Dumb Question

**ScionWes** · 08-07-2006, 06:33 PM

as the title states, this is a dumb question, but Im going to ask it anyway.

Most of you know how paranoid I am of washing my car and scratching it. I am waiting for my foam gun and Poor Boy`s supplies to show up at my door (both of which will be here on Wednesday) before I commence the cleaning. Tonight I was thinking about going to the quarter car wash and just hitting the car with the pressure washer and rinsing the car down really good. Is this bad? Can high pressure water scratch the paint? There is construction work being done on my street and I hit a few puddles and have muddy splash marks on the doors/fenders. Good idea to hit it with the power or wait til I get my stuff and clean it the right way?

**94BlkStang** · 08-07-2006, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by ScionWes

as the title states, this is a dumb question, but Im going to ask it anyway.

Most of you know how paranoid I am of washing my car and scratching it. I am waiting for my foam gun and Poor Boy`s supplies to show up at my door (both of which will be here on Wednesday) before I commence the cleaning. Tonight I was thinking about going to the quarter car wash and just hitting the car with the pressure washer and rinsing the car down really good. Is this bad? Can high pressure water scratch the paint? There is construction work being done on my street and I hit a few puddles and have muddy splash marks on the doors/fenders. Good idea to hit it with the power or wait til I get my stuff and clean it the right way?

Why not just get some car wash and sheepskin mit locally and wash your car? That sort of stuff is available locally at many auto supply store, Walmart or Target. Pick up a drying towel or Meguiars Water Magnet at Walmart and you`re set.

**Brace1** · 08-07-2006, 06:47 PM

I would avoid the pressure washer, especially with the muddy splashes you mention.

The pressure of the water pushing the mud that much harder onto the clearcoat would be something I`d avoid. :nixweiss

**abbeysdad** · 08-07-2006, 07:26 PM

I 2nd the suggestion that you simply buy some car shampoo at walmart and give her a quick wash at home.

However, I might also suggest that here in the Northeast, in the winter it`s either a power spray wash, or none at all. I don`t think a weekly (or as necessary) wash (here during winter) at a brushless power spray coin op car wash is such a bad thing as long as you`re careful - it may be presure wash, but you don`t have to get the sparyer so close that you`re sand/dirt blasting the paint.

Granted this is not as good as a more calm summer wash at home, but if it can be done here in the winter, you should be able to do it anywhere/anytime w/o fear of surface damage. Not as good as a more mild wash at home, but better than letting the crud build up on the vehicle.

**Accumulator** · 08-08-2006, 12:44 PM

ScionWes- I`d rather see you use the pressure spray at the DIY, just use a good angle so you`re not blasting straight-on. Don`t dry it, go to a "spot-free rinse" place and hope for the best when it comes to the chance of waterspotting. Touching it after you wash will mar it as the spray won`t get *all* the dirt off.

IMO it`s *VERY* hard for people to wash "normally" without marring. The idea of somebody getting a mitt and doing a "quick wash" without marring the paint...nah, I`d bet that it`d result in marring.

Even with the foamgun, washing without inducing any marring is *not* easy. I honestly cannot imagine anybody being any more careful about how they wash than I am, and even *I* get a little marring (enough that I oughta polish every few years to keep `em truly perfect in all types of light). If a vehicle gets truly *dirty* in the course of its use, then keeping it marring-free is a mighty tall order.

**94BlkStang** · 08-08-2006, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by Accumulator

ScionWes- I`d rather see you use the pressure spray at the DIY, just use a good angle so you`re not blasting straight-on. Don`t dry it, go to a "spot-free rinse" place and hope for the best when it comes to the chance of waterspotting. Touching it after you wash will mar it as the spray won`t get *all* the dirt off.

IMO it`s *VERY* hard for people to wash "normally" without marring. The idea of somebody getting a mitt and doing a "quick wash" without marring the paint...nah, I`d bet that it`d result in marring.

Even with the foamgun, washing without inducing any marring is *not* easy. I honestly cannot imagine anybody being any more careful about how they wash than I am, and even *I* get a little marring (enough that I oughta polish every few years to keep `em truly perfect in all types of light). If a vehicle gets truly *dirty* in the course of its use, then keeping it marring-free is a mighty tall order.

So are you suggesting he never wash his car? The cost of products and material and availability to properly wash a car is negligible and products are available locally. He eventually has to wash the car so he might as well start now.

:buffing:

**imported_truzoom** · 08-08-2006, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by 94BlkStang

So are you suggesting he never wash his car? The cost of products and material and availability to properly wash a car is negligible and products are available locally. He eventually has to wash the car so he might as well start now.

:buffing:

I think Accumulator may have been saying the touchless pressure wash at the coin op is less likely to mar than a sheepskin mit and a bucket of suds. I can support his suggestion because I have regularly kept my finish cleaned with a quick spray down at the bay followed by the air dryer. I have not noticed that the pressure washer leaves any swirls or marring behind, even with I have bits of caked on mud on my fenders, plus this method is fairly cheap and easy in the summer when it barely rains and it costs me $1.75 to wash my truck.

Eventually, he will get in his foam gun and supplies, which will help to reduce marring, but in the meantime it would be better to not make the situation any worse.

**ScionWes** · 08-08-2006, 10:52 PM

Thanks for your help guys. My Poor Boy`s stuff came in the mail today and the foam gun is supposed to be here tomorrow...

my car needs a shower. It`s been a week since I picked her up brand new at the dealership and I`ve sprayed her down three times. It`s time for a proper cleaning.

**94BlkStang** · 08-09-2006, 01:55 AM

Originally Posted by truzoom

Eventually, he will get in his foam gun and supplies, which will help to reduce marring, but in the meantime it would be better to not make the situation any worse.

Has it gotten to the point that we can`t even wash our cars without fear of damaging them? The sheepskin mit and bucket of soap has been a very succesful combination for a long time and many people still use it with great success. I think some of you worry to much rather than enjoying your rides.

**Accumulator** · 08-09-2006, 10:21 AM

truzoom- Yeah, that`s what I meant :xyxthumbs

94BlkStang- I tend to subscribe to the "do it right or don`t do it" approach, but not to the point of never washing a vehicle

I figured ScionWes would be better off waiting a few days as opposed to marring it up and having to polish.

Unless I`m faced with some very unusual circumstances, if I can`t wash my vehicles properly I just wait until I can. I won`t risk instilling marring if I can avoid it and the only way *I* can avoid it (after doing this stuff for over 30 years) is by using the foamgun. But I know that everybody`s experiences/priorities aren`t the same as mine and whatever works for somebody is cool with me. I was just giving ScionWes my $0.02.

ScionWes- It takes a little acclimation, but you should do well with the foamgun. Work at directing the foam towards the point where the mitt contacts the paint. Try to "jiggle" the mitt as opposed to making big wiping motions, that way any marring that *does* happen will be tiny little scratches instead of inches-long ones.

Rinse with water, spray a panel with foam for a quick pre-soak, then do the foam-and-mitt (very gently), then rinse and inspect, repeat foam-and-mitt/rinse as needed. If I get any dirt that just won`t come off, I try to take it off with the most gentle claying I can do as opposed to scrubbing harder with the mitt.