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!

 

I love washing my car. I even enjoy washing other people's cars because when I'm finished they will look at it and just be like WOAH..it looks new..

Doing a good wash job is so important for both the paint as well as the soul i believe. nothing is better than finishing up and then going out for a drive knowing that the sun is blinding people off of your rims and your spotless all around...hmm i need to go outside! good luck with the thread!

 

Seriously check out ONR (Optimum No Rinse).

 

wash the car? you mean... with WATER???

btw: there is a detailing board here at CL...

 

pictures??

 

Have never washed my IS. Water is the enemy and ages the car.

 

Check the Detailing thread for lots of tip/pointers for washing black cars.

 

I have a great tip - leave California and the nasty tap water that leaves horrible spots on your car. I fought water spots for 24 years while I lived in Sacramento. I moved to Georgia. No more water spots. Amazing.

Save yourself a lot of time - get a leaf blower and blow dry your car.

Also - the detailing forum here has LOTS of great info on detailing your car.

 

+1 Agree spot free water makes the difference.

The truth is it's probably an age old secret. Here's how I wash my car.

First: I go to a car wash that has filtered spot free water, or just use a filter at home to do the job for me.

Second: One/Two buckets depending on how dirty the car is, using a sheep skin wool mitt, witch will be soon upgraded by a Boars Hair Brush.

Third: Gently wash it and then rinse it down with more filtered water, getting every single bit of soap off, high pressure too btw.

Fourth: Done, no drying it dries itself. One rule in keeping black paint swirl free, the less you touch it in any way to dry or wipe dust off the less it gets swirls so let it dry & come back later with an arsenal of Quick Detailers and QuikWax w.e. you prefer. It works and saves me a ton of time. I mean a ton!

 

ONR rulz

 

Leaf blower is great. First time I bought an air compressor just for drying cracks but then I bought leaf blower and it worked 1000% better.

 

I wash my car as little as possible. Unless extremely dirty I wash it maybe once every 3 months. I use Meguiar's detail spray and that will do the trick. When i do wash it I do not use any kind of soap as I think soap products are generally a rip off. To get deep down clean i use a clay bar after a wipe with just water. Save your money .. ditch the detergents and your car will love you for it

 

Another benefit to not washing is it helps preserve plastic and rubber trim. Less drying, cracking, fading, and aging.

Helpful tip #3: Don't forget to wipe off the wiper blades with a clean, damp rag. Pull them off the windshield and wipe the part of the blade that makes contact with the glass. Debris usually settles here and breaks down the rubber as it sits. This also prevents a line of gunk from building up on the glass where the blades are parked. This line of crap can make the blades stick to the glass and pull them apart when you first turn the wipers on. Doing this routine once or twice a week will extend the age of the blades by a few years.

 

CHEMICALS ARE YOU AFTERMARKET RIMS WORST ENEMY!!!! AND YOUR PAINT!!!

Soap and Water

 

http://www.detailedimage.com/

guides on how to wash, polish, wax, everything to your car professionally, also all the professional supplies u need to do it