RZ-1, I went down a similar rabbit hole a few years ago but it was with Esoteric Car Care. These guys work on lots of high-end vehicles and what they have learned from that business they pass on the knowledge through a ton of detailing videos on their YouTube channel.

What they state in their videos work better than anything I have learned since the 80's:
If you don't have one, get a small cheap Karcher pressure washer. Use the pressure washer to remove loose dirt/bugs before you wash to avoid scratching the paint.
Wash wheels (and tires) next and use something like Gyeon Wheel Cleaner to dissolve the brake dust.
On the body use a PH Neutral Car Wash like Gyeon Bathe applied with foam cannon or by bucket method. After foaming, use a soft Sponge like offered by Esoteric or a microfiber cloth.
Rinse with pressure washer and dry with a dryer or leaf blower.

If your budget allows, coat your paint and trim with a ceramic coating from Kamikaze. The vehicle will get less dirty and the power washer can knock off a large bit where hand washing has less debris to remove. I coated wheels with Rim Coat, body with Miyabi or ISM, and any PPF or vinyl wrap in Film coat. They advertise that it lasts 12-18 months but my experience is 2+ years and still beading and looking great.

YMMV

 

I've been going down the car wash rabbit hole and thought I would pass on what I've found. I will start with this: there is no one "right" way to wash a car, there are in fact many right ways, depending on personal preference, the area you live in, whether your car is parked inside or out, etc. I live in Southern California, park my cars outside and don't have a ton of time to wash cars. I would like to find some way to keep them clean properly that is relatively inexpensive and doesn't take all day. The options below seem to fit the bill.

Pan the Organizer has some good car wash videos. DIY Detailer seems like a good site; I got the impression they made the products for themselves and then decided to sell them, rather than the other way around. He also talks about not using much, which is counter-intuitive if you are trying to sell products.

Chemical Guys gets pooped on a lot, but I've used some of their stuff and it works fine. Mr. Pink got good reviews.

P&S, Meguiars, ONR, The Rag Company are all good brands from what I've read. You can't really go wrong with any quality product; just pick the one that smells the best!

TheRagCompany.com sells microfiber products, along with many chemicals and tools.

Seems tire dressing is not necessary, but go ahead and use it. Tire makers put compounds in the tires that add protection.

From my notes:
Option 1
-P&S Absolute ($17.95 1 qt. TRC), apply with sprayer, wipe with microfiber, then dry
-wheel cleaner (CG Diablo, $12) with brush ($12.95)
-clean inside with properly diluted ONR ($6.99)
-bucket with grit guard ($10) x2

Option 2
-prewash with Mr. Pink ($12.99), go over with ONR ($6.99), dry
-soft brush on wheels with cleaner (CG Diablo, $12) with brush ($12.95)
-clean windows
-clean inside with properly diluted ONR ($6.99)
-bucket with grit guard ($10) x2

Option 3: wash, clay, seal
(DIY Detailer)

-rinseless wash ($16.99) applied with sprayer
-use sponge Legacy $24.99) and rinseless wash from bucket
-use ceramic gloss spray ($19.99) and clay towel ($32.99)
-dry with drying towel (TRC "Gauntlet" $22.95)
-clean wheels with rinseless wash from bucket with dedicated towel (TRC "Gauntlet" 3-pack, $19.95)
-clean windows as usual
-bucket with grit guard ($10) x2

Option 4 (uses ONE bucket!)
-foam spray (Incredible Suds 16oz. $17.99) with foam cannon. Could probably use any foaming car wash.
-clean wheels same as above (CG Diablo, $12) with brush ($12.95)
-put foam soap in bucket
-rinse foam off car
-2nd foaming
-use mitt to wash foam off car, use soap in bucket

Optional added steps:
-leave some suds on as you use the mitt
-use DIY Detailer iron remover ($19.99) with clay towel one spray on towel and surface, suds act as lube
-rinse thoroughly with pressure washer
-apply DIY Detailer quick beads ($19.99) by spray, let sit, spray with water to distribute

-towel dry
-bucket with grit guard ($10)

Options 1, 2 and 4 are variations for a relatively clean car that is washed regularly. Option 3 was a more thorough wash. They all appear to take less than an hour. Option 4 is the least expensive. Pan the Organizer did a video on the one-bucket method and it looked like it would work for my situation.

I would be curious what @brianch thoughts are on any of this.

Hope that helps!

 

It is very important

 

My car isn't here yet. So my plan is to take the car to my detail place as soon as I get it and have them wetsand/full detail it before putting a clear paint protection on it. Is this worth it for a new car? I've just heard Subaru paint isn't great(this is my first Subie), and I want it to be tip top before the permanent paint protection goes on.

 

Hi all,
Any good tips for cleaning the top of the dash? Mine looks dusty all the time and it seems like a really sticky surface. I've tried microfiber towels with a light dusting spray.

 

Is there specific soaps to use on the BRZ's paint? Bought my car a week ago and have only washed it with water and dried it with a microfiber cloth because I was afraid the car soap in the garage would scratch the paint. Probably being paranoid but would like some advice before going all out on washing the car. Anyone in the Los Angeles/Long Beach region know of great detailing places?

 

I take my father’s approach to car washes… If you aren’t going to wash it yourself, the touch free car wash will NEVER clean your car as well has a cloth, “touch” wash.

It’s always cheaper to do it yourself!

