IS Washing techniques thread - With A Master Goal to Reach!
09-28-09, 10:16 AM
#16
1. I usually start off by cleaning the rims. I spray the rims down with water too remove as much loose dirt as I can. Then I spray the rims with P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner while it sits I take the chance to fill 2 buckets with water. After I'm done I'll clean the rims with a Uber Boar's Hair Wheel Brush and Swissvax Wheel Brush for the lug nut holes.
2. After spraying down all the rims I mix the car soap to the manufactures dilution ratio. The soap I use is Pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo which requires about 1 ounce of soap per 2-2.5 gallons of water. I add soap to 1 of the buckets of water for my wash solution while the other bucket is to rinse the wash mitt in between panels.
3. I'll spray down the entire car to loosen all dirt on the paint, and start cleaning the roof and making my way down. I wash the bumpers and lower half of the car last since those are usually the dirtiest parts. I use the Uber Geninue Wool Wash Mitt to clean the car, but I am looking into purchasing a Dodo Juice Wookie fist to replace it.
4. After rinsing the soap off the car I'll disconnect the nozzle and let the water run freely over the car, so that it sheets most of the water off leaving just drops behind on the paint. The current drying towel I'm using is the DI Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towel. Too help with water spots a system like CRSpotless Rolling Water De-ionizer Systems work great.
5. For any touch ups I'll use Finish Kare 425 Extra Slick Final Body Shine quick detailer with a clean microfiber towel. Cobra Indigo Polishing Cloth will work great for removing any residue.
Washing your car early in the morning or at sunset can really help with the water spots left behind and making sure your car is cool. Hot panels will dry too fast and leave more water spots behind, so avoid washing a hot car.
I think the car looks pretty good most of the time. You can even see the SC in the front door.
2. After spraying down all the rims I mix the car soap to the manufactures dilution ratio. The soap I use is Pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo which requires about 1 ounce of soap per 2-2.5 gallons of water. I add soap to 1 of the buckets of water for my wash solution while the other bucket is to rinse the wash mitt in between panels.
3. I'll spray down the entire car to loosen all dirt on the paint, and start cleaning the roof and making my way down. I wash the bumpers and lower half of the car last since those are usually the dirtiest parts. I use the Uber Geninue Wool Wash Mitt to clean the car, but I am looking into purchasing a Dodo Juice Wookie fist to replace it.
4. After rinsing the soap off the car I'll disconnect the nozzle and let the water run freely over the car, so that it sheets most of the water off leaving just drops behind on the paint. The current drying towel I'm using is the DI Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towel. Too help with water spots a system like CRSpotless Rolling Water De-ionizer Systems work great.
5. For any touch ups I'll use Finish Kare 425 Extra Slick Final Body Shine quick detailer with a clean microfiber towel. Cobra Indigo Polishing Cloth will work great for removing any residue.
Washing your car early in the morning or at sunset can really help with the water spots left behind and making sure your car is cool. Hot panels will dry too fast and leave more water spots behind, so avoid washing a hot car.
I think the car looks pretty good most of the time. You can even see the SC in the front door.
09-28-09, 03:09 PM
#17
Driver
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: IN
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BTW, your CAPS lock is stuck on.
09-29-09, 06:31 AM
#19
Lexus Test Driver
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,099
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Also, before drying with your waffle weave drying towelconsider lightly misting the surface with Spray n Wipe. Again, it'll help cut down on water spotting and adds a little gloss to the finish too
Last edited by Chris@GlimmerGlass; 09-29-09 at 06:49 AM.
09-29-09, 06:45 AM
#20
Lexus Test Driver
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,099
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Heres a pic of Patrick's car. When he came back for the interior detail I rewashed the exterior w/ using the same products as above. It was a very straight forward wash since it had just been detailed. I'll outline the other products used during the wash process below.
As mentioned above, the hose has a water softener hooked up to it. For this wash, I used poorboys super slick n suds in a foam gunw/ a lambswool wash mitt and a 5 gallon bucket with a grit guard sitting at the bottom.
