best methods/products for washing a car?

[Kali]

OK this is kind of silly, but I haven't done anything other than run a cold water hose to rinse off dust in more than 30 years. dry climate, dirt roads and beaters aren't real conducive to exterior maintanence. but I have a newish vehicle now and I think I might want to at least TRY for a year or so to take care of it.

when I was a kid, I got paid a dollar to wash the family truckster (64 ford station wagon), I think I used a bucket of warm water with some liquid dish detergent and an old t-shirt rag, then used the hose to rinse. air dried I am sure.

so, what do you all recommend for the new century?

[SeattleVet]

1. Costco or other commercial carwash that recycles/reuses grey water.

They have recovery systems that help to keep most of the really bad stuff from going down the drain, and they can wash a car with a LOT less water and energy than you can probably manage at home. They typically also use mostly environmentally-friendly washing compounds.

[Kali]

2. hmmm

I didn't even think of a car wash place...I guess I could do that.

I am 20 miles from town and 60 from a real city so I was assuming it was do-it-myself (like most everything around here LOL)

[Mopar151]

3. Are you planning to wax it?

Thing is, most soaps and detergents remove wax quite well, as wax is closely related to soap and grease. Once you've washed it, and have a good coat of wax on it, you can use a mild detergent, usually called (ta-da!) Car Wash, found next to the wax wherever you shop.

Couple of my friends use stuff from Griot's Gararge <http://www.griotsgarage.com/category/car+care.do?nType=1> For them, it's the holy grail - finally, sombody as nuts for a shiny car as they are! For the rest of us, steal an idea or 2 (Like the strainer in the wash bucket to let the dirt fall through!) and see how the other half lives.

[JohnnyRingo]

4. If the label says "Mothers"....

...you're using the right stuff.

From wash to glaze, they make the products that shout to passersby. I've tried them all, from Blue Coral to $40 an ounce Zymoil, and I'm sold.

[sir pball]

5. Dunno if they still make it but I loved the Mr. Clean Magic Wash or whatever it was.

It was a multi-spray gun that had three settings, plain water, soap foam, and "rinse" water that ran through a deionizing cartridge to give totally pure water that dries with no spotting or residue. I just used a good-quality soap/wax combo and the DI rinse weekly, with twice-yearly unscented/no additive laundry detergent hand-scrubs with a buffing and pure-wax job afterwards. It was great.

If they don't make it anymore, or you don't need the hassle or expense, a good prerinse with a hose followed by a soap/wax combo is fine. Maybe a chamois dry if you don't want any spots.

[Blue_Tires]

6. my process:

1. wash
2. dry with NEW microfiber cloth (this is essential to avoid swirl marks in your paint job -- NEVER re-use a microfiber for your paint job)
3. clay bar
4. repeat step 2
5. wax
6. repeat step 2

If you go to a car wash, make sure it is a TOUCHLESS wash...Mothers or Meguires both make excellent products...