Best quick wash

[Rolling_history_teacher]

Hey everyone, newbie here. I recently bought a 2011 white (not pearl, but stark white) Panamera from my dad. Love the car, but the color is driving me nuts, it is so difficult to keep clean. I’m coming from a dark blue GTI, which wasn’t too bad.

I’ve come to the realization that i’m going to have to give it some kind of wash every week. However, I really don’t want to have to do a full on wash every week. Can y’all give me some recommendations on the best quick washes? Is a foam gun/canon and pressure wash a good investment, or just a simple suds and scrub?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Looking forward to being involved on the boards!

[2012srt8]

rinselrss wash would be your best bet. fill a bucket with water and 2-3oz of rinselrss.use about 8 quality microfiber towels or 1 towel per panel.best way to keep swirls out. once you do a panel throw the towel in the dirty pile and use another

[LSX Maestro]

It will vastly depend on how dirty the car is. A majority of my cars are Summit White which is a flakeless stark white like what you're talking about.  If all they have is a little road dirt on them and brake dust/rubber etc. then a Rinseless Wash may be all you need.  Adam's has videos on it and a google for rinseless washing will bring up lots of results.

 

 

Now, if your car is a little dirtier than just that, say mud or slush from the winter roads and dried on junk, then I will pressure wash the whole vehicle down either at home or at the local quarter car wash or "pay and spray" as Adam says.  Once I power wash all of the big stuff, hanging gunk and whatever else I can get off, I'll park it in the garage (But you could do it in the driveway right after the spray off) and give it a Rinseless wash like the above.  At first I was extremely skeptical of a Rinseless wash. I thought for sure it wouldn't work very good or it would damage the paint and burn through rags but it actually works really good and doesn't do any of those things, couldn't recommend it more.

 

Or instead of doing a Spray off + rinseless, you could just do your typical bucket wash.  Now the proper way is with 2 buckets and grit guards and of course proper products and technique.  Again, lots of videos on that and Adam's makes their own series on it. And many many more videos on how to make those washes easier with Waxes, Sealants, and Coatings as well as cleaning products. 

 

I would highly recommend giving it a good detail.  Get it really really clean, strip it down and see if it needs polishing/paint correct (Swirl marks? Light scratches? Rough to the touch? All of these point to a Clay + Paint Correction).  If it does, take it to a qualified detailer for a Strip, Decontaminate, Clay, and polish OR you could buy the products, learn how and do it yourself, it's not that hard but it could be time consuming and maybe frustrating your first time around.  

Once your paint is clean, decontaminated, and polished, it's ready for a Sealant or a Wax.  The strongest layer should go down first, in Adam's case, that is Liquid Paint Sealant.  This should give you 6ish months of protection.  It will aid in keeping the car clean, beading, and protection against fall out, bird droppings, and the like.  Topping Liquid Paint Sealant (LPS) with a H2O Guard and Gloss application regularly or a Wax regularly is even better and will keep that protection going (Say once ever 2-5 washes). 

 

There's loads more information but I figure this may get you started.  Adam's Forums and Adam's Polishes videos are your friends. Welcome aboard!  

 

 

 

[Rolling_history_teacher]

Awesome! Yeah it’s not terribly dirty, mostly road grime, but we’ve had cruddy weather here in Houston the last 3 weeks or so, so I was trying to find a way to limit my workload during the week. I’d like to keep it to a quick 30-45min wash, which these kind of sound like.

Thanks again!

[mc2hill]

With the Rinseless Wash you can get the time under 30 minutes.  You can do the 'bucket of towels' method that Ryan mentions, or the 2 bucket method that James referenced, the choice it up to you.  

I am able to wash and apply H2O G&G to my wife's Accord in 20 minutes, this includes a quick wash of the wheels with the 2 bucket method.  But that does not count setup time or cleanup time. 

With the 'bucket of towels' (or Garry Dean method) you can leave the towels in the solution for a week or so, and never need more than 1-2 gallons of Rinseless solution, so about 1 oz. of product.

[LSX Maestro]

I just detailed my truck today.  It's already coated in LPS + H2O.  I sprayed it off and then did the "Garry Dean" Rinseless method (About 2.5 gallons of water, 2 oz of Adam's Rinseless Wash, 6 Double Softs) and cleaned it all up. Wheels I do with a clean but lesser quality towel, no need to wreck a double soft with mud/break dust.  As long as you never put a towel back into the Rinseless wash solution, you can use it multiple times which I plan to do.  RW (Rinseless wash) is definitely THE best way to clean your car in the winter. Spray it off if the build up is heavy at the car wash, drive it home and RW or spray it off at home and RW.  It goes without saying that having your paint layered with LPS/H2O/Wax/Detail Spray/Ceramic Coating etc. makes RW way easier.  Almost everything will power wash right off, the only thing the RW towels pick up is light stuff and cleansing the fine stuff off to get it really sparkly. Drying it off with Detail Spray works great for me when it doesn't need another layer of H2O. DS helps to give it a little more protection, shine and that "glow" that you get in the sun.  

