Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

[jsfofec]

Re: Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

It also takes me about 3 hours, sometimes almost 4 hours to wash the car. I have also been thinking why it takes so long. Last week I timed how long each part took:

Wash Wheel Wells, Tires, Wheels: 35 minutes
Wash (dual buckets, grit guard) and dry: 1 hour
Dry door jams, under the hood, trunk: 35 minutes
Dress Tires, wheel wells: 15 minutes
NXT Speed detailer: 25 minutes
Exterior Trim: 20 minutes

It's amazing how the time adds up. If I do the interior, it's much longer.

[hammer55]

Re: Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

I agree with the above statements about the time required to wash my car. It takes me about 2 - 3 hours to wash my Thunderbird, and ironically the same amount of time to wash the Explorer. However, I really get down and dirty with the 'Bird, for obvious reasons... It's my toy!
As expressed above, I enjoy it. It's my time to think, my own little get away.
I did read about a little tip to speed up drying which I found works very well.
After the final rinse, I take the sprayer off the hose and douse the car with the hose. It does making drying quicker. But nothing can make the task of getting into the front grill and individually drying each opening, any faster.
Yes, it drives my wife crazy sometimes, and the neighbors look at me funny on occasion, with the "You're going to wipe the paint off that car!" nonsense, but hey, it's the way I feel after it's all done. I love it!

takes me about the same time to there, my black bird, hammer55

[Prairie360]

Re: Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

takes me about the same time to there, my black bird, hammer55

Hey brotha Hammer... Thanks for turning me on to this site! I've learned allot and as you can see from some of the above comments, people here are just as nice as on our TBT site!

I was impressed by your detailing pictures. You did a fantastic job on your 'Bird.

[hammer55]

Re: Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

Hey brotha Hammer... Thanks for turning me on to this site! I've learned allot and as you can see from some of the above comments, people here are just as nice as on our TBT site!

I was impressed by your detailing pictures. You did a fantastic job on your 'Bird.

still a work in progress, but thanks, these guys are really helpful, and there is alot of info here about keeping the finish cleaned and polished and waxed, tune into car crazy too up on the right of the screen, love all this knowledge

[RamAirV1]

Re: Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

The California GT model with all the goodies. They have a Shelby at the dealer I bought mine from, but I'm sorry, I refuse to pay $76000 for it.
I'd personally rather have a Corvette Z06 for that kind of money.

Now that's a greedy dealer! I've never seen a markup that high!

No matter how tired I am, I always manage to have enough energy to wash and detail the Goat.

I'm not surprised it takes you as long, or longer to wash the T-bird. With the grille, etc. it takes a lot longer to dry! Those nooks and crannies take a long time get at with a towel. The non-enthusiasts don't understand that!


RamAirV1

[Tillmanator]

Re: Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

The California GT model with all the goodies. They have a Shelby at the dealer I bought mine from, but I'm sorry, I refuse to pay $76000 for it.
I'd personally rather have a Corvette Z06 for that kind of money.

I HAVE to see this when you get in Jan. Which blue is it? Sonic blue or Windviel blue? What color interior?

There was a yellow Shelby Cobra at my dealership also. Wanted over $70,000 for it. Apparently someone didn't mind cause it was already sold. (Not that I was going to buy it....LOL)

Your gallery is great. I decided to put one up also. Check it out if you have time. I put you on my buddy list, too.

[Jeepster04]

Re: Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

It also takes me about 3 hours, sometimes almost 4 hours to wash the car. I have also been thinking why it takes so long. Last week I timed how long each part took:

Wash Wheel Wells, Tires, Wheels: 35 minutes
Wash (dual buckets, grit guard) and dry: 1 hour
Dry door jams, under the hood, trunk: 35 minutes
Dress Tires, wheel wells: 15 minutes
NXT Speed detailer: 25 minutes
Exterior Trim: 20 minutes

It's amazing how the time adds up. If I do the interior, it's much longer.

Gosh, I do not see how you could spend 35min on the wheels and fender wheels?35min on the door jams? Do you take the doors off and clean the inside of them?

