Frustrated..need advice

[Deadeye]

I just spent close to 16 hours, 3 step processing my paint and it came out pretty good. But after the 1st washing I noticed some fine scratches from the wash mitt. I use a foam gun, 2 bucket method plus a water softener to help make more foam and I still get these scratches. Obviously my technique needs improvement but I wonder if pressure washing it first would help? I am not trying to keep it perfect, it is my DD, hunting & fishing rig so it won't stay perfect but I would like to see my hard work last a little while. Sorry so long just frustrated.

 

Man I feel for you guys with the Black rigs.

 

Deadeye

[redhawk243]

I'm a noob, but how old is the wash mit? Did it ever fall on the ground? Using your grit guard? Applying too much pressure?

[Deadeye]

Forgot too mention I use grit guard in each bucket and 2 fairly new wash mitts. I tend too agree with you about too much pressure.

[07RS4]

You said it came out "pretty good" after 16 hours? Did you still have scratches/swirls that needed removed that you didn't notice and just noticed them after the wash?

 

With all the things you do to avoid swirls, water treatment + foam gun + two bucket wash, I highly doubt it's the technique. Washing your car is not rocket science, and you are probably doing it correctly. Me personally, I belive you would know if you are using to much pressure when using a wash mit. I would imagine most people use about the same amount of pressure when washing a car...with too much pressure you would be exhausted from pushing so hard on the entire car.

 

Would a pressure washer help? It would release more of the larger particles, but after watching the Junkman's video's on touchless washing, you would still need to break that bond with the remaining dirt, etc.

 

Try claying that bad boy.

 

My 2 cents. Dave

[mbreyer]

Dark color wash mit? I notice my MF Mit tends to capture dirt you cant see also environmental variables apply if washing outside. I tend to spray the crap out my mit after 2nd bucket rinse every time. But unfortunately black is just a bear to keep flawless luckily you've got the tools to correct it.

[Deadeye]

I use the Adams wash mitts. As far as the end result after my 16 hours of work I know the swirls were gone. I say pretty good because there were a few RIDS that I didn't get out. The scratches are in a straight line so I know they are from the wash mitt. I dry my truck with a leaf blower so no extra contact there either. Thanks for the input guys. I'll try and put a few pics up in the AM. Plus I forgot to mention my truck is dark blue.

[07RS4]

Hmmm, craziness. Maybe some of the Pro's have more advice for you after seeing some pics.

[texn884]

You must have something in your mit to get the scratches. I get them sometimes on my Black car and it pisses me off when I see them when I am done drying it. I had some on my MC double sided towel and when I noticed the scratches I looked at the town and said Holy Crap Batman there wass a peice of somethingkind of imbedded in the fabric. I had rubbed them out with the orange stuff and then the white stuff with one of the square polishing pads and they were gone.

 

I will never own another black car again, you can run your finger over the paint and if your skin is a bit rough you got fine scratches, at least that is the case on my cae that has real weak paint, thanks to WATER BASED PAINT!!!! It sucks

[musclejunkie]

You must have something in your mit to get the scratches. I get them sometimes on my Black car and it pisses me off when I see them when I am done drying it. I had some on my MC double sided towel and when I noticed the scratches I looked at the town and said Holy Crap Batman there wass a peice of somethingkind of imbedded in the fabric. I had rubbed them out with the orange stuff and then the white stuff with one of the square polishing pads and they were gone.

 

I will never own another black car again, you can run your finger over the paint and if your skin is a bit rough you got fine scratches, at least that is the case on my cae that has real weak paint, thanks to WATER BASED PAINT!!!! It sucks

 

:iagree:TOTALLY!!! If you have black or a dark color, a true FILLER is almost a foregone conclusion and a necessity.

[MAYBEN]

I will never own another black car again, you can run your finger over the paint and if your skin is a bit rough you got fine scratches, at least that is the case on my cae that has real weak paint, thanks to WATER BASED PAINT!!!! It sucks

 

our paint is the worst!

[Chris@Adams]

I always after hosing all the dirt off spray down with WCW it makes your paint slippery, and I also put a good bit of soap on my pad, this too makes less friction. If you do your wheels first make sure you dump the water and start off with clean.Without seeing your technique its hard to say whats going on.

[musclejunkie]

I always after hosing all the dirt off spray down with WCW it makes your paint slippery, and I also put a good bit of soap on my pad, this too makes less friction. If you do your wheels first make sure you dump the water and start off with clean.Without seeing your technique its hard to say whats going on.

 

:iagree:WW has now become a part of my wet wash process - thanks chris!

