Hard water and car washing

[joebruin77]

I did read a post by @Pushrods&Capacitors where he was impressed with his results with the much pricier Adam’s Graphene Ceramic coating, and thought about giving that a try.

Adam's makes great products. I have heard really good things about both their graphene ceramic coating and their graphene spray coating.

I recently bought a bottle of Gyeon Cancoat Evo and plan to use this as my main paint protection on my new MME when it arrives next month. The challenge I have is that I do not have a garage or indoor space to apply a ceramic coating. Gyeon Cancoat Evo can be applied outside and, because it is so easy and quick to apply, I should be able to finish the entire car in 30 minutes or less.

Sponsored

 

[yngwenli]

Per Chicago Auto Pros on YouTube, put some spray detailer onto the surface of the drying towel. They did not specify a brand.

So you're actually not supposed to wash/rub after the foam bath and just spray it all off?

I thought that was the soap you use to rub it, (not have another soap bucket and now, really rub/rinse after that).

 

[yngwenli]

Wow, this seems great. I guess the main downside is the filters cost $45 and each only lasts 11 washes. Still, cheaper than taking the car to a handwash.

Yeah, I actually just bought that. I figure the purchase alone is the cost of hiring a detailer once and 11 times doesn't sound like much, but honestly, I rarely wash cars anymore since my single/no kids days are long gone.

The pack has 22 washes if your water isn't too hard and I'm leaning towards just not even drying it after spraying it with de-ionized water. I will probably wash it with the de-ionized water too to make sure it's all de-ionized water. I wonder if I need a bucket still.

My plan was to use a foam bath gun, rub and rinse (that's what the Unger vids had).

Maybe someone can advise me on if I really need to wash after the foam bath.

 

[joebruin77]

So you're actually not supposed to wash/rub after the foam bath and just spray it all off?

I thought that was the soap you use to rub it, (not have another soap bucket and now, really rub/rinse after that).

In this video, he did a pre-wash rinse of just using water to get off the bigger dirt and debris particles, then he sprayed the car with foaming soap, rinsed that off, and then he did a contact wash. I personally disagree with first rinsing off dirt with just water. IMO, It is better to first foam up the car, let the soap encapsulate the dirt, and then rinse it all off. Follow that up with your contact wash. If you just use a pressure washer to blast off the dirt without any soap, it could be like sand-blasting your paint and could scratch it.

Some people don't use buckets and just wipe the soap that was foamed onto the paint. I personally would only do this if the car was lightly dirty. By rinsing your mitt in a bucket with a grit guard, you trap the dirt particles under the grit guard and are less likely to scratch your paint.

And, on a side note, one of the two drying aid sprays he recommends in the video is my favorite Technicians Choice Ceramic Detail Spray.

 

[yngwenli]

In this video, he did a pre-wash rinse of just using water to get off the bigger dirt and debris particles, then he sprayed the car with foaming soap, rinsed that off, and then he did a contact wash. I personally disagree with first rinsing off dirt with just water. IMO, It is better to first foam up the car, let the soap encapsulate the dirt, and then rinse it all off. Follow that up with your contact wash. If you just use a pressure washer to blast off the dirt without any soap, it could be like sand-blasting your paint and could scratch it.

Some people don't use buckets and just wipe the soap that was foamed onto the paint. I personally would only do this if the car was lightly dirty. By rinsing your mitt in a bucket with a grit guard, you trap the dirt particles under the grit guard and are less likely to scratch your paint.

And, on a side note, one of the two drying aid sprays he recommends in the video is my favorite Technicians Choice Ceramic Detail Spray.

So in your opinion, ideally, one should:
1) Foam up and let it soak for 5-10 minutes (I guess this is like soaking dirty dishes)
2) Rinse off all foam
3) Bucket contact wash now (I have 2 buckets and the grit guards).
4) Rinse

Thanks for your and everyone's tips!

 

[joebruin77]

So in your opinion, ideally, one should:
1) Foam up and let it soak for 5-10 minutes (I guess this is like soaking dirty dishes)
2) Rinse off all foam
3) Bucket contact wash now (I have 2 buckets and the grit guards).
4) Rinse

Thanks for your and everyone's tips!

That's pretty much it. The only thing I would add is you want to make sure to do this in the shade out of direct sunlight and while the paint is cool (you don't want the foamed soap to dry on the paint before it is rinsed off). And after you rinse and it is time to dry, definitely use a drying aid and a soft, clean, good quality drying towel. My current favorite drying towel is The Gauntlet from The Rag Company:

https://theragcompany.com/products/the-gauntlet?variant=37726064378039

 

[J-orange]

I use Turtle Wax's 53410 Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Wet Wax. I apply two sprays per panel as a drying aid. It supposedly recharges the ceramic coating as well of dissipating water droplets. I am very happy with results. The next time I wash the car, I do not see any drop-off in hydrophobic properties. My car is not a daily driver and rarely sees rain. I almost want the product and the underlying TW 75th anniversary paste wax + Hybrid solutions spray (green label) To fail so i can apply it again to satisfy my OCD.

 

[robertsander08]

Why don't you boil the water beforehand? Boiling hard water will break down and precipitate the minerals that are in it leaving the water softer. What do you think about this way?

 

[jc1000]

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-TasteP...ocphy=9011480&hvtargid=pla-272506031700&psc=1 this inline on the garden hose works great

 

[Mini166]

I use this and it works great..

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H8MQTMD/

I have a similar system in my laundry room with a couple more chambers (RO/DI) for our 150g saltwater aquarium maintenance. I think I’ll try running 5 gals for a final rinse when it’s time to wash my car.

 

[nashbrydges]

You may be interested in this video.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Why don't you boil the water beforehand? Boiling hard water will break down and precipitate the minerals that are in it leaving the water softer. What do you think about this way?

Just how exactly does that work? Minerals don't break down at 200-250°F and hot water holds more solute than cold water. Boiling the water won't precipitate anything out.

 

[ChasingCoral]

https://www.chemicalguys.com/heavy-...l7Xg8t3tQK_rw5NcQd_zCO79VwmSt1jxoCunAQAvD_BwE

https://www.carwashcountry.com/washing-car-hard-water-3-spot-free-solutions/

Sponsored