If there's one aspect of detailing that I'd say is most important yet overlooked, it would be washing. Think about it; you pay hundreds, maybe thousands, to get a proper detail. You're given a car that is almost flawless and has never looked so great. But now what? What are you going to do to keep it looking this way? Well;this is where it gets puzzling. Do you take it to the car wash, pay a detailer at the office, or do it yourself? The first two choices are the least labor intensive. I mean, how hard is to take the car to the local Chevron or Auto Spa, hand over the keys to some guy you don't know, and a latte and 20 minutes later, your car is shiny and clean. Or, let's step it up a notch and hand it over to the local wash guy that makes his rounds at your office. Surely he must do a much better job, and you never left the office. Well my friends, this convenience comes at a cost. The cost may be swirls, scratches, a dent that you know wasn't there before but you're being told it was. Who knows what else.

What I'm trying to lead you to is how simple and rewarding a wash can be if you have the correct technique and products. So let's start with most basic of ingredients, soap. There's a reason you see soaps specifically made for automotive finish. Paint has its own natural oils that are there to maintain gloss, and in some areas, flexibility. By using dish soap, cheap automotive soap, or petroleum-based soaps, you're robbing the finish of its oils.

The solution is using a high-quality, pH balanced soap that is gentle on the finish and is effective at removing grime. You'll notice one main difference between a high quality soap apposed to an inferior one: how little product is used. There are several high quality soaps from P21S, Autoglym, Zymol, einszett, etc. The two soaps I favor are Zymol Clear or einszett Perls. Both are excellent soaps with very different ingredients. Zymol Clear is an all-natural spun tallow based soap that gently lifts dirt and does not strip wax. Einszett Perls is a polymer-based technology that safely cleans and imparts an extra gloss finish.

What you wash the car with is just as important as what soap is used. Your choices are wide: synthetic sheepskin, microfiber, foam sponge, or my favorite, all-natural Australian or New Zealand sheepskin. Synthetic sheepskin is a cheaper alternative to the real version. I find the nap to become stiff, and almost brillo-like, after a few washes. Microfiber is soft in the beginning but traps dirt and over time, you end up rubbing the embedded dirt into the finish causing scratches. The foam sponge isn't all that bad, but you once again run the risk of dirt getting trapped in the cells of the sponge. The reason why I prefer natural sheepskin is that it's the softest of all choices. Natural sheepskin is very gentle and won't harm the finish.

Now that you've got the right soap and mitt, what will you dry with? Your choices are simple: cotton bath towel, synthetic chamois, natural chamois, microfiber drying cloth, or air dry. The cotton towel is old technology and should be left in the shower. The nap of the towel will actually scratch today's soft automotive finish. Synthetic chamois trap dirt over time and scratch the finish. Anyone who's used a natural chamois can attest to its glue-like suction power, not to mention the oil used in the tanning process strips the wax from the finish. The newest technology replacing chamois is microfiber drying cloths. Try and get one with a foam core that is also a waffle weave. The waffle patters allows you to feel the finish and know when you need to polish or clay again. The foam is an excellent buffer between your hand and the finish assuring you don't press too hard, therefore, minimizing halograms. The ideal way of drying is to air dry or force air dry. If you have the convenience of using de-ionized water, you can simply air dry or use a forced air dryer such as an Airmax. The beauty of the Airmax is that it has a dual stage filtration system, heated air, and dual stage motors. This yields you clean and powerful air in a compact unit. The result is drying without ever touching the finish.

So that's it, a typical routine can take as little as 30 minutes; even less if using de-ionized water. CR Spotless makes an excellent system. The units start at $299.99 and 6speed members receive 5% off and free shipping when purchasing at Glistening Perfection. PM me or call to place orders.

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Coming up:

The Pros and Cons of Detail Sprays
Clay: Friend or Foe?

 

I've had a few PM orders and need to clarify. Products mentioned above can be purchased at Glistening Perfection. Please call or PM.

