Proper Way to Wash a Porsche?
 

I saw this in keysguy's Yearly Maintenance thread:

So, what IS the proper way to wash a Porsche? Any tips?

the problem with the dealer and most car wash places is that they're using dirty wash mitts and drying towels that are worn out, the wrong kind of towel or also dirty. That will induce swirling.

The right way to wash the car is to wash the car as little as possible. If you're taking it to the local car wash every week you're going to wreck the paint. If you're doing a full bucket and soapy suds wash every weekend that too isn't good. Both are overkill and increase the likelyhood of rubbing road sedminets on the paint.

The best wasy is to use a waterless wash solution like Optimum No Rinse, there are other brands of course. Pre soak the car the with the solution to allow the dirt to sofen. Have many many sponges or premium microfiber towels. As in not the kind of microfiber towels you find at your local auto parts store, Costco or WalMart. Those are janitorial towels that use the prickly/grabby hooked ends -- completely unecessary for a well maintained paint surface. Personally I use a long nap/weave towel like the kind sold by Griots or websites like packshack or chemicalguys. Keep the waterless wash solution in a clean bucket, typically one ounce of solution per gallon of clean water. Some use a second bucket of just clean water to dunk the towel or sponge with each long pass (one body panel at a time). Its a good idea to flip the towel to a clean side with each pass. Use the left over water and a soft wheel face brush to wipe down the wheels and brake calipers. Dry the car with a leaf blower ideally or a waffle weave towel (no prickly hooks like most microfiber towels). I cover each panel with a quick detail spray for lubrication while the car is still damp before I begin the towel drying. The goal of pre-soaking and spraying down the car is to increase lubrication. you never want to rub on dry paint.

If the car gets really really dirty, like in winter, use a foam gun or the old school car wash soap and buckets.
And of course no car wash soap on the canvas top. That attracts dust and leads to wear marks during top operation. Raggtopp cleaner and protectant only.

A good up and down and side to side technique has always worked well for me.

Johnny: :rolleyes:

This is how it should be:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1360861397.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1360861419.jpg

Anybody recognize that guy?

It's my uncle.

It's the happy incredible Hulk! :troll:

Uncle Jimmy Danger?

Thanks for the tip PerfectLap !

This is the proper way to wash a car if you want to prevent surface scratches.

Audi R8 BLACKBIRD: Basic Car Wash Techniques - DRIVE CLEAN - YouTube

The pics are of our favorite "rebel without an airbag", may he RIP. . .

any suggestion how to remove birds dumps from my car?
i think its about time to clean it.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01/car1360880943.jpg

^ that happened to me once. black car. and of course it happened right after I spent several hours detailing it. Luckily the roof was not canvas.

Did you know that next to Wheatgrass, bird excrement has become the latest health drink fad amongst phony celebrities ?

Alright, an alternate point of view. First, wash the car often, getting the grime off of it and keeping the paint clean is the best thing for paint longevity.

Next the tools. I use a brush on a 4 foot pole. With this set up, I never have to crouch down to clean anything, including the wheels. The brush is very soft and retains grit much less than a wash mitt.

To dry, I start with a purpose made squeegee, Waterblade. It is very soft and does not scratch like a microfiber towel or chamois that holds grit.

Finally, the soap. I use Armor All wash and wax but any wash with wax will work. The wax really does leave a shine, but the secret is more is more, use a lot of soap. The recommended amount is an ounce per gallon, I use 3-4.

Start by rinsing that car, starting with the top and working down. Feel the paint and rinse until you feel no grit on the finish. Then use the brush to apply the soap to the painted part of the car. Do not use soap on the top, it will strip the waterproofing. I'd don't use any special cleaner for the wheel, the soap works fine since the wheels are painted and clear coated like the rest of the body.

Now, probably the most important part, the rinse. Take the nozzle off the hose and hold the hose about six inches from the body work and quickly flood the trunk and front of the car, then quickly walk around the car and rinse the sides. Here, less is more, don't worry if you see a little foam left. You can actually just stop here as the wash will be almost spot free, especially if you drive the car on the freeway right away.

For the best results, finish with the squeegee. Start with the top and use the squeegee to knock off the majority of the water. Finish with a microfiber towel to dry the glass, the door sills and and the wheels.

Once you have it down, it takes les than half an hour.

