Advice for car washing from A-Z

[keb239]

Hey everyone. I love having a clean truck, however, I love the way a clean black truck looks. I found out that can be tricky.

A couple things that make keeping my truck as clean as I want it difficult are WATER SPOTS, living in El Paso (dry, dusty, etc), and my lack of knowledge of what really works.

I own a 2011 black Chevrolet Silverado.

Here are some questions that I would love some advice on:

1 - What is the best time of day to wash a vehicle when no overhead cover is available?

2 - Does water temperature really matter?

3- What is the best soap to use? (I know dish soap is a no go)

4 - What type of brush should I use to wash the vehicle so there will be no clear coat or paint damage? (keep in mind I have a full size truck so I need something that reaches)

5 - What is the best technique, in my situation, to dry my vehicle in order for there to be NO WATER SPOTS?

I currently use Meguiars car wash and Meguiars HOT SHINE tire cleaner.

Any answers would be very helpful. Thanks a lot!

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Advice for car washing from A-Z

1 - What is the best time of day to wash a vehicle when no overhead cover is available? I prefer late afternoon/early evening. The sun is going down and you won't be racing the sun to finish washing and drying your vehicle. Hopefully you have some outdoor lighting

2 - Does water temperature really matter? Not really, at least not in my experience. Avoid using hot water, but warm, room temp, or cold shouldn't make that much of a difference.

3- What is the best soap to use? (I know dish soap is a no go) Any car wash is formulated to give you best results. I prefer Meguiars Gold Class, but just about any OTC car wash product will be fine. Follow the ratio directions on the bottle. Suds are not important.

4 - What type of brush should I use to wash the vehicle so there will be no clear coat or paint damage? (keep in mind I have a full size truck so I need something that reaches) Brushes are not advised, but if you must use one, try to find either a microfiber brush or a boars hair brush (very expensive option, but many swear by them). Usually you can only find boars hair brushes online from auto detail sites such as autodetailingsolutions.net or detailing.com. Since you plan to use a handled brush for the top of your truck, buy a pool noodle and cut it to size to encase the handle. This will prevent the metal or wood handle from scratching your paint.

5 - What is the best technique, in my situation, to dry my vehicle in order for there to be NO WATER SPOTS? Flood rinse your car. Seriously, flood rinsing has the counter-intuitive action of sheeting excess water from your paint. Use waffle weave microfiber towels folded into quarters to blot dry your paint. Clean up any residual water spotting with a detailing spray and a microfiber towel. For the best advice opn how to wash your car, take time to watch Mike Phillip's How to Wash Your Car Show Car Style video

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Advice for car washing from A-Z

See also Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle - Updated!

Good stuff!

[wifpd4]

Re: Advice for car washing from A-Z

I use a variety of brushes on wheels and wheel wells, but not on paint. I do them first, too. Spray them with all purpose cleaner or use a dedicated wheel/rim cleaner and then scrub using an automotive soap. Rinse thoroughly and then start top down washing the vehicle, often using a foam gun.