Need Vs. Want (Newbie Question)

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lovenhim

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Hello everyone. I have been washing vehicles incorrectly for thirty years now. I mean personal and family vehicles, I am not a pro. Here is what I have done for years.

5 gallon bucket
Over the counter major name brand car wash
wash mitt
very soft tire and wheel brush
always Whesleys Bleach White for tires and wheels
Armorall on tires for the satin look, never the extreme high gloss look
large terry cloth towel to dry, think old but clean bathroom towel.

Now that you have recovered from the shock and have stopped yelling at the screen about how I am killing clearcoat finishes, etc......ummmmmmm......help? I am trying to do this as inexpensively as I can, thus the need over conveinence or that "that sure is nice" factor.

Alright, lets start from the basics here. What is absolutely needed for a general hobby car wash? I had never heard of the two bucket wash method until I came here. If a volume of water is preferred over water preasure, instead of a $20 fire nozzle, would not a water control brass nozzle with a 1/4 turn valve work just as well? My main go to products have been car wash liquids from the Meguiars Gold Class line or Mothers California Gold line. I try and avoid the cheaper car washes from say Rain X, Turtle Wax, etc.

I have never used a bucket grit guard, two bucket method, dedicated wheel cleaners (our car has hubcaps and no chrome), or an air dryer. I simply want to have fun while cleaning our car. I am not doing this for a living so time is not a concern. Thank you for the help.
 
My suggestion is to watch a few of Mike's videos to show the proper technique.

Personally, I think a 2 bucket method is a must, but make sure you use them as intended. Get a good quality soap, a nice wash mitt or two, and some quality MF towels for drying and like I said, watch the videos and practice your technique. As you get better you can try out new products, asking lots of questions here.

Don't worry, we have all been there at one point.

Enjoy.
 
There are some suggestions that I've learned that are very helpful and make a lot of sense (my opinion):
1. using a separate rinse bucket (2 bucket wash method)
2. or using multiple wash mitts (after using a mitt you don't put it back into the soapy bucket) for a single bucket method
3. or using multiple microfibre towels in the wash bucket ala "Garry Dean Method" (I really like this method, especially for "rinseless washing")

In my experience I have found that grit guards are fairly pointless, especially if I'm using the processes outlined above. They are of no use for processes 2 and 3 above.

Also, in my experience, dedicated wheel cleaners aren't necessary. I wash my cars regularly and usually have a sealant applied to the wheels. Therefore, I exclusively wash my wheels with standard car wash soap and they always come out clean. However, I haven't owned a BMW, Audi, or MB which seem to produce unusually large amounts of brake dust. Although, again, if washing regularly and the wheel has some kind of protection on it, I would think that soapy water would still do that trick.

Megs Gold Class is considered by many to be a very good car wash soap, so you aren't doing anything wrong with that choice.

Hope this helps so you don't go overboard on buying a whole bunch of stuff that may not be useful to you. My suggestion is to add items and adopt your method over time to find what works for you, instead of going on a spree and figuring out how to make it all work. Good Luck!
 
I think OP should add a decent longevity sealant as well. The car should be protected (if it’s not already). Getting into polishing may open a can of worms that doesn’t interest you yet, but applying a Sealant after one of your washes will keep the paint looking decent and make washes easier.
 
Alright. Next question. Two bucket method or foam gun? I do not own a preasure washer so no foam cannon. This guy here in a video is very anti two bucket. It is all about choice I guess.

YouTube
 
In the Need vs Want, 2 bucket is a Need, Foam gun is a Want
 
A foam gun is super fun, no doubt.

I don't disagree with Scott from Dallas very often, but I do here. It does waste a lot of soap for no reason, and using a pressure washer in the process adds to setup and cleanup time/effort, which I can't stand. I also wind up washing the car by hand with the soap on the car, anyway, so it's a wasted step, IMO. The cost is also a downside, too, as you need a $60 cannon plus the pressure washer, too.

It's an added expense that isn't terribly efficient for my business model.

I would recommend the 2-bucket method with 2 3.5-gallon buckets and a grit guard and a good quality soap. I use 1 oz. of soap per wash, instead of the 2-4 oz needed for a foam cannon.



I donno. I kinda feel like foam cannons are something every detailer needs to try for themselves to see if it's for them. For me, it's an Instagram video post that's fun to watch, and after that, not so much use. But, everyone is different and details for different reasons.
 
