Washing Car

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accu-check

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Hey everyone! I've been on autopia for a few months now and I finally decided to post! I wanted to see if anyone here washes there car using there hands, and no wash mitts or sponges. I've picked up this technique about a year ago and found that the cars I have detailed come out better, especially when I'm just washing. No scratches or swirls, and even black cars look great. I'll admit it's a bit rough on the hands but I have a black car and this is the only way to wash it and have it look good, and I've tried everything. Hope you find this helpful, let me know if you think I'm crazy:D
 
You're crazy. :D



I've never heard of anyone doing this before. I've heard of waxing and conditioning leather by hand, but not washing. I can't picture how this would work myself... :nixweiss



BTW, welcome to Autopia! :wavey
 
i know it is really far fetched. But MAYBE. it is the oils from the skin that make is look better than with a mit.??



Its true that a hand wouldnt trap dirt like a mit, but the hand would keep the dirt rubbing against the surface, while with a mit, the dirt seems to sink into the fabric keeping off of the paint.
 
Well, for one thing, you would be able to feel a large grit under your hand much quicker than you would if the grit was under a mitt. Therefore you would be quicker in taking your washing hand off the car to rinse. That seems to me the greatest advantage of doing it by hand.

I assume you would spray the soapy water on the car first? As opposed to lathering up your hand before putting it on a water rinsed car? :D
 
raymond_ho2002 said:
Well, for one thing, you would be able to feel a large grit under your hand much quicker than you would if the grit was under a mitt. Therefore you would be quicker in taking your washing hand off the car to rinse. That seems to me the greatest advantage of doing it by hand.

I assume you would spray the soapy water on the car first? As opposed to lathering up your hand before putting it on a water rinsed car? :D
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but like i said. With a mit, the dirt isnt pressed up against the paint, unless u are forcing it against the car. So wont scratch at much.. With a hand, there is noplace for the dirt to go, so it is constantly being rubbed against ur car..



It is kind of like when a kid writes WASH ME in the dirt on a car. When their finger runs across the paint, it drags it down the paint, causing scratches on the paint.
 
BW said:
Yup, do a search on YoSteve's patented foam dispenser and literal "hand" car wash...
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Leave it to YoSteve! :xyxthumbs





I have tried that method, and it does work pretty well! I think I washed it first with the hand method, then went back and rewashed it with a mitt or sponge.
 
Every time I read this thread title I keep thinking of JeffBruce "Wa Shing Ka".... :p



BTW, I think ejant voiced some of my concerns about this technique, and more. I just can't really see how this method could be superior to my sheepskin mitt. Wouldn't doing this be tantamount to washing with a squeegee?
 
Roderigo said:
but like i said. With a mit, the dirt isnt pressed up against the paint, unless u are forcing it against the car. So wont scratch at much.. With a hand, there is noplace for the dirt to go, so it is constantly being rubbed against ur car..

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Pick your poison: long, faint scratches, or shorter, deeper ones..
 
I've been detailing for 6 years and by no means do I know all there is to know about detailing, but I do know that I've been washing my car like this for a year now and have had nothing the best results. My car was repainted and the paint is very finicky. I've tried just about every wash mitt and everything seems to leave spider webbing and minor scratching. All of my neighbors thought I was crazy for doing it this way, and then they tried it! I don't think they will ever wash there car normally again. When detailing for shows this is the only way I would wash the cars. I don't care if you spend 10 bucks or 100 bucks, a wash mitt will still trap dirt and scratch the car. Your hand is soft enough not to damage the paint and rough enough to remove the dirt. It's really quite simple, you feel dirt, you rinse your hand!! My perosnal experience is that the cars come out better.
 
EvreDtail said:
I don't care if you spend 10 bucks or 100 bucks, a wash mitt will still trap dirt and scratch the car. Your hand is soft enough not to damage the paint and rough enough to remove the dirt. It's really quite simple, you feel dirt, you rinse your hand!! My perosnal experience is that the cars come out better.
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I know I'm just knocking in theory something that works in practice for you, but IMO, once you feel dirt, it's too late. The marring has already been induced. Why? Because with your hand, you're gliding something that actually presses the grit into the paint. Also, I would imagine that one would have to work extremely slowly for this method of 'lifting when you feel dirt' to be effective. Also, once you feel an area of your paint that is dirty with your hands, you then lift and rinse your hand....and then what? How are you gonna clean the dirty area?



Yes, a mitt traps dirt, but that's precisely why they work so well and also why it's important to use one that is plush and doesn't press the dirt into the paint and just move it around. A good mitt has plush fibers. When you wipe a dirty panel, the dirt on the mitt isn't just on the tips of the fibers....Like Roderigo said, a lot of it works it way into the strands. Try this on a dry dusty panel. Dust one part with an MF or cotton mitt and dust the other part with your hand and see which leaves less marring. Just my thoughts.



It's not something that I'm interested in trying on my cars, but hey, if it works for you, then keep up the good work! :xyxthumbs
 
My personal concern with a practice such as this is that (dependent on vehicle) there are a lot of sharp edges (especially in the fenderwells) and the potential for injury to your hand is great.



Outside of that, I share the same sentiments as everyone else in that you are inducing swirls by rubbing the dirt around the paint.



As one poster said, if it works for you, then keep doing it.
 
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