Two buckets method

It is a method where you have one bucket with your suds in it and another bucket of clear water. You dip your mitt in the soapy water first and then before you dip it back in, you plunge it in the clear water to rinse off the dirt on the mitt. That way your wash water doesn't get as dirty as fast. No sense in smearing the same dirt all over your car by using dirty water. Its a safer way of washing and helps ensure you'll get the fewest scratches from washing. Its basicly just rinsing your wash mitt before you get it soapy again.
 
I've been doing the two bucket method for years and I really think it makes a difference. No reason no to do it. It just means you have to drag two buckets around the car rather than one!
 
Additional tip: do something to help differentiate between the two buckets (I use a bright red spring-clamp). As the rinse water gets dirty it'll also get soapy. After a while it can be hard to tell which bucket is which.
 
Additional additional tip:



When the rinse bucket water starts to get murky, then it’s time to dump it out and refill with fresh water.



If it’s your habit to drop your wash mitt in either bucket it will likely pick up debris from the bottom of the bucket. Two solutions to this problem:

(1) Don’t drop the mitt into the bucket. If you need to put it somewhere, then lay it on the hood of the car that you’re washing.

(2) Make grills to fit the bottom of your buckets. The “egg crate� thingys that are used in ceiling fluorescent lights work well.



Have two mitts available so that if you should drop one on the ground you don’t have to stop washing the car to wash the dirty mitt.
 
Why don't you have soap in the 2nd bucket also? Is there a reason why you only have rinse water in the 2nd bucket and not soap?
 
Why not four buckets? I use two on each side of the car. Then even cleaner water and no bucket lugging. I often put a little soap in the "rinse" bucket. No scientific reason. Just figure it can't hurt.
 
rnbradford- I thought I was the only person doing that! I go back and forth trying to decide if it uses too much more car wash or not, but it IS convenient! Especially with a separate hose on each side of the car also.



Gary H.- The idea is that you only use that bucket for rinsing your mitt/brush/whatever, thus keeping your wash solution from getting contaminated with the dirt from the car. No real point in having soap the rinse water. It does get soapy from the rinsing of the mitt/etc. anyhow.



Nick T.- Yeah, frequent refreshing of the rinse water is cheap insurance.
 
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