You're absolutely right! In 1985 I had to wash 100 used cars at a main dealers. 5 mins max per car. 1 hose pipe, 1 bucket, 1 rag and a container with the detergent in. When the cars were under the halogen lights at night, they were in a giant semi circle on the sales pitch. Absolutely perfect. Not a single swirl, or there would have been trouble! 3 guys taught me, and they really knew how to make an old part exchange car look desirable. I'm so glad you made this video. I understand, it can be fun washing a car you're proud of and taking ages to do it. I agree, it can be a good hobby, but truth be known, you're so right in what you've said.
Based on how you stack your grit guard you would be well served to use 1 in a construction 5 gallon bucket. The grit guards I have only go a bit over 1/2 way down into the bucket and wedge in securely, staying 5-6 inches elevated from the bottom of the bucket. I can aggressively rub the wash mitt on it without it moving. A bonus is the buckets are only about $5 (USD) at home improvement stores. They can also be had with lids so people can load them up with water and soap at home and take them to the manual car wash if they do not have water access at home. On another note, I use my regular shampoo in my foam gun and blast some on the panel before I was for added suds, if you like to wash with the suds try it!
I love the Adam's wash mitts that you turned me onto in your best mitt video. I put six of those mitts into my shampoo solution and use the one bucket method. As I use each mitt, they never go back into the bucket. I find that 6 Adam's mitts (12 sides) will complete the job without ever putting a dirty mitt back into my clean wash bucket. Great video Jon!
that will work steve and theres no right or wrong.. I prolly wouldnt do it that way just because of the cost of 6 of those mitts.. but then again the car comes first and its all about what works for each person.. that will work for sure.
A change I made a few years ago is to blast off the snow foam from bottom to top, and then quickly back down again. The benefits of this way are that you're washing it off at full strength rather than having it diluted from water running from further up, and you can more easily keep track of where you've already washed off properly and not miss areas. It's hard to be sure, but it seems a little bit cleaner for no extra effort.
In the process of getting my 2010 cayman professionally 2 stage detailed and ceramic coated.. I'm always anal when washing cars but wanted to step my game up now I'm spending £600plus getting it detailed.. Fantastic video and I'll definitely be following everything you've mentioned.. thanks for all your time and effort making these educational videos..
Quick tip: I've read that people use cable ties to fix the Scratch Shields base-fins to the grid. You have to make some holes in the base-fins to thread the cable ties through. All the best, Rob
Hi John, Been doing the two bucket method since 2006 but have still learnt from this video. Never occurred to me to wring out the mitt after washing a panel and before going into the rinse bucket. Will get into the habit of doing this now. The rinse water will be a lot cleaner.
Usual top content Jon. Hadn't thought of using 2 grit guards in one bucket and none in the Suds bucket. Going to do that in the future. I now clean the Ferrari in filtered water which is amazing and can be done in direct sunlight. I think cost wise it works out at about £1 a wash.
Just got the chemical guys bucket and their cyclone grit guard. It fits snug with no gaps but doesn't sit properly flat in the bucket plus don't force it more in because it can be a bit hard taking it out as you can't really grip onto anything due to its funnel design
Thank you for making a thorough video on the two bucket wash method. I like that you do everything the correct way and I enjoy watching someone as particular as myself. At 27:42 you made a big mistake. I know you did this placement for the camera angle. You placed your wash and rinse buckets on top of your microfiber drying towel. Never place your buckets on any towel that you will use on your car. The bottom of a bucket picks up fine sand and gravel and shingle aggregate. Even if you have washed the buckets the bottoms always hold grime, take a closer look, you’ll see it. Resting the buckets on your drying towel puts you at risk of getting sand and gravel into the weave that may not get cleaned out in the wash. You're chancing unnecessary scratch issues.
When I first tried the twisted pile drying towels (after your suggestion), I was genuinely stunned by how fast and thorough they wick the water off. They're crazy good.
Stephen Harris tell me about it. Still need to get shampoo, grit guard, detailing brush, snow foam and a wash mitt till I can begin cleaning my car. Probably still need to get other stuff for the interior
I'm really enjoying the channel. Such a wealth of knowledge, I'm learning a lot. Thanks for educating us home-based enthusiasts. Good video editing with the real-world technique illustrations. ATB Rob
thanks rob its really nice when peeps comment on stuff like editing... the editing has come a long way.. Its still amatuer but I try and use the overlay shots to hide transitions to make the video appear smoother. thats one thing I learnt reasonably fast. I try and keep the camera work simply and only now am I starting to understand how to use the camera better and make use of the manual settings a bit more to get the most out of the camera.. its all done on a cheap DSL which isnt quite as easy to get the most out of as some of the more expensive DSL's but the picture quality can be really good for how much it cost.
For soaps I use Chemical Guys Mr.Pink, Chemical guys Glossworx and Mequiars NXT. I am going to try Bilt Hamber auto wash when I run out of soap, but I have like 9 liters left.. You forgot to mention Surfex HD and a Rubber and asphalt remover. In Norway we use something called "Prickbort". I dont know if you can get it.
Meguiars buckets and grit guards are very good I have 2 they're £20 each for grit guard and bucket I don't think they're too expensive as they are very durable and thick plastic , great video
wet sanding video will come.. thing is Im not an expert at it.. I do it a lot but mainly only for scratch removal.. Check out obsessed garage optimum training video part 2 (in fact watch all 3).. Was watching last night and Yvan lacroiux was talking about wet sanding...
The only part I did not agree and thought was strange was at the end when you said that after the car has been dried you could apply protection. Typically if you want to apply long term protection you do a more heavy-duty wash prior instead of a normal maintenance wash. I use bilt hamber Surfex HD to wash the entire car, then I do tar and iron removal of hood, sides and rear and finally I wipe all panels with Bilt Hamber Cleanser Fluid. Then when I know that all dirt and traces of old wax are gone from the surface, then I apply the new wax / sealant. But maybe what you meant in this video was applying a topping wax (such as the CG Butter Wet Wax) on top of the long-term wax?
yer, like you say.. with some "protection" your going to need to prep... but I just meant like once its all clean the fun bit starts really.. generally if its just a wash I will top with some detail spray and thats it...
future video idea for you, I'm quite interested how you clean and look after all your tools after using them? for example how to was microfiber cloths what sort of detergent to you ect?
Brillaint video jon ! Always a pleasure to see you too could sit and talk to you for hours about detailing id likely end up losing my job however ha always welcome to pop past for a hot drink and a chat keep up the great content !!
i use 3 wash buchets wash,rinse and wheels with labels on them and 2 grit gards.Have chemical guys cyclone grit guard in the bottom and the normale grit guard at the top works great and also use 2 wash mitts and 2 drying towels for the upper and lower part of the car :)
also i have a 60 degres grit guard bord in my rinse bucket for easyer cleaning of my wash mitts and i always squeez the mitts out before i clean them in the rinse bucket :D
I'm also interested in the CG cyclone. But haven't you forgotten one option which I use already today? Namely a grit-guard with the washboard extension. Then you rub against the washboard and not deep down against the grit-guard.
I have a CG Cyclone, I use it with ONR and you can really see how it traps the dirt under the grit guard. I don't do regular washes anymore unless I have to get the pressure washer out to spray mud/thick dirt off the fenders. I use this method on my own car and on customer cars. I don't really use the standard grit guard anymore.
i was looking at the CG cyclone and the clever thing for me on it is that the holes are like funnels so they are big from the top then the hole gets smaller such as a funnel and im sure this would greatly reduce dirt from getting lifted above the guard due to the small holes it would have to go through
Awesome video, already ordered most of the recommended products, quick question if you have time - for a foamer / power washer setup what do you recommend?
I bought a couple of Meguiars buckets with grit guards but a point I found out is they don’t fit under the tap when filling with water. They are much taller than conventional buckets. So I have to fill a smaller bucket and decant into the larger bucket! Annoying 😩
Another good video! Here's a question especially at this time of year, bug splats, sometimes they need a bit more effort to remove, any tips or products to get rid of them safely? Thanks
a bit like bird poo... you dont always have the time to wash them off properly and get all the gear out.. So I tend to use ONR spray and the BRS and gently wipe them off... If I have more time then maybe soak in citrus prewash.. Autoglanz bug off is was prolly the only product Ive had thats designed for bug splatter.. you could also get some of that and keep it in the dash with a microfiber.. bug splatter is a nightmare right now.. should really do a video on it
If your paint is well protected it is easy with Bilt Hamber Auto-Foam and a pressure washer... A good way is to put some paper drowned in ONR and let it sit for a minute or so, after that the bugs are easy to remove without scratching the paint. No need to buy a separate product...
Another tip. When drying, use the hose pipe and hold it close to sheet water off the car which should take off a lot of the water so there's less for your drying towel. Works much better on well protected cars.
I find my drying towel works slightly better when you mist it with the hose before use. It's the same theory as how beading works, droplets pull other droplets towards them.
I dont tend to do that Tom.. but yer I know others that do.. I just find the towels work best when dry and the wetter they are the less effective they get... I think a sprite of water or detail spray of a fluffy towel can help stop it sticking or dragging on the paintwork a bit though.
Firstly, came across your videos after a recommendation from the facebook group Detailing Addicts. Great videos with some great detail and proper tests between products with methodology thought about. Awesome work. Now onto my point, I've got to be honest, hugely disagree with your point about the the guards not keeping the grit and dirt at the bottom of the bucket, it is their reason for being designed! Look into fluid dynamics and you'll realise you can very aggressively move the liquid around in the bucket and there will me minimal turbulance of the liquid below the grit guard and not pick up the dirt. There are products for rubbing your mitt/sponge against to clean it, why put the mitt all the way to the bottom of the bucket to clean it?!
main problem with GG is because they dont sit tight in most buckets the movement of the GG and the fins actually stirs up more dirt. If your interested in this subject have a watch of this video. th-cam.com/video/HO1aSHBrkV0/w-d-xo.html and also the GG washboard video.
Jon. Do you still think the two bucket method is the best way to wash a car? I am thinking of just having one bucket and multiple microfibre/ chenille mits/ sponges. Use each one and dump it into a rinse bucket and take the next clean one from my shampoo bucket. Living in the country, even after jetwashing and snow foam, my rinse bucket looks disgusting by the time I get to the end of the wash.
anything you can do to ensure a cleaner mitt will help for sure... but you could use lance to put the soap on and just have one rinse bucket.. save going back to collect product up all the time.
is it just concentrated shampoo that you're using at 32:47 in the bottle to top your pad up with or something else? and do you do this for every time you rinse your mitt?
Great video as always but I've just watched your one bucket method video so can you please tell me what's your preferred method? You seem to sing the one bucket method praises a lot so what's your favourite? Many thanks. Ian.
I tend to use one rinse bucket and put the shampoo on the car with a lance nowadays. Ill use one main wash mitt and maybe chuck in a couple of the chinese ones for lower sections, if its winter.
A question about pre-washing: do you mix your citrus together with your snow foam and apply at the same time (ie same bottle on the lance)? Or do you do one before the other? Thanks for all the effort you put into your videos - very informative!
so 1 part auto foam and 7 parts water would go in the lance bottle. prolly a little bit stronger than that.. but dont go mad with this foam its a strong surficant. my experience of it now says you dont want this so strong that it looks pure white and thick on the panel.. If you do that you will strip your wax.. so best used thin and wet with a bit of whiteness like in the vid basically).. you can of course go higher ratio if you are gonna be preping or apply more protection so you are less worried about whats on there... but my advice is do the flow rate calculation trick and work out what 100:1 (out the nozzle of the pressure wash) for the flow rate of your machine.. this is a product you want to use the appropriate ratio with paul.
bugger used my last 5l neat, oops, but that karcher was 15 years old and on its last legs, got a K4 with the karcher lace, how do you do the flow rate calculation cheers again Paul
Awesome vids, I’ve bought so much of the stuff you’ve been talking about, Loving Carpro, Bilt Hamber and Angelwax products. Just a really silly and stupid question but every video I see everyone is filling up their Wash bucket with water from the hose which is cold water, Is warm or hot water not being used? My Mrs is going mad with all the boxes being delivered, lol. Thank you :-)
I just bought the Bilt Hamber carwash for the 2BM wash and it says 5ml or .167 of an ounce or 1 teaspoon for carwash, how many gallons of water to that ratio are we talking here, 2, 3 or 4 gallons?
i think 7ml for 10litres. will work. it is a 2000:1 I beleive so in throey 1ml = 2 litre so would be 5 ml for 10 litre but go 7-9ml. can go more if you want more suds
Do you have access to Bowden's Own in the UK? It is an Australian made and owned company with exceptional products at reasonable prices. Most better high cost European or US products.
One last thing - I spoke with the chap from Nippon Shine regarding the waxes... He sang your praises as I did... however, once you go on their website, you've had it for choice... I'm now wondering if you can do an Authentic Wax review - Please 😄
the legend that is jackie wong... I will happily feature nippon shines soft 99 range any time.. they are all a little bit different and the chemistry is really solid.
So An alkaline wheel cleaner concentrate... Valetpro billbury wheels, Autoglanz Alkaalloy (see 1st ever vid on channel).. Citrus pre wash cleaner as well.. lots of brush work.. When clean quick mist of Bilt Hamber auto wheels to bleed out and bonded contaminants.. If you want more agressive Autosmart Smart wheels.
I tend not to use those.. but they dont hurt your wax or sealant... they have cationic forms of polysiloxane or modified silicone and these components are attracted to the surface of your car and sit on top of the wax.. altering the water behaviour... they do work those..
Hi John, is it true that washing your car using the safest wash methods you can still inflict fine scratches. I washed my VW Caravelle yesterday with the two bucket method using all GTechniq products and even the GTechniq wash mitt and I feel as though I’ve put more fine scratches into the paint 😩😩
yes mate, no matter what method you use when you wash a car you create scratches. its about finding a process that works for you that minimises it but is still reasonably sensible in terms of time scales and effort etc...
Forensic Detailing Channel Thanks mate I’ll give the one bucket method a go, exactly how you did it. It probably is safer to be fair as well as less time consuming. If the van has a lot of dirt and grime on it then I’ll probably use a pre wash and jet wash.
I used to say that Zain.. but not its not identical.. Microfiber madness machine theirs in germany from my understanding.. Im not sure where they source that kind of 3 layered microfiber used in the mitt (im still thinking that has to come from korea ultimately but who knows).. but I think they were the first to develope this kind of mitt and then it got copied... the g techniq one is solid as well.. but I wanted to feature MM's incredimitt range because they pioneer'd it really. Given the choice which one Id buy I would go for the MM range... but yes you can save a couple of quid if you go for the other offerings.
Hmm thats good to know. Performance wise are they similar in cleaning. I remember you saying that the microfiber madness looks a little bigger but I don't see the problem spending £4 more if MFM are the first to make that design
As long as the car has had a good Wax / Sealant on the paint it should be fine in the rain - Typically the water should bead off. The idea is to touch the paint as little as often; Most of the time, waterless washes (Detail Sprays & Microfibre Cloths) cause more harm than good.
so if the cars been used and is dirty and then its rained etc.. its generally gonna need a proper wash.. but if you have a car you have just cleaned and it gets rained on and you want it dry again.. you could just dry it with a towel and then a detail spray and buffing cloth... just be carefull about dirt and dust on the panels though.. If the car is dusty something like ONR or the bilt hamber detail spray with charged polymer tech could be used..
Exactly what I was mentioning - I'm not sure if you know / follow Larry from AmmoNYC - But he did a pretty solid video on why washing and protecting a car is important; he was at a car show and talked about not removing the dust from panels with a waterless wash. Instead, he waited till he was able to power-wash off the dust - Then detail spray and dry the car. By the way - Great content - Absolutely love the videos! Great thought processing behind your remarks on products too!
The only thing I would add, is I have a separate drying towel which I use for the door shuts and internal sills. I think we need to see the clip from the Pink Panther - 'Warm up the Silver Hornet'. 😂
hey karmel, yes mate when you dry you need to get all the doors open and dry those areas. fusso coat or sonax BSD is great for those areas before of the water repellency.
generally you dont get it in the lower door james where the little kick plates are.. but it can get it and run down the sides of the door panels a little bit.. guess it depends on the car on the m140 and golf they are ok from rain but loads gets the jambs in when I pressure wash
its more a case of which one is most suitable.. In the summer when the car has less road film the 2 bucket can sometimes be overkill... In the winter when theres tons of road film rinsing the pad with the hose is a pain... In the summer its handy to have the hose in one hand so I can keep the car cool if its hot.. But the chinese pads are not as safe as premium pads like the incredipad or the dooka etc... so its a case of pros and cons and suitability really.
