When It Comes To Washing Your Car...

[Mhouse11]

What is the best soap to use? Or do you let the car wash do it?

[mburnickas]

I have not used "saop" in over 1.5 years..Only ONR..

[DrJfrmLA]

I use Blue Coral and a soft brush, then dry with a chamois. The Lexus is my partner's and she sometimes takes it through the car wash, but she knows I prefer she not. I have an S-class Mercedes Benz, and I never take it to a car wash. A brush will float the grit off the surface so you don't "sand" the finish like you do with a cloth. Lots of water in a gentle shower (not a blast) will produce a great wash. :D

[ED.]

Best soap to use is something that is very viscious. You want a soap that will not only clean the paint but protect it as well when you are sponging and drying. There are periods of time when you want to use a Dawn type soap to try and take off old wax but I am not sure as to those intervals. I would have to check my BMW board and I've been meaning to post in the Detailing Forum there. I recommend a Meguairs type soap. I LOOOOVE their stuff and while a lot of guys use Zaino, I find it difficult and expensive to use. My car is my daily and I am in Saint Louis so spending a ton on detailing stuff to watch it get snowed on and leafed on and rained on and so forth, would ruin my day!

Always dry with a chamois or what I have is a product from Detailers Choice and its called a 'Spotless Dryer.' I got it at Wal Mart and its almost like lether but its always damp and you ring it out so your not putting something like a cotton towel or the likes on your paint and leaving it dry or swirly. Lexus has enough problems with swirls as it is!

For basic care car I say use a gel soap, wring-out dryer and some wax and she'll shine up well. I go one step more and do a clay bar and sometimes paint cleaner before I wax and even more in-depth would be buffing and using Zaino or the nine step stuff from Meguairs. I wouldn't know where to start there! I had a WEN buffer that died on me so I just use hand applicators now. Takes more time but when its 75 out and sunny, who wants to get done sooner?

[SW03ES]

Check out the detailing forum, tons of good info and opinions in there.

[92ls forhundo]

Check out the detailing forum, tons of good info and opinions in there.

im kinda a maguires geek...i use the deep crystal wash, and then usually use the nxt as a wax every two or three washes...

and once ive got my coat of nxt on, i just rinse and dry with a soft terry cloth that hasnt been washed with detergents...

works pretty well so far...

[jcrome04]

I would personally NEVER touch my car with dish soap... Just use any soap made for car washing. (i.e. Blue Coral, Meguiars deep crystal, etc..) clean mitts, not too much pressure.

should be good to go!

[ED.]

The Glosshaus guy from my BMW board said he uses it once a year when he wants to remove old wax. Thats about the most I would do it too. Back to the days of ignoarnce on my part is when I would use it all the time >(. My poor cars.

[coloknight]

What about the brushless car washes? We get frequent rain showers that last just long enough to water spot the finish. I'm too busy to wash the car on a daily basis but too anal to drive around with waterspots. I go to a carwash where the car sits in one place while a wand circles the car and sprays on the wash, rinse, topcoat protector, etc. Once a month I use a really good paste wax.

Bottom line: Are the brushless carwashes bad for the car?