What is the best technique to safely wash a car exposed to or covered with ash and soot?

 

I wish I knew too......too much freaking ash everywhere

 

First off use a decent spray to get as much off as you can then use a sheepshin mitt and the 2 bucket method .. only wash 1/2 a fender at a time then flood it to rinse.

Once it is all washed take the nozzle off the hose and flood it top to bottom to rinse then dry quickly .

Thing is try not to leave the ash on the car if it gets wet/damp as it might turn acidic. (Soda Ash )

 

I highly recommend getting as much of the ash off first before adding water to the mix. Take it on a spin on the frwy or if you have access to a compressor with rubber tipped nozzler, blast the crap out of every nook and cranny......

 

Ash (Fire ash):
Ash from brush fires become airborne and will cover the paint surface; it is very alkaline and often abrasive due to small slivers of wood and etc so remove gently or it will cause surface scratches. Using a horse hair car wash brush and a concentrated car wash use the brush with very little applied pressure , brush in one direction only (do not attempt to ‘scrub’ the surface) and rinse with a capacious amount of water. Use detailer clay to remove any surface contaminants and rinse surface thoroughly.

Do not scrub hardened/dried residue as it is very abrasive and will scratch the paint surface, once they are softened (re-liquefied) it enables their removal with less likelihood of damage to the paint surface

Water contains 2- hydrogen and 1-oxygen atom. Oxygen is an oxidizer; ozone is an allotropic form of oxygen (an oxidizer is any component that emits oxygen); many chemical compounds react to slight heating and an oxidizing process. So now you have an acid + water +oxygen + ozone all of which equates to a highly concentrated acidic solution, which causes a concave indentation (etching) on the paint surface.

Neutralize the paint surface with Automotive International A, B C System (http://ww.autoint.com) using product ‘B’ Alkaline Neutralizer, apply product to paint surface and let it dwell for 5-10 minutes and then rinse thoroughly, wash paint surface with a car wash concentrate and finally apply a polymer sealant and/or a Carnauba wax
(See also Reactivity)

 

Good stuff, forwarding this around my office.

 

Does anyone know if we can get that alkaline neutralizer locally in San Diego, DAM YOU FIRESTORM

thanks.
Eric

 

Boosty, I seriously think if you can get the majority of ash off with a hi pressure air nozzle, then Hi pressure rinse, wash and dry, you'll be just fine.......

 

okay ill try that, thanks. came just in time was gonna just wash my car like i always do...

 

Thins look like theyre getting better out your way..........

 

yes but its still feels like theres an exhaust pipe right in front of your face, and my car smells like a cigarette, while were on it anyone know how to get rid of strong smells like cigarettes

 

Klima-Cleaner is an effective means for removing odors from the air conditioning unit by treating the source of the odor. While other products eliminate the odor by neutralizing or masking the source of the odor, they don't clean the evaporator core surface - the heart of the air conditioner system where water condensation accumulates and where the odor originates. Klima-Cleaner's active foam works by 'scrubbing' the evaporator core reducing the opportunity for odors to reappear. Simply insert the included spray hose into the center air vents in your vehicle's interior and spray. Allow to work for 30 minutes. Creates a fresh smelling environment that lasts for months. To maintain results, we suggest you treat the system at least twice a year - in the spring and fall.

 

I think the Klima-Cleaner is more for the A/C mildew smell ..


First off change out the cabin filter then be a little patient .. it will vent off in a few days .. we had the came up here last year ... all I did .

 

Correct Jess, Im trying to determine if this has been a long standing issue. If so, the Klima (In addition to the filter) would be appropriate for complete/long term removal. Unfortunately, once it gets in the evaporator its beyond any filter mitigation.

 

BTW I haven't used the Klima but for its intended use I have recommeneded it and all feed back says it works great.

 

I simply had to wash the car. It was left outside of our evacuated house (at least it *might* survive if the house burned down), and the neighbors sprinklers came on and spotted things up.

The first thing I did was to drive the car to get any loose ash off the car. I started with a gentle top-down dousing.
I then used a soap bucket and rinse bucket to wash a section at a time. I rinsed each section with the dousing method as I completed it. When finished, I drove into the garage for drying.

One question I have is whether anyone makes a hose nozzle that allows simple flow-through. This would avoid water waste on the trip back and forth to the faucet, and let you potentially use other spray settings depending on what part of the car you're washing.

Rob144

 

Ya know Im the same way ess, i havent tried it but all the feedback has been very good, and a lot of "thanks for the recommendation"......I should use it in my truck though...

 

Go to home Depot or maybe Lowes .. one of them has a nozzle like a fire nozzle that twists to change the pattern from hard spray to a flooding pattern. Its not cheap .. prolly $10 + .. but I have had mine for 3 years and wash 200+ cars a year. The flared end is rubber so it won't chip the paint and full twist either way shuts the stream off.

The brand name is "Bonaire"

Here is info on it.

 

Well, I answered my own question a slightly different way. I had to go to Home Depot to get a high pressure nozzle anyway (time to spray away the soot), and decided that the best way to get a flow-through and still have multiple spray choices from a multi-function nozzle was a 'Y' adapter with on/off valves. One side of the 'Y' is empty for flow-through, and the other has whatever spray nozzle you want to use. The brand I got was Goodyear -- I liked it because it had rubber coating on most parts.

I also got Home Depot's variant of the Bonaire nozzle. Not quite as strong as I'd like, but better than the spray-gun type.

I've got 2 more cars to wash, so I'll be trying out the 'Y' system this weekend.

Rob144