I plan giving my C2S its first wash this weekend!

This would be the first time that I invest any serious time/resources into washing as I generally used the drive throughs on my previous car.

Any ideas what sort of products I would need? How often would I need to wax/polish? I plan on hand washing every week.

 

It would be best to post this question in Detailing section where professionals on this forum can guide you in best route and give you the best advise.

 

Congrats - you'll enjoy it, I love washing my car.

Some tips:
* Use a cheap hand mit to wash your rims. While still dry, coat them with wheel wash to help with the brake dust. Then wash the solution off and use the hand mit to really wash the rims down. Don't forget the inside of the rim if you have the 5-spoke kind. It will really go a long way toward making your car shine. Nothing like a clean pair of shoes.

* Use a nice, highly quality, soft hand mit to wash the car. Don't go cheap or you'll regret it later with small spider like scratches on your car. Use two buckets - one that contains the water and cleaning solution and another to rinse after applying to the car. This will prevent junk from accumulating in the primary wash bucket and potentially scratching your car.

* Start from the top and work your way to the bottom.

 

I just noticed the detailing section!

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.... I have the Carrera Sport Wheels, should be a little more work to wash, not to mention washing in 100 degree weather

 

Find shade.

 

Shade is a must. Last thing you'll want to do is wash and dry simultaneously (water marks badddd)

 

and hydrate .. your choice of beverage!!

 

Sam Adams

 

A case of Dos Equis found its way into my fridge recently. Untouched, but I wonder for how long

 

what color is your car? Black cars are hard to maintian but looks best when they are clean IMHO. I blot dry my car after the wash to avoid any spider web/swirls and when I am washing I run my hand up/down motion instead of circular.

 

Atlas Grey. I figure it will be nearly as difficult as black.

 

Blow dryer.

 

A tip for after the car is clean:
Two weekends ago I used the Armor All Wheel Protectant on my wheels and with over 300 miles since application the wheels look like they did after my first 80 miles. No joke. I thought this stuff was BS but I am now a believer. It is definitely worth a try. I use a California Car Duster every time I pull into the garage and frequent use of Meguiar's Quick Detailer makes washing less often possible.

On a side note, when I went to pick up my black 2011 C2S there was an Altlas Grey one parked next to it that my wife wanted me to get instead. It looked pretty damn good and if it was a manual I might have done it. Great color and congrats.

 

Wouldn't it be nice if washing less was possible... only if the brake dust was not such a Bit&h


Congrats on the car.

 

Washed with two buckets of water, one for the car and one for the wheels, if you have one bucket only, car first then wheels for obvious reasons. Washed in the shade as mentioned. Dry with microfiber cloth. Clay, polish, and wax every six months for black and darker cars, once a year for silver cars but if your car sits in the sun for many hours a day, wax every six months regardless of color.