does anyone have any neat tricks in washing there car, such as detailing or anything of sorts?

 

I have a tip on rinsing. Just use the open hose to rinse. It really flushes out all the crevasses and hardly any spots. Also reduces drying time.

 

Use soft water even if it means hooking up to your kitchen faucet (if you can get away with it)

Soft water won't leave any mineral deposits on the paint. Even the water that drips down out of the mirros will not leave marks.

 

I bought a long handled squeegie ....
to squeegie the water off after rinsing the finish on my truck. I can reach all over the hood, cab and doors quickly to remove 95% of the water. Then, I use a large, soft turkish cotton towel to quickly remove any streaks left by the squeegie.

It beats anthing else I have ever used.

BillVoyles

 

i use my pressure washer & try to get as much of the mud & dirt off as i can... sometimes with limited success... I find the pressure washer soap does a good job at preventing streaks & water spots actually...

 

How About This Tip....

I have tried everything you can think of to remove the road film you see on the outside of your windshield. The wipers smear it back and forth. And I think the wipers actually add to the smearing. I have tried all the silly commercial cleaners that claim to clean it off. What a joke.

Finally, I used laquer thinner and it all came right off. Then, I used a diluted solution of alcohol and a little bit of laquer thinner to clean the windshild wipers. It worked like a dream come true!!

BillVoyles

 

Here is another cute trick:

Take a small sponge and carefully make long slices in it about a half-inch deep. Use a long kitchen knife so the slits are straight.
Now, pour some of the above solution, of 1/4 laquer thinner and 3/4 alcohol, into the slit. And run the slit up and down your wipers. It cleans them up like brand new!!

BillVoyles

 

i also just run water over the truck and it cuts drying time. and i also use q-tips to clen the a/c vents and other small places

 

so.... "Trick Tips" has nothing to do with solicitation of professional services?

 

im not sure that you are in the right place J150

 

AjRagno had a great tip. Soft water will clean twice as good as hard water. Detergent attacks various different types of soils, minerals, etc. Hard water causes your soap to try and clean the water which is full of contaminants leaving little cleaning power for your vehicle. Spot free water is obtained through reverse osmosis and is expensive to produce but works great. Most people don't have access to this stuff at home, that's why we professional Car Washers provide it for you.

 

You may have a really good idea ....

I have well water that is really hard and full of chemicals. It tastes great cold but it leaves water spots on my truck finish, mirrors and windows. Of course, useing a squeegie helps.

But, I think you might have a great idea mustang88, to wash your truck with a good grade of water. In other words I could make up a bucket of suds using distilled water to wash the truck. Maybe it would give me a better wash. Then, even though I have to use hard water to rinse, maybe my finish will be cleaned better with a distilled water/wash mix.

You can buy a gallon of distilled water at Wal Mart for 66 cents.
That's pretty inexpensive. You would end up paying more than that at the "wand wash", right?

What do you guys think?

BillVoyles
'99 Bright Red Regular Cab Flareside 4.6 auto w/ 3.08 Sleeper!

 

A Truck Cover Will Help Too ...

What about when you go somewhere? Your truck has to endure the hot sun day and night. It's finish is exposed and unprotected from the elements!!

Unless you can put your truck in a garage every night, I think a nice truck cover will keep a truck finish nicer, longer if you use it on a regular basis. Acid rain, tree sap, sun, rain, dew with dust in it and who knows what all types of pollution is in the air. The dew falls in some areas with sulfuric acid in it. And the stuff sticks to the surface. Now, it's your job to professionally remove it somehow without creating "swirls" and scratches.

I'm going to invest in a good truck cover.

BillVoyles

'99 Bright Red Regular Cab Flareside 4.6 Auto/3.08 Sleeper!

 

Bill, what you are suggesting will probably work better than using hard well water. The reason I said that soft, spot free water is expensive to produce is because of the equipment costs. $5000-$10000 on average. I sell it at my wash for about 7 cents per gallon.

 

i have a plastic drum that collects rain water from the gutters. after washing i fill two sprinkler cans and go over the truck. no spots,no drying