For this wash, I did not need any presprays. The couple of bugs that were on the front rinsed right off since it had just received a coat of P21s Concours look carnauba wax. It is still a good idea to use the 2 bucket method. One bucket for dirty rinse water and the other for your clean wash water.
As mentioned above, the hose has a water softener hooked up to it. For this wash, I used poorboys super slick n suds in a foam gunw/ a lambswool wash mitt and a 5 gallon bucket with a grit guard sitting at the bottom.
For this wash, I did not need any presprays. The couple of bugs that were on the front rinsed right off since it had just received a coat of P21s Concours look carnauba wax. It is still a good idea to use the 2 bucket method. One bucket for dirty rinse water and the other for your clean wash water.
09-29-09, 01:25 PM
#21
Welcome to the forum.
I'd like to point out the following errors in your steps.
Last I looked the instructions on the Gold Class Wash called for ONE ounce per gallon of water not four. Your solution (4 ounces/gallon) will be too strong and can strip your wax. It certainly will shorten it's life.
You might have better luck using a genuine sheepskin wash mitt as well as they will cause less chance of marring the paint than a sponge.
Here is a video by a professional on how to properly wash a car.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...cargarage.com#
I'd like to point out the following errors in your steps.
Last I looked the instructions on the Gold Class Wash called for ONE ounce per gallon of water not four. Your solution (4 ounces/gallon) will be too strong and can strip your wax. It certainly will shorten it's life.
You might have better luck using a genuine sheepskin wash mitt as well as they will cause less chance of marring the paint than a sponge.
Here is a video by a professional on how to properly wash a car.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...cargarage.com#
I want to start a new kind of thread about washing techniques for IS owners. Please post your methods for washing the outside of your Lexus. Hopefully we can critique eachother's methods and after reading all the techniques, comparing and contrasting, I can make a perfected master list of steps to wash your IS. Please focus on exterior washing/ detailing only (no polishing/waxing).
So let me start the discussion,
Ingerdients:
-Water (from a regular hose)
-Meguiar's "Gold Class" Car Wash Soap
-2 Buckets
-VROOM Wheel Brush (shaped like a ***** - not literally)
-VROOM Microfiber Towels
-VROOM Car Wash Sponge
- Aqua Dry Towel
- 1-1.7 hours
STEPS YO:
Step 1- Water down whole car - get all nooks and crannies.
Step 2- Fill one bucket about half way and pour in desired amount of soap (usually 4 oz./ per gallon)
Step 3- Using the ***** Shaped Wheel Brush, Dip it in the soapy water and scrub away ALL loose Dirty and brake Dust around wheels (this includes ALL possible visible sides except for inside parts of the wheel) - Do all Wheels and wash away suds
SIDE NOTE: This only works well if you have loose brake dust build up or loose dirt. If not, Use a product that breaks these elements down.
Step 4- Rewash whole car (If slightly dried by the time u finish wheels)
Step 5- Fill 2nd bucket with water and Put 4oz. of Soap for each Gallon.
Step 6- throw out the dirty Wheel water from the 1st Bucket and thoroughly rinse the inside. After rinsing, fill with only fresh water (as fresh as it gets from a hose).
Step 7- Dip Sponge into Soapy Bucket and slap it onto the hood and spread it around the hood- i reccomend doing one whole panel at a time too ensure you get it all. (You may have your own preferred starting point).
Step 8- After soaping up your hood squueeze out all remaining water and soap somewhere and dip it into the fresh water bucket. using ur hands (while Sponge is submerged in water) try to knock away any grit that may scratch paint. Then remove and squeeze out all excess water and Re-Dip into soapy Bucket
Sidenote: I do this so that grit doesnt get mixed with soapy solution and get caught in sponge and scratch paint.
Step 9 - Repeat until all parts of the car are soapy.
