Order within the wash stage

[chet31]

Re: Order within the wash stage

Good thread, like to see the tips. I have very hard water so I can't do the whole car at once (when it's warm). I wash the car in four sections. Hood & two front fenders, rinse, dry. Then a side. Then trunk and two rear quarter-panels. Then the other side. This way I can work at a more relaxed pace. The bigger the hurry I'm in, the more I tend to swirl.

[Murr1525]

Re: Order within the wash stage

You guys that wash the wheels / wheel wells first - how do you deal with the dirty water contaminating the "clean" parts of the car and/or possibly marring the paint?

I personally find it more logical to leave the dirtiest areas till last and work from the top down.

Washing the paint after doesnt seem to leave anything on the wheels as the water/suds is rinsed off.

But can be done either way.

[roushstage2]

Re: Order within the wash stage

You guys that wash the wheels / wheel wells first - how do you deal with the dirty water contaminating the "clean" parts of the car and/or possibly marring the paint?

I personally find it more logical to leave the dirtiest areas till last and work from the top down.

Use a separate bucket and wash tools?

I'd rather try and keep four wheels wet while washing, which really isn't that hard since the water from washing the car does that, instead of trying to keep the entire car wet while washing the wheels, tires and wheel wells.

[Tuck91]

Re: Order within the wash stage

I have spent anywhere from 30 minutes up to several hours cleaning wheels, tires, wheel wells, and other areas under or at the bottom of the vehicle.

Washing the body of the vehicle first would never work for me.

Yes, you use more soap doing it this way but I would rather have the vehicle prepped the way I want it than save a couple oz of wash solution.

[roushstage2]

Re: Order within the wash stage

I do end up spending quite a bit more time that I ever think or plan to cleaning them...good point.

[davey g-force]

Re: Order within the wash stage

Use a separate bucket and wash tools?

Fair point. I use the 2BM but only one set of buckets/mitt. Then I switch to a dedicated wheel mitt for doing the wheels and lower sections.

I'd rather try and keep four wheels wet while washing, which really isn't that hard since the water from washing the car does that, instead of trying to keep the entire car wet while washing the wheels, tires and wheel wells.

Washing the wheels etc only takes me about 5-10 min so I don't find this an issue.

...Whatever works for you I guess!

[BobbyG]

Re: Order within the wash stage

Doing my first detail...have the overall order(wash, clay, clean, optional polish, wax), but within the wash stage what order do I follow for glass, tires and wheels, interior, trim, exterior, so on.
Also, what product do i use for front grill(this is the black grill, Mazda3-2010), and on the part of the interior console that has that brushed aluminum look(don't know actual material).
Thanks in advance for any advice.

1. I do the complete interior first, windows and all. By doing this first, the doors are now shut and it's isolated from the rest of the work, sort of sealed off.
2. Wash wheels, tires, and wheel wells
3. Wash the exterior of the car
4. Optional Polish
5. Clean Glass
6. Apply Trim Protectant
7. Apply wheel wax if applicable
8. Tire treatment
9. Wax
10. Inspect

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Order within the wash stage

Speaking strictly from a personal standpoint, I generally do the following:

• Spray appropriate wheel cleaner on the wheels, then Super Degreaser on the tires and wheel wells. I then agitate the wheels with a wheel brush/spoke brush as needed, then scrub the tire sidewalls with a stiff tire brush, then quickly go over the wheel well liners with a toilet brush (great fit between the tires and arches, even on lowered vehicles). Then I rinse everything thoroughly with the hose, including the various brushes, and move on to the next wheel. I don't use a bucket at all for this cleaning stage.
• When all 4 wheels are done I hose down the car with a firm stream through the nozzle on the hose, fill a bucket with rinse water, then attach my foam gun and foam the whole car.
• Start by running the mitt over the roof and glass, then rinse the car off and rinse the mitt in the bucket.
• Hood and front of car next, trunk/hatch and back of car after that, rinsing car and mitt as I go.
• Foam one side of the car and go over it with the mitt, staying away from the rocker panels for now. Rinse mitt often while working on one side of car, rinse side of car when done with it.
• Foam other side, as above.
• Go back with a soapy mitt and wipe down the rocker panels, lower part of front fascia, etc. This is the last time the mitt touches the car before being thrown in the laundry.
• Final rinse with nozzle off the hose to sheet water off as much as possible.
• Spray a panel with UQW and dry with a Water Magnet, starting from the top and working down and around the vehicle.
• Open doors, trunk, hood and dry as needed.
• Dry wheels with a dedicated drying towel used only on wheels.
• Utilize wet/dry shop vac to draw water out of those crazy places it likes to hide. I do this while drying around trim, side marker lights, under the hood, door jambs, anywhere I know water hides in the particular vehicle I'm dealing with (I know my own cars like the back of my hand in this regard!!!)
  • A side note here - I've tried a leaf blower and find it very frustrating since all it does is blow water around and leave little trails of hard water spots. Yes, they wipe off easily enough, but using the shop vac avoids this completely.
  
  
• Dress the tires and wheel wells.
• Clean the inside glass
• QID the dash, door panels, etc - follow with Natural Shine as needed
• M40 rubber weather seals
• Vacuum carpets
• Dress all leather except driver's seat - that's done after pulling the car back in the garage.
• Give the tires a final wipe down (unless I'm using our new trigger spray Endurance - which I have been for the past few months - because there is no excess to wipe off. It's just dry. )

A couple of exceptions/alterations to the above:

• If the car is really dirty, like after being driven in the rain, I'll rinse the mitt more frequently. But here in SoCal where it just doesn't rain much, my cars don't get what most of you would call "dirty". Certainly nothing like driving on salted roads in Michigan like I did before moving to California.

• If the car is due a fresh coat of wax, I'll skip the UQW while drying, then pull the car in the garage and apply the wax. While the wax is drying I'll do all the other things mentioned - tires, wells, interior, etc. When all of that is done I put everything away and then wipe the wax off.

[TrazeMaz]

Re: Order within the wash stage

Bookmark! Thanks, Michael...and everyone!