Best way to wash & dry during the summer heat? 105+ degrees

[Wardo]

Unfortunately Arizona imposes some of the worst conditions for washing a car in the summer heat. I have 2 big cars so my work is cut out each wash, normally takes a good 1.5-2 hours. Winter time is no more than 1-1.5<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

I always wash my rides at night time, a good 3-4 hours after the sun goes down. It’s still 100 + thou, hard water dries so unbelievably fast it makes water spots hard to avoid. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Here is my current 2 methods.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

1. Spray down the whole car/truck, wash from top to bottom and rising off the soap as I move along. During the wash, I will spray water in the spots I have already gotten to or still need to wash. The sheeting method is HUGE after I am finished with washing. Soon as I finish sheeting I spray a light mist of detail spray over the full car, except the windows. 2 GWDT are typically used to dry. This process is starting not to work because the detail spray will dry up super fast, between this and water drying it will have to go back over the vehicle a few times to insure there are 0 spots. This process is not typically used when cleaning the Tahoe, it’s just to big for me to get around quick enough.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

2. This method is a little different, spray and wash from top, front, rear then sides. Try to dry each spot individually as I am finished with the wash and rinse. This is fairly hard because one small mistake and you get the clean areas all wet. This is normally a the process used with my 300. I can also use the first process on this car as it’s much easier to dry.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

The other alternate I will sometimes do is rinse the whole car then work my way around using the detail spray.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

It’s just a real pain with it being so hot, so I am just looking for ideas from anyone. I am no professional with detailing in this kind of hot temperature, so please give your 2 sense. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Wish me luck because I’m going into battle with both beast this weekend

<o:p> </o:p>

[BlueGenCoupe]

Good luck. Stay Hydrated and send some of that heat up north

[gymrat7953]

I start at 4:00 AM and am finished by 7:00 AM; 1 Mustang and 1 Highlander.

[Team Adam's]

Sundown in really hot climates tends to still be REALLY hot... try for early morning detailing. That way everything has had a chance to cool down. Like Terry suggested start before sun up and try to finish as quick as you can.

[Chris@Adams]

Ward, you guys don't get a lot of rain do you?

[Wardo]

Sundown in really hot climates tends to still be REALLY hot... try for early morning detailing. That way everything has had a chance to cool down. Like Terry suggested start before sun up and try to finish as quick as you can.

 

sun up is like 4:45am lol i do wake up this early, but i'm not getting up earlier than this.

Ward, you guys don't get a lot of rain do you?

not really, summer time has the most rain of the year.

[Team Adam's]

sun up is like 4:45am lol i do wake up this early, but i'm not getting up earlier than this.

 

Even then... you're probably better off for the first hour or 2 of the day after everythings cooled down (relatively speaking) overnight versus starting at sundown when the ambient temps are still way up there.

[Comment]

Just washed in 95 degree heat and no water spots, I just did the normal type wash.

 

• 2 buckets
  
• Rinse with fan spray
  
• Used heaviest foam setting on the foam gun with 4OZ of soap, 4 oz of water
  
• wiped down the car with the jumpo and the normal mitt. Only took like 5 minutes.
  
• Rinse with fan spray
  
• Sheet rinse
  
• Pull into garage
  
• Dry
  
• Then I went over the hood, trunk, and doors with detail spray to get rid of some tiny water spots. Not many though
  

 

Took me an hour and then 30 minutes to wax it.

 

I decided to do the wheels last because if I did them first while the car was sitting in the sun, the paint wouldve kept getting hotter and hotter and wouldve made it more difficult, so I just sheet rinsed the wheels, sprayed the Green Wheel Cleaner and cleaned them like usual.

[texn884]

I dont have any issues here in Helotes, San Antonio and my car is black. I usually wash her around 11 on Friday or Saturday morning. I soak the front to loosen the bugs guts. I soak the bug rag with car shampoo and clean the nose then I do each wheel then rinse her off then foam her down in a luxary bubble bath and then use the big wash pad with adams shampoo and wash her front to back to front. Rinse her off and jum in and take up two spaces in the garage and hit it with detail spray and grab the 2 micro fiber drying towels having one of them get pretty wet and the other to dry after that way I am still having water and detail spray over the drying surface.

 

After that I do the door jams then the wheels and do the same on the other side then detail the engine and under the hood.

 

I then take the shop vac and suck the kidney grills and lower grills and then use it on the lugs nuts and vents and around the windows where it drips down the doors and do the rear disfusser and suck the water out of that honeycomb and do the other side.

 

That is my process then I detail the wheels with DS and detail more in the engine compartment and then tackle the exhaust tips and mufflers. Then clean the windows.