Step 10 - Thouroughly Rinse away Soap with hose
Step 11- Using the Aqua Dry Towel, Wipe over car's surface and repeatedly squueze out excess water.
STEPS 12 Might Only Apply to Black Lexus's
Step 12- After Wiping away water with Towel, on my car there are still water streaks, So Then i Quickly Follow this with a Microfiber towel to pick up the impurities in the water.
P.S Even Though step 12 seems easy to do here, its tedious as ****** (usually takes up to 40 minutes- just to dry a car!). I was hoping maybe someone has a better and more effiecent method for removing water spots on black cars!
So let me start the discussion,
Ingerdients:
-Water (from a regular hose)
-Meguiar's "Gold Class" Car Wash Soap
-2 Buckets
-VROOM Wheel Brush (shaped like a ***** - not literally)
-VROOM Microfiber Towels
-VROOM Car Wash Sponge
- Aqua Dry Towel
- 1-1.7 hours
STEPS YO:
Step 1- Water down whole car - get all nooks and crannies.
Step 2- Fill one bucket about half way and pour in desired amount of soap (usually 4 oz./ per gallon)
Step 3- Using the ***** Shaped Wheel Brush, Dip it in the soapy water and scrub away ALL loose Dirty and brake Dust around wheels (this includes ALL possible visible sides except for inside parts of the wheel) - Do all Wheels and wash away suds
SIDE NOTE: This only works well if you have loose brake dust build up or loose dirt. If not, Use a product that breaks these elements down.
Step 4- Rewash whole car (If slightly dried by the time u finish wheels)
Step 5- Fill 2nd bucket with water and Put 4oz. of Soap for each Gallon.
Step 6- throw out the dirty Wheel water from the 1st Bucket and thoroughly rinse the inside. After rinsing, fill with only fresh water (as fresh as it gets from a hose).
Step 7- Dip Sponge into Soapy Bucket and slap it onto the hood and spread it around the hood- i reccomend doing one whole panel at a time too ensure you get it all. (You may have your own preferred starting point).
Step 8- After soaping up your hood squueeze out all remaining water and soap somewhere and dip it into the fresh water bucket. using ur hands (while Sponge is submerged in water) try to knock away any grit that may scratch paint. Then remove and squeeze out all excess water and Re-Dip into soapy Bucket
Sidenote: I do this so that grit doesnt get mixed with soapy solution and get caught in sponge and scratch paint.
Step 9 - Repeat until all parts of the car are soapy.
Step 10 - Thouroughly Rinse away Soap with hose
Step 11- Using the Aqua Dry Towel, Wipe over car's surface and repeatedly squueze out excess water.
STEPS 12 Might Only Apply to Black Lexus's
Step 12- After Wiping away water with Towel, on my car there are still water streaks, So Then i Quickly Follow this with a Microfiber towel to pick up the impurities in the water.
P.S Even Though step 12 seems easy to do here, its tedious as ****** (usually takes up to 40 minutes- just to dry a car!). I was hoping maybe someone has a better and more effiecent method for removing water spots on black cars!
09-29-09, 01:51 PM
#22
Hmm, not to be critical but the methods you posted seem a bit flawed like some others are posting. Its a good start, but I would recommend that most people not follow it due to it not being finished in my eyes. Good try I guess :shrug:
btw, to help improve your method on dark cars assuming you don't have a CR Spotless, dry in the shade or drive it into your garage to dry. Also, make sure the temperature of the time you are washing is relatively cool. Dawn and dusk are the best times since you don't have the sun as much
btw, to help improve your method on dark cars assuming you don't have a CR Spotless, dry in the shade or drive it into your garage to dry. Also, make sure the temperature of the time you are washing is relatively cool. Dawn and dusk are the best times since you don't have the sun as much
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
lexusbexus
NX - 1st Gen (2015-2021)
19
09-01-22 01:46 AM
ArmyofOne
Automotive Care & Detailing
15
09-21-17 05:21 AM