 

How bad are cloth car washes? Don't have access to a hose very often and debating if the benefits of the car not getting filthy between when I can wash it myself and the possible harm from a non-touch free car wash.

 

I consider them washing your car with sandpaper.

 

Thanks! I haven't noticed any scratching from the quick detail but I'm not using it to remove heavy dirt, just dust. I will definitely try the optimum no rinse. Sounds like just the thing. It's nice to wipe it down at the end of the day.

 

I personally don't like wiping down with quick detailer. I feel like it scratches it no matter what. If you want something that has great lubrication and cleaning try Optimum NO Rinse as a on the spot cleaning solution.

 

Hey guys. My car is opti-coated. Is there specific care methods after opti coating? I also picked up a bottle of meguiar's ultimate quik detailer for after drive wipe downs with a carrand autospa soft touch detailing towel ( Carrand AutoSpa Soft Touch Detailing Towel | Product Details | Pep Boys ) for post drive wipe downs.
Thoughts and input much appreciated!

 

You can use dawn with the wash to break down the wax but I wouldn't use it to clay the paint or anything else.

One of my faves:
Dodo Juice Born Slippy Clay Lube Concentrate - 250 ml | Free Shipping Available - Detailed Image

I use this a lot:
NanoSkin Glide - 16 oz | Free Shipping Available - Detailed Image

This one is good to use as well. Feels like butter after:
https://www.detailersdomain.com/Adams-Clay-Bar-and-Detail-Spray_p_62.html

 

I believe the thought behind the Dawn w/warm water in a spray bottle was to have the Dawn help break down the wax.

Yeah, I'm going to stick to directions (clay lube / quick detailer).

Thanks for the tip about the Collinite. I'll look into it.

 

I was told to just use Dawn straight up with warm water. I don't know about mixing it into any car wash with lubricants.

I've read that some people just mix Dawn with warm water in a spray bottle and use that as a lubricant as they clay. I'm just going to stick to directions.

This might sound kind of silly, but does anyone ever clay the interior glass? I know you can clay and polish your exterior glass, but is there any value or worth to clay the glass inside the cabin?

 

Not sure about using Dawn as clay lubricant.. Sounds kind of ghetto. No point in claying interior glass. Just clean it.

 

Do you just use dawn? I was told that you should just add some dawn to your regular car wash soap.

As for the brake dust.. to be honest I haven't found any solution. Especially with german cars, they have aggressive brake compounds that dust like crazy. What you can TRY to do is apply some wax or sealant on the rims so that the brake dust doesn't stick onto the rim as easily. That way when you wash it, it is easier. I've even seen people apply Opti Coat on rims.

 

Wheel protector for/against brake dust.

My girlfriend has an Audi A4 with aluminum rims. Though they look nice after a proper cleaning/detail, they are immediately covered in brake dust after the first drive. Is there a product, perhaps a wheel wax or paste that prevents brake dust from settling on the rims, or are we just out of luck on this one?

 

Wash and decon them. Several detailers use Collinite 845 and then top it off with Collinite 476s.
http://www.detailersdomain.com/Collinite_c_143.html

yes, german brake dust is PITA

 

Instead of applying wax on top of wax, I'm going with complete wax removal:

1. Wash car with Dawn dish washing detergent (strongest kind they have)
2. Clay the car (Meguire's Clay Kit)
3. Wash car again with Dawn dish washing detergent
4. Reapply spray wax (Optimum Car Wax)

 

You can apply spray wax on top of spray wax.. I tried the Optimum Car Wax that someone recommended on here. Did some research and found it to be the highly recommended choice.

 

Can you put spray wax on top of spray wax, or do you need to remove it first?

 

Awesome Thread!

 

Very interesting...

 

I'm looking for a detailer in my area, as well as somebody who can install clear bra and opti coat. I live in Wichita, Kansas. Thanks for all the tips!

 

great info in here!

someone was asking about quick detailer vs spray wax. I use quick detailer for removing dust or light water spots within like 48 hours of a wash (with plenty of plush microfiber towels). You can use quick detailer as a drying aid during the wash process (to provide some lube for your drying towel), as well as lubricant while using a clay bar. Quick detailer is really just for looks though. To add gloss. No real lasting protection from the elements

Spray wax is not really for removing dust / fingerprints but I guess you could. I use spray wax as a drying aid, or as a wax booster following a wash. Meaning I'll already have wax / sealant on the car and the spray wax is just topping it. To add both shine, and protection

Honestly, I don't use QD all that much (even optimum no rinse for clay lube) but I do use spray wax quite a bit. Lots to choose from on the market also. I get the meguiars spray wax by the gallon, and use it for routine washes, as well as in door jambs, and on wheels. super easy to work with and looks great



Couple quick tips I could add:

-If doing a quick cleanup on your wheels, try sprayway foaming glass cleaner with an old towel. I like this same product for interior glass (and its ammonia free / tint safe)

-recommend a small leaf blower for drying the car and pushing water out of cracks / crevices (use the blower only for drying cars - not yard work)

-for your final rinse, remove the hose nozzle so you get a stream of free flowing water. This will help the water to sheet off of the paint, leaving less to dry. I keep a shut off valve on the end of my hose just for this reason


I'll add more if I think of anything that isn't already mentioned in the thread!

 

Yea now that it's a sticky I'll try to keep it updated with other stuff I can think of..

 

awesome I'm mentioned in a sticky