 

As for wheels....I always wash my car from the bottom up, starting with a good powerful spray off of the entire car, wheel wells and wheels and tires, then using a seperate bucket without grit guard and filled with suds, boars hair and fender brush, I clean the entire bottom of my car first going over the black trim moldings, wheels, tires and wheel wells finally in that order. Then I proceed to wash the car "body paint" from top down, first spraying with WW then foaming the car, and then hand washing, using a different bucket with grit guard, wash mitt and Adams shampoo, power rinsing the mitt after each panel, then rubbing across the grit guard to soap it up again.

 

Black paint will scratch without even touching it. Normal road grime and dust will scratch the black paint even if you just power washed it off. The key is to get it as close to perfection as you can, then get the best wax possible on it which would be MSW, followed by Americana.

[Deadeye]

Ok Here is a pic of the results, this is after a coat of MSW and BG. I am going to wash my mitts real good and try it again, after I remove these new scratches. Thanks again for the advice.

 

Travis

[Team Adam's]

WOW... thats pretty severe scratching to be the result of just the mitt... especially the REALLY defined vertical part just below the door handle. That looks more like it may have been brushed against while the truck was dirty.

 

To introduce that kind of damage in wash you'd have to put some serious intent or pressure behind the wash media and deliberately try to put damage in.

 

On a side note, that door handle looks like a candidate for some VRT!!

[MAYBEN]

[JerseyGator]

:iagree:WW has now become a part of my wet wash process - thanks chris!

 

...Then I proceed to wash the car "body paint" from top down, first spraying with WW then foaming the car, ...

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't see how spraying WCW on your car before foaming does anything but waste WCW.

 

I'll defer to a higher authority, Dylan???

[Chewy]

I'll agree with Dylan. G8 paint is softer than cheese and I don't get scratches like this. It looks like something rubbed against the paint to create those. I'm not calling you a liar here either... If the wash pad did that, then your technique needs tweaked.

 

Chris

[goheels]

You must have a rock/razor blade in your wash mitt to be creating scratches like that. I can't even imagine those cheapo autozone mitts creating that kind of damage.

[Team Adam's]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't see how spraying WCW on your car before foaming does anything but waste WCW.

 

I'll defer to a higher authority, Dylan???

 

No, I believe you're correct... again, just like car wash, waterless isn't an "active" cleaner so its not performing any tasks simply being sprayed on the paint and being left to sit.

 

After foaming, washing, and rinsing... yes... absolutely b/c thats the point you're going to be touching the paint, but before doesn't yield any benefit that I can think of.

 

Doing door jambs and crevices prior to washing - similar to what I suggested in my waterless prewash thread - makes sense as you're addressing areas where a cleaner like Waterless will work and foam may not get into on its own, but larger panels? No benefit that I can see.

[Deadeye]

I know guys, I am at a loss here. If something rubbed against the paint when it was dirty it rubbed against both sides. I just ran the mitts through the washer so we'll see if that helps. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the tip about the door handles Dylan, we'll get to it as soon as I get this other problem figured out.

 

Travis

[07RS4]

I know guys, I am at a loss here. If something rubbed against the paint when it was dirty it rubbed against both sides. I just ran the mitts through the washer so we'll see if that helps. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the tip about the door handles Dylan, we'll get to it as soon as I get this other problem figured out.

 

Travis

 

That's right in the area you'd be leaning to get to the roof....C'mon Travis. We want the facts, and only the facts dude.:lolsmack:Video tape your next two bucket wash, and send it in to the experts to analyze. Bwahahaha.

 

Seriously though. Agreed they are pretty severe to get from a mitt. To tell you the truth, I never heard of the two bucket wash method or any of these awesome products until a few months ago, and I never got scratches that bad. Even on my black rides.

[Bill-V8V]

I'm sorry but to me that looks like a dirty hose was dragged along the side of the car. To get that kind of damage from ANY wash mitt you would need to have a handful of sand in it. And if you did have that much abrasive matter in the wash mitt the entire vehicle would look like that.

 

The part that makes me think hose is the long section just under the door handle. Especially where you mentioned you had it on both sides. You probably moved the hose in the same fashion on both sides while rinsing the roof.

[MAYBEN]

yeah its too straight in both directions to be a wash mitt.. just doesnt look right..

[mbreyer]

Wow those are very gnarly scratches im siding with the other post here i dont think thats a mit unless it's filled with glass shards and some 80 grit.

[07RS4]

I'm sorry but to me that looks like a dirty hose was dragged along the side of the car.

 

[Deadeye]

Thanks for the input guys but I can guarantee 100% that it is not the hose dragging along the door, I never get that close with a hose, learned that one along time ago. But I do agree with the dirty/gritty wash mitt. When I am done washing my rig I usually hang them up and hose them real good, but today I ran them through the washing machine and they came out alot softer. Which in turn tells me they are alot cleaner as well.

As I said this is my DD/hunting rig so I can come home pretty dirty sometimes and the mitts are holding more dirt than I thought.

 

Thanks again,

Travis