 

Great write up, thanks. I will place an order for one of the soap wash mits deals. I do have a question though, I have a shop vac. / blower unit that I use to dry my cars and have been do so for years. It does have a filter on the inlet end. Do you feel it's good enough or should I consider the Airmax? Thanks, John

 

Hi John:

According to ShopVac's website, an average 8 gallon 3.5HP shop vac, model 586-08-00, will put out about 145 CFM (cubic feet per minute) of air. The Airmax with a single motor will put out 133 CFM and 266 CFM when both motors are engaged; this is a 83.4% increase in power over a ShopVac. The benefit of the Airmax is that it concentrates the flow for more power, filters the air in two stages, and warms the air as well. It truely is a wonderful unit. 3 units have sold today alone I offer clients a 30 day money-back garauntee. So now you don't have any reason to not give it a try.

 

How much are you selling the Airmax for?

 

Thanks for the quick reply, now stichy has a good question "How much are you selling the Airmax for?"

 

The Airmax Retails for $279.99 and the 6speed community can get the unit for $249.99 from Glistening Perfection. This includes S+H. That's a very competitive deal anywhere. There are places that might advertise for less but it won't include S+H. You guys will love the unit: Guaranteed.

 

Thanks Moe I will give it a shot.

 

Moe,
Great post !

Does the CR spotless really work ? I saw it at the Porsche Parade this year and looks great, just wondering what the real-world experience is like....do you really not have to dry ? Currently I use the open nozzle (sheeting) method for final rinse, then lay large MF on car and "pat" the surface dry (without rubbing/dragging) and so far works good, but I do seem to spend more time drying than washing...that's where the CR would help.

Bill

 

The CR works just like it says. I didn't believe it at first either, but when I first got it I washed my truck and left it out over night. The next morning, all the chrome, paint, and expsecially glass, were spotless. There were some small specs on the glass, and that is the result of dust landing on the water beads and drying. This could be avoided if you park in the garage. I cannot tell you how clients are loving this unit and are washing their cars again. Here are a few testmonials:

1. "I also purchased a CRspotless, and some other products, from Moe some months ago. I got the same VIP treatment that you experienced. He's a pleasure to deal with. It's great to be able to speak with someone so knowledgeable and experienced. As far as the CRspotless, I concur, it works just as advertised. It's a great time and swirl mark saver." (paladin, rennlist)
2. "I received the cr spotless from Moe on saturday. Used for the first time this afternoon. In a word...incredible.Even the windows are cleaner and require no wiping off after wash. Worth every penny. Moe was a pleasure to work with....had a delivery problem and Moe offered a free refill for my inconvenience. Even my wheels are shinier. I was doubtful at first but a friend if mine kept raving about it so I decided to try it. Im glad I did." (points, rennlist)
3. "BTW, the CRSpotless is highly recommended! I'm sure that most of my swirlies came from drying, even though I've used nothing but microfiber towels. Now I can wash, rinse, and pull into the garage for the night. Nice!" (MidnighTT, rennlist)

 

What is the CR System and why can't I find any info of it on your site? I also didn't see the Airmax unit on there either? Do you prefer one system over the other and which do you use if either?

 

The CR Spotless is currently the leading mobile deionization system on the market. It simply is a plug-n-play unit that takes your water and filters the impurities to 0 ppm. Our site is currently being redesigned and should be up by year-end. Please feel free to call 949-355-4911 and I'll be more than happy to walk you through any questions you have. Ideally, you'd want both systems as the CR will filter the water and the airmax will blow the water off and dry the car. I use both in my routine.

 

Bought the Airmax from Moe. I have to say it's one of the better car related purchases I've made. It is a bit clunky, but I hooked a shoulder strap to it which gives me one hand to hold the hose and the other to open doors or whatever. BTW, you do have to hold on to the hose fairly tightly, as this thing is pretty powerful. I would say the volume of air that passes through is comparable to a leave blower but it's more concentrated because of the smaller exit, which is a big plus for areas such as the wing. Now I have one less thing to **** off my neighbors about. Some evidently don't like my Tubi. What strange people .

Oh, one more thing. The Airmax is dual-use. It is apparently made for groomers to dry dogs after a bath. Don't dry it on cats though. It will blow them away.

Al

 

Thats funny Al. I just got my Airmax and it came with dog shampoo; I thought I ordered the wrong unit. Moe, I have used it twice so far and you are correct; I won't be returning it for a refund. Great product and fast service. Thanks. I added a shoulder strap also for ease of use.

 

Yes...the unit is geared toward pet drying....and please don't use the dog shampoo on the car I'll be getting some samples of shoulder straps to go with the airmax. I'll let you guys know when I get it. Glad you guys like the unit.