Apologies if there is already a thread, point me to it. We decided to put the duracoat finish on the new car as we have a huge problem with tea tree spot sap? marks. The recommendation was for touch free car wash or hand wash. so we did touch free. no real problems. but i noticed a tiny scratch on the bonnet and did some research, where i learnt touch free car wash can damage the paint. Dilemma. I think I've done far more damage myself with hand washing in the past. So what do you prefer?
apollo11,
Dec 19, 11:22pm
I use a fine broom and hot soapy water- but my car is a dozen years old anyway. It still looks good after a wash. Polish once a year.
annie17111,
Dec 20, 9:02am
I hand wash my ute, and it gets waxed so most of the time I just use water and a sponge, then chammi it dry.
amasser,
Dec 20, 9:45am
Get rid of the ti-tree?
stevo2,
Dec 20, 9:49am
Our two cars get a handwash whenever needed using Mequiars NXT car wash and a glove/mitten (those are brilliant) and a chamois down. The van gets a wash fortnightly using a Supercheap car wash and a soft car washing broom, then a chamois down. They all get at least one waxing a year. Just finished the two cars right now so sitting down with a latte' before my next task.
kazbanz,
Dec 20, 10:33am
To be honest heather I would be more concerned with the teatree sap than with a light scratch. The sap can start to break down the clear coat
saxman99,
Dec 20, 10:53am
All I know is that when Jenkins brings the Bentley around to the main entrance It always looks immaculate.
dublo,
Dec 20, 11:11am
I spray gently with hose, then attach brush to hose and go over the car, starting at the top. Dry off with an old (clean!) bath towel, finishing the drying in the door, bonnet and boot frame areas. That means no water spots are left (our local tap water contains calcium silicate which dries very hard.) The cars live inside and get waxed once a year. 20 year old (clear-coat finished) modern car fine and still looks "almost like new". Old Dulon-finished cars (1977 one still has original paint) equally so. One repainted 2004 (original Dulon thin and tired), other (original 1964 cellulose lacquer "dead") repainted 2018. I haven't needed to use car-cleaning detergents.
ginks,
Dec 20, 11:16am
A glove/mitten will do a far better job than a sponge in removing dirt or whatever from vehicle. Mequiars wash is great.
shortee2,
Dec 20, 11:32am
I need a Jenkins .
tamarillo,
Dec 20, 11:33am
Hand wash only ever
sw20,
Dec 20, 11:34am
I've never once damaged my car by hand washing it.
If you hate your car, go to an automated car wash.
If you hate your car even more, use a sponge or broom style brush while you hand wash.
Make sure the car is in the shade. Three buckets. Two wash mitts. One old mitt for wheels. One good mitt for the car. One bucket with soap for wheels. One for water and one for car wash. Rinse the wheels first. Then wash with an old wash mitt with the soap from your wheel bucket. Rinse off wheels.
Rinse car. Start at the top and wash down the car with the good wash mitt with the soap from the car wash bucket. Rinse mitt regularly in the water only bucket to keep the crap off the car and out of the car wash bucket.
Thoroughly rinse off car. Use microfibre towels to remove any remaining water.
annie17111,
Dec 20, 12:08pm
my husband uses a sponge on his car, it sits in the garage under a car cover and he won't take it out in the rain because he is really particular about it. He's also a panel beater and works on cars all the time so I can't see how using a sponge would be harming a car or he wouldn't use one.
sw20,
Dec 20, 12:20pm
Sponges trap dirt and debris and you then scrape them across the paint.
nice_lady,
Dec 20, 12:21pm
My hubby washes my car . I don't much care for how he does it as long as it's clean. I did buy him a mit and some Meguires for Xmas tho 😁👍
lythande1,
Dec 20, 12:28pm
Bucket, hose and wash mitt.
annie17111,
Dec 20, 1:05pm
they use a broom to wash cars that have just been painted and never does any damage. I've never had scratches from using a sponge.
sw20,
Dec 20, 1:11pm
Thankfully you are in a different island. I won't have to worry about taking my vehicles to that panel shop.
rodeorunch,
Dec 20, 1:21pm
Don’t use Auckland tap water it’s to hard . I found I was getting like a calcium marks on my vehicle and on the glass. I only use tank /rain water now.
clark20,
Dec 20, 1:32pm
I start first with the snow cannon, and let it sit for a few minutes to soften the dirt, then use a mitten and mothers car wash, use filtered water in a tank for the water blaster to reduce calcuim spots, and dry with a rapid dry towel. I use two different brushes on the wheels, one for the outside and other for the inside rim.
I hose them well first, then spray with a car wash soap and wax(turtlewax usually), and clean that off with a window cleaning extension brush. Got a new one today, to replace old leaking smaller shaft one, for $21 at bunnings, has a nice soft brush. https://www.bunnings.co.nz/malloy-telescopic-water-brush-1-3-2-4m_p0302785
Did redo one of the new cars by hand and cloth last week though, as it had a pattern/film on it which was visible only in some conditions, which did not come off at first go, and required a fairly good scrub to remove, and get a proper even shine back, when viewed in full sun from any angle (likely something dealer had applied to it imo, but did not ask for any treatments).
kiwilandchch,
Dec 20, 4:53pm
dish wash an old rag in bucket water been doing it 30 years paint on all cars ive owned look great
mrcat1,
Dec 20, 4:59pm
Thats the best stuff out, I buy it by the 20 litre container off Cameron, use it on my ute and machine.
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