How To Save Car Wash Soap

[speed3blackmica]

Well guys...i just thought that i would share a little trick that i use to save my amount of car wash soap...money is a big thing these days. I own a 2009 Mazdaspeed 3...Fairly big car, a little on the tall side than a normal car...its a full size 4 door hatchback..theres a lot of paint to wash. not as much as a pickup truck but you get my point...anyway i wash my car with two 5 gallon buckets and a grit gaurd..i usually use gold class or NXT but my point is, i use it 1 oz to 1 gallon of water...so let me ask..who's done this ?....You fill your bucket up to about 4-4.5 gallon and add about 4.-4.5 onces of soap..wash your car...and then end up dumping the rest out cause you washed your whole car and you still had soap left...i'm sure a lot of people have done that before...well i have come to realize that when i wash my car..i usually only use 3 gallons of water (i have my bucket marked where 3 gallons is)...is use 3 ounces of soap and when im done, i always have a gallon of soapy water left...i only one car and i am not a detailer..so i end up dumping the last bit of soapy water away so i can clean my buckets and store them away...so my trick is...find out how many gallons of water you use to wash your whole car and only fill up your bucket to that much...from now i on i fill up 2 gallons of water..add 2 ounces of soap and im good for the whole entire car..in my case, i use the 64 oz gold class...at 2 ounces each car wash..thats 32 washes..if your using 3 onches..thats 21 washes..if your use 4 oncues..thats 16 washes...so in my case...to get an extra 11 washes is saving a lot of money going from 3 oncues to 2 ounces...i hope this doesnt sound too confusing im trying to make it as simple as i can...i guess this really only applies to consumers who wash their own cars...detailers i;m sure you guys save whats left for the next car...then again, i am not a detialer so i really dont know..but i hope this saves people some money

[CieraSL]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

Great tip!

[speed3blackmica]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

no problem..it really saves so much product

[Michael Stoops]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

That's a great way to evaluate how much product you really need to get the job done. It's very refreshing to hear that you're using the exact right amount of product per gallon of water, but to then tailor your water needs to your specific needs is a terrific idea!

[xantonin]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

I have difficulty with the 5 gallon buckets only filling them to 2 gallons. The grit guard seems to take up a gallon just sitting there, so it doesn't feel like much space.. I think I'll actually measure out a gallon next time I fill

[speed3blackmica]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

That's a great way to evaluate how much product you really need to get the job done. It's very refreshing to hear that you're using the exact right amount of product per gallon of water, but to then tailor your water needs to your specific needs is a terrific idea!

thanks michael...the way it all started was when i would wash my car...i would use 3 gallons of water..and when i was done, and when i say done, i mean a very good and thorough wash..id always have a good amount of soapy water left..looked to be about a gallon..in those 5 gallon buckets, 3-4 inches seems to be about a gallon..not exactly sure i dont exactly measure it lol. and of course i would dump the rest away because i have to clean my buckets out and store them away..so thats 1 ounce of soap you throw away..1 ounce of soap might not be a lot for most people to complain about..but it adds up !! you throw your money away. so i realized wow i use 2 gallons of water...i dont know why people fill the buckets up to 4.5 gallons, add 4.5 ounces of soap and dont use it all ! its a waste. so i fill up 2 gallons, add 2 ounces of soap, and i use it all up...when im done i have like a cup full of soapy water left..im never left without enough and im never left with too much left to throw away..it can really save some ppl a lot of money..i mean 11 more washes for me is another 2-3 months i dont have to go back to the store to get more soap..thats a big save !

I have difficulty with the 5 gallon buckets only filling them to 2 gallons. The grit guard seems to take up a gallon just sitting there, so it doesn't feel like much space.. I think I'll actually measure out a gallon next time I fill

this is what you have to do..put your grit gaurd in the bucket...take an empty and clean milk gallon bottle...fill it up with water..dump it into your bucket...keep doing that until you fill up to how many gallons you want...then mark where the water level is at with a peice of tape and then thats how you will know when it is 2 gallons with the grit gaurd.

[xantonin]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

this is what you have to do..put your grit gaurd in the bucket...take an empty and clean milk gallon bottle...fill it up with water..dump it into your bucket...keep doing that until you fill up to how many gallons you want...then mark where the water level is at with a peice of tape and then thats how you will know when it is 2 gallons with the grit gaurd.

That's a good idea. I sometimes buy distilled water from wal-mart for mixing with Last Touch and diluting other things (the water here is very hard). I think I'll use that jug to measure the water in the bucket and mark it off with a sharpie.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

Great tip, thanks for sharing.

[Innovative Detailing]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

detailers i;m sure you guys save whats left for the next car...then again, i am not a detialer so i really dont know..but i hope this saves people some money

As a professional detailer I would never ever save my left overs from one customer to use on the next. Each vehicle has its own degree of contaminants, therefore the water becomes dirty and non reusable. I can rest assure this way that I do not cross contaminate or scratch the next customers vehicle and provide the best wash possible.

[tcope1]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

I'd think even with the two bucket method that you'd want some excess wash water left as there is always going to be some degree of dirt that makes it way into the wash water. As such, diluting it is going to be a good thing.

When I'm done with the water I always pour it out in some plants or my lawn. That way its not wasted down the drain.

[Murr1525]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

Even if you do not save left-over soapy water, having as little left-over as possible is a good thing.

That is also a bit of a convenience with a foam gun, since the water never got dirty, you can just leave it in the container until next time.

[saturn2]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

Good idea, But I have been saving my soapy water after the two bucket wash and putting in a third bucket so I can use it for the wheels next week.

[speed3blackmica]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

As a professional detailer I would never ever save my left overs from one customer to use on the next. Each vehicle has its own degree of contaminants, therefore the water becomes dirty and non reusable. I can rest assure this way that I do not cross contaminate or scratch the next customers vehicle and provide the best wash possible.

I figured that, but i as i said i am not a pro detailer so i really don't know how pro's work. i think its great that you do not cross contaminate with people's vehicles..keep up the quality work.

Good idea, But I have been saving my soapy water after the two bucket wash and putting in a third bucket so I can use it for the wheels next week.

thats a great idea if you like to use your car wash soap for your wheels..i use a special wheel cleaner since i have big brakes and the brake dust can get massively caked onto the wheels..i usually need something stronger then just car wash..but thats another great tip !

[ziggo99]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

I've been doing this all summer. I found a bucket with the quart marks on the inside, converted gallons to quarts, and then added soap from there. 2 gallons is all I use.

[speed3blackmica]

Re: How To Save Car Wash Soap

I've been doing this all summer. I found a bucket with the quart marks on the inside, converted gallons to quarts, and then added soap from there. 2 gallons is all I use.

lol really ? lucky..i just picked up my buckets from lowes..they were 2 books...i wish it had the marks ! lol i made my own so its all good..its not hard cause all you have to do is fill up empty 1 gallon milk jugs and keep adding till you reached how many gallons you'd like...nice to see your like me