what happened to using a bucket and a sponge?
Discussion
I used to be a little into 'detailing' when I had more time and money, and could be bothered wasting it washing the car, bit not to any ridiculous level. I could understand microfibre over sponge etc, but the DetailingWorld forum was certainly an eye opener. The fortunes people would spend there on the next shampoo because it was a little bit foamier than the previous one, or a wax that lasts a month longer than another one boggles the mind. The levels of OCD were very apparent. Some of these products cost hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds. I couldn't tell the difference.
Although, I was continually impressed with the examples of older, neglected cars being returned to near perfection having been washed and polished for days.
However, if that's what you enjoy... go for it. Some people like an immaculate car all the time and they put the effort in.
Funnily enough my interest in this 'hobby' evaporated around the same time that I started subcribing to the joys of owning a shed!
Although, I was continually impressed with the examples of older, neglected cars being returned to near perfection having been washed and polished for days.
However, if that's what you enjoy... go for it. Some people like an immaculate car all the time and they put the effort in.
Funnily enough my interest in this 'hobby' evaporated around the same time that I started subcribing to the joys of owning a shed!
Snowfoam
Rinse with pressure washer
Car shampoo with two buckets
Rinse
Car dryer (yes, bit OTT)
Machine polish
Glaze (if needed)
Two coats of wax
Sealant
All other ancillary stuff for wheels / black trim, interior etc.
It's something I enjoy doing and find satisfying - moreso on older cars rather than brand new paintwork.
I find they only need the treatment as above about twice per year, after that I can usually stop after drying.
Rinse with pressure washer
Car shampoo with two buckets
Rinse
Car dryer (yes, bit OTT)
Machine polish
Glaze (if needed)
Two coats of wax
Sealant
All other ancillary stuff for wheels / black trim, interior etc.
It's something I enjoy doing and find satisfying - moreso on older cars rather than brand new paintwork.
I find they only need the treatment as above about twice per year, after that I can usually stop after drying.
I used to be quite OCD about paintwork, owning black cars, I would polish the car a few times a year and get upset about swirl marks... These days I prefer a clean car and not worry about the odd swirl mark. I just use 2 buckets if the car is very dirty, or only one if not and a microfiber sponge.
There is a lot of snake oil products, but using gritty sponges, 1970's techniques, ect are going to damage your paint. So yes, there is a difference.
There is a lot of snake oil products, but using gritty sponges, 1970's techniques, ect are going to damage your paint. So yes, there is a difference.
In the past I have used a sponge and a bucket but over the years I have refined the process so that I use some of the techniques but not any that mean it will take much longer than if I did use a bucket and sponge but the finish (and lack of scratches) is better:
Rinse with hose (including in wheel arches)
Wash with warm soapy water and microfibre mitt and two buckets
Rinse with hose
Wash wheels with sponge and brush
Rinse with hose
Rinse whole car using water from rain water butt
Takes less than an hour from getting buckets out to putting them away again
A couple of times a year I will then dry it and stick some wax on
Rinse with hose (including in wheel arches)
Wash with warm soapy water and microfibre mitt and two buckets
Rinse with hose
Wash wheels with sponge and brush
Rinse with hose
Rinse whole car using water from rain water butt
Takes less than an hour from getting buckets out to putting them away again
A couple of times a year I will then dry it and stick some wax on
I did a full claybar, polish, wax and seal job on my daily once. It was amazing, the bodywork felt like silk. It took 4 hours though so screw that...I've far better things to do.
I use snowfoam on the daily, 'cos it's easier. The toy cars get a wax and polish, 'cos they're more special...but no more than an hour or so, life's too short.
I use snowfoam on the daily, 'cos it's easier. The toy cars get a wax and polish, 'cos they're more special...but no more than an hour or so, life's too short.
I have never been able to abide a filthy car no matter how much it costs. With my job I don't have much spare time but I've never used a car wash. In the past with more expensive cars that I wanted to keep spotless I washed them on the outside every week and inside once every 2 weeks. The main reason for that was that the kids were young and treat the back of the car like a skip. My wife was also culpable, thought nothing of the 3 hours I'd just spent when taking them to town and then giving them a box of puff pastry sausage rolls to munch on the way home in the back of the E class.