If I had to guess, mine would be like this:

Wash body: 30-45min
wheels+fender wheels(30in Yoko A/T's on 16in Crager Steels):15min
Wash door Jams, including the rear swing out gate: 15min
hitch:2min
Gas tank skid plate: 2min
Dry:25-30min

Thats around 1.5hours..

[repo]

Re: Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

28 minuites is my going rate of time at work for a wash

Rinse the whole car with a pressure washer
-Clean/Dress the engine
-Clean the tires/wheel wells with a non-acidic cleaner and a degreaser
-Pressure wash the door jams
-Spray the car with a foam gun
-Scrub the car with a mit and 2 buckets (one with hot water, to clean the mit, and one with cold soap water)
-Rinse the car off with a pressure washer
-Dry the body and door jams
-Forced air for the craks and trim
-Dress the tires and wheel wells
-Wipe the car down with a quick detailer


The trick to doing it with speed is to have everything ready. Have all of your chemical bottles topped off and ready to roll before you wash your car. Have your chamois clean, a water blade, and microfibers on hand. An air compressor will save tons of time and you can do a way better job. The other thing is let the water work for you, water is increadibly sticky to anything including it's self. When you rinse a car off rinse it in the direction so the water is going down. Also if the glass is kept clean and hit with a pressure washer you can clean them while they are still wet with only a microfiber rag.

Let the chemicals do the work for you.
While a chemical is working dont stand there and watch keep working.

[davera]

Re: Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

I'm still new to the detailing thing but there's more than one level of wash that I use so far depending on time available and amount of dirt on the car.

1. Short time, weekly or so rinse and "brush on a stick" and dry, nothing special for the wheels and tires and nothing more than picking up stuff in the interior. Keep the brush well rinsed out with the hose.
2. Medium time, the next level up is two buckets and closer attention with a wash mitt, still not a lot of attention on the wheels and tires, just brush/wipe them clean, the interior might get a wipedown. Maybe a once over with the Speed Detail as a finishing touch.
3. "A few relaxing hours", a level 2 wash, wax if needed, otherwise Speed Detail, tire treatments and closer attention to cleaning the wheels - vacuum the interior, clean out any trash, dress the vinyl etc. full attention to the windows and more attention to areas I've been reading about in this forum (who knew all the places to clean )

P.S. Since I recently came to waxing my wheels, and had the chance to use the spare on my 4Runner this weekend, I made sure to wax the spare wheel and dress the tire a little before putting it back into place.

[RamAirV1]

Re: Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

-Wipe the car down with a quick detailer

The trick to doing it with speed is to have everything ready. Have all of your chemical bottles topped off and ready to roll before you wash your car. Have your chamois clean, a water blade, and microfibers on hand. An air compressor will save tons of time and you can do a way better job. The other thing is let the water work for you, water is increadibly sticky to anything including it's self. When you rinse a car off rinse it in the direction so the water is going down. Also if the glass is kept clean and hit with a pressure washer you can clean them while they are still wet with only a microfiber rag.

Let the chemicals do the work for you.
While a chemical is working dont stand there and watch keep working.

The air compressor is an interesting idea. I may want to try that. Will it stop the drip..........drip........drip from the bumpers grille and door jambs? That has always been an aggravation for me.

I tried a leaf blower to dry off my TA one time and it was disasterous! The paint dried too quickly and I had severe water spots in a few places.
However, I can see the value in using an air compressor for body seams, bumpers, etc. Is there any particular kind of compressor/attachment system especially well-suited for this?

RamAirV1

[repo]

Re: Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

It will stop dripping, it will force air out from behind trim, wheels, doors, wheel wells, caprets, you name it. All you need is a blow gun attachment.



You have to be careful with it though (it will blow the paint off a car if you hit a bad, just scoot it back on sharp edges if you see any scratches or chips) I have personally never blown any paint off a car with a blow gun, but one of my co-workers has.

[STG]

Re: Tips, tricks, and tools to make washing faster

Well, this clown spams in the middle of threads, too!