White95Max
New member
I’ve received several requests for me to document my QEW process, using MF towels instead of sheepskin mitts. Other QEW writeups can be found here:
http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=32078&highlight=QEW
http://www.tauruscarclub.com/wiki/index.php/How_to_use_QEW_(Quick_Easy_Wash)
Quick and Easy Wash (a.k.a. QEW) is a soap that is designed to clean vehicles without any rinsing before OR after washing. It's the only reason I'm able to wash my car frequently and thoroughly, living in an apartment building. QEW is also the preferred way to wash for many mobile detailers, myself included. That way there is no need to reclaim the water used. Some QEW users prefer to use sheepskin mitts to wash the vehicle with, but I prefer to use MF towels.
http://www.protectall.com/qe.aspx
To use QEW, you need these items:
5gal bucket
1gal bucket
Grit Guard
QEW
QD
Microfiber towels
Spray bottle if the car is excessively dirty
During the winter, I use 3gal of water in my 5gal bucket, with the Grit Guard at the bottom, and 1/2oz of QEW in the bucket as well.
In the wash bucket (1gal) I have 2oz of QEW, 2 oz of QD (Poorboy's Spray and Gloss), and the rest filled with warm water.
The spray bottle has 32oz of warm water, with 2oz of QEW and 2oz of QD. This serves as a pretreatment step. If the car is really dirty, it is a good idea to spray the car down with the QEW/QD/water solution to loosen the dirt and salt. Often, it loosens it so much that you can actually see the dirt and other crap "melting" right off. It just drains off the paint, leaving an almost clean surface already. This is very important, because the more dirt and other contaminants are present on the paint, the more likely you are to scratch the paint in the process of removing it. The QEW/QD solution also lubricates the dirt before you ever touch it.
In the summertime, I usually use 1oz of QEW and 1oz of QD, with no sprayer pretreatment. Everything else is the same.
It starts with a dirty car:
Have your towels and wash/rinse buckets ready, and begin soaking the area with the spray bottle solution.
I use three MFs for washing with QEW: one for washing, one for an initial drying pass, and a 2nd MF for picking up any streaks left behind by the initial drying pass.
Notice that much of the dirt/salt has “melted� right off after spraying the QEW/QD/water solution.
Now GENTLY wipe the area with your wash towel. The only pressure applied should be the weight of the towel itself. How big of an area you wash depends on the how dirty the car is. In this case, I washed about 1 square foot at a time between rinses. After each wipe, you’ll notice dirt and salt on the towel. You want to flip the towel over to use a clean side for the next pass. Each pass you should use a clean side of the towel, to avoid wiping dirt back onto the paint. Once the area is clean, rinse the towel vigorously in the rinse bucket, and then dip it back into the wash bucket.
Grab your initial drying MF, and gently go over the area, picking up the majority of the water. Then put that one back down in a clean spot and go over the area again with the 2nd drying MF. Then put the 2nd drying MF back down, and return to the wash MF. Squeeze the towel just a little, so that the MF is nearly saturated, but not dripping all over. Then continue with washing a new area.
http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=32078&highlight=QEW
http://www.tauruscarclub.com/wiki/index.php/How_to_use_QEW_(Quick_Easy_Wash)
Quick and Easy Wash (a.k.a. QEW) is a soap that is designed to clean vehicles without any rinsing before OR after washing. It's the only reason I'm able to wash my car frequently and thoroughly, living in an apartment building. QEW is also the preferred way to wash for many mobile detailers, myself included. That way there is no need to reclaim the water used. Some QEW users prefer to use sheepskin mitts to wash the vehicle with, but I prefer to use MF towels.
http://www.protectall.com/qe.aspx
To use QEW, you need these items:
5gal bucket
1gal bucket
Grit Guard
QEW
QD
Microfiber towels
Spray bottle if the car is excessively dirty
During the winter, I use 3gal of water in my 5gal bucket, with the Grit Guard at the bottom, and 1/2oz of QEW in the bucket as well.
In the wash bucket (1gal) I have 2oz of QEW, 2 oz of QD (Poorboy's Spray and Gloss), and the rest filled with warm water.
The spray bottle has 32oz of warm water, with 2oz of QEW and 2oz of QD. This serves as a pretreatment step. If the car is really dirty, it is a good idea to spray the car down with the QEW/QD/water solution to loosen the dirt and salt. Often, it loosens it so much that you can actually see the dirt and other crap "melting" right off. It just drains off the paint, leaving an almost clean surface already. This is very important, because the more dirt and other contaminants are present on the paint, the more likely you are to scratch the paint in the process of removing it. The QEW/QD solution also lubricates the dirt before you ever touch it.
In the summertime, I usually use 1oz of QEW and 1oz of QD, with no sprayer pretreatment. Everything else is the same.
It starts with a dirty car:
Have your towels and wash/rinse buckets ready, and begin soaking the area with the spray bottle solution.
I use three MFs for washing with QEW: one for washing, one for an initial drying pass, and a 2nd MF for picking up any streaks left behind by the initial drying pass.
Notice that much of the dirt/salt has “melted� right off after spraying the QEW/QD/water solution.
Now GENTLY wipe the area with your wash towel. The only pressure applied should be the weight of the towel itself. How big of an area you wash depends on the how dirty the car is. In this case, I washed about 1 square foot at a time between rinses. After each wipe, you’ll notice dirt and salt on the towel. You want to flip the towel over to use a clean side for the next pass. Each pass you should use a clean side of the towel, to avoid wiping dirt back onto the paint. Once the area is clean, rinse the towel vigorously in the rinse bucket, and then dip it back into the wash bucket.
Grab your initial drying MF, and gently go over the area, picking up the majority of the water. Then put that one back down in a clean spot and go over the area again with the 2nd drying MF. Then put the 2nd drying MF back down, and return to the wash MF. Squeeze the towel just a little, so that the MF is nearly saturated, but not dripping all over. Then continue with washing a new area.
