Misc. Honda/Acura: Car Washing Tips
 

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Thanks www.accordracing.com for the DIY :)
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Tools needed
- Bucket
- Soap
- Sponge


- Let your car cool off before washing, especially the hood. Wash your car in the shade. Dry it before it water spots.


- Wash your car with a car wash concentrate used according to label directions. Start at the roof, then do the hood and trunk. Do the sides, then the bumper covers. Finally, grab a different rag and do the bottom edges, wheel wells, exhaust tip, and wheels. Do not use this rag in the future except on the bottom edges, wheel wells, wheels, etc.


- Don't wash your car with dishwashing detergent. Harsh detergents remove waxes and polishes. (Exception: Use Dawn or a similar liquid if you WANT to strip the wax so you can start your protection program over. Actually this is not a bad idea every year or two.)


- Don't use nozzles or otherwise increase the pressure of the water stream from your wash hose, especially when rinsing. Just let the water flow out. The water will sheet off the car better leaving behind fewer water beads. This will make drying your car a lot easier. This technique also seems provide a faster and more complete rinse.


- Be careful what you use on your tires, if anything. Many products will cause your tires to turn brown faster or to deteriorate prematurely. Meguair's has a new gel product that has received good reviews for avoiding these problems. Also, because it is a gel, you won't have to worry about overspray on your wheels and fenders.


- You can (and should) wax your car when it is brand new. The paint is baked at high temperature by the factory and is fully cured by the time the car leaves the assembly plant. Unlike the old days, you don't have to wait three months, unless you are waxing over a non-factory paint job.


- Don't apply wax over surface problems like water spots, metallic micro dust, tree sap mist, etc. You will only lock these imperfections in until you strip off all the wax at some point in the future.


- Wax and polish are NOT the same things. See some of the resources below for details.

- NEVER rub a dirty car or use a rag you have dropped on the ground, ever, ever - unless you LIKE scratches. Some people say, if you drop a rag on the ground you should throw it away or put it in the oil change rag bin.


- Use CLEAN, lightly moistened sponges to apply waxes and polishes unless the product directions specify otherwise. Use a big sponge mitt made for the purpose to wash your car.


- Use ONLY white 100% cotton brand name towels that are made in the USA to dry your car and to wipe off polishes and waxes (unless you are using an orbital buffer.) Wash these towels at least twice before you use them the first time and (once) again after EVERY use. Use a LIQUID detergent and DO NOT use fabric softener to wash the towels. Trust me. It only costs a few bucks to do this and it will be more than worth it. All the detailing and product web sites recommend towels. Zaino does a good job of explaining why. They are fanatics on the subject and have me convinced.


- If you want to find out how clean your finish REALLY is, get a jewelers loop or other magnifier for a closer look. Then rub your clean dry hand over the surface. You may be surprised.


- Read product directions, even if you don't follow them. You will save yourself a lot of time and trouble.

i like to use 2 buckets: one for the soapy water, one with clear water. i rinse off my sponge or mitt in the clear water after a few wipes. then i resoap my mitt. it keeps alot of dirt out of the soapy water, which can scratch your car

That's a good idea, I had never thought of that before. I'll try that :thumbup:

I'm definetly going to strip my wax off this spring when it gets warm...I have alot of metallic specks trapped on my hood. I always thought I wouldn't be able to get them out :)

how do u strip the wax?

Dish washing detergent - something harsh like dawn should do the trick. Just make sure you put on 1 or 2 GOOD coats of wax on immediately after you do this, as you don't want your car susceptible to environmental factors - air pollution, UV rays, etc. I would also suggest buying a clay bar and using it on the paint while the wax is stripped off to remove all the shit you don't want on your car, like tar or metallic specks.

CLAY BARS can work too

Yes, read my post above yours.

one day i wanted the best clean possible so i went to canadian tire and bough some nice cotton washing mits that go on your hands, proffessional drying cloths-that will not scratch your paint and for soap, i bough some rain-x wash and shine. It seems to work really well. I dont wax my car cause in toronto during the winter there is an endless amount of salt dumped on the roap but the raninx works well.

Nah those mits stuff are a pain you'll be sore the next day. Spend $20.00 on a Buffer it will make your job faster and easier and the outcome will be better. Doing a wax by hand is so labor intensive.

If you don't use a buffer PERFECTLY, you'll mess up your paint by creating swirl marks. Manual labor ownz and it turns out better if you have some biceps :fawk: