How to wash your Mach-E at home in just 20 minutes using 3-4 gallons of water

[joebruin77]

Every so often, I see posts with questions about the best way to wash your MME. Just thought I would share my preferred car wash routine for my 2022 MME GTPE. Total wash time is 20 minutes using 3-4 gallons of water.

I basically do a rinsless wash using ONR or P and S Absolute. Materials used:

-Two buckets, each with a grit guard, 1.5-2 gallons of water, and 1-2 ounces of ONR.
-A Chapin 1-gallon garden sprayer, with 1 ounce of ONR mixed with 3/4 gallon of water. (I bought my garden sprayer at Home Depot).
-The "Gauntlet" drying towel from The Rag Company (my favorite drying towel on the market)
-Xtreme Solutions Topper (a ceramic-infused topper which I use as a drying aid, also my favorite on the market).
-Griots Garage Microfiber Wash Pad

I start at the top of the car and work my way down. If there is noticeable dirt or dust in the section I am working on, I first use the garden sprayer to pretreat the area by spraying it down with the ONR solution, let it dwell for 30 sec, and then do the normal rinseless wash. One bucket is my "rinse" bucket and the other is my "wash" bucket. Some people think using a two bucket with ONR is not necessary, but I think it is a good idea to further reduce the risks of inducing swirls.

After I wash a section with the ONR and wash pad, I then spray 1-2 sprays of Topper, and then dry with the Gauntlet towel. Topper adds a lot of slickness, gloss, and a boost of protection as you dry. I have tried at least 10 different drying aids and Topper is my absolute favorite.

Here is how she looks after her "bath":

For those of you interested, here are links to the products I used:

Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine - New Formula!
Try No Rinse Wash & Shine 8oz* RISK FREE with FREE SHIPPING and a 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! Optimum No Rinse™ Wash &a

optimumcarcare.com

Absolute Rinseless Wash
Absolute Rinseless wash was formulated from the ground up as a premium soap alternative. Utilizing a unique subset of polymers. Absolute encapsulates and emulsifies dirt beyond what soap is capable of. Water is instantly softened upon mixture of Absolute, thus reducing chances of hard water...

psdetailproducts.com

The Gauntlet Microfiber Drying Towel | The Rag Company
The perfect choice for drying your vehicle quickly and safely drawing moisture away from the surface into the patented twist/plush fibers of the towel. absolutely one of the most absorbent towels by weight that we have ever tested (10x+). 70/30 blend, 900gsm, and "ButterSoft" Suede Microfiber...

theragcompany.com

Xtreme Solutions
Topper™ - Top Coat Lubricant & Protectant is the ultimate “topper” available on the market today! Silica infused, Topper brings unparalleled hyper-slickness, gloss and a mirror-like reflection! Topper™ is detergent resistant and uses cross-linking polymers to protect your vehicle’s top coat.

www.877askxtreme.com

Microfiber Wash Pads, Set of 2
Super-soft microfiber wash pads are safe and gentle on your paint. 8" x 10" in a 2 pack. Machine washable.

www.griotsgarage.com

Sponsored

 

[SpongeBad]

20 minutes? Looks at profile. "California". Seems about right.

 

[joebruin77]

20 minutes? Looks at profile. "California". Seems about right.

Yes, does not include cleaning off road salt

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

Yes, does not include cleaning off road salt

Or the time being the buckets in the house and fill with warm water from the tub. Or to thaw the bottles of product that froze solid in the garage.

 

[RickMachE]

In the non-water-drought part of the country...

- Pull out hose
- Fill one bucket with water
- Push regular car wash solution and water in 2nd bucket, no fancy formulas or names
- Wash car with mitt, rinsing mitt in 2nd bucket
- Use battery powered blower if you want
- Use 2 Costco microfiber towels to dry

I am targeting Weds when it's 60 to wash. Then nothing for a month or so I would guess.

We never "dust" our cars...

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

Though in OP’s defense, I do like his methods for his environment. If I was conserving water I’d look into his product recommendations.

 

[RMoore]

- Use 2 Costco microfiber towels to dry

Which ones? I have their pack of a bunch small yellow ones which are great (and a great bargain) but two couldn’t dry a car. Do they have bigger ones too? Not sure I’ve seen them.

 

[RickMachE]

Which ones? I have their pack of a bunch small yellow ones which are great (and a great bargain) but two couldn’t dry a car. Do they have bigger ones too? Not sure I’ve seen them.

Yes, those. Pull one across surface, ring out. Use it to "dry" surface, then use dry one to actually dry that surface. Then move on to the next section of the car.

 

[joebruin77]

Which ones? I have their pack of a bunch small yellow ones which are great (and a great bargain) but two couldn’t dry a car. Do they have bigger ones too? Not sure I’ve seen them.

I have those Costco towels. They are a great bargain. I use them to clean the interior and to clean and dry my wheels. But personally I would not use them on the paint or the black exterior trim. I think there is a risk they can scratch the paint.

If you buy one of the Gauntlet drying towels and compare it to the Costco towel, you will see the difference. The Gauntlet is much softer and more plush.

Yes, the Gauntlet is more expensive, but it is a much better towel. As long as you dry microfiber towels on an ultra low heat and you do NOT use fabric softener when you wash them, they should last a long time.

 

[Hammered]

I use a handheld blower to just blow the water off

 

[RMoore]

I have those Costco towels. They are a great bargain. I use them to clean the interior and to clean and dry my wheels. But personally I would not use them on the paint or the black exterior trim. I think there is a risk they can scratch the paint.

