Yet another wash question: QEW or Regular car wash

[Insane]

Am I going to do less damage to the paint in terms of swirls if I do a Qew vs traditional car wash

[Pats300zx]

If you use QEW properly as recommended you should have no problems with swirls etc.



Here is a great go by:



How to QEW (http://www.taurusclub.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=117)



Detailers have been using it for years with no probs whatsoever.

[PakShak]

I agree with Pats300zx. If QEW is used properly then you shouldn`t see any ill effects. I started using it a few months back and never turned back. I also got a few fellow Autopian islanders into QEW. :) Nothing but praises about it.



With Aloha,

Ranney :)

[vdog0531]

if you wash or Qew properly, you won`t have any issues. if there were issues, then qew would not be so popular IMO.



Vernon

[Mr Monk]

Thanks Pats300zx for the link. Very helpful & TIMELY !

[04BlackAV]

I used QEW all summer long with no issue`s.I almost hate to go back to a conventional wash but I`m not sure I want to use it in the winter up here with everything covered with gritty sand.

[Insane]

I should re-phase when I say traditional car wash. What I meant to say was those Pay for service car wash. I was buying a taco yesterday next to the "Blue Wave" car wash in Santa Monica, California and noticed a Porsche owner was pissed because the guys missed a huge spot on one side of his car. He had them run it through the wash for a 2nd time. I also notice most of the black color cars had swirls. What`s more, almost all of the car that came out of the wash had spots that werenâ€â„¢t cleaned. They had to be manually wipe clean when drying



Some high end car owners (Porsche 911, Hummer H2, and 2 M3)opted for the $30 special by having their cars washed by hand - one person job washing it with HP hose.



So, how do you guys clean your wheels with QEW, and where can I buy this stuff in LA?

[Pats300zx]

So, how do you guys clean your wheels with QEW, and where can I buy this stuff in LA?



Basically I clean my wheels last with whatever is left in the QEW bucket. Wash like you normally would with regular soap.



As far as finding it LA???? I would try some type of RV supply store. If you can`t there is always Campingworld.com.



Hope it helps.

[chaotik]

Great article.....I also use whats left in the bucket to do my wheels/wheelwells. Just remember not to use the same sponge/ mitt on your wheels as you do the paint.

[imported_Burlyq]

Originally posted by Insane

Am I going to do less damage to the paint in terms of swirls if I do a Qew vs traditional car wash



I`d say visa versa probably. QEW is great stuff I am impressed, especially for quick winter details. I think if a car had caked on dirt that`s baked in like sometimes in the summer time, you`d be better off using traditional wash. With a traditional wash you are putting a lot of water on the surface first then using a lot of suds, which help prevent swirls IMO, then you rinse off a section at a time taking away all the grit. And if you use the right wash, z7 or Bubble Bath for me, you`ll get the surface to bite the way you want too. I`ve never seen swirls after using either of these but I have condition when I use each particular wash, BB when the car isn`t that dirty, and Z7 if the car is dirty or I`m putting Z on a polished car. Having said that, if the car isn`t that dirty there`s no reason why you couldn`t use QEW with great results. In fact I love this stuff.



A tip is use a capful of QEW in a half gallon and do half the car, the water will be dirty, then dump, and put another capful per half gallon for the other half of the car. If you do it this way you wont be washing the second half of the car with real dirty water, and the solution will be the same strength as the recommended two capfuls per gallon. If your using a paint cleaner like AIO after, it probably wont make any difference. Also, use a good quality mitt like the 100% wool mitt on autopiacarcare.com, if your concerned about swirls.



Never use anything you use on wheels on paint. I once was in a hurry to trade in a car. I washed wheels first, the rinsed sponge and bucket. Washed the paint with the same sponge and bucket, and got swirls. Rail dust got stuck in sponge. It wasn`t that bad because it wasn`t a CC, but it still was a pain. This was twenty years ago and it still chaps me today. Now, I don`t even use a sponge on wheels but a wheel brush only, and I love it. Nice and soft and ergo, does a great job on wheels. Use p21s wheel gel, it sticks all over the wheel, then agitate with brush and the wheels are almost a pleasure to wash, where once they were hell on my back.

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/oxo-17006.html