[ixtractm]

I just got my car Saturday. I was unaware of the very stringent instruction on washing the car! They told me it cant even be taken through a car wash that is brushless. I was told it will damage the rims as the paint finish. The car can only be air-dried or with a microfiber cloth or chamoix. The manual said something about detergentless soap! What is that. If I would have known I might have reconsidered the black color? Does anyone have any experience with the washing of the car?

 

[brian]

I think by "detergentless" they mean don't use the "Joy" or "Palmolive" from under the kitchen sink as many of us used to do in the 70's. Any regular and reputable car was soap should be fine.

I've only washed mine myself once and it took forever! There's a lot of surface area on that car! However, the wheels were really easy to clean - no difficult nooks or crannys for a change.

I would never consider taking this car (or any car I cared about) thru an automatic washer of any sort. You always need to hand wash with microfiber cloths.

-Brian

 

[ixtractm]

I think by "detergentless" they mean don't use the "Joy" or "Palmolive" from under the kitchen sink as many of us used to do in the 70's. Any regular and reputable car was soap should be fine.

I've only washed mine myself once and it took forever! There's a lot of surface area on that car! However, the wheels were really easy to clean - no difficult nooks or crannys for a change.

I would never consider taking this car (or any car I cared about) thru an automatic washer of any sort. You always need to hand wash with microfiber cloths.

-Brian

Thanks for the advice. Where I live we have an unbelievable car wash and detail center. It is automatice but it is the most high-tech I have ever seen! Its quite an operation. They have a second tube which I beleive may be for hand washing only. I know they get a lot of exotic cars coming through there so I will show them thew manual and see if they can care for the car the way it is recommended.

 

[brian]

I would still never even take my car to a place that did hand washing because I don't know how well or how often they clean their water and clothes. If their clothes have little dirt particles in them then it's going to scratch the finish. I'm very careful about which microfiber clothes I use, how I clean them, and how clean the water bucket is before I put anything into it. If I drop a cloth on the driveway then it's done and I use another one.

-Brian

 

[ixtractm]

I would still never even take my car to a place that did hand washing because I don't know how well or how often they clean their water and clothes. If their clothes have little dirt particles in them then it's going to scratch the finish. I'm very careful about which microfiber clothes I use, how I clean them, and how clean the water bucket is before I put anything into it. If I drop a cloth on the driveway then it's done and I use another one.

-Brian

Brian,
It really sounds like you know your stuff regarding caring for the finish, so I hope you don't mind me picking your brain. You mentioned cleaning the microfiber cloths. Is there a specific microfiber cloth you prefer and how do you like to clean them. Do ever use a chamoix on the car? I will go out today to get a specifc dedicated bucket to clean then car! Is there a particular cleaning solution/soap that you prefer?

Thanks- Jeff

 

[brian]

All of those microfiber clothes appear to be the same. I get mine at Target or Home Depot. Pretty much all identical except for color, but I like the white ones because it's easier to tell when debris gets in them.

For the wash I like the Maguire's stuff.

I don't use a chamoix, but I do use those special drying towels that you get at any auto supply store. I forget what they call them, but they have a somewhat honeycombed texture to them. They work amazingly well! The only thing to be careful of is to never use them dry. I always use them first on windshields or the roof to moisten them, and then they're safe to use on the car body. For the Karma it takes 2 of them to dry the whole thing. They work much better than regular bath towels for drying - no lint.

-Brian[hr]
Oh, one other thing to note: I always wash the microfiber towels together and with nothing else in the way. Problem is that they're like magnets and if you wash them with other stuff it just picks up all the fibers and lint from the other stuff in there. Also, I air dry them - putting them in the dryer damages the microfibers.

-Brian

 

[ixtractm]

All of those microfiber clothes appear to be the same. I get mine at Target or Home Depot. Pretty much all identical except for color, but I like the white ones because it's easier to tell when debris gets in them.

For the wash I like the Maguire's stuff.