I would love to see a "no-rinse" shootout, both in their designed "waterless" method shootout, and our "modified" uses IE using water shootout, get that dirt simulator running wide open! .
Great video as always Jon, i know everyone's pressure washer output rates are different but is that neat concentrate auto foam or how much solution are you using in the litre bottle?
you gotta run auto foam at about 100:1 I did some maths and playing around and in practical terms for my flow rate about 1:7 works and I can tweak the concentration nozzle untill I see it nice and white and snotty and not too thin
If the thin solution is enough (in the summer) no need to use too much product. Auto-Foam is not about the thick foam, it is about letting the product run down taking the dirt with it. Always put it neat in the Foam-bottle and adjust with the knob. Half a bottle is more than enough for a bigger car, if you use more, you use too much product.
ONR in the wash bucket was something I was going to suggest but Im not sure if optimum recomend you do it because of the effect on the soap/shampoo but I do actually do this sometimes as well...
Forensic Detailing Channel the guys from optimum actually recommend it as a water softener. it can cut down on the suds, but adds lubricity. I have so much that I starred adding a little to both wash and rinse buckets. I have grit guards in both and a washboard in the rinse bucket. Thanks for the videos!!
how about the one bucket method, and multiple clean wash pads that way no dirt can cross from bucket to bucket. An average car would use maybe 5 pads. this would be safe and still very quick.
Iv just orderd the incredi mitt now I actually use 2 wash mitts the noodle sponge for the lower sections and ebay for top half but that's getting replaced now
i have the following. wash bucket 20l 1 gritguard 1 scrub board rinse bucket 20l 1 chemical guys "cone" guard 1 gritguard 1 scrub board to me a perfect combo!
You're absolutely right! In 1985 I had to wash 100 used cars at a main dealers. 5 mins max per car. 1 hose pipe, 1 bucket, 1 rag and a container with the detergent in. When the cars were under the halogen lights at night, they were in a giant semi circle on the sales pitch. Absolutely perfect. Not a single swirl, or there would have been trouble! 3 guys taught me, and they really knew how to make an old part exchange car look desirable. I'm so glad you made this video. I understand, it can be fun washing a car you're proud of and taking ages to do it. I agree, it can be a good hobby, but truth be known, you're so right in what you've said.
Based on how you stack your grit guard you would be well served to use 1 in a construction 5 gallon bucket. The grit guards I have only go a bit over 1/2 way down into the bucket and wedge in securely, staying 5-6 inches elevated from the bottom of the bucket. I can aggressively rub the wash mitt on it without it moving. A bonus is the buckets are only about $5 (USD) at home improvement stores. They can also be had with lids so people can load them up with water and soap at home and take them to the manual car wash if they do not have water access at home. On another note, I use my regular shampoo in my foam gun and blast some on the panel before I was for added suds, if you like to wash with the suds try it!
Would love to meet you in a pub, I could sit there talking to you about detailing for hours! ha. Great video!
I love the Adam's wash mitts that you turned me onto in your best mitt video. I put six of those mitts into my shampoo solution and use the one bucket method. As I use each mitt, they never go back into the bucket. I find that 6 Adam's mitts (12 sides) will complete the job without ever putting a dirty mitt back into my clean wash bucket. Great video Jon!
that will work steve and theres no right or wrong.. I prolly wouldnt do it that way just because of the cost of 6 of those mitts.. but then again the car comes first and its all about what works for each person.. that will work for sure.
A change I made a few years ago is to blast off the snow foam from bottom to top, and then quickly back down again.
The benefits of this way are that you're washing it off at full strength rather than having it diluted from water running from further up, and you can more easily keep track of where you've already washed off properly and not miss areas. It's hard to be sure, but it seems a little bit cleaner for no extra effort.
Basic, but as always with your vids I learn something different and better for it.