Edited February 26, 2018 by LSX Maestro

[falcaineer]

My vote is for RW, as well. Great stuff...check out the kit when you're ready.

[Rolling_history_teacher]

Holy cow, that rinseless stuff seems amazing, and just what I need. I can easily get the Panny done in 45min. 

Dad was out of town often, so he didn’t put more than 28k miles on it over the last 7 years, meaning he also didn’t do full wash/wax often. I think i’m going to do a full on detail job, and get the car back to the “like new” stage, but pick up a bottle of this for these weekly quick washes.

Thanks again everyone!

[LSX Maestro]

Sounds like a plan. Have fun and welcome to the addiction. You'll start picking up more things every order..."Eh, maybe I'll try some Tire and Rubber Cleaner....All Purpose Cleaner looks good...Glass Sealant? Throw it in there...Do I nee --Yes I do..." etc.  

[falcaineer]

Not to add confusion, but if it doesn't get all that dirty...just dust, fingerprints, and the like...WW is amazing stuff, too (and it smells really good). Also note you can dilute RW 16:1 to make a waterless wash-like soution at a more economical price point. 

 

 

[LSX Maestro]

True. Waterless Wash is a great touch up product. It does have some shine additives whereas a diluted RW will not. It’s in between Detail spray and RW I think. 

[tlbullet]

Wirh spring around the corner whats your thoughts on removing “heavy” pollen buildup? RW or WW? Or even detailing spray just to remove stricly pollen??  I know during peak pollen season i could wipe the car down once a day, but i would like to do it the safest way.  

[LSX Maestro]

10 minutes ago, tlbullet said:

Wirh spring around the corner whats your thoughts on removing “heavy” pollen buildup? RW or WW? Or even detailing spray just to remove stricly pollen??  I know during peak pollen season i could wipe the car down once a day, but i would like to do it the safest way.  

If your pollen build up is no more than something like a little road dust, then RW or WW is definitely a great option for it.  I'd prefer WW or a diluted Rinseless Wash instead of Detail Spray as they have more lubricity and agents for cleaning purposes.  I bought a bottle of WW originally and then when I ran out I made my own dilution from RW and it works pretty much the same, it just doesn't smell as good or have any shine enhancers like WW does.  So to sum things up, either use WW or you could use a diluted RW solution in a similar fashion (And you could wipe down with Detail Spray after it's clean for shine, gloss, and slickness, which will aid in removal of such pollen/dust the next time you go to clean it).  

Edited February 27, 2018 by LSX Maestro

[Chris@Adams]

I too vote for WW, I WW my GTO after every drive and I do DS wipe down after setting in the garage.

Also I have taken my truck to the car wash and blasted off the worst road junk off then I us WW & WW MF towel  to dry a panel at a time.

This method is quick and does a great job.

[tlbullet]

Thanks for the responses....I plan on Ceramic coating after full correction in spring..going off of info from  other posts it would seem that i would want to avoid DS after the LPC. ??  

[LSX Maestro]

2 hours ago, tlbullet said:

Thanks for the responses....I plan on Ceramic coating after full correction in spring..going off of info from  other posts it would seem that i would want to avoid DS after the LPC. ??  

Yes.  You would not want to use ANY product with a Wax in it on a Ceramic Coated vehicle for best results.  That means you do not want to use Detail Spray, H2O Guard and Gloss, and obviously Patriot/Americana/Buttery Wax.  All of those products contain wax even if it's small amounts of it.  You'll want to use Car Shampoo, Rinseless Wash (Either as a Garry Dean method or in diluted form as a quick detailer) Wash & Wax (Which is silica and therefore plays well with Ceramic Coatings) and Ceramic Boost in place of Detail Spray. 

Edited February 28, 2018 by LSX Maestro

[2012srt8]

waterless wash is fine.pretty sure there's no wax.just cleaned my truck with it.worked great 

[tlbullet]

I used the HGG for the first time yesterday...no idea whats in it but dam, it took me 5 mins to dry the car and it was spotless.  Im in Ny and witht the damp cold weather i figured it would take a bunch of MF to dry it.  Somewhat dissapointed i will not be needing it

once the LPC goes on!!! Great stuff.  

 Havent touched the DS yet.  Got a few bottles from Mb so will probably have some  trading to do!!  

