I use Optimum Opti-Bond and a dressing applicator. But any good water based dressing is fine.

 

It's for anyone wanting to wash their car quickly and safely without using excess water. It cleans better than traditional car wash soaps. If you have issues with bugs, you can power wash the front end, then wash the whole car with ONR. And at around $40 or so a gallon, that's enough to wash your car 128 times. You can also mix up a half ounce in a 32 ounce spray bottle to use as your glass cleaner (has the same effect on glass as RainX) and your detail spray. BTW, I deal with the same bug issues leaving my brother's house crossing the lake and on road trips. ONR will clean that up too with some dwell time before a final pass or two with the wash pad.

Some people add ONR to traditional car wash soaps to reduce spotting issues, don't know if that's been an issue for you. But if like the way you wash now and don't mind the additional time, keep on doing it. The important thing is you are cleaning it regularly which avoids things like bird bombs or bug guts doing damage.

 

The new version of Opti-Seal has ceramic in it now. Or there is Optimum Hyper Seal which is basically a somewhat diluted version (to prevent high spots) of Gloss Coat, their retail level coating. You do have to buy it directly from Optimum, its part of their Opti-Coat maintenance line but it works well as a stand alone sealant. It also acts like a coating in terms of releasing dirt quickly when you wash. I'm getting about a year durability on customer's cars where I apply it with a foam pad like Opti-Seal.

 

I read that step by step guide a few posts up and it gave me a headache just reading it. OMG! I enjoy washing my car the “old fashioned way” and I find it easy and fun to do it right using soap, water, towels, and sun. As for spotting, I got none. I go around and around in the sun with that moist towel wiping wiping drying and getting all the drips etc, working with the sun to dehydrate excess water. And the water that gets trapped in the doors and in other places like that.

 

People make it way more complicated than it has to be.

Fill bucket with grit guard with 2 gallons of water. You don't need two buckets but if you want to use one, it also has to have ONR in it to prevent diluting the mixture in the wash bucket and also to release the dirt from the wash pad.

Start where you want on your car. Half the hood, 1/4 of the roof, trunk lid, etc. Wash it just like you were using a car wash soap.

Use two drying towels, I use The Rag Company Eagle Edgeless 16 x 16 microfiber towels. Fold them in half, then in half again (for easier handling) One towel for the first drying pass, Followed by the second towel. Move onto the next section. Flip over the towels, refold as needed. Once the first towel is too wet, the second towel becomes the first drying towel and a new towel for the 2nd pass. Usually use 3 towels total. Then I open the doors, wipe down the jambs, gas cap area and trunk jambs. Then wipe down the dash, console, seats, etc. I can wash all three of our vehicles in 80-90 minutes.

I use a separate bucket for the wheels, I have RPF1s and ceramic pads so my wheels are easy to clean.

This a video I made a long time ago, probably need to make a new one with the current towels I use.

 

One area I could use some recommendations for is the undercarriage. I really never get under there except in the most basic of ways (drive through car wash undercarriage spray and using my own power washer during regular washes). I saw an extension for a power washer wand it’s like upward shooting water jets on wheels and you roll it under there. I’ve also seen foam sprays and scrubbing action applied under there as well.

 

It's good practice to get the car up on jackstands and clean/inspect the undercarriage once per year (oil change time is perfect), try to avoid powerwashing the bottom of the engine area though, and the front wheel wells (headlight ballasts are behind it).

Everything from the firewall to the rear of the car should be free of oil so it's not much of an issue, but there are components that like to rust so hitting it with some under carriage spray is beneficial.

Engine bay lower you can remove and pressure wash the plastic lower cover but the other components I strongly recommend just using a rag followed up with solvent wipes (orange hand cleaner wipes) to keep from accidentally getting water into electrical components.