Pressure washer to clean car...?
Discussion
Now I can see that people may find cleaning a car with a pressure washer sacrilege. I'm not using it to clean mine as I'd flood the inside, but the girlfriend has a T reg Fiat Punto.
The pressure washer has one of the bottles to put liquid soap in which then gets sprayed all over the car. Is there a knack to getting a car clean with a pressure washer as our attempts are fruitless.
We're using a normal car shampoo soap in the bottle. Spray all over car turning the car white in soap suds. Then we take the soap bottle off and wash off the soap. The car comes out not much cleaner than before.
Is water pressure just no substitute for a good old sponge? Or am I lacking the knack?
The pressure washer has one of the bottles to put liquid soap in which then gets sprayed all over the car. Is there a knack to getting a car clean with a pressure washer as our attempts are fruitless.
We're using a normal car shampoo soap in the bottle. Spray all over car turning the car white in soap suds. Then we take the soap bottle off and wash off the soap. The car comes out not much cleaner than before.
Is water pressure just no substitute for a good old sponge? Or am I lacking the knack?
The bottles from Halfrauds for a pressure washer are poor. You need to spend some serious money on a decent bottle plus a good snowfoam. Let the snowfoam settle on the car then pressure wash off and 80% of the crud will be gone.
You then need to wash off with a decent shampoo and wash mitts etc. How serious are you about doing it properly?
You then need to wash off with a decent shampoo and wash mitts etc. How serious are you about doing it properly?
My pressure washer method:
1. Spray car all over with just water to get the worst off.
2. Car shampoo in a bucket with warm water, sponge it onto the car.
3. Rinse off with pressure washer.
4. Quick chamois all over.
My pressure washer has the ability to spray on shampoo, tried it once, but didn't get on with it.
1. Spray car all over with just water to get the worst off.
2. Car shampoo in a bucket with warm water, sponge it onto the car.
3. Rinse off with pressure washer.
4. Quick chamois all over.
My pressure washer has the ability to spray on shampoo, tried it once, but didn't get on with it.
Snowfoam should be left to dwell on a car for a few minutes and will lift a lot of dirt off of the surface. It is not perfect but does a great job. Then pressure wash off and wash as you would normally with two buckets, two mitts and a drying cloth, not a sponge and chamois.
One hint.....rinse your car down with an open hose, makes drying so much more simple as the water will sheet off the car and not collect on the surface.
One hint.....rinse your car down with an open hose, makes drying so much more simple as the water will sheet off the car and not collect on the surface.
BigMans197 said:
My pressure washer method:
1. Spray car all over with just water to get the worst off.
2. Car shampoo in a bucket with warm water, sponge it onto the car.
3. Rinse off with pressure washer.
4. Quick chamois all over.
My pressure washer has the ability to spray on shampoo, tried it once, but didn't get on with it.
No it's crap isn't it. Just means that you have to wash it twice. I did wonder if there were special pressure washer friendly shampoos or something? Ones that didn't require the same scrubbing as you would use with a normal shampoo, maybe you leave them on for a while and then wash off?1. Spray car all over with just water to get the worst off.
2. Car shampoo in a bucket with warm water, sponge it onto the car.
3. Rinse off with pressure washer.
4. Quick chamois all over.
My pressure washer has the ability to spray on shampoo, tried it once, but didn't get on with it.
Oh well, I did pressure wash some of mine once. Took me longer to dry out the interior than the outside.
The snowfoams used in pressure washers during the 'soap' stage have a longer dwell time than normal shampoos, so can dissolve dirt without contact. The idea of pressure washers is really to avoid rubbing a sponge or mitt over the surface to remove the dirt, as a contact wash may result in swirlmarks. That said, no one has really calculated the effects of blasting dirt at high velocity with water off a surface. So you can use them for rinsing as well as soaping the car.
But there is no harm in using a hose and bucket(s)/sponge or mitt, if you are careful with the technique. Although snowfoams have a longer dwell time, they are more aerated, so shampoo solutions applied by mitt could clean as much, if not more.
There are many variables, but don't expect a pressure washer to clean or soap a car twice as well. They have advantages but it's more a question of what products you use and your overall technique.
But there is no harm in using a hose and bucket(s)/sponge or mitt, if you are careful with the technique. Although snowfoams have a longer dwell time, they are more aerated, so shampoo solutions applied by mitt could clean as much, if not more.
There are many variables, but don't expect a pressure washer to clean or soap a car twice as well. They have advantages but it's more a question of what products you use and your overall technique.
Gingerbread - what you need is a foam lance, and some Bilt Hamber Auto-foam.
Lances are about £45 plus delivery, and the BH AF is £14 plus delivery, but at £6 for up to 30kg, you'd be best to stock up on a couple or three to make the shipping pay for itself.
The lazy option is to add 150-200 mls to the lance container, with the remaining litre ordinary water.
The proper approach is to calculate the exact amount based on the flow rate of the pw and the mix ratio of the lance - easily done if you've a graduated container to catch the water.
You're looking to achieve a 4-5% PIR (panel impact ratio) or foam output strength - not to be confused with the solution strength in the bottle, which will naturally be higher as it gets diluted with the stream of water the pw is pushing out.
I can go into more detail if you need, should you venture down this route.
All in all, you'll end up with a near touchless wash most of the time, depending on grime level/type, and the type of LSP (wax/sealant) the car has, if any!
Lances are about £45 plus delivery, and the BH AF is £14 plus delivery, but at £6 for up to 30kg, you'd be best to stock up on a couple or three to make the shipping pay for itself.
The lazy option is to add 150-200 mls to the lance container, with the remaining litre ordinary water.
The proper approach is to calculate the exact amount based on the flow rate of the pw and the mix ratio of the lance - easily done if you've a graduated container to catch the water.
You're looking to achieve a 4-5% PIR (panel impact ratio) or foam output strength - not to be confused with the solution strength in the bottle, which will naturally be higher as it gets diluted with the stream of water the pw is pushing out.
I can go into more detail if you need, should you venture down this route.
All in all, you'll end up with a near touchless wash most of the time, depending on grime level/type, and the type of LSP (wax/sealant) the car has, if any!
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