Wash and dry a car in less than 30 minutes!

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Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.

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Wash and dry a car in less than 30 minutes!



I don't know how long it takes other people and it doesn't really matter to me but today I washed my wife's Mercedes-Benz SLK350 that was coated with BLACKFIRE Crystal Coat Paint Coating back in September and I think this is only the 3rd time it's been washed.

I always use a foam gun when I wash her car or my truck and I have the washing and drying process down to less than 30 minutes and that includes wheels and tires.

Nick took a few shots of me foaming the car after I had washed the wheels and tires, I always start at the wheels and tires and then move to the top of the car and work my way down.

I use the Gentle Approach to washing a car and this means I made ONE PASS over each section of paint as I wash each panel and then rinse as this is the careful way to avoid scratching your own car when you wash it.

Here's some pictures to tell the rest of the story...


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In this picture Robert DiTerrlizzi is showing the car with water for some water beading shots. Nothing else was done besides washing with DP Xtreme Foam Shampoo in the Autogeek Foam Gun.

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Washed and dried in less than 30 minutes.


:)
 
Looking good Mike, thanks for sharing that.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
 
Here's everything I used except for some quck changes for the hose fittings and a dedicated water sprayer for rinsing the car.


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Ready to put the top down and go for a cruise here in sunny, Stuart Florida!


:dblthumb2:
 
To me that's making some good time. I spent nearly a half hour scrubbing tires and cleaning the wheels on a Honda yesterday. However it was the first time the car has been professionally washed and sealed in 7 years.

Can't wait to have time to coat my own cars so my car washes are only a half hour.
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Here's everything I used except for some quck changes for the hose fittings and a dedicated water sprayer for rinsing the car.

I see you have quick release hose fittings. I have a couple feet of hose with that attachment just for the flooding stage. I rinse the car then swap in the hose without fittings to flood the surface. Old way was to take the nozzle off and kink the hose etc. It has saved me lots of time. Throw it on there to fill buckets then throw the nozzle on for washing then back to short hose attachment for flooding.

also I wish I had that bigger bottle for my gilmour. Is that bottle available separately?
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Using the foam gun solution, are you able to skip the two bucket method and just solely use the foam only as the wash soution. How do you get away from doing a full wash since sept? Waterless?

I am very new to the waterless/rinseless washes and just purchased the WG rinseless to give that a shot. I can see how these two new methods (new to me) come in handy for winter or for slightly dirty vehicles. Living in a dusty enviroment, I can not see my self using a waterless wash, so I am going to try the rinseless wash and see how that goes. I also have to remember to try and do a one pass wash when I can instead of scrubbing. Lol.
 
Not sure if anyone has ever told you this Mike, but you sir, are a very handsome fella.
 
Nice job Mike. Hope you and the wife have a Merry Christmas.
 
I've never used a foam gun before (but I'm willing to learn. Ha!) How long does a bottle of that DP last?
 
So am i. How is it wrong that one straight man compliment another straight man? Women do it all the time without anyone blinking an eye.
 
Billy Baldone said:
So am i. How is it wrong that one straight man compliment another straight man? Women do it all the time without anyone blinking an eye.
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No one said it was wrong. Meant it as a joke, but your right, straight men don't compliment other men like women do. Now relax and have a Merry Christmas.:props:
 
I too am very much kidding. Pretty much nothing I say or do is not a joke.lol. But seriously Mike is pretty beefy
 
Foam guns look fun. However, my concern is I have to wash my car in the sun and I am afraid of the foam drying before I finish the car.

Otherwise, I can wash my car in 30 minutes as well, wheels, car and dry, and its a lot larger than that itty bitty Mercedes :)
 
Great post Mike! I was watching my times as I washed this week as well, trying to refine the process. Considering you also took a ton of pics, that is some fast work my friend!

One time saving tip I tried that worked well for me was when claying my SUV that was in sore need, I used two clay mitts at once. The truck is washed on a semi-regular basis but that's it. It has never been clayed. First I washed the wheels and then did the body with my foam gun + mitt. Then I rinsed the truck and proceeded to use a medium grade Nanoskin mitt on one hand and my Cobra mitt (which I find to be more of a fine grade) on the other to decontaminate the paint. I first went over the panel with the medium grade mitt, then once ready went to the fine grade. Rinsed in a clean bucket and used the remaining clean wash mix for lube. I really like the mitts as you can feel the paint while you clay. I have never decontaminated a heavily contaminated large vehicle this fast. The claying part took about 20 minutes top to bottom, and I was not rushing at all.

I was able to wash the wheels, then foam the exterior and hand wash, then clay the entire truck, then wipe/blow dry in about 90 minutes. That was a pretty solid time for me. The micro-marring was minimal and easily cleaned up with HD speed after. Added in another 90 min for a round of AIO and trim restoration and it looks like a new truck in about 3 hours total time spent.
 
Hey Mike....I was part of the boot class camp that coated that car for you....glad to see it is still holding up. Considering taking the class again next September.....so much information to absorb in three days! Had great time though so maybe see you in September! -Blake
 
Blakejosef said:
Hey Mike....I was part of the boot class camp that coated that car for you....glad to see it is still holding up.

Considering taking the class again next September.....so much information to absorb in three days! Had great time though so maybe see you in September!

-Blake
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Hi Blake,

Glad to see you joined the forum! And "yes" we used this car for a class and coated it and it always looks great. We traded it off for a 2005 SL 500 with only 9000 miles and I have yet to do a full detail on it since we bought it but that's because there's really nothing wrong with any part of the car including the paint which like the SLK 350 that you worked on, this SL 500 has the Ceramiclear paint.


Here's the link to the class you attended...


Pictures & Comments: September 2015 Detailing Boot Camp Class!


Since your a member of the forum now... could you click the link above to your class thread and post your comments about what you thought of the class? I ask all my students to do this but I'm sad to say the majority don't ever seem to be able to figure out how to join a discussion forum.


Thanks Blake.

p.s.

If you want to attend the September class don't wait to long to sign-up as it always fills up the fastest. I also have a Superbird coming in for this class and I can guarantee you that there is not other class on earth where the students get to buff out a real Superbird.



:)
 
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