HOW TO WASH YOUR CAR AT HOME! WEST SEATTLE WA
How to Wash Your Car – “The Two Bucket Method”
Congratulations!
You made the decision to invest in easy upkeep of your vehicle by getting a ceramic coating applied by www.diamondfoxdetail.com. Now you’re probably asking “how do I take care of it?” No problem we have you covered. Even if you don’t know anything about car detailing at all!
Firstly , let’s start by the golden rule of waiting at least two weeks before washing your vehicle. The coating is still in its curing process at this time and we don’t want to compromise the integrity of all the hard work that went into the job.
You are going to notice that when you go to wash your car for the first time post-coating , it’s going to be easier than it ever has been to come clean. One of our favorite benefits to coated vehicles is that in itself. Its key to note that although these coatings are pretty amazing, they still need to be regularly maintained. Your coated car should be getting washed at minimum every three weeks. You will want to avoid any automatic car washes with spinning brushes. Touchless car washes are ok but note that cheap soaps used at the facilities can leave behind residues that may hold back your hydrophobic properties – the really cool beading water action.
For washing your car at home here are some tips.
Things you’ll want to have :
Soft microfiber towels (Kirkland signature yellows) or similar
Two- buckets. One of them filled with only water, and one with your soapy water
A PH-Balanced car wash soap. Griots brilliant finish or Carpro Reset are great options!
https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/brilliant+finish+car+wash+64+ounces.do
A quality soft vehicle drying towel. Autofiber brand has great options.
Amphibian XL – Microfiber Drying Towel (20 in. x 40 in., 1100gsm) – 1 pack
Some final wipe down towels
Good tunes make it fun! We recommend ACDC!
Now before we get started with the wash process, please hose down any excess dirt and mud from the car. Have your soap bucket mixed with the proper dilution for whatever product you are using as your wash. The reason we are using Ph-balanced is because they are gentle on your paint protection and will not leave residue behind, allowing your coating to perform its best. Do not wash in direct sunlight or when car is hot to the touch. Overcast days or in a shady area is ideal. Easy in West Seattle!
What we will do is start washing from top -to- bottom. We want to circle the perimeter of the top section (roof, side windows, windshield hood, rear glass, and deck lid area first). Continue on to doors, side panels, and front bumper. If the car is fairly dirty we usually save the very back end of the car for last. Between your upper and lower washing sections please wring out your wash towels in the non-soapy water-filled bucket. Re-dip back into your soap bucket and continue. The idea is that your wash towels are always staying as clean as possible during the car wash process. Rinse them out as often as you wish.
Always save the wheels for the very end of the car wash process. The wheels get all kinds of stuff on them that you don’t want to transfer over to your car paint. You will want to use separate towels or mitts for the wheels. Some people like to use a dedicated wheel bucket for this. In the end it is your car so that is entirely up to you! There are some cool wands you can use to get in behind the wheel faces that work really well if you like the barrels to be very clean as well. If the wheels have a ceramic coating on them refrain from using any harsh chemicals to clean them. You won’t need to.
Alright you are getting close to the end of the wash and it’s time to grab your drying towel. Do not use a bath towel . Everything that you use in this process you want SOFT. This is why I highly recommend investing in a drying towel by www.autofiber.com They really have some great stuff for proper vehicle care. Our goal is to perform a delicate process which will keep the vehicle from getting too many new scratches and swirls. This will also help you get the distance out of your ceramic coating or sealant. If you would like to add a little extra shine and protection at the end of your process you might try out IGL Enhancer. It acts also as a drying aid and is one of our favorite final wipe down products. You also can’t beat Eco-friendly. This is simple lightly misted across the painted panels and buffed dry with a soft towel. Eagle Edgeless brand makes an AMAZING final wipe down towel. We often convert these into drying towels after a few uses.
Overall this is a very easy process and you will get it down quickly! Having a ceramic coating on your car makes your life easy and prevents heavy contamination build-up from occurring. You’ll see over time how it’s a true money and time saver. If you really want to amp things up invest in a portable pressure washer and a foam cannon attachment. We did all the hard work in the ceramic coating process so that you can have fun maintaining your vehicle at home instead of it being a burden. If you notice that your paint is starting to feel a little bit rough during your wash process, it may be time for a ceramic coating maintenance in which a chemical decontamination treatment is used. Ceramic coatings are great but they will still need minimal maintenance every 6-12 months to keep it performing its best. This is also something you can do at home as part of your wash process and there will be a separate blog written about that.
Thank you for taking the time to read our blog and we hope that you find this useful in caring for your ceramic coated vehicle. For booking please submit a form at https://www.diamondfoxdetail.com/appointments .
We are located in West Seattle, WA and also offering mobile detail.
