Care & Detailing Washing, waxing, cleaning, caring.

Best time to wash the car?

  #1  
Old 08-28-2007, 10:35 PM
NewGuyG35's Avatar
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,630
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Best time to wash the car?

I suck at washing the car. When I'm done washing it, I will always have dry water spots all over the car. I'm thinking it's the hot weather in my area, but maybe it's just my suckage at washing, or my chamois, the black color, who knows.

Also noticed my car has some lines. Prior to washing my car with the new micro fiber towel, I washed it with a regular sponge. Hopefully no new lines or swirls will form now that I have the correct towel?
 
  #2  
Old 08-28-2007, 10:43 PM
Joaquin03's Avatar
Staff ALUMNI
iTrader: (14)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Texas/Afghanistan
Posts: 3,635
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
best time to wash it is either in the morning or late in the afternoon... if you must wash it during the day, do like the car washes do and make some shade for your self. Look around at what some people use;that's just the beginning. it's not only the microfiber that saves the car but a number of other things (i.e. lambswool mitt, cleaners, polishers, sealants)

Try using something less abrasive than a regular sponge.

Detail University is a good place to start if you want to learn how to keep your black G from showing all those lines and swirls.
 
  #3  
Old 08-28-2007, 10:50 PM
NewGuyG35's Avatar
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,630
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Yeah, I wash my car about an hour before sunrise. But by the time I'm washing it, it's at least 90 degrees(live in the desert). And I also don't have any shade. I'll wash it even earlier. Maybe that will make the difference.
 
  #4  
Old 08-28-2007, 10:59 PM
The1&Only's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Socal - 626
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If you have problems with water spots, try washing the car in sections. Wet a small section of the car and then soap it, and then rinse it. What I do to avoid water spots is to keep wetting the sections I already washed. If you don't have it already, I would also look into the Mr. Clean Auto Dry car wash kit.
 
  #5  
Old 08-29-2007, 04:13 PM
TOGWT's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: London, UK / Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 3 Posts
Drying a Vehicle using water:
•Use a low-pressure, high volume water flow to `break' the surface tension of the water laying on the paint surface with the Ultimate Nozzle™ (or if you prefer remove the nozzle) you will see the water `sheet' off, move the hose down to "feed" the sheet as it flows down the panel, this will keep the `sheet' wide and it will carry away more water.
•The remaining water can be removed using a 24" x 30"waffle weave towel (Sonus Der Wunder Drying Towel) by pulling it across the panel or using a blotting motion, do not rub This gets rid of all the remaining drops and leaves only a little moisture, which can be removed with the towel.
•Apply a light mist from a quick detailing spray (Pinnacle Crystal Mist or Zanio Z8) to the whole surface (this reduces surface friction induced marring by creating a slicker surface for the towel to glide over),
•Use the blow side of a vacuum cleaner to remove water from crevices, wing mirrors, license plates, etc
•Use a water blade to remove water from glass surfaces
•Dry doorjambs, sill area, seams and crevices of hood and trunk with a Waffle Weave towel
 
  #6  
Old 08-29-2007, 06:57 PM
1trueG's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 1,851
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes on 10 Posts
Best time to wash is late afternoon, early morning when its cool outside...Im guessing you have water spots because you washed your car in direct sunlight and the water/soap dried. As for the lines, I'd say those were caused by using a sponge...Try using one of those soft sheep wool mitts. Lines and swirls are pretty hard to avoid on black cars though, they usually happen no matter what.
 
  #7  
Old 08-29-2007, 07:11 PM
redlude97's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (25)
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 1,911
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 5 Posts
I always try to wash in the evening, because it only get cooler, not hotter like in the morning, and sometimes things come up or take longer than expected.
 
  #8  
Old 08-29-2007, 07:15 PM
Joaquin03's Avatar
Staff ALUMNI
iTrader: (14)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Texas/Afghanistan
Posts: 3,635
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
yea.. i do mine in the evening as well.. if i take long then i have to hurry cuz i lose that precious sunlight... i sometimes see spots i missed the next day tho cuz my G is black so i just fix that up with a microfiber and i'm good to go...
 
  #9  
Old 08-29-2007, 07:17 PM
JOKER's Avatar
CLUB MODERATOR
iTrader: (24)
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: earth
Posts: 9,084
Received 347 Likes on 246 Posts
use mr clean washing kit

Once you wash one section wash it off with reg water then through the filter and move on to next section.

Then once you done spray with filtered water entire car and hand wipe before it dries.
 
  #10  
Old 08-29-2007, 08:14 PM
Garnet Canuck's Avatar
Traveling Administrator
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada
Posts: 30,233
Received 175 Likes on 102 Posts
Dude, get rid of that darn sponge!! You may as well wash your car with a dirty rag.
 
  #11  
Old 08-31-2007, 04:47 PM
bulldog25's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: H-town / Tejas
Posts: 246
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
IMO i wouldn't use that Mr Clean crap on my car. Like the other poster said
just keep "wetting down the areas youve already washed. I live in Houston and thats what I do also. You can't get much hotter than Texas summers and
I have no problems with spots. I personally wouldn't use Mr Clean on my paint after I've spent hrs applying Zaino only to have "mr clean" strip off all my work. Thats just my op.
 
  #12  
Old 09-03-2007, 12:32 AM
NewGuyG35's Avatar
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,630
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ok, washing close to sun down is the best time to wash for me. Also, I have to wash it and not use for the day, or at least wait until the water from the inside completely dries out. I washed it a few moments ago, took it for a drive, when I get back, I notice all kinds of dry water streaks throughout the front doors.
 
  #13  
Old 09-03-2007, 12:57 AM
Joaquin03's Avatar
Staff ALUMNI
iTrader: (14)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Texas/Afghanistan
Posts: 3,635
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
what i've done before is as soon as i washed the car i take it around the block so some of the water in the crevaces can come out... sounds wierd but it works. then i can go ahead with the rest of my detail without having to worry about having random streaks later on (like the ones under the rear-view mirrors and rear bumper)
 
  #14  
Old 09-03-2007, 01:18 AM
NewGuyG35's Avatar
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,630
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by joaquin03
what i've done before is as soon as i washed the car i take it around the block so some of the water in the crevaces can come out... sounds wierd but it works. then i can go ahead with the rest of my detail without having to worry about having random streaks later on (like the ones under the rear-view mirrors and rear bumper)

That's exactly what I mean. You have to go back every 2 minutes or so to remove them until they no longer run down.
 
  #15  
Old 09-03-2007, 01:36 AM
redlude97's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (25)
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 1,911
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 5 Posts
air compressor or leaf blower works much better. Driving it around the block can fling dirt up from the tires, or pick up dust from driving around.
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:
You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.

Quick Reply: Best time to wash the car?



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:39 PM.