[spartaikemal]

I've been owning it for 4 months and basically the problems started when we had a rainy week a month ago. It has a white color. No matter what I do, it just won't be clean. I usually go to these manual car washers (not sure how you call them in english) with all these high pressure things, shampoos and brushes, but it never gets 100% clean. The lower part of the front and rear bumpers, the mirrors and the skirts always stay dirty, no matter what I do.

I don't think the dirt dried and sticked to it because when I slide my finger across it, it comes off in that line and I also wash it regularly. Today I went to 2 car washers in a row and I was taking extra care of those parts. Well, I had no luck... Also tried at home.

Never had any issues with washing cars before so I'm not sure what am I doing wrong. Any tips?

 

[Roade88]

Hello! Maybe you need to start to wash by yourself? I never like how the pressure washers do, but I never have any problem washing mine (apart from the rear glass, that after a week its like if I never washed it!)
What I usually do, its I washed with pressure washer, sponge, and rinse with pressure washer. Just after I dry it with chamois and a multifibre cloth. Every 6 months, a clay bar (special for the car) with some polish and wax and that way it should be done. Just outside, the normal one, take me about 1 hour and a half and full (inside and outside) with clay, wax and polish not under 6 hours. But its my hobby so its OK.

 

[Spdbump]

Even if you use a do it yourself pressure washer car wash you still once you get soap on the car need to use a washing sponge. I use one covered ln microfiber. Once you have rubbed over the whole car with it (except wheels and tires use a separate sponge for those) rinse. If you see streaks or other dirt clean again. Once clean. Dry with a chamois. Then clean glass with a non ammonia glass cleaner like Invisible Glass. Use a number of microfiber towels for that.

If you have a water supply at home just use 2 buckets. I used that method carrying a 10 gallon and a 5 gallon bucket from my 4th floor apartment and used a Worx Hydroshot battery operated pressure washer. My current apartment has a car wash area with a hose. I still use the Hydroshot and each wash with the soap attachment uses 2 ounces of car wash soap. I use the same sponge and absorber drying chamois.

I consider it therapy. Takes about an hour to wash the whole car and the Weathertech front mats.

 

[96firephoenix]

I use the spray-wash booths, but bring my own buckets, soap and wash mitt/microfiber cloth.

One thing you could do is see if you have a professional cleaner near you that will deep-clean the car and apply a ceramic coating. once the car is ceramic coated, it will be easier to do a good quick wash.

Part of the issue is just that white cars show dirt a lot.

 

[Spdbump]

I use the spray-wash booths, but bring my own buckets, soap and wash mitt/microfiber cloth.

One thing you could do is see if you have a professional cleaner near you that will deep-clean the car and apply a ceramic coating. once the car is ceramic coated, it will be easier to do a good quick wash.

Part of the issue is just that white cars show dirt a lot.

If you are using a spray car wash why do you need buckets? Do you have access to water where you and cars live? If you have buckets you can fill them in the bathtub or shower

 

[96firephoenix]

If you are using a spray car wash why do you need buckets? Do you have access to water where you and cars live? If you have buckets you can fill them in the bathtub or shower

The buckets are so I can use my own soap and wash mitt, but rinse with the pressure washer at the spray wash place... I can't really rinse the soap off with water from my bathtub.

 

[akiraproject24]

I found that the cars lines and geometry are inherently prone to buildup of dirt and some water collection areas. I also have a white car and they def show alot of filth compared to other colors I am used to namely gray and silver.

Can greatly mitigate what sticks with a ceramic coating but those are very costly to have done right. A good wax or sealer I think is mandatory if you hope to keep that white crz looking clean.

 

[Agent4834]

Personally, I hate the Automatic Car washes. They never seem to get the car clean, and i have seen some damage on paint from the dirty brushes. The brushes will have everything form the previous cars still on the surface on them. After see a Salty / Muddy truck with Mud up to it windows go though them, then putting my work VW bug though after, seeing all the scratches and swirls that it left i will never put my personal car in one.

The touchless ones al a little batter, but because the pressures nozzles can never change its angel of attack its always going to be dirty.

Its is crazy how good of results you can get at home with a hose, a bucket or two, some good car shampoo and a little time.

There are a lot of options out there to act as good sealant. The Turtle Wax "HYBRID SOLUTIONS PRO" Stuff is just amazing and not that expensive. Should be available world wide.

 

[da-coder]

+1 for the two bucket method. Pretty simple and much nicer on paint.
OP might also research "clay barring" if they aren't familiar. Sometimes after washing you still have residue left on it and running a clay bar over the top (usually with soap as a lubricant) it can pick up a lot more.