I would never, ever, ever, ever touch my car with a squeegee. I want everything rubbing against my paint to be picking up debris as it runs along the car, not forcing debris into the surface.

Do you think that any cloth or chamois is not picking up grit and rubbing it against the paint?

Use water from the HOSE to dry the car.


(really)


Use a full stream from the hose and work the water from high to low. If you do it right, the surface tension from the water should leave no water drops behind. When I wash my car, I use a microfiber towel at the very end to dry it. But the car is 95% dry before I start.





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I use a microfiber mitt to clean the car.

I only clean a small section at a time. I hose the dirt off the mitt BEFORE putting it back in the bucket.

Also, wipe the sides of the car vertically in straight lines. Wipe the hood/trunk the way the wind blows (also in straight lines). The goal is to avoid putting micro-scratches in the car. Do not wipe in circles!

My basalt black car has almost no scratches (no spiderwebs) - it looks almost "candy apple". Some of that is because I use clay and polish (different thread). But it's also because I wash my car correctly.

LAST COMMENT - Don't use dish detergent. Dish detergent removes your wax/sealant. Use a quality car wash product that is designed to not remove your wax/sealant.

That's right, the right towel pulls debris away from the paint as it absorbs water.

For the sake of those who may be new to the forum, I will bring up the leaf blower. After washing my Box I use the leaf blower to blow off excess water everywhere, but especially in the wheels. Works like a charm.

And, since Mr. Obvious hasn't chimed in yet, the answer to this week's puzzle is James Dean.

Have your daughter do it, which also wears her out for a nap later :cheers:

You are one sharp dude Schnellman !

^ i saw a contraption similar to the leaf blower at Costco last weekend. It looked like it was specific to car washing. A yellow thing boxy looking thing.

Did she get a cookie?

I take the telescoping brush to the car wash with me, since I don't want to use theirs because I don't know where it's been! Soak, brush, hi pressure rinse, blast out the wheel wells, and then use their high volume air blower to dry the car and finish off the remaining damp spots with a microfiber. Takes about $6 on the meter if you move quickly.

^ I can never find one of those near me. I don't bother to go quickly. I use the first round to lather up the car thouroghly and wipe down the wheels. I keep brushes and towels in extra large zip lock bags to keep them from getting everything wet in the trunk. Then I go back and feed the meter again for a second round to do a thorough rinse and rinse out the Raggtopp cleanser.
I just dry the soft top and pull the car onto the highway to dry the paint. Pull over and then I spray the car down with a Griots cranauba gloss and I dress the tires too. Sometimes I spray down the wheels with Finish Kare 425 which keeps the brake dust from sticking too tight, rinses right off on the next wash, so less brushing needed.
I have to wait a little for the carnauba gloss to cure before using the 425 spray on the body paint. But once its on it's like teflon, a little pocket of air bubbles running on the paint surface. There's nothing else like it on the market.

My sixpence worth...or dimes worth for you Yanks.. I have been `detailing` cars for years..

Only use cold water to wash your car, as hot will strip your wax off. !!

Wash often, i use a mixture of mitts, for the main body, soft brushes for the wheels
and microfibre cloths and chamois for finishing...After getting rid of the excess water with an Autoglym blade Don't mix your cloths, keep the ones you use on your wheels separate

The detailing sprays or no water branded washes are ok for very lightly soiled cars
otherwise you will rub grit into your paintwork

BUT MY BEST ADVISE is to firstly get your paintwork de contaminated and glass smooth with the use of some claybar and work up from there.

If you haven't claybarred your car before...then you are in for a treat!!... Just do it, you WILL be amazed..!! Meguairs do a kit over here for around £20 British pounds...should be alot cheaper over yr side of the pond

There are plenty of downloads showing this on You Tube, some are very long winded.. But shouldn't take u longer than 20 mins for a Boxster...a panel at a time

Make sure you DO NOT DROP the claybar..if u do throw it away..as all the grit will stick to it. Wash the car first of course, and after claybaring finish with a good coat or two of wax.... In all my years have not found anything to beat `Autoglym`

Have fun....and let me know how you get on...you will be amazed :cool:

On a serious note, a trick that I learned from some Ferrari/Alfa owners years ago, is to add a drop or two of Olive Oil to the wash. I know it sounds ridiculous, but if it's just the right amount, it keeps the soap from stripping the wax, and it actually "feeds" the paint. Not something that I found works on dark colors though.