I don't use a chamoix, but I do use those special drying towels that you get at any auto supply store. I forget what they call them, but they have a somewhat honeycombed texture to them. They work amazingly well! The only thing to be careful of is to never use them dry. I always use them first on windshields or the roof to moisten them, and then they're safe to use on the car body. For the Karma it takes 2 of them to dry the whole thing. They work much better than regular bath towels for drying - no lint.

-Brian[hr]
Oh, one other thing to note: I always wash the microfiber towels together and with nothing else in the way. Problem is that they're like magnets and if you wash them with other stuff it just picks up all the fibers and lint from the other stuff in there. Also, I air dry them - putting them in the dryer damages the microfibers.

-Brian

Brian,

I can't thank you enough these are great tips!

Jeff

 

[ct-fiskerbuzz]

I would still never even take my car to a place that did hand washing because I don't know how well or how often they clean their water and clothes. If their clothes have little dirt particles in them then it's going to scratch the finish. I'm very careful about which microfiber clothes I use, how I clean them, and how clean the water bucket is before I put anything into it. If I drop a cloth on the driveway then it's done and I use another one.

-Brian

I was browsing around on the Zaino web site (having managed to dig up where it moved to, after I last bought stuff from Zaino Brothers in the late 1990s) and their recommendations still call for cotton towels rather than microfiber as they say they've found too much variation in microfiber quality.

I was planning on obtaining new stuff from them, since the last time I used their stuff was in the early 2000s.

Anyway, for what it's worth, the web site: http://www.zainostore.com/

 

[matrix]

I'm concerned about the styrofoam components behind the front grille... trying to wash off bugs stuck to the styrofoam makes me nervous. The styrofoam isn't veneered or coated, and could easily be damaged. :s

 

[brian]

Yeah, I'm very careful about that styrofoam. I don't spray water anywhere near that, and I had wash that whole area to avoid damaging it.

-Brian

 

[Fabulist]

Yeah, I'm very careful about that styrofoam. I don't spray water anywhere near that, and I had wash that whole area to avoid damaging it.

-Brian

@Brian: I thought you wanted to get rid of the styrofoam. Wouldn't this be a perfect opportunity to blast it away with a high-pressure hose?



-- Fab.

 

[matrix]

Yeah, I'm very careful about that styrofoam. I don't spray water anywhere near that, and I had wash that whole area to avoid damaging it.

-Brian

@Brian: I thought you wanted to get rid of the styrofoam. Wouldn't this be a perfect opportunity to blast it away with a high-pressure hose?



-- Fab.

That's actually not a bad idea... could it easily be removed?

 

[MArkansas]

I asked all of these questions of a motor coach co which builds million dollar coaches with an amish workforce with well known skills. They reccomend using baby shampoo and vinegar with old fashioned plain diapers. They do not recommend micro fiber as they break down and cause scratches. Two years later my coach, vette and hummer all are clean and scratch free. Walmart sells it all. Get the pad free diapers that look like big handkerchiefs and wash before using. I also use a leaf blower to blow off water first.

 

[Fabulist]

I asked all of these questions of a motor coach co which builds million dollar coaches with an amish workforce with well known skills. They reccomend using baby shampoo and vinegar with old fashioned plain diapers. They do not recommend micro fiber as they break down and cause scratches. Two years later my coach, vette and hummer all are clean and scratch free. Walmart sells it all. Get the pad free diapers that look like big handkerchiefs and wash before using. I also use a leaf blower to blow off water first.

And presumably, you would not use the baby diapers for their intended purpose between car washes.

Seriously, though. The vinegar is for cleaning the windows only, correct? I would not think that vinegar would be particularly kind to the paint's clear coat.

-- Fab.