 

[LSX Maestro]

39 minutes ago, tlbullet said:

I used the HGG for the first time yesterday...no idea whats in it but dam, it took me 5 mins to dry the car and it was spotless.  Im in Ny and witht the damp cold weather i figured it would take a bunch of MF to dry it.  Somewhat dissapointed i will not be needing it

once the LPC goes on!!! Great stuff.  

 Havent touched the DS yet.  Got a few bottles from Mb so will probably have some  trading to do!!  

 

Yep HGG is a great product.  Detail Spray has many more uses than just your paint, in addition to wheels, glass, interior surfaces, plastics/vinyls and chrome, but you can use it on household items like windows, appliances, faucets, and computer screens/phone screens/TVs, sunglasses and more.  Endless really. 

[LSX Maestro]

1 hour ago, 2012srt8 said:

waterless wash is fine.pretty sure there's no wax.just cleaned my truck with it.worked great 

Disregard.  2012srt8 is correct. 

Edited February 28, 2018 by LSX Maestro

[2012srt8]

quite sure I seen Dan mention to use ww for maintenance 

[ZMAN024]

Waterless Wash can safely be used on Ceramic Coated vehicles.  The description on the product page even suggests it has no gloss enhancers just lubricants and wetting agents, so no wax.  

[LSX Maestro]

I stand corrected then. 

Edited February 28, 2018 by LSX Maestro

[ZMAN024]

12 minutes ago, LSX Maestro said:

I stand corrected then. 

 

No worries.  That's why we all chip in to offer up help and answer that type of question for each other.  

 

P.S. Let me know if you have any room left in your garage for any extra vehicles.  Most of mine sit out in the driveway.    

Edited February 28, 2018 by ZMAN024

[Rolling_history_teacher]

Okay, so a quick follow-up.

I started down the rabbit hole that is the instructional videos, and it got me thinking. If I'm going to do a full on detail to get it looking like-new, what would y'all recommend as things to pick up in my first purchase. Let's say I have $100-$150 to spend. (Father's Day is coming up, so anything I miss can be picked up then. :D) Go...

[LSX Maestro]

6 minutes ago, Rolling_history_teacher said:

Okay, so a quick follow-up.

I started down the rabbit hole that is the instructional videos, and it got me thinking. If I'm going to do a full on detail to get it looking like-new, what would y'all recommend as things to pick up in my first purchase. Let's say I have $100-$150 to spend. (Father's Day is coming up, so anything I miss can be picked up then. :D) Go...

Going to be hard to do a complete detail on $100-$150...If you want to go in order, then you'd be buying Stripping, Decontamination, and Polishing but that would mean you'd have left your now perfect/close to perfect paint naked.  Instead of trying to price out stuff I'll just lay out the steps:

 

Paint:

Strip Wash (But you'll need to do regular washes after this first detail)

Iron Decon (Can be done with Wheel Cleaner)

Clay (With Rinseless Wash because this will keep the waxes of Detail Spray off the paint)

Re-wash (With Strip is fine)

Polish (Depending on condition of car, you may be able to start at Correcting + Orange Foam pad but if that's not enough, then you'll need more, so a complete kit should be ordered.)

Protectant (In your case, LPS by hand or with a Gray Foam pad unless you're going to do a Ceramic Coating (Which that kit alone is $150))

If LPS:

Apply H2O GG or you can do the proven Brilliant Glaze + Paste Wax combo, personally, I think that's more catered to a garage or weekend vehicle.  

Wheels:
Thorough cleaning with Wheel Cleaner

Coat with LPS or just a standalone coating of H2O GG

 

Trim/Tires:

VRT on plastics; keeps them dark, protected, and shedding water/other substances

Tire Shine on tires or VRT can be used too (Diluting VRT is an option as well)

 

Glass:
If you want to save some time and money, you can just go with H2O GGing them regularly and/or Detail Spray.  But if you want, you can use:
Glass Sealant

Glass Boost

Which will keep your glass crazy hydrophobic for a long period of time (4-6 months + more if you go with boost)

 

I would save out and not buy any interior things unless you need them. I find that Detail Spray can handle most of the things in the interior as well as the exterior.  

 

This is just some of my thought process.  I'd buy as much of those processes as you can.  Obviously, if you're going to be doing a paint correction, it doesn't make sense to put LPS or even H2O GG/Wax on top of a contaminated/uncorrected paint, only to then order paint correction tools a few months later.  So it would be nice to go in order, but you can't stop at any step before Protectant really which leaves you with either spending more or less ideally you could just:

Strip Wash

Clay

Seal (LPS preferably topped with something like H2O GG)

and work with that until you can correct it.  

 

JMO.