Blog post for July 22. 

The proper scratch-free car wash. 

On many of my detailing appointments, customers ask, “what is the 2- bucket method, and what’s the proper way of washing your car so as not to introduce scratches?

The two bucket method consists of, you got it, two buckets. Each equipped with grit guards at the bottom. One’s going to be a wash bucket and the other is your rinse bucket. You also want to make sure you’re using a thick wash mitt made of microfiber cloth, not a sponge. Sponges scratch the paint on your vehicle. Wash mitts on the other hand do a very good job of soaking up lots of sudsy soap and lubricating the paintwork while you wash. The soap and wash mitt combination is key to preventing damage to the paints surface. The soap provides a well lubricated medium in which to suspend the dirt particles, and the wash mitt glides through the soap picking up and drawing the dirt away from the paint, unlike a sponge that grinds the dirt into your paint as you move it across the surface.

Step 1. Prep the car wash area with the appropriate tools (2 buckets with grit guards and a third for wheel cleaning, wheel and tire brushes, car wash shampoo, a hose and nozzle for pre-rinsing and final rinse, wash mitt and 1 to 2 drying towels).

Step 2. Fill both buckets about 2/3, place grit guards at the bottom of each bucket and pour about 2-3 oz. of car wash shampoo into your wash bucket.

Step 3. Fill a third bucket with wheel shampoo. You will start with the wheels and tires since they are usually the dirtiest.

Step 4. Pre-rinse the wheels. Using your wheel cleaning bucket soap up your brushes. With the  long barrel brush, thoroughly clean the barrel of the wheel and then finish off with the front facing wheel and tires. Rinse to get all the dirt off.

Step 5. Now that the wheels are clean, pre-rinse the entire car with water. If you have a soap gun attached to your hose or a foam cannon connected to a power washer thoroughly soap down the vehicle. Let the foam sit for a few minutes so it can do its job (lifting the dirt and grime off the vehicle as gravity drags it down. This also makes it very easy to wash the remaining dirt away with the mitt).

Step 6. Dunk your Mitt into the wash bucket and start washing the vehicle from top to bottom. Be sure to wash in straight lines not circles. After a few passes of the mitt you can dunk it into the rinse bucket making sure to rub it against the grit guard at the bottom, knocking loose any trapped dirt particles. Wring out the mitt outside of the rinse bucket and dunk back into your wash bucket to continue washing. You repeat this process until you have washed all the panels of your vehicle.

Step 7. Thoroughly rinse off the vehicle with your hose or pressure washer then dry using a premium drying towel, which should not leave any scratches. Make sure to tear off any tags on the towel.

Step 8. At this point you can apply any spray-on wax or other paint protecting regimen.

Step 9. As a final step. You can apply a conditioner to the tires and coat the wheels with a spray wax. This will protect them from a buildup of brake dust and road grime contaminants, making the wheels and tires easier to clean next wash. 

I hope this information helps. If you have any questions please leave a comment below.