 

[Agent4834]

+1 for the two bucket method. Pretty simple and much nicer on paint.
OP might also research "clay barring" if they aren't familiar. Sometimes after washing you still have residue left on it and running a clay bar over the top (usually with soap as a lubricant) it can pick up a lot more.

I would only claybar if you are wiling to polish after, mostly on darker color paint. Using a simple All Purpose Cleaner, like Simple Green or Purple Power. Make sure it is safe for automotive paint. Dilute it down 4 parts water to 1 part cleaner. Let it sit for a min or two, then wash like normal will work really well for getting a lot of crud off without having to scrape it out with a claybar, or claymit.

 

[qwertylesh]

Pressure wash alone aka "touchless" is not going to lift off all of the road grime, this is the stuff the OP is describing, any time it rains road grime is going to build up on the car.

I see a lot of good suggestions in this thread, the one thing I would highlight is you can use standard dishwashing detergent with no issue. In Australia we can buy it in bulk at homewares/home-hardwares stores, no need to buy premium soaps to do the cleaning, put the difference you save from the soap into other products like ceramic coatings or waxes.

 

[ryanthegreat1]

Other than that part about dish washing soap stripping off any wax one might have applied.

 

[Spdbump]

Just use 2, 5 gallon buckets (or get a cheap battery or AC operated power washer or figure out a way to use a hose (I have seen all kinds of creative ways to add a hose to a tub or sink faucet or for things like dishwashers and sprayers to clean kids). If you own your home, it is easy to add a hose spigot, just make sure to do it properly and use one that is frost proof.)

A neighbor at my old apartment attached a hose spigot to the bottom of a bucket had 3 other buckets and made a stand for the source bucket. You can buy a hose for less than $20 at Walmart in the RV camping area. Sometimes he used just that, other times he used an electric power washer. Use their soap, you are paying for it anyway. Just bring your wash mitt.

When I used the bucket wash method before the Hydroshot I just wiped it down with the rinsed and very wet wash sponge or mitt. Only needed the 2, 5 gallon buckets. Just had to dry it with the Absorber or use a water blade, but they can scratch if you are not very careful. Didn't need a lot of rinsing. You can clean the whole car with 2, 5 gallon buckets, no hose needed.

I have also used waterless car wash products and now keep a bottle of it in my car for bird droppings. You spray it on the panel, wipe very well with a microfiber towel, then polish with another one. When I lived in TX, they had a drought, so car washing was forbidden. Washed my car a year using that method.

You are a smart guy, surely you can figure out something where you pay once and can do a better job. You already have all you need, no reason to go pay a car wash for water.

Furthermore, you rinse it with a very wet wash mitt/wash sponge from your rinse bucket. That is how you rinse it from your bathtub. So yes, you can wash and rinse the whole car with 2, 5 gallon buckets. That is the basis of the whole 2 bucket wash method.

The buckets are so I can use my own soap and wash mitt, but rinse with the pressure washer at the spray wash place... I can't really rinse the soap off with water from my bathtub.

 

[Spdbump]

Don't use dish detergent, it is too harsh on the clear coat. 100 ounces of car wash soap is $8 and I use less than 2 ounces per wash session with the Hydroshot. The last bottle lasted 3 years.

Pressure wash alone aka "touchless" is not going to lift off all of the road grime, this is the stuff the OP is describing, any time it rains road grime is going to build up on the car.

I see a lot of good suggestions in this thread, the one thing I would highlight is you can use standard dishwashing detergent with no issue. In Australia we can buy it in bulk at homewares/home-hardwares stores, no need to buy premium soaps to do the cleaning, put the difference you save from the soap into other products like ceramic coatings or waxes.

 

[Spdbump]

There are many articles online on how to wash a car without a hose. All you need is either 2 or 3 buckets, a good wash sponge or mitt (or 2) and a small amount of car wash soap. In the first bucket put the car wash soap. Use as little as possible. Wash the car one section at a time. Rinse the car wash sponge in the rinse bucket, then while it is very wet go over the area you just washed to rinse it. Repeat till whole car is clean. Then, if any residue on the car, take a third bucket of clean water and a second wash sponge and rinse the whole car again from the 3rd bucket (Or second one emptied rinsed and refilled). Then dry using either a chamois, an Absorber artificial chamois or a water blade.

You do not need a hose to rinse, it is nice to have one, but it is not needed.

At a commercial car wash, especially the do-it-yourself ones, do not use the brush they all scratch. Any car wash that has anything that spins or rubs against your vehicle will scratch it. We have discussed that before. If you go to a do-it-yourself one with the spray gun, bring your wash mitt and wheel sponge. You do not need buckets or your own soap you are paying a lot to use them might as well get the full advantage of what you are paying for, and I have used them in the past the soap they have in the gun works just fine. Some do-it-yourself car washes have a sign that says do not use buckets.

