Ok, im getting quite tired..and been spending too much money for car washes. Now, its time for my lazy ass to start washing my car myself. I know there are tons of products out there. And well, i kind of need your opinions on which products are best or you've had the best experience with. Also, besides the products, what kind of other material am i going to need to wash my car?

 

I have always used Zymol....Especially for Black cars. I do try not to go to the car wash around here because of all the 4x4 trucks that frequent the places covered in mud. Every once and a while I go early in the morning and give the guys a few extra bucks.....and they pay extra attention to the rims! Good luck.

 

You might want to try this site:

http://carcareonline.com/index.html

for more information!

 

which product is gd for tire and wheels?
i want those to be shiny

 

I use a soft brush (approx 1 foot wide) with attachment for a handle. Great in winter so you do not have your hand in the cold water for so long.

Second pass is with a wool mitt

Then a California water blade (squeegee made for your car) to wipe the excess water off


Shammy..

 

I picked up a California water blade and tried it once. It made a terrible screeching noise every time I used it. I gently pulled it straight across at an angle.

Is it suppose to make this horrible noise?

I stopped using it and for 7 bucks picked up 'The Absorber' from Walmart and love it! It dries the car much faster than the water blade for me.

 

Put a coat of Zaino on and then try the water blade. I use the blade first and then hit the rest of what is left with the absorber. Then i take bottled air and clean out my emblems, seams between door and window, etc. You could also drive it around the block to loose some of the excess water. Dont forget to Zaino your wheels, makes all the difference.

 

I use the Zaino treatment and wash with Z7 and a sheepskin mitt. I use the water blade too, but only if there's a lot of water on the surface. Otherwise I rely on old reliable cotton towels to get the water off (I use up 3 bath towels to dry the car on average).

For the wheels I use the same carwash as the rest of the car! I use my mitt and I rinse them out thoroughly after each wheel to get rid of the brake dust. The wheels look great but I think I'm picking up brake dust on my mitt and putting on scratches on some of my car's surfaces. I need to get a wheel brush ASAP.

Tip of the day: for a clean car make sure you never dip your mitt back into your soap bucket after soaping the car without thoroughly rinsing it out first (using the hose or a "dirty water" bucket). This will prevent the dirt you picked up from dirtying your soapy water.

 

A sheepskin wash mit is a must. Will make washing the car easier and quicker. I recently started using Zaino products to put a good shine to the car. It's a very good product and many that visit this site swear by it. And always use car wash detergent specifically designed for vehicles. If you break out the Dawn, it will strip the wax off of your car.

 

is there a certain type of wash mit to use? wool? lambskin? i was just at autozone.. so im curious. also is there other places to buy mits then autozone?

 

Walmart or Target sells some.

 

Meguiar's Endurance is the best thing for tires if you want that nice glossy shine!!

 

when will this rain ever stop???!?!??! i got zaino... and want to try it out. but it just continues to rain..... God PLease stop the rain... just for a week. ... please!!!!

 

I use a lambswool wash mitt and a sheepskin chamois for the first stage of drying. Chamois' work really well to get a majority of the water off. Whatever's left I get off with a very soft bath towel. Then, I remove the lint left by the towel with a lint-free detailing cloth. For the tires, I use a sponge and wash them by hand. As for the rims I use a wheel cleaner spray, it claims to be safe for all rim types/finishes and I haven't seen any problems. BTW, if you wax your car, DO NOT take it to a regular car wash, the spinning bruses and cloths take off the wax. If you can't wash it by hand or you're in a rush, take it to a touch-free car wash. This is advice coming straight from a detailing pro (not me).

 

Hmmm...my suggestions are as follows...

Tools:
Microfiber super absorbent towels and rags
Power washer with container for detergent soap
SOFT sponge
Squeege or leaf blower
Vacuum
Bucket

Zaino:
Clay bar
Spray bottle filled with soapy Dawn water
Polish (all of it)
Show Car wash and spray bottle

Lexol:
Leather Conditioner
Leather Cleaner
Vinyl Conditioner

That's my arsenal...oh and use Q-Tips for those hard to reach spots for the polish for the car...and use the spray bottle of dawn to lubricate for the clay bar and for the wheels...everything else is pretty obvious

Austin519

 

sorry if i sound stupid but how often should you zaino your car? like if i wash my car 5 times and apply zaino each time does this mean i have like 5 layers of zaino on my car?

 

busterkw:
It does if you wash it with the Zaino wash...otherwise the detergent will strip it...obviously the Zaino layers get worn down over time...so if you say apply 3 layers, wait a week and apply 2 more...you may have 4.5 layers on. I usually add a coat of Zaino every 2 weeks or so.

Austin519

 

Thats what i figured. thanks.