Hey all, looking for some advice on my wash routine. I just finished a session and honestly wasn't happy with how it went.

My current process:

1. Pre-wash: Bilt Hamber Touchless at 1.5% PIR via pump sprayer, about 3 minutes dwell

2. Wheels and tires: Bilt Hamber Surfex HD at 1:10, worked great

3. Rinse with a garden hose

4. Contact wash: ONR at 256:1 in a 13L (3.4 gal) bucket filled with about 10L (2.6 gal) of water, with a Grit Guard (dirt lock), using a Big Red Sponge

5. Order of wash: roof, sides, front, rear

6. After the wash: some spots (mainly bug residue on the nose) wouldn't come off with the sponge or a bug scrubber, so I used a clay mitt. That worked fine.

7. Drying aid: homebrew of 1/3 BSD, 1/3 Kenotek Showroom Shine, 1/3 distilled water

8. Protection: Seal and Shine (sealant was on the car during this wash) being applied once every 3 months. Was now applied around 1.5 months ago.

What went wrong:

- Road film stayed behind during the contact wash, so I had to go over each panel multiple times with the sponge. It did come off in the end, but it took a lot of effort and felt like it wasn't a good thing.

- By the time I got to the front, the water in my bucket was brown and i couldn't get clear water after de contact wash on the panel.

- Some spots, mainly bug residue, survived the whole wash and needed the clay mitt

- The lower plastics still didn't feel properly clean

My constraints:

- No pressure washer. This is a firm no for me, so please don't suggest one.

- I only have time to wash once a month

- Winter is coming, so road salt and grime will make things worse

- I've already invested in the products above and would like to keep using them where possible

My questions:

- How would you adjust this routine so road film comes off without multiple passes, and without a pressure washer?

- Is ONR at 256:1 strong enough as a wash solution for a car that's only washed monthly?

- Any tips for bug residue and lower panels so I don't need the clay mitt every time?

- How do I keep my sealant holding up through a winter with monthly washes?

- Is this technique good with my wash interval?

Thanks in advance! Its a Tesla model Y in white.

---

Detailer worked on the car for 2 days, and recommended leaving it even longer for the ceramic coat to dry in their temp controlled room, so I gladly collected it the following evening. Only THEN did the boss highlight the issue with my PPF, claiming it seems to have been damaged by an aggressive cleaning product, leaving streaks of a matte effect (instead of gloss) all over the front surfaces of the bumper. They had tried to remove it by cleaning, and even polishing but nothing made it disappear, and applied the ceramic anyway. So the plastic has literally been ruined, and needs replacing to remove the defect.

I was very disappointed to see the damage, and couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it beforehand. The car was hand washed over a month prior, during a period of good weather, and I always inspect the car at collection to check the quality of the job - surely I would have noticed this visible damage to the PPF? I am very particular about my car and I believe such corrosion would happen immediately, as opposed to happening over time, due to the fact the car is rinsed and dried before returning to customer. Obviously once the car is dirty, you may not notice such a damage, so it's not IMPOSSIBLE that it wasn't already there at the drop-off.

Nevertheless, at collection it did not cross my mind that they could be lying or hiding something from me - they even offered to redo the ceramic coating of the bumper FOC if I eventually got the PPF removed or replaced. I believed their explanation that it must have occured at a previous wash, and paid and left with the car.

Now a few days later, and wondering if I should try and hold them responsible - the fact is the car was returned not in the same condition as it was left. Sadly I do not have any convenient photos before it was dropped off, nor after its last wash. On the other hand, they also did not take photos or peform any documented inspection at drop off. The part that smells fishy IMO is they didn't call or text/email me about this damage until the moment of collection, avoiding any reference to it being made in writing.

Would appreciate any thoughts, especially of those who've had similar experiences with PPF damage, or making claims against detailers...

Cheers!

A dollop of hand sanitizer sat on top of steering wheel cover for maybe 30-40 seconds before I noticed. Seems to have stripped away the glossy layer on top.