Thanks for the help guys. Just trying to learn while being economical and getting the best value for the money. Fun stuff.
 
lovenhim said:
Alright. Next question. Two bucket method or foam gun? I do not own a preasure washer so no foam cannon. This guy here in a video is very anti two bucket. It is all about choice I guess.

YouTube
Click to expand...

Here's an alternative to the two bucket if water rationing isn't a problem:

Instead of having a second bucket with a grit guard you simply rinse out the mitt with the hose after each section. I'll often work my way around the car with the mitt in one hand and the hose in the other. After spraying out the mitt, I'll dunk it in the soapy water and keep going.
 
Is a grit guard really necessary in the soap bucket if you are rinsing well, your car isn’t filthy, and you’re pulling the soapy water + suds from the top?

Unless my car is covered in gunk, I often use my second grit guard in the rinse bucket so I can reduce how much soapy water is needed, therefore reducing how much soap Concentrate I’m using per wash.

Call me a bad detailer if one must, but Ive never seen my soapy wash mitt leave legitimate swirls due to something from the soap solution getting caught in the thick wash mitt and dragging across the paint, be it rocks or tiny dust particles.
 
Ignore my rant above if no one cares about the soapy grit guard.
 
Desertnate said:
Here's an alternative to the two bucket if water rationing isn't a problem:

Instead of having a second bucket with a grit guard you simply rinse out the mitt with the hose after each section. I'll often work my way around the car with the mitt in one hand and the hose in the other. After spraying out the mitt, I'll dunk it in the soapy water and keep going.
Click to expand...

Water is not an issue here. We are on a well. I was wondering about that too about just spraying off the wash mitt. Then there is no need for a second bucket. I like the idea of the foam gun that hooks to a water hose. The foam cannon seems a bit overkill and very expensive after you add the power washer, cost of fuel, etc.
 
You don't have to go crazy spending lots of money to do a good job on your cars. I always tell people that auto detailing is evolutionary and not revolutionary. Our passion for shiny cars usually started when we were kids so that is nothing new. The tools, chemicals and techniques are always changing, improving and evolving. It seems that each year we are trying to step up our game.
For now, you can buy some over the counter items like buckets, chenille wash mitts, Meguiars Gold Glass soap, tire brushes. Order some nice and soft drying towels and reserve the old bath towels for tires and rims. Enjoy the journey.
 
UncleDavy said:
You don't have to go crazy spending lots of money to do a good job on your cars. I always tell people that auto detailing is evolutionary and not revolutionary. Our passion for shiny cars usually started when we were kids so that is nothing new. The tools, chemicals and techniques are always changing, improving and evolving. It seems that each year we are trying to step up our game.
For now, you can buy some over the counter items like buckets, chenille wash mitts, Meguiars Gold Glass soap, tire brushes. Order some nice and soft drying towels and reserve the old bath towels for tires and rims. Enjoy the journey.
Click to expand...

Agreed, UD.

Should we drop the rinseless bomb now? Too soon? :laughing:
 
I like the idea of doing more with less. I was thinking a similar thing to what was already typed. If one is concerned with maybe having a dirty wash mitt.....then you could hose it off and ring it out after each panel before putting it back into the bucket of car wash soap.
 
You should definitely invest in a grit guard. It is a small investment that will go a long way. Rinsing off the wash mitt will help remove some grit, but the fibers in the wash mitt are designed to trap and lift dirt away. You really have to scrape and agitate the dirt out of the fibers. A grit guard will not remove everything but it will help.
 
I don't think you really did anything scary wrong besides the bathroom towel.

Your want vs need is a great discussion. For a hobbyist, you don't even really "need" the grit guards in my opinion, but they're recommended and can be found on sale. If you're not cleaning a bunch of muddy trucks, they're even less "needed".

You can get some pretty cheap 5 gallon pails if you know where to look, and you certainty don't need wheeled dollies.

I use meguiars gold class. A lot of us do. It's good stuff. Honestly, I think you just need to add some good microfiber towels to your arsenal. Then, depending on your car's condition maybe just a clay bar and some spray waxes. But if you need some correcting work it'll start to add up with a good DA, pads and product.

I'll add that one of the more expensive tools for a hobbyist, but one that I really recommend to make life easier (but not a necessity by any means) is a foam gun.
 
One thing to mention.....regardless of how many buckets you go with....buy them from Lowes or home Depot....you do not need to spend upwards of 10.00 for a bucket when you can get them for between 3.00 and 5.00. I've had mine (from Lowes) for three years and they're fine.
 
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