upkeep questions

[weber02gt]

how can i avoid swirl sand scratches from regular washing? during the summer i live at home on a farm so we get some sh1tty muddy roads when it rains so i need to know how to get rid of that without scratching. also our water comes from a well and it leaves waterspots like you wouldnt believe, so i have to dry it right away. whats best to use, micro fiber towels or a chamois(shammy, however you spell it). i have a pressure washer, its hooked to ice cold water though. and i got a nice soft furry wash mit. any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[Jngrbrdman]

I don't know if you have had a chance to check it out yet, but I wrote up a pretty thourough detailing guide. Its in my signature if you want to check that out.

Dwayne wrote a really good article that covers this very issue. CLICK HERE for that article. I think it pretty much covers the questions that you are asking. Here is a part that specifically applies to avoiding swirls while washing:

USE THE TWO BUCKET METHOD
I highly recommend the use of two buckets when washing your car. One of the buckets is going to be a clean water rinse for your wash mitt and the other bucket will contain your soapy car wash solution. When you see how dirty the water in your clean water rinse bucket gets, you will thank me for telling you about using two buckets when washing your car.

Fill your first bucket with about 2 gallons of water, add the appropriate dilution of car wash soap and then agitiate with a strong jet of water to create copious amounts of suds. These suds with help lift dirt and grime away from your paint.

Fill your second bucket with about 3 gallons of clean water. You will use this bucket to dunk your wash mitt in after using it to clean your vehicle.

The proper steps to using the two bucket method are as follows:

1. Prepare two five gallon buckets, one with clean water and the other with soapy car wash solution.

2. Rinse vehicle thoroughly. This will remove loose dirt and contaminants.

3. Dunk your wash mitt into the soapy car wash solution, gently glide mitt over vehicle to lift dirt from surface. Start at the top of vehicle and work your way down. This is important to prevent transferring dirt from the grimier lower areas up to the rest of the vehicle. Use long straight sweeping motions with the wash mitt. Do not scrub. Allow the soap and water mixture to do the work.

4. Dunk wash mitt vigorously into clean water rinse bucket to clean mitt and remove any dirt and contaminants that were removed from the vehicle surface.

5. Dunk wash mitt into soapy car wash solution again, gently glide over vehicle to lift dirt from surface.

Repeat this process until you have washed the entire vehicle and then rinse thoroughly.

Between my article and Dwayne's article, I'd say you've got some reading to do. Hopefully it helps.

BTW, where are you from? I grew up on country roads like that as well. I am glad that my OCD didn't kick in till I lived in the city. i don't know how I would have survived with all the dust and crap that literally gets all over the car just while trying to get to the paved roads. lol

 

[weber02gt]

i live in north dakota. goin to school in fargo, but originally form a small town in central ND. about 6 miles of gravel to get to town. gravel roads are a killer with black, i have a california duster i use to get rid of dust but mostly i just put up with it. dont ask why i bought a black car lliving in the country.

 

[groebuck]

cuz they get the chicks

dirt roads and well water - sigh take me back home :lol - your best best is to keep it clean as best you can - and maybe look in to some lower rocker panel covers - I know there were some magnetic types that would stick to the lower quarter panels to protect from rocks chips and things like that but no idea who makes em.