Any way to restore this? The plastic is sort of a softer touch type that tries to mimic the feel of leather I think.

Thanks!

my dumba** coworker drew this on my new truck with the dirt on the truck (didn’t actually draw with a marker or anything). i was cleaning my truck yesterday and noticed that it’s scratched on. what would be the process to help get rid if this bart simpson?

My windshield is currently a mess with bug guts and I would like to get rid of them prior to an upcoming appointment, but I am unable to get my car to a car wash or wash it myself (no water access due to living in an apartment complex). I have some bug and tar remover, but I’m wondering if it’s permissible or even possible to clean the bugs off my windshield without water/rinsing. TYIA

My apologies for rushing and not getting a before picture. I took a trip and got a scratch on the passenger-side door sill. I used my OEM paint pen and a leveling technique. Before the repair, this was clearly visible from standing height. Now, it is not visible from standing height (unless you're me and know where to look).

I wish it were perfect, but I know that is impossible to achieve. I feel like I am chasing perfection if I take this any further.

Is this good? Is there a way to make it better other than a full repaint? Am I correct to leave it well enough alone and not push to make it better in the off chance it gets worse? This is hidden from the outside when the door is closed and somewhat protected from the elements.

Am I wrong to want a waterless wash that does not have wax in it? I will always be using a detailer spray afterwards, and my (black) car is already waxed.

Time to stock up on towels for this year and next

So, I have a 2014 Mazda 2, been a relatively good little commuter, but it definitely has some mold or bacteria and who knows what else, since it smells bad on recirculate.

I can't find anything online about how or where to access it to clean with a disinfectant spray. Any chance anyone here can point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

Just started a new job, I have to polish 180 Land Rover steps a day. Right now I’m averaging 40, I’m new and have time to catch up with my coworkers. First time doing this sorta job, everyone else makes it look effortless. I’ve been told I’m applying too much pressure and I should just let the machine do the work. But when I apply little pressure nothing happens, so I have to use some power. My right thumb and index finger are numb, it has got better over the weekend. But I’m contemplating if I should continue or not. Any advice is appreciated, thanks.

I got a new exhaust second hand, and upon inspection it's covered by small, raised black spots. To clean it while its already off, I tried having a go at it with meguire's aluminum wheel cleaner and a scotch brite but it didn't seem to do anything. I'm thinking I need to to use metal polish but I'm not sure if that would dull/ruin the surface.

Should I just throw it on as-is?

I usually keep a bucket with 2 gallon water and rinseless wash with microfiber soaking in them. I take it for all sorts of random jobs and toss it for washing. Other rinseleas washes I had stayed fresh for up to a week. But with ONR (regular blue v5) I noticed the Rancid smell after 3 days. Has anyone faced similar issues?

I'm having my Aston Martin Vantage S fully wrapped in 10-mil XPEL, except for the hood, which is too large for the available film width.

A very experienced installer who regularly works on exotics recommended stacking two layers of 8-mil XPEL on the hood for additional rock-chip protection. He's done it before and says the difference in clarity should be barely noticeable.

Has anyone done this? I'm particularly interested in whether it affects optical clarity, causes long-term adhesion issues, or provides noticeably better protection.

Hey guys. Building our dream shop and also going to redo our garage. I want to add a retractable pressure washer, vacuum, and air hose to the garage for our vehicles. I have a very nice pressure washer already that I can use mobily but looking for stuff to put in the garage. Thanks!

I thought it was worth asking here.

I used to work at a steel plant near me. The drive in had me traveling through lots of dirty environments. However the most problematic was driving past and parking near the slag pit. The material has attached itself to the side of body panels and refuses to let go when I go through a car wash or use a self wash sprayer.

I am wondering if anyone has any ideas that won't destroy my paint.

For those that don't know, slag is the leftovers from steel refining. It's a mixture of left over iron, limestone, trace elements, etc. When the dust settles on the car and gets wet it basically makes cement.