That works on Italian cars, but German cars prefer beer.

How about a shot of Schnapps Lol...one for the bucket, one for me....
one more for the bucket one for me...hic..:cheers:

I like to hear everyone's preferred washing methods. Like mine, they're a combination of experience, science, and voodoo magic. And with a hard-to-keep-clean triple-black, I need all the voodoo I can get.

+1 for the leaf blower. My teenage boys used to give me Sh-t about using the blower until they bought their own cars...now I'm a smart dude.

As for olive oil, I'm a doubter for it helping the paint. What the oil will do is keep the car from drying too fast, which minimizes water spots.

Okay, so far I've heard; wash it a lot, don't hardly wash it, use a brush, don't dare use a brush, dry it with a towel, dry it with a leaf blower, dry it by driving it, add oil to the water, don't add oil. Also, it can be washed by small children, half dressed twits, or ex-singers/breakfast purveyors with giant hats. Plus I have no idea what a clay bar is.

I think you guys need to come to some kind of consensus and get back to me.:D

The oil thing aside, here's my ditty:

Washing- first rinse the vehicle thoroughly, then use a mild soap (I like to use shampoo) and microfiber mitt for washing -
side to side, up and down, or circular motion notwithstanding.

Drying - I personally like the technique of using a leaf blower to get most of the water off,
followed with a high quality synthetic chamois to remove the remaining water.

Waxing- keep the paint "feed" regularly with a good quality wax, polish or detailer. As far
as which brand to use, recommendations will run the gamut. We all have our favorites,
so I'll let others chime in. At least you're not dealing with a dark color like black. Although,
red has it's own challenges by virtue of the fact that it's a weak pigment.

Wheel Cleaning & Exhaust Tips - I like to use Simple Green for cleaning wheels, exhaust
tips and other non-painted trim areas. It does not react adversely to aluminum or other metals,
to include painted surfaces. Beware of knock-off products that do.

Bug, Tar, Road Stains & Clear Bra edges - I've used everything from a simple degreaser, to
spray silicone to Goof-Off. I recommend testing any of these in an inconspicuous area first.

Black Wheels- My favorite detailer for this, believe it or not, is Pledge. By applying a light mist, and
letting it set-up - it will yield an amazing luster.

ClayBar - Because my vehicle is driven so seldom, and it's never subjected to the "elements", I've had no need to use Clay Bar. So, I'll let others give their advice on that topic.

You really have to try claying your car. The results are amazing IMO. On a Boxster, it really doesn't take long to do. When you are done, your paint will feel like glass. The clay removes the surface contaminants. Just keep the surface well lubricated and if you drop the bar, throw it away.

Mothers 07240 California Gold Clay Bar System : Amazon.com : Automotive

I have also been following Spinaker's advice on washing and waxing in a straight line:
http://986forum.com/forums/293689-post14.html

So I tried this and this is how the boxster came out, I may have used to much olive oil.



http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1362781324.jpg

@kashmir

LOL

JD, simple green is infact corrosive to aluminum. It is why simple green came up with an aviation formula. You can use it, but rinse very thoroughly...

From the simple green website:

Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green® on aluminum?
When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green® Cleaner/Degreaser, Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates, and Pro Series™ Simple Green® Automotive Cleaner have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green® product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.
Simple Green has also developed break-through water based cleaners that are safe for use on metals, plastics, rubber and high tech alloys. Extreme Simple Green® Aircraft & Precision Cleaner and Simple Green® Pro HD are available on both the industrial and retail markets, respectively. These products were initially developed for the aircraft industry and extensive testing shows that they are safe and effective on a variety of metals and other sensitive surfaces even in the most extreme circumstances.

Simple Green® Stainless Steel One Step Cleaner & Polish is another option for cleaning polished aluminum. This product is designed for light duty metal cleaning and polishing.

I user Jägermeister... After a few shots and couple sweeps with a California Duster the Jägermobile looks great!

Jägermeister

Lots of good information in this thread: http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/35847-best-wax-car.html
I follow Spinnaker's technique in post #9.

If you search the forum, you'll find threads on washing, waxing, top care, rear window care, interior care, cleaning drain tubes, cleaning radiator screens, etc.

DBear