Measuring Car Wash Solution - The Dixie Cup Method

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Measuring Car Wash Solution - The Dixie Cup Method

When it comes to washing a car, I know most people don't measure their car wash solution because they don't have a system in place to measure the car wash solution accurately for the size of bucket they use and the amount of water they place in the bucket.

So what most people do is fill their bucket with water and then remove the lid from their car wash solution and start pouring car wash into their bucket of water, like this,

Glug, glug, glug...

Their system relies on the Guesstimation Technique.

Am I right?

Solution
Here's a simple, bubba-proof method of measuring your car wash solution to water ratio using inexpensive items you probably already have around the house.

First, you need a bucket, most serious enthusiasts I know use a 5-gallon bucket for their car wash solution with anywhere from 4 gallons to 5 gallons of water in the bucket. A 5-gallon bucket provides plenty of soapy water for just about anything you're going to wash plus plenty of vertical room to dip your mitt or brush into so that any dirt or abrasive particles can be removed by swishing your car wash mitt around in the water.

Next, you need to read the directions for the car wash solution you use and find out what the manufacture recommends for product usage. In this example, we're using Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash and Shampoo and according to the back label, they recommend using,

1 ounce of car wash solution per gallon of water

One ounce per gallon means if you're going to fill a 5-Gallon bucket with approximately 4.5 gallons of water then you're going to add 4.5 ounces of car wash for the correct dilution ratio.


The Dixie Cup Method
I'm a "Systems Guy", that is I want a methodical system that takes all the thinking out of a process that I'm likely going to repeat over and over again over a long period of time, like washing my car. It also has be quick and easy and as much as possible Bubba-Proof. This is where I came up with the Dixie Cup Method.

It's pretty simple really and you can substitute anything you like for the Dixie Cup, even a measuring cup. The trick to why this method works is because you have a container visually pre-marked as to how much car wash solution to pour out of the car wash bottle or jug so you get the correct soap to water solution without having to guess or invest any time measuring the solution with some other method.


How it works
Take an ordinary kitchen measuring cup and pour into it the correct amount of water for the correct amount of soap-to-water-ratio you want to use. In my case, I'll pour 4.5 onces of water into the Dixie Cup. Mark the inside of the cup in a couple of places where the water level filled to, and then pour the water out and finish drawing a line around the inside of the cup to match the marks I made.


Now I can simply pour the car wash solution to the marked line inside the cup and have exactly the amount of car wash solution I need for the volume of water placed in the bucket without ever having to think about it.

It's accurate, simple, quick and easy and in fact, bubba-proof, and I always have the correct dilution level of soap to water.

Next, simply pour the car wash solution to the water...

Because car wash solutions like the Gold Class Car Wash and Shampoo are very thick in their consistency, in order to remove all of the car wash out of the cup and into your bucket of water so as not to waste any car wash and to leave your Dixie cup rinsed clean and ready to put away, dip the Dixie cup into the bucket of water,

Then after swishing it around, pour the water/soap solution back into the bucket...

When you're through, you can store the Dixie cup and use it again the next time you wash your car.

I store my Dixie cup upside down over the top of a jug of car wash to help prevent dirt from accumulating in the cup. Just to note, I do rinse the cup out before using it again for future washings. You can never be too careful.

Always work clean.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

***Bump***


This is an oldy and a goldy...

Forum member BrightonRT aka Bob referenced this tip in his post here...



http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-university/53504-coaad-what-lies-beneath.html

 

[BWG707]

I use the same idea only instead of the Dixie cup I use the smaller measuring cups off laundry detergent jugs. I can easily use my fingers to wipe out the residual shampoo in the bottom of the measuring cup.

 

[maxniman]

I use a Purdue shot glass a coworker gave me:xyxthumbs:

 

[shoeless89]

I used this method for a while after reading one of your posts that mentioned it! Works great! Now I use the 3 oz. Measuring Cups just to cut down on space

 

[FlawlessJ]

Great tip as always!

 

[Alvin]

Mike seen you do that, in an old video when you washed a mini cooper in your driveway. The Dixie cups are nice, but could seem to keep one around, so I just went to the dollar store and got a cheap measuring cup. Now I lock it in my tool box.

 

[VISITOR]

I use the same idea only instead of the Dixie cup I use the smaller measuring cups off laundry detergent jugs. I can easily use my fingers to wipe out the residual shampoo in the bottom of the measuring cup.

been doing this for years as well. the lines on the clear laundry measuring cups makes it easy to measure how much car soap is needed and the plastic is durable where you can use it for years...

 

[drbobbybones]

I use a baby bottle. The Medela ones are the best because they are basically small graduated cylinders. If you are able to sneak one out of your wife's breast pump bag, you're golden.

 

[umi000]

I just use medicinal measuring cups - I can find them cheap in most drugstores, at least over here.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike seen you do that, in an old video when you washed a mini cooper in your driveway.

Yep, that was the,

How to Wash Your Car (ShowCar style!)

On YouTube I shot in 2006 with Richard Lin, the point of that video was to really show people how to,

1. Start with the wheels and tires first and then start at the top and work your way down
2. Don't scrub your car's paint when you wash your car.

Fast forward 6 years and I'm still teaching and using those techniques today, heck even wrote an article about it recently here,

How to wash your car KISS style!

The Dixie cups are nice,

The bigger picture for this article was to find a way to measure your car wash soap that you can duplicate "easily" every time you wash your car instead of using the Glug-Glug Method.

The approach outlined in this article works no matter what type of measuring cup you use, I just seem to always have a traditional Dixie cup around the house leftover from family gatherings, birthdays and holidays.

In the end,

"Find something you like and use it often"

 

[tonysteve]

I picked up a hanful of the plastic shot glasses at my liquor store. 1.5 ounces and they are $.59. I get a few different colors so I don't cross contaminate products.