Many here recommend using dish soap to wash cars that is a bad idea, it is very harsh and is designed to remove gunk from metal dishes etc. and can damage the clear coat. It is better to use a car washing product. You don't need a premium product, but a car washing specific product is gentler, less harsh and do work. Like I said $8 for 100 ounces, and you need very little even if handwashing without a power washer.

If you want to spend money, they are all kinds of ways to make the process easier or faster. For my own situation, I got the Hydroshot Portable Power Cleaners | WORX and the soap attachment. This method needs more water, about 10 gallons for the source(I happened to have that special extra tall bucket), and I have a 5 gallon bucket for rinsing my wash sponge. I keep a very cheap large foam sponge for my wheels and tires. There are pressure washers at all price ranges and usually are used with a constant water supply. My neighbor used a bucket on a stand (he made) he installed a hose spigot to the bottom of the bucket with some plumbing parts. It was gravity fed, and he used 4 5 gallon buckets, the one with the spigot and 3 others to wash his cars.

You laughed at my suggestion to just use 2 buckets, but I have washed cars that way before, and it does work.

 

[SolidDuck]

Wierd, I must be the only one who uses the 2 wheelbarrows of water method. More water at hand and at a more convenient height to save your back.

Use a clean Basting brush made of boar hair to apply the soap (please not dishsoap. Do use a good car shampoo, it will save the wax and is more ph balanced to leave less spots) Brush with the direction of airflow at all times.

Leafblower to dry it off.




/s







But seriously its a small enough car to wash by hand, have a spare mit/sponge you use only as the first pass around the wheel arches and lower quarter, reapply soap and then wash as normal. The touchless auto carwashes are good for removing road grit between true home washes but thats it. A good soap, no direct sunlight and not being in a hurry will provide the best results shy of a good polish and wax. If you dont have the time or tools a professional detail and wax can do wonders to rejuvinate the shine and make your handwashes look so much more productive.

 

[HondaHolly]

Using automated washes will only get you so far for so long. Eventually you’re going to need a human touch to get into all the nooks and crannies.

I seldom wash my car myself anymore, mostly because my scoliosis-ridden back prevents me from doing so. I pay to have it detailed a couple times a year.

A long lasting (I.e. 6 months) coat of wax or some type of ceramic coating will make the automatic washes work much better over a long period of time before a hand wash is needed.

 

[Spdbump]

Be very careful as to what automated washes you use. You do not want anything that has hanging rags or any kind of brushes, no matter what they are made of. They will scratch. Many people run filthy vehicles though car washes, and they are caked with dirt and salt, which gets rubbed into the next car.

If I could afford it, I would have mine professionally detailed once a year, since I can't, I do it myself. I wash car my car every 2 weeks if the weather is good. Same time frame I use for checking and adjusting the air pressure in the tires.

I still say if you can get 2, 5 gallon buckets, and you are physically able, you can wash a whole CR-Z without a hose and do a pretty good job for very little money and use less water. You just need some very inexpensive tools, car wash soap and a place to wash it.

Using automated washes will only get you so far for so long. Eventually you’re going to need a human touch to get into all the nooks and crannies.

I seldom wash my car myself anymore, mostly because my scoliosis-ridden back prevents me from doing so. I pay to have it detailed a couple times a year.

A long lasting (I.e. 6 months) coat of wax or some type of ceramic coating will make the automatic washes work much better over a long period of time before a hand wash is needed.

 

[qwertylesh]

Don't use dish detergent, it is too harsh on the clear coat. 100 ounces of car wash soap is $8 and I use less than 2 ounces per wash session with the Hydroshot. The last bottle lasted 3 years.

I wholeheartedly disagree;
a) liquid dish washing soap (i am not talking about tide pods or other more caustic products) is gentle enough to not degrade the clear coating.
b) You can't get type of soap at that particular cost efficiency in Australia (where I'm from)

 

[Spdbump]

Agree to disagree. This has been discussed a lot, and liquid dish soap is too acidic. Your car, your choice. There are lots of variables, I would rather use a product made for the softer paint and clear coat than a product made for ceramics, metal and dissolving grease and baked on dirt.

There has to be some kind of vehicle washing soap there. You may need to do some research or order online. I am not the only one saying to not use dish soap on cars, there are many postings online that say the same thing.

I wholeheartedly disagree;
a) liquid dish washing soap (i am not talking about tide pods or other more caustic products) is gentle enough to not degrade the clear coating.
b) You can't get type of soap at that particular cost efficiency in Australia (where I'm from)