How To- Car Washing & Car Drying

Car Washing

I use 2 methods that work great!

1st Method- This "used" to be my favorite method- "The 2 bucket Method"
Using 2 buckets, one for "the suds" and one for "the rinse". Wet the entire vehicle washing away anything that can be removed with water pressure.

Wash one section at a time, using car wash of your choice and a wash mitt, as they are great for cleaning and you use less pressure on the finish, decreasing the chance of adding any marring to the finish. Remember, use ONLY the weight of the mitt on the surface you are cleaning. Again, you do
not have to use pressure, virtually eliminating the possibility of adding the
infamous micro-marring from washing the car using outdated methods.

After washing each section (always working from the top down and keep
the car wet), rinse the mitt in the rinse bucket, as this will keep your washing solution clean and free from debris (remember to keep the vehicle wet as you are washing). When you are finished washing the vehicle, switch to your second (older) wash mitt#2 (you NEVER want to use the same wash mitt for your tires/wheels as you use on your paint, as brake particles and road grime can and will get embedded and can cause swirls to your finish).

2nd Method- This is my favorite method- Using only one bucket with a car wash of your choice, use the same method as above, except when it comes
time to rinse the mitt, use the spray jet to "pressure wash" the mitt clean. It is faster and less bending and stooping.

Another great "trick" is to use a 1-3 gallon bug/weed type pump-up sprayer, add car wash of your choice diluted to the manufacturers recommendations (1/2-1oz/gal.) and spray on as a "pre-soak" before washing.
After soaking for a few minutes, rinse off with a heavy stream of water from your hose using a good sprayer that will give you a fair amount of pressure. You will rinse all the heavy dirt off your finish, the pre-soak will loosen up the road grime and you will have MUCH less debris on the paint to wash off, thus lessening the possibility of adding scratches/marring when hand washing.

For "really" fast cleaning, use a hose end sprayer (like sold in Wal-Mart gardening section, used for weed killing, bug spray, fertilizer, etc..., goes on the end of your hose).
Fill with car wash of your choice, dial in the concentration,
(1/2-1oz per gallon).

Spray car with car wash-

Allow to soak-

Rinse with heavy stream of water to remove all heavy dirt-

Spray again-

Wash as stated above using car wash-
Rinse and dry with a waffle weave drying towel (i.e. Big Blue).


Car Drying

There are 2 methods that work great for drying your car after washing-
This is my favorite method

1st Method- I use an electric leaf blower to remove the majority of water from the surface, from around and in the mirrors, the door jambs, trim,
windows, etc,etc.
It works great and there is absolutely no harm to the car (just be carefull to keep the air on the vehicle and do not point at the ground).

I always stressed out when I thought I was finished drying only to notice water dripping from "hidden" locations on the vehicle (specifically the trim under the side mirrors on the RSX). This eliminates that scenario.

After using the leaf blower and removing most of the water, it is time for the "final dry". I use a large 24"x36" waffle weave microfiber towel.
The correct way to dry is to either "blot or pat" the water with the towel and allow it to soak up the water (you never want to "wipe" with ANY type towel, as this could cause swirls or micro-marring if anything has been trapped between the towel and surface of the car).

One other way that works well is to hold the waffle weave towel by the corners and "dragging" the towel along the surface, using ONLY the weight of the towel.

2nd Method- If an electric leaf blower is not available- After washing, turn off
the water, remove the water sprayer, turn on the water about 1/2 way and use the water to dry the car... This may sound strange at first, however, using a sweeping motion, working from the top down, it will sheet the majority of the water off the car. Follow-up using the waffle weave towel as described above.

(information courtesy- Waynestowels)