Now they've fled the nest and the car is much older and I don't particularly care that much about it I'm down to once a month outside and every 3 months inside. I always use 2 buckets, one to wash and shampoo the other to rinse but I always use a mitten, never a sponge. Using 1 bucket is merely spreading the grime you've just cleaned off one part of the car onto another part.
Now they've fled the nest and the car is much older and I don't particularly care that much about it I'm down to once a month outside and every 3 months inside. I always use 2 buckets, one to wash and shampoo the other to rinse but I always use a mitten, never a sponge. Using 1 bucket is merely spreading the grime you've just cleaned off one part of the car onto another part.
Master Bean said:
Brillo pad and an iron brush for me.
Many a true word. The local egg merchant when I was in the sixth form had a maroon Rolls 20/25. We didn’t make much of it at the time. Every 2 years he would Brillo it and every third year he brush painted it will Valspar enamel.. The old painter and decorator ran an A35 van, each autumn he mixed all the leftover lead paint and painted the underside. The MOT tester couldn’t believe his eyes- no rust on a 15 year old van then.2 Buckets, I can live with.
What happened to chamois'? I still use a couple of Autoglym synthetic chamois but the world have moved on to bath sheet sized microfibre drying towels whilst I can't get on with - they leave too many lines behind and being BIG, they are a barsteward to wring out.
I think of cars 2 ways:
(1) Company car or 3 year lease car - Albanian car wash or garage jetwash. At a push, it gets leftover detailing products that I don't like.
(2) Personal cars - full detail shebang.
What happened to chamois'? I still use a couple of Autoglym synthetic chamois but the world have moved on to bath sheet sized microfibre drying towels whilst I can't get on with - they leave too many lines behind and being BIG, they are a barsteward to wring out.
I think of cars 2 ways:
(1) Company car or 3 year lease car - Albanian car wash or garage jetwash. At a push, it gets leftover detailing products that I don't like.
(2) Personal cars - full detail shebang.
Trackdayer said:
The problem is with deep cleaning a car, it it's ruined the first time you turn a wheel on a wet road.
I'd disagree, a car thats been machined polished as no paint defects, so the quality of the paint is shown to its full effect, a wax/coating/whatever will make it hydrophobic to an extent, which means the water will run off very easily. When it does get dirty, a quick wash/rinse with a hose and wipe down is all thats needed.A dirty, unpolished car will retain the dirt and muck and look worse, if you want to clean it its much more effort because the dirt and muck sticks.
Pistonheader101 said:
where have the days gone where you could wash a car with just using a bucket and a sponge?
Nowadays it seems to be all this detail correction 5 bucket system snow foam etc.
does anyone still use the good old fashioned method anymore?
I think the point has been made already, but to chime in with my contribution, I rinse, then snow foam, then rinse, then wash with 2 buckets, then use a spray wax to stop it looking like a spotty mess (hard water). I do this as the products are cheap, it look a lot better than using a sponge and is very little extra work. Nowadays it seems to be all this detail correction 5 bucket system snow foam etc.
does anyone still use the good old fashioned method anymore?
Why use a sponge when a wash mitt is more convenient and less damaging to the clearly fragile paint?
I'm not massively into 'detailing', but it is really satisfying washing the car on a nice afternoon
Crafty_ said:
Trackdayer said:
The problem is with deep cleaning a car, it it's ruined the first time you turn a wheel on a wet road.
I'd disagree, a car thats been machined polished as no paint defects, so the quality of the paint is shown to its full effect, a wax/coating/whatever will make it hydrophobic to an extent, which means the water will run off very easily. When it does get dirty, a quick wash/rinse with a hose and wipe down is all thats needed.A dirty, unpolished car will retain the dirt and muck and look worse, if you want to clean it its much more effort because the dirt and muck sticks.
Do all of you posters on here live in the same area? I hardly ever see anybody washing their cars these days; a couple of people in my neighbourhood oocasionally have a valeter in to clean the cars, one chap occasionally powerhoses his cars but other that, it's a rare sight.
Of course, the old hand-wash sites used to have massive queues, not so much recently.
It's made me try and remember when I last saw somebody checking their car, bonnet open etc?
Of course, the old hand-wash sites used to have massive queues, not so much recently.
It's made me try and remember when I last saw somebody checking their car, bonnet open etc?
Edited by TarquinMX5 on Monday 29th March 19:33
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