Still filthy after power wash/foam cannon

J

jmoney

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I have been using a pressure washer/foam cannon, or trying to for some time. I keep having different issues that pop up that make it less convenient than a traditional two buck wash.

The problem lately is that after a good blast with the pressure washer and then a thick coat of foam, the truck is still absolutely filthy, in fact it is usually dirtier than before. When drying off the my towels come back completely covered in what almost looks like soot. It does this on every car we have. Is it just the water, or is it something else?
 
A foam soak and pressure wash is not enough to clean a car. Youll still need some manual washing.
 
just because you use a pressure washer and foam cannon doesn't mean you don't need a wash mitt and bucket of soap.
 
It only appears to be dirtier because the foam cannon has loosened the contaminants (dirt) and made them looser and easier to get off. After the foam cannon, you "can" use a power washer, but, until you put a wash mitt to that foam, you vehicles won't be clean. You may need to wash twice to get all the dirt off, then definitely clay bar (lite to medium), see videos on proper clay baring method. Then you'll probably have a clean vehicle.
Best of luck.
 
This is exactly what I thought. I will get a new mitt on the way and see what happens, or I may just go back to two bucket. The heat is already coming and it always seemed to work better when I washed 1 side, dried it, then went to the next side on our black cars, otherwise I get water spots.
 
What type of soap are you using and your dilution ratio?

And are the pannels drying before you rinse them off?

Are you washing the whole car, then rinsing?

If they are drying off this may be your problem. If it's hot when your washing, try rinsing each pannel as you wash. Or if it gets dried out, go back over it with your mitt and rinse.

Or wash in the early morning or evening
 
I think a car I just did had a lot of wash soap residue built up on it masking tons of waterspots. Like they washed slowly in full sun often and then rinsed a mostly dry car.
 
The pressure washer and foam cannon should work in conjunction to remove large abrasive material from the surface of the paint. The paint will not look clean, but all that will be left behind is very fine dust and residue that can be remove via typical wash methods without damaging the paint (it's too small/fine to leave visible scratches). When you don't use a pressure washer sand, dirt, and grit is on the paint when you start washing by hand, and even with a two bucket method you're still rubbing the debris into the paint as you clean.

A good pressure washing before any physical washing is the only way to perform a true scratch-free wash. This in conjunction with air drying instead of a towel or squeegee can keep paint in near-perfect condition for years.
 
thanks, I have been skipping the second step it appears. Luckily, its been raining for 3 months straight and the cars haven't really been washed since fall so I have done that much damage.

I will update my methods and post back if there are still issues.
 
I'm in a place now with no pressure washer, so I can attest to it being possible to do a fine job without one, it's just a lot more difficult. I wash from the top to the bottom, and I use a separate wash mitt for the upper 2/3 of the vehicle than I do for the bottom 1/3. I use my tire brush to go underneath the bottom edges of the body panels since that's where the most grime seems to accumulate.
 
To remove very fine particles you need a light mechanical touch to remove them. This can be as gentle as a plush microfiber wiping the surface. A product like Optimum Power Clean does a great job of loosening dirt and allowing most of it to be rinsed off. Yet it's always going to me most effective to wipe the surface to remove all the particles. The chemicals and amount of pressure required to remove particles without touching the surface can be more damaging over time than beneficial; including the human and the vehicle. And the amount of water, and time, required/used usually far exceeds a water-less and or rinse-less washing method, and won't preserve the protection/finish as well as the later two either.
I would recommend using a product like CarPro's IronX Snow Soap and or pre-treating with OPC, then doing a rinse-less or water-less wash.
 
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