cleaning the entire car, you’re ready for the final step of drying. We prefer using a microfiber towel with high GSM (grams per square meter). These heavier, thicker towels will absorb more liquid than lighter towels and reduce scratching.
With your soft microfiber towel, dry the surface in lines from top to bottom using light pressure just like when you applied the soap. Flip over your towel and periodically ring it out when it becomes too saturated with water.
Once you’ve mastered the two-bucket car wash method, you’ll not only be able to clean your car without scratching your paint, but have taken the first step in becoming a detailing pro.
Dust your car to keep it looking clean with less frequent washes. The California Car Duster is a great option with a baked in wax treatment that gently lifts dust from your car’s surface without scratching.
Another handy tool to keep in your garage is a spray detailer to spot clean areas between washes.
]]>The first and most important step, the wash removes all dirt and debris off the surface of your car in preparation for the remaining process. Start with a tire cleaner for the wheels and tires. Then switch to a car soap for the rest of your vehicle, washing from top to bottom.
Related Products:
Zymol Auto Wash
Pro Tip:
It’s best to wash using the two-bucket method and/or using a dirt trap to prevent scratches on your paint.
Detailing clay pulls off any contaminants stuck on the paint, like overspray or dust. A sure sign of needing detailing clay is if the paintwork on your car feels rough after the wash. Any clay bar you choose will need to be used with a lubricant. For a smooth finish, we recommend using a clay lubricant instead of soap and water to prevent your clay bar and detailing mitts from degrading.
Optional Step:
Some detailers wash again after claying the car to remove all clay residue and clay lubricant.
Inspect your paint to determine your next step. Your paint condition will fall under one of the following three categories:
Bad Paint
Paint that has heavy swirls, scratches, and defects.
Move on to Step 4: Compounding
Moderate Paint
Paint that has light swirls, marring, and defects.
Skip to Step 5: Swirl Remover
Good Paint
Paint that is swirl free and requires no polishing.
Skip to Step 7: Paint Sealant.
Pro Tip:
All forms of polishing (Steps 4 through 6) are processes that remove some clear topcoat from your car. This clear coat is important for protecting your paint so you don’t want to overdo it with the polishing.
Compounding is a heavy-duty, abrasive polish designed to remove defects and scratches that are deep within the vehicle paint. We use compounding to turn our bad paint into moderate paint.
Pro Tip:
If your paint is severely scratched or has orange peel, wet sanding may be performed before compounding.
The swirl remover is going to remove any rotary buffer hologram and swirls created by compounding. We use the swirl remover and finishing polish (next step) to turn our moderate paint into good paint.
The finishing polish removes any remaining light defects and perfects the paint gloss to make it smooth as glass.
Sealants help protect your paint against the elements (including UV radiation) and provide a solid foundation for waxes to adhere. Waxing is a process in which the exterior of a car is coated in order to protect the paint. When a car is waxed, the car is better protected from other elements (like the sun and dirt).
If you choose to apply multiple layers, you always put down the product with the longest protection first. Since paint sealant lasts longer than wax, you will apply paint sealant and then wax. (Learn the difference between waxes and sealants from this article by Jay Leno's Garage or Adam's Polishes.)
Related Products:
Zymol Cleaner Wax
Soft99
Optional Step:
Prior to paint sealant, some detailers will apply glaze. This product contains wax or fillers to hide light blemishes and to make the car surface extremely smooth and shiny.
Detail sprays are meant to top off your wax or paint sealant and can be used on the entire exterior for an instant gloss. They elevate shine tremendously while making wiping away dirt, dust and smudges an effortless task.
Related Products:
Zymol Spray Detailer
Pro Tip:
These are great for stretching the time between major details. Keep it in your trunk or garage to use anytime you want to restore the just-waxed finished.
Today, we’re going to test a new product we’ve just recently added to our catalog, our Tuf Shine Tire Appearance Kit. The kit comes with the five items listed below. While each of these items can be bought separately, the full kit is the most economical way to go, especially for first time users.
We had one of our long-time customers bring in their car for this demo. The set of tires on this car have about 30,000 miles on them, so we’ll really be able to see the difference before and after applying the Tuf Shine dressing.
Before we start, we want to talk a little bit about why we like Tuf Shine products and how this company has differentiated themselves from the competition. The number one reason we recommend Tuf Shine is for the long-lasting effect of the dressing, even with repeated high pressure washings. That’s less time you’ll need to spend keeping your tires looking great. While there are other products on the market that can help your tires look good, most of those products are designed to lubricate the rubber. This lubrication wears off over time and you’ll need to constantly clean and reapply to keep the slick new look. Additionally, constantly cleaning with harsh chemicals can remove factory lubricants built into the tire’s sidewalls and as a result can cause dry cracks to appear.
With that said, let's get started!
Our first—and arguably most important—step in the process is cleaning the tires. Because Tuf Shine Clearcoat will not stick to silicone, using Tuf Shine Tire Cleaner to properly clean the tires before application of Clearcoat is imperative. Tuf Shine Tire Cleaner is specially formulated to remove silicone dressings and road grime. Even new tires must be cleaned to remove factory mold release agents.
Caution: Tire Cleaner may stain bare aluminum, so test a small area first.
To apply the Tire Cleaner, spray on the dry tire and allow it to sit for 60 seconds.
Wet the Tuf Shine Tire Brush with a hose and scrub the tire, especially around raised letters and grooves.
Scrub in the direction of ribbing and around raised letters, and then again 90 degrees to the ribbing.
Rinse brush thoroughly after each scrubbing with a direct stream of water from the hose. Do not rinse the brush in a bucket filled with water as silicone residue will contaminate the water and will be transferred back onto the tire.
Repeat this process a second time, or as needed, until suds appear white. This indicates that the tire is thoroughly cleaned and prepared for the Tuf Shine Tire Clearcoat.
The tire should be clean and a dull black. Whitewalls/letters should be bright white before applying Clearcoat.
Now that the tires are clean, wait for them to be cool and dry, again not working in direct sunlight or in cold temperatures below 50 degrees.
Shake the contents of the Tuf Shine Tire Clearcoat bottle and squirt a small amount onto the applicator sponge. Using the sponge, apply to whitewalls and raised letters first. Allow at least 5 minutes for the first coat to dry, which will seal the white areas.
Then, apply a thin even coat to the rest of the tire following the circular pattern of the tire. Slight milky build-up is okay, but make sure to smooth any runs. The product will dry clear. If any black residue is accidentally drawn onto white areas, wipe immediately with a clean damp towel.
Allow to dry at least 5 minutes between coats. Liberally apply 2nd and 3rd coats to enhance the shine. As many as 4 coats can be applied for maximum shine. Touch up scuff marks to restore the shine.
Note: Tuf Shine Clearcoat is permanent, so make sure to wipe any residue from the wheels and/or paint surface before it dries.
Rinse the applicator sponge with water and keep for future use.
Enjoy your better than new looking tires!
To prolong the finish, use clear water and a soft brush for future touch ups. Mild soap and water can also be used for heavier dirt and mud, but avoid using heavy chemical cleaners as they will dull the finish.
Re-apply Tuf Shine Clearcoat as needed. Remember, Tire Cleaner is only required before the initial application of Clearcoat.
Now that we've shown you the steps, grab your Tuf Shine Tire Appearance Kit today and keep your tires squeaky clean.
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