 

[MArkansas]

I asked all of these questions of a motor coach co which builds million dollar coaches with an amish workforce with well known skills. They reccomend using baby shampoo and vinegar with old fashioned plain diapers. They do not recommend micro fiber as they break down and cause scratches. Two years later my coach, vette and hummer all are clean and scratch free. Walmart sells it all. Get the pad free diapers that look like big handkerchiefs and wash before using. I also use a leaf blower to blow off water first.

And presumably, you would not use the baby diapers for their intended purpose between car washes.

Seriously, though. The vinegar is for cleaning the windows only, correct? I would not think that vinegar would be particularly kind to the paint's clear coat.

-- Fab.

No s..t in the diapers. Pun intended. To the contrary I had to go back to the factory when my dealer scratched the c..p out of my clear coat on the day I took delivery. Two body shops failed to cure the problem. The amish restored the clear coat which is flawless and instructed that I only use vinegar, baby shampoo and diapers on the entire exterior. Works for me my clear coat is still flawless and clean. Cleans off stuff car washes leave behind. I mix a gallon of v with a bottle of poo. They also recommend a wax with uv protectant.

 

[ixtractm]

I asked all of these questions of a motor coach co which builds million dollar coaches with an amish workforce with well known skills. They reccomend using baby shampoo and vinegar with old fashioned plain diapers. They do not recommend micro fiber as they break down and cause scratches. Two years later my coach, vette and hummer all are clean and scratch free. Walmart sells it all. Get the pad free diapers that look like big handkerchiefs and wash before using. I also use a leaf blower to blow off water first.

And presumably, you would not use the baby diapers for their intended purpose between car washes.

Seriously, though. The vinegar is for cleaning the windows only, correct? I would not think that vinegar would be particularly kind to the paint's clear coat.

-- Fab.

No s..t in the diapers. Pun intended. To the contrary I had to go back to the factory when my dealer scratched the c..p out of my clear coat on the day I took delivery. Two body shops failed to cure the problem. The amish restored the clear coat which is flawless and instructed that I only use vinegar, baby shampoo and diapers on the entire exterior. Works for me my clear coat is still flawless and clean. Cleans off stuff car washes leave behind. I mix a gallon of v with a bottle of poo. They also recommend a wax with uv protectant.

Did I read you correctly? An entire GALLON of straight, undiluted vinegar and a bottle of baby shampoo?

Jeff

 

[MArkansas]

I asked all of these questions of a motor coach co which builds million dollar coaches with an amish workforce with well known skills. They reccomend using baby shampoo and vinegar with old fashioned plain diapers. They do not recommend micro fiber as they break down and cause scratches. Two years later my coach, vette and hummer all are clean and scratch free. Walmart sells it all. Get the pad free diapers that look like big handkerchiefs and wash before using. I also use a leaf blower to blow off water first.

And presumably, you would not use the baby diapers for their intended purpose between car washes.

Seriously, though. The vinegar is for cleaning the windows only, correct? I would not think that vinegar would be particularly kind to the paint's clear coat.

-- Fab.

No s..t in the diapers. Pun intended. To the contrary I had to go back to the factory when my dealer scratched the c..p out of my clear coat on the day I took delivery. Two body shops failed to cure the problem. The amish restored the clear coat which is flawless and instructed that I only use vinegar, baby shampoo and diapers on the entire exterior. Works for me my clear coat is still flawless and clean. Cleans off stuff car washes leave behind. I mix a gallon of v with a bottle of poo. They also recommend a wax with uv protectant.

Did I read you correctly? An entire GALLON of straight, undiluted vinegar and a bottle of baby shampoo?

Jeff

Yea but I'm washing a 45 foot coach, top, sides, front, rear, engine compartment, generator compartment, wheel wells,battery compartment, undercarriage and I rinse throughly. Candidly they did not give me a mixture ratio so I may have everything backwards. My clear coat looks like glass. I'll ask the coach co. and report.
[hr]
FYI my father and I and friends have owned many rv's and coaches. I have crawled in and around every nook and cranny of several made in the north and the south. I'm from the south. I've never seen anything like the workmanship of the Amish with the exception of the Newell coaches from Oklahoma with a 2.5 mil starting price. The Amish know their trade! My fixed clear coat is proof. Fisker fit and finnish should get Amish artisans and they could do away with inspections as unnecessary. Remember this is coming from a southerner.

