Keeping your i2 or any car looking great

[Cobb]

I am taking the 5th on this one.

[cycledrum]

I used to have a dark blue Prius - dark colors tend to show swirls a little more and i was getting them. I was using 2 buckets from early on, one for wash water other for rinsing sponge, still that was not enough.

I stepped the game up by getting 2 five gallon buckets and sent away for grit gaurds that sit in bottom of bucket.

I also ordered a $16 genuine sheepskin wash mitt from Griots Garage. I like that the mitt is white, because ....

white shows dirt in the mitt easily. You want to be able to see dirt in the mitt before you pass over another area on your paint with it.

Also, with a mitt, if one side is dirty, flip it over and wash some more, then rinse mitt thoroughly.

You will find lower doors and panels collect the most dirt so rinse mitt / sponge extra often when cleaning down there.

Washing is critical and if not done well may lead to the most swirls, especially in a automatic car wash with brushes, yuck!

Once all clean, I take nozzle off, rinse with small stream to sheet water off. Little blow drying with leaf blower around side mirrors.

Drying - think of it this way .... big drying towel if for getting most water up, then you follow that section with a little spray wax onto paint if you can, or onto cloth to buff out that section. Your car will shine, you'll save time and have some wax back onto paint which invariably comes off during washing.

I clay before waxing. I use meg's 2.0 tech wax applied in thin coats like instructions say. No residue, works very well.

303 aerospace protectant on rubber trim, tire shine on tires, wipe down door jams, under hood. I can spend 2 hours washing detailing the car without waxing.

[Cobb]

I have one of those pressure wands from walgreens that works with your regular hose. I shoot the car from top down, then walk around with it pointed downwards at a 45 degree angle.

i use a big bucket of water and one of those wash mits that has a bunch of dreads hanging off of it. I use that to wash top down in forward to rear strokes the length of the car, dunk it frequently making sure to not hit the bottom of the bucket.

A detailer who I paid a few years ago would mix windshield washer fluid in his wash water so it would leave spots when it dried.

[circa1986]

Originally Posted by Cobb

I have one of those pressure wands from walgreens that works with your regular hose. I shoot the car from top down, then walk around with it pointed downwards at a 45 degree angle.

i use a big bucket of water and one of those wash mits that has a bunch of dreads hanging off of it. I use that to wash top down in forward to rear strokes the length of the car, dunk it frequently making sure to not hit the bottom of the bucket.

A detailer who I paid a few years ago would mix windshield washer fluid in his wash water so it would leave spots when it dried.

Interesting! How is that pressure wand attachment? I've been thinking of getting one myself!

[Cobb]

I like it. Its not like a real pressure washer, but it does a good job with bird poop and dirt in the wheel wells.