Safe Wash Technique.

A question i sometimes get asked what are the best products to clean my car after it has been detailed  and how to keep it clean ? 
SHAMPOO
Firstly a good quality car specific shampoo is a must, this cannot be under-estimated. The use of things like fairy liquid are a no no as it contains amongst other things salt and can damage rubber seals and the like and encourage rust.
A good quality shampoo like meguiars gold class is a cracking product in our opinion as it is thick in consistency and allows the washmitt which i will come to next to glide across the paintwork helping to reduce the possibility of inflicting wash marring.


WASHMITT OR SPONGE.
A question we get asked more than you think , in a word washmitt, the trouble with a sponge is that they are flat faced and as such can trap dirt on the face of the sponge which in turn scratches the paint.
Washmitts on the other hand have a deep pile hence allowing the dirt to drawn away from the paint surface reducing the chances of wash marring by some considerable margin.

BUCKETS.
A bucket is essential in your car cleaning regime two may seem overkill but the two bucket method is widely used in our profession and added with a grit guard that sits at the bottom of the bucket to trap dirt is a way to ny on eliminate wash marring and keep your car looking it's best for longer.The first bucket is filled with shampoo solution the 2nd with just fresh water once the car is rinsed first to remove loose dirt you can dip your washmitt in the shampoo solution and wash a panel then dip the mitt into the 2nd bucket to remove the dirt from the mitt and dip back into the shampoo solution wash second panel etc this will reduce wash marring quite considerably.

RINSE

Self explanatory really but rinse with fresh water from a hose or jetwash to remove shampoo residue from the wash stage.

DRYING TOWEL OR CHAMOIS?
 A  microfibre drying towel is most definately the preferred choice amongst professionals as again these trap the dirt in the fibre of the towel whereby a chamois like a sponge can trap dust /dirt so it lays against the paintwork and can cause marring We use the pat dry method which again ny on elimates wash marring as the towel is placed on the surface and allowed to soak the water up rather than drag the towel across the surface this takes a bit longer than the wipe down method but there is far less chance of inflicting swirls and reduces the frequency of having to crack the polish out .

A basic list of items needed for a perfect wash routine are as follows all available online or at a local halfords.

 1-2 Buckets preferably with grit guards.

Washmitt - lambswool/microfibre.

Microfibre drying towel.

Pressure washer/Hose.

Wheel cleaner.

Soft bristled wheel brush.

Glass cleaner. car specific 

And to add that finishing touch- Tyre dressing. IE: Meguiars endurance. 







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