 

[MArkansas]

Begs the question as to what the Indians from OK recommend on the Newells. The used rigs on their web site are 2.4 mil and hand made. Maybe Fisker needs Indians. Fit and Finish problems from FINLAND. A comedians dream. [hr]

Yeah, I'm very careful about that styrofoam. I don't spray water anywhere near that, and I had wash that whole area to avoid damaging it.

-Brian

@Brian: I thought you wanted to get rid of the styrofoam. Wouldn't this be a perfect opportunity to blast it away with a high-pressure hose?



-- Fab.

How do you wash it?

That's actually not a bad idea... could it easily be removed?

[hr]
How do you wash the styrofoam?[hr]

I asked all of these questions of a motor coach co which builds million dollar coaches with an amish workforce with well known skills. They reccomend using baby shampoo and vinegar with old fashioned plain diapers. They do not recommend micro fiber as they break down and cause scratches. Two years later my coach, vette and hummer all are clean and scratch free. Walmart sells it all. Get the pad free diapers that look like big handkerchiefs and wash before using. I also use a leaf blower to blow off water first.

And presumably, you would not use the baby diapers for their intended purpose between car washes.

Seriously, though. The vinegar is for cleaning the windows only, correct? I would not think that vinegar would be particularly kind to the paint's clear coat.

-- Fab.

No s..t in the diapers. Pun intended. To the contrary I had to go back to the factory when my dealer scratched the c..p out of my clear coat on the day I took delivery. Two body shops failed to cure the problem. The amish restored the clear coat which is flawless and instructed that I only use vinegar, baby shampoo and diapers on the entire exterior. Works for me my clear coat is still flawless and clean. Cleans off stuff car washes leave behind. I mix a gallon of v with a bottle of poo. They also recommend a wax with uv protectant.

Did I read you correctly? An entire GALLON of straight, undiluted vinegar and a bottle of baby shampoo?

Jeff

Yea but I'm washing a 45 foot coach, top, sides, front, rear, engine compartment, generator compartment, wheel wells,battery compartment, undercarriage and I rinse throughly. Candidly they did not give me a mixture ratio so I may have everything backwards. My clear coat looks like glass. I'll ask the coach co. and report.
[hr]
FYI my father and I and friends have owned many rv's and coaches. I have crawled in and around every nook and cranny of several made in the north and the south. I'm from the south. I've never seen anything like the workmanship of the Amish with the exception of the Newell coaches from Oklahoma with a 2.5 mil starting price. The Amish know their trade! My fixed clear coat is proof. Fisker fit and finnish should get Amish artisans and they could do away with inspections as unnecessary. Remember this is coming from a southerner.

Oh I forgot to mention that I pour the mixture in a five gallon bucket and fill with water. Sorry.

 

[jeroen]

As I have done a lot of Detailing over the last year I thought it might be interesting to some to share some simple tips on washing.

Rinse car down, pressure washer and foam lance are nice tools

1. Use two buckets. One with the Soapy solution and other one with Water to rinse the wash mitt
2. Do not use a sponge but a wash mitt and plenty of soapy solution
3. Do one panel at a time, Soap in with mitt and than rinse it clean in the water (rinse) bucket. Never put dirty mitt in soapy bucket
4. If you drop the mitt than take another one
5. Rinse down with plenty of water, if you are in conditions that the soaping dries out quickly than rinse panel at a time during soaping
6. If possible use soft (low on minerals) water, at least make sure the water does not dry on the finish but is dried with cloth
7. for drying use microfibre cloth of good quality (there are poor ones out there!), e.g. Chemical Guys, Zino, poor boys etc.

