Hand Car Wash | Hand Carwashing

       What car wash product is best to use? The right answer is- use what you love best. There are advantages to certain products and drawbacks to others. Dishwashing detergents (Ivory liquid and others) can be used but you must realize that these products are designed for the removal of the vegetable fat or animal fat from fired ceramics. They look at the wax you coat your car the same way so if you enjoy rewashing after washing on a weekly basis then dishwashing detergent would be best for you. Retailers for waxes love the people who are using Ivory Liquid and they send them Christmas cards each year!

If you prefer that your wax last a bit longer then you may consider products that are specially designed for car use. The products' quality is based on detergents and not soaps. Soaps are mostly manufactured from animal byproducts, same products that are rejected by dog food people. These contain trace elements that could actually damage the paint of your car. These are the same trace elements that you see in your bathtubs that form rings. The only exception is with soaps from plant fats.

Quality car shampoos and washes are pH controlled usually and they contain chemicals as gloss enhancers while some also add a small amount of a water-soluble wax. Use just enough of the car wash to break ionic or electrostatic bond between your car and dirt. Start up with a clean bucket that is preferably made of plastic then add a little amount of car wash and fill it up with cool water. Avoid using hot water as it softens the wax. Read the car wash bottle direction and try to reduce the recommended amount in half. I use just less than a cap of car wash in a 5 gallon bucket. The more of the car wash you use, the more the wax is removed. Avoid using powder car wash products as the granules that are undissolved could lodge under the wash mitt or sponge and could scratch the surface of your car's paint. Make sure that the car is shaded and make sure the paint surface is cool. As a rule of thumb, if you can hold the hood with your hand comfortably then you can wash and wax the car.

Gently spray your car to wet the surface thoroughly. Do not use a 200 Psi fire hydrant spray as it's not needed and could grind the paint with the surface grime and would cause scratches. Some purists will not even use a nozzle on their hose. Start spraying from the top and work your way down. Rewet the car's top surface then gently wash it and rinse. Then move to another section like the hood or trunk. Rewet the area and wash then rinse. Continue going down the car and completing it a section at a time. This way your car wash won't dry onto the paint.

How to have a Great Hand Car Wash

Some supply details you'd need are:

Two buckets- one bucket for your car and one for non paint surfaces and tires.

Soap for cars - Don't use household dishwashing soap as it will break the wax stripping down that protectively cover your car. Only use the dish soap if you plan on waxing after you wash.

Water & hose – use a soft sprayer for the hose for best result.

Leaf blower – That's right. If being like a pro is what you like, then believe it but they dry high end exotic cars using a dryer.

Several rags- As a must use microfiber. Don't use old t-shirts, dish towels or personal towers as they leave scratches, swirls and marks. The microfiber rags are gentler on paint.

Lambswool mitt- If it's possible, use soft lambswool as it's the gentlest tool for washing. If not available, use microfiber cloth.

Drying towels - It's best to use waffle microfiber, the regular microfiber will also work but don't use an old dish towel or a cotton drying towel.

Hand Car Washing Technique

A lot of people think that it's such a simple chore where you just need to get an old bucket of soapy water then you wash the car. But as a matter of fact, if you plan on preserving the pain and make the car's paint last a lot longer than others then you must follow these techniques that are used by pros.

•  Don't wash in direct sunlight. If this is not possible then wash by sections. The purpose of this is to limit your soap from drying on the car's surface as it will leave a soap film on your wax or on clear coat.

•  You can start by using one bucket that you designated for the use of wheel wells and tires only. Wash the tires and wheels then wells first as they are the dirtiest and have brake dusts building up on them. If some grime or dirt gets on the car's paint hten it will be washed off on the next step.

•  Using the bucket with soap designated for the car, start from the top then work your way downwards. Use another rag for the lower sections, rocker panels, around the tires and bumpers to remove the extra grime. Rinse each of the section as you go.