Trying to shorten my wash routine - help

I find dragging all the equipment out and putting it away takes up a lot of time. I don't bother with buckets if I'm using a hose wash. I spray the car with a pressure pump sprayer filled with ONR. Then hose off the car. Then instead of using the two bucket method I hold a foam gun in one hand and easy-release wash mitt in the other and spray soapy water/foam as I go. Stole this idea from Mike Phillips and Accumulator. Thumb valve on the sprayer turns the spray on and off. I rinse the mitt every half panel.

I also wash the wheels and tires on a different day. I find the wheels and tires takes almost as long as washing the car, but I'm thorough and scrub the barrels.

I dry with a MasterBlaster Revolution and one 16x16 microfiber for followup. My cars and wheels are coated. I have the tires coated on my van. The wife just got a new car (also coated wheels and paint) but I haven't coated her tires yet to compare the time spent with the traditional dressings. I forgot how filthy a tire brush gets with an uncoated tire.
 
gspam1 said:
I find dragging all the equipment out and putting it away takes up a lot of time. I don't bother with buckets if I'm using a hose wash. I spray the car with a pressure pump sprayer filled with ONR. Then hose off the car. Then instead of using the two bucket method I hold a foam gun in one hand and easy-release wash mitt in the other and spray soapy water/foam as I go. Stole this idea from Mike Phillips and Accumulator. Thumb valve on the sprayer turns the spray on and off. I rinse the mitt every half panel.

I also wash the wheels and tires on a different day. I find the wheels and tires takes almost as long as washing the car, but I'm thorough and scrub the barrels.

I dry with a MasterBlaster Revolution and one 16x16 microfiber for followup. My cars and wheels are coated. I have the tires coated on my van. The wife just got a new car (also coated wheels and paint) but I haven't coated her tires yet to compare the time spent with the traditional dressings. I forgot how filthy a tire brush gets with an uncoated tire.
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My setup time is about ten minutes. Two bucket wash with soft brush on broom handle, blower dry, towel off with QD/spray-wax is about 15-20 minutes. Like you, wheels done separately because it's time consuming. No water restriction where I'm at so liberal pre- and post-rinse is ok.


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Combine the last two steps of drying + spray waxing into one. Most spray waxes work just fine on wet panels and making drying safer because both the paint and towel will be slicker. Either of the two Mother's spray waxes that are made should have a mention of being able to use it on a wet panel when drying.

If you have a garage, a cheap roll-cart preloaded with everything you need to complete a wash can be a solid way to save time as well.
 
To take it a step further, I'd suggest you coat everything on your car - paint, wheels and tires. Makes cleaning so much quicker. The wheels and tires are a pain even when doing a RW if they aren't coated. TW or Mckees tire coating will make tire cleaning a breeze using leftover RW liquid. Way easier than cleaning nasty black sludge that sticks to tire gels. I've had TW tire coating on for a month and my wash sponge is barely dirty when I go over the tires on my weekly wash from my DD (about 250 miles). So my best advice is to coat everything you can and then RW is a breeze.
 
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