If you buy one of the Gauntlet drying towels and compare it to the Costco towel, you will see the difference. The Gauntlet is much softer and more plush.

Yes, the Gauntlet is more expensive, but it is a much better towel. As long as you dry microfiber towels on an ultra low heat and you do NOT use fabric softener when you wash them, they should last a long time.

I actually have the Gauntlet drying towels and use them to dry my car when I wash (probably bought them on your recommendation ). I also picked up some Meguiar's X2000 Water magnet towels and use them too. When I wash I use the Hybrid Solutions Wet Wax or Graphene spray as drying aids and they are both great (might give a slight edge to the graphene). I still do use the Costco microfibers after drying to apply another coat of Graphene and to buff, or for quick detailing with either diluted ONR spray or the Meguiar's quick detailer spray. My car is garaged and doesn't get that dirty so that often tides me over between washes. I haven't noticed any issues with the Costco towels but it might also be because I have a lighter colored car which doesn't seem to show scratches or swirls as much (at least that I can detect) so I don't worry about it.

Nice write up! At some point I might try the Topper but I feel like I should first use up my Hybrid Solutions sprays.

 

[ElectrikPony]

+1 for opti-rinse. When it’s to cold outside I wash my car in a Hvac controlled garage with opti-rinse.

also Makita makes this “mini-blower”. It’s way to small to be useful for leaves, I use it for drying crevices of the car.

Makita DUB185Z Cordless Handheld Leaf Blower Powered by 18V LXT Li-Ion Battery https://a.co/d/4YEvXPw

 

[RMoore]

+1 for opti-rinse. When it’s to cold outside I wash my car in a Hvac controlled garage with opti-rinse.

also Makita makes this “mini-blower”. It’s way to small to be useful for leaves, I use it for drying crevices of the car.

Makita DUB185Z Cordless Handheld Leaf Blower Powered by 18V LXT Li-Ion Battery https://a.co/d/4YEvXPw

Hmm, I have some Makita tools and batteries so I may go for that leaf blower…

 

[Logal727]

Every so often, I see posts with questions about the best way to wash your MME. Just thought I would share my preferred car wash routine for my 2022 MME GTPE. Total wash time is 20 minutes using 3-4 gallons of water.

I basically do a rinsless wash using ONR or P and S Absolute. Materials used:

-Two buckets, each with a grit guard, 1.5-2 gallons of water, and 1-2 ounces of ONR.
-A Chapin 1-gallon garden sprayer, with 1 ounce of ONR mixed with 3/4 gallon of water. (I bought my garden sprayer at Home Depot).
-The "Gauntlet" drying towel from The Rag Company (my favorite drying towel on the market)
-Xtreme Solutions Topper (a ceramic-infused topper which I use as a drying aid, also my favorite on the market).
-Griots Garage Microfiber Wash Pad

I start at the top of the car and work my way down. If there is noticeable dirt or dust in the section I am working on, I first use the garden sprayer to pretreat the area by spraying it down with the ONR solution, let it dwell for 30 sec, and then do the normal rinseless wash. One bucket is my "rinse" bucket and the other is my "wash" bucket. Some people think using a two bucket with ONR is not necessary, but I think it is a good idea to further reduce the risks of inducing swirls.

After I wash a section with the ONR and wash pad, I then spray 1-2 sprays of Topper, and then dry with the Gauntlet towel. Topper adds a lot of slickness, gloss, and a boost of protection as you dry. I have tried at least 10 different drying aids and Topper is my absolute favorite.

Here is how she looks after her "bath":

For those of you interested, here are links to the products I used:

Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine - New Formula!
Try No Rinse Wash & Shine 8oz* RISK FREE with FREE SHIPPING and a 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! Optimum No Rinse™ Wash &a

optimumcarcare.com

Absolute Rinseless Wash
Absolute Rinseless wash was formulated from the ground up as a premium soap alternative. Utilizing a unique subset of polymers. Absolute encapsulates and emulsifies dirt beyond what soap is capable of. Water is instantly softened upon mixture of Absolute, thus reducing chances of hard water...

psdetailproducts.com

The Gauntlet Microfiber Drying Towel | The Rag Company
The perfect choice for drying your vehicle quickly and safely drawing moisture away from the surface into the patented twist/plush fibers of the towel. absolutely one of the most absorbent towels by weight that we have ever tested (10x+). 70/30 blend, 900gsm, and "ButterSoft" Suede Microfiber...

theragcompany.com

Xtreme Solutions
Topper™ - Top Coat Lubricant & Protectant is the ultimate “topper” available on the market today! Silica infused, Topper brings unparalleled hyper-slickness, gloss and a mirror-like reflection! Topper™ is detergent resistant and uses cross-linking polymers to protect your vehicle’s top coat.

www.877askxtreme.com

Microfiber Wash Pads, Set of 2
Super-soft microfiber wash pads are safe and gentle on your paint. 8" x 10" in a 2 pack. Machine washable.

www.griotsgarage.com

This looks like an ad

 

[Logal727]

In the non-water-drought part of the country...

- Pull out hose
- Fill one bucket with water
- Push regular car wash solution and water in 2nd bucket, no fancy formulas or names
- Wash car with mitt, rinsing mitt in 2nd bucket
- Use battery powered blower if you want
- Use 2 Costco microfiber towels to dry

I am targeting Weds when it's 60 to wash. Then nothing for a month or so I would guess.

We never "dust" our cars...

How do you only use two towels? I probably use two big waffle weave towels and 10 of the Costco ones

Sponsored