Keep a good sealant or Wax on the car e.g Swisswax, Dodo

Check out detailing forums esp. the instructions sections. Or ask
Nice source:
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4637

 

[MArkansas]

Begs the question as to what the Indians from OK recommend on the Newells. The used rigs on their web site are 2.4 mil and hand made. Maybe Fisker needs Indians. Fit and Finish problems from FINLAND. A comedians dream. [hr]

Yeah, I'm very careful about that styrofoam. I don't spray water anywhere near that, and I had wash that whole area to avoid damaging it.

-Brian

@Brian: I thought you wanted to get rid of the styrofoam. Wouldn't this be a perfect opportunity to blast it away with a high-pressure hose?



-- Fab.

How do you wash it?

That's actually not a bad idea... could it easily be removed?

[hr]
How do you wash the styrofoam?[hr]

And presumably, you would not use the baby diapers for their intended purpose between car washes.

Seriously, though. The vinegar is for cleaning the windows only, correct? I would not think that vinegar would be particularly kind to the paint's clear coat.

-- Fab.

No s..t in the diapers. Pun intended. To the contrary I had to go back to the factory when my dealer scratched the c..p out of my clear coat on the day I took delivery. Two body shops failed to cure the problem. The amish restored the clear coat which is flawless and instructed that I only use vinegar, baby shampoo and diapers on the entire exterior. Works for me my clear coat is still flawless and clean. Cleans off stuff car washes leave behind. I mix a gallon of v with a bottle of poo. They also recommend a wax with uv protectant.

Did I read you correctly? An entire GALLON of straight, undiluted vinegar and a bottle of baby shampoo?

Jeff

Yea but I'm washing a 45 foot coach, top, sides, front, rear, engine compartment, generator compartment, wheel wells,battery compartment, undercarriage and I rinse throughly. Candidly they did not give me a mixture ratio so I may have everything backwards. My clear coat looks like glass. I'll ask the coach co. and report.
[hr]
FYI my father and I and friends have owned many rv's and coaches. I have crawled in and around every nook and cranny of several made in the north and the south. I'm from the south. I've never seen anything like the workmanship of the Amish with the exception of the Newell coaches from Oklahoma with a 2.5 mil starting price. The Amish know their trade! My fixed clear coat is proof. Fisker fit and finnish should get Amish artisans and they could do away with inspections as unnecessary. Remember this is coming from a southerner.

Oh I forgot to mention that I pour the mixture in a five gallon bucket and fill with water. Sorry.

I spoke with Newmar Coach today and they emailed a three page pdf which is quite detailed in regard to cleaning procedures, products and waxes including how to remove scratches. Best info I've ever seen. I am not computer savy enough to post. Anyone interested. My email is [email protected] and I will forward. Can you get a greener product than vinegar? Try this and you will throw away a lot of expensive inferior car products!

[hr]

I asked all of these questions of a motor coach co which builds million dollar coaches with an amish workforce with well known skills. They reccomend using baby shampoo and vinegar with old fashioned plain diapers. They do not recommend micro fiber as they break down and cause scratches. Two years later my coach, vette and hummer all are clean and scratch free. Walmart sells it all. Get the pad free diapers that look like big handkerchiefs and wash before using. I also use a leaf blower to blow off water first.

And presumably, you would not use the baby diapers for their intended purpose between car washes.

Seriously, though. The vinegar is for cleaning the windows only, correct? I would not think that vinegar would be particularly kind to the paint's clear coat.

-- Fab.

No s..t in the diapers. Pun intended. To the contrary I had to go back to the factory when my dealer scratched the c..p out of my clear coat on the day I took delivery. Two body shops failed to cure the problem. The amish restored the clear coat which is flawless and instructed that I only use vinegar, baby shampoo and diapers on the entire exterior. Works for me my clear coat is still flawless and clean. Cleans off stuff car washes leave behind. I mix a gallon of v with a bottle of poo. They also recommend a wax with uv protectant.

Read below I don't know how all this works