 

After3-4 hours or so she is backed into the garage and then if I am up to it use Americana on the top sections of the car and the front bumper and pop the hood again to finish up the engine compartment. Americana on the paint under the hood and detail spray on the engine and injectors mounted to the valve covers and makde sure it looks better than it did when it was new.

 

VRT the tires and grills and anyother place that needs it and sometimes use the inder carriage spray for the wheel wells.

 

Then I pull the chair out and pop a cold Bud Light or more and realx and look at my work of art.

[gymrat7953]

sometimes I'll do the rims and wheel wells late in the evening and finish up the body early the next morning. the wheels and wells take the most time and you don't have too much of a water spotting problem on tires/rims.

[mbreyer]

I have been leaving the soapy water on the truck till ready for all around rinse and it helps a lot but its no 100+ here. Thats the only thing i can point out that has not been already other than an air conditioned tent or garage.

[Chobbs]

I live in Vegas and am almost as bad off as the OP.

 

I clean the wheels first but always end up with water spots on them. But they wipe off easily after I've finished the car.

 

1. Rinse with normal tap water

2. foam with Adams shampoo

With this shampoo I don't care if it dries while I'm washing, as it will not hurt the paint and will rinse right off

 

3. Wash the whole car (no rinsing)

4 hook up my de-ionizing water filters to the hose and rinse the car with DI water (if DI water dries on tge car, it leaves ZERO spots!!!!)

5 hook up shop vac and blow out all the nooks and cranny's (taking my time)

6 then dry with GWT and detail spray

7 done! No spots!!!

 

The DI water is the best thing I have ever bought besides finding Adams products. It leave Zero water spots even if it dries in direct sun. So I can take my time and enjoy drying the car

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Doug123]

Yup, in line water treatment is what I'd do if I had that kind of heat. I think we have a few on the forum who do so because of high heat and extremely hard water - I think you guys in AZ have extra hard water, right?

[mc2hill]

We have a problem with the humidity, but it's only warm (high of 95) compared to you.

 

I wash the entire car without rinsing, then use Chris05GTO's method - go over the problem areas again with the wash mitt(in your case it may be the entire car). The 'new' soap will reactivate the 'old' dried on soap. Now pool rinse, and dry with the GWT for a spot free finish.

[redhawk243]

Like Adam showed in his video...do not rinse off the car a section at a time. You're leaving hard water on the car instead of water that's mixed with soap.

 

Once I rinse off the car I spray down the whole car with detail spray....doesn't have to be THAT much, but a decent a mount. Wipe down with big drying towel and then I bring out the electric leaf blower to get the water out of the cracks. Doing that you will get some water spots from the water that ran out but I just go over it when a single sided towel with some more DS. Looks great.

[Wardo]

thanks for the tips everyone.

 

Update,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

I washed the Tahoe over the weekend. I noticed something very interesting. I first wash the whole truck, and the let soap dry. During the rinse process I went over the large panels with the wash mit and made sure there was no soap scum left behind. Then I quickly sprayed detail spray over the whole truck, then used the GWDT. Under good light I noticed the dried detail spray would come back to life and wipe off clean with no steaks. I think the wet detail spray on the towel was re activating the dry areas. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

I think I need to add two missing links to the process. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

- Forced air<o:p></o:p>

- Water de-ionizer <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Where and what kind of products are used for de-ionizing?<o:p></o:p>

[Chobbs]

The DI water I use comes from a product called "CR spotless water systems" or CR spotless will help you with the google search. I bought it through cosco online for a whole lot cheaper than from the CR spotless website. Cosco sells extra resin too! Good luck and keep us informed!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[the1inblue]

Its been 100+ here in NC and Im scared to even wash my car for the fear of water spotting. I wish I had an a/c garage lol

 

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[Wardo]

Its been 100+ here in NC and Im scared to even wash my car for the fear of water spotting. I wish I had an a/c garage lol

 

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

don't be. leaving the soapy water on the car until you are ready to rinse is key. Even then don't worry about not being able to dry every spot before water spots occur. Spray a little detail spray on your towel and go over the whole car. good to go.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

this process has been clutch since i started this thread. <o:p></o:p>

[r.t.saucedo]

again im not saying to use their soap just the gun and spotfree wash for your water since its the same of DI

[Marylander]

again im not saying to use their soap just the gun and spotfree wash for your water since its the same of DI

 

Hi Randy -

 

I deleted your earlier post as we don't allow links to competitor's stuff. Also, we've had a few thread on those wash systems and the consensus is that they're not really worth the money.

[r.t.saucedo]

thats fine i was trying to link it as a competitor as but thats fine just trying to help with a cheap alternative, i actually took mine apart to just use the water filtration part but do as you wish,