I also learn what to stop doing!
Top man.
In the process of getting my 2010 cayman professionally 2 stage detailed and ceramic coated..
I'm always anal when washing cars but wanted to step my game up now I'm spending £600plus getting it detailed..
Fantastic video and I'll definitely be following everything you've mentioned.. thanks for all your time and effort making these educational videos..
Fantastic video John thanks for your time after watching this I am 100 quid lighter from buying loads of stuff
A plant sprayer with a soapy mix squirted onto the mitt and panel for extra lubrication too helps
Absolutely brilliant!
Quick tip: I've read that people use cable ties to fix the Scratch Shields base-fins to the grid. You have to make some holes in the base-fins to thread the cable ties through. All the best, Rob
Hi John, Been doing the two bucket method since 2006 but have still learnt from this video. Never occurred to me to wring out the mitt after washing a panel and before going into the rinse bucket. Will get into the habit of doing this now. The rinse water will be a lot cleaner.
thanks chris appreciate it
Usual top content Jon. Hadn't thought of using 2 grit guards in one bucket and none in the Suds bucket. Going to do that in the future. I now clean the Ferrari in filtered water which is amazing and can be done in direct sunlight. I think cost wise it works out at about £1 a wash.
Just got the chemical guys bucket and their cyclone grit guard. It fits snug with no gaps but doesn't sit properly flat in the bucket plus don't force it more in because it can be a bit hard taking it out as you can't really grip onto anything due to its funnel design
Thank you for making a thorough video on the two bucket wash method. I like that you do everything the correct way and I enjoy watching someone as particular as myself. At 27:42 you made a big mistake. I know you did this placement for the camera angle. You placed your wash and rinse buckets on top of your microfiber drying towel. Never place your buckets on any towel that you will use on your car. The bottom of a bucket picks up fine sand and gravel and shingle aggregate. Even if you have washed the buckets the bottoms always hold grime, take a closer look, you’ll see it. Resting the buckets on your drying towel puts you at risk of getting sand and gravel into the weave that may not get cleaned out in the wash. You're chancing unnecessary scratch issues.
When I first tried the twisted pile drying towels (after your suggestion), I was genuinely stunned by how fast and thorough they wick the water off. They're crazy good.
they are good arent they leigh.. some peeps hate them though but I think if you just sheet then fast over the panels they work great.
Cannot wait for the sun to go down and get washing now!
Just ordered the snow lance on the link! This channel is costing me a fortune!
Stephen Harris tell me about it. Still need to get shampoo, grit guard, detailing brush, snow foam and a wash mitt till I can begin cleaning my car. Probably still need to get other stuff for the interior
Interior I recommend autoglanz apc dilute upto 200:1
I'm really enjoying the channel. Such a wealth of knowledge, I'm learning a lot. Thanks for educating us home-based enthusiasts. Good video editing with the real-world technique illustrations. ATB Rob
thanks rob its really nice when peeps comment on stuff like editing... the editing has come a long way.. Its still amatuer but I try and use the overlay shots to hide transitions to make the video appear smoother. thats one thing I learnt reasonably fast. I try and keep the camera work simply and only now am I starting to understand how to use the camera better and make use of the manual settings a bit more to get the most out of the camera.. its all done on a cheap DSL which isnt quite as easy to get the most out of as some of the more expensive DSL's but the picture quality can be really good for how much it cost.
Slowly getting through all your videos, all very informative. Have you ever used a product called Mer ? It’s really good I think
Paul
For soaps I use Chemical Guys Mr.Pink, Chemical guys Glossworx and Mequiars NXT.
I am going to try Bilt Hamber auto wash when I run out of soap, but I have like 9 liters left..
You forgot to mention Surfex HD and a Rubber and asphalt remover. In Norway we use something called "Prickbort". I dont know if you can get it.
Meguiars buckets and grit guards are very good I have 2 they're £20 each for grit guard and bucket I don't think they're too expensive as they are very durable and thick plastic , great video
Another great vid. Loving the level of detail you go in to.Can we have a wet sanding video? For stone chips etc.All the bestG
wet sanding video will come.. thing is Im not an expert at it.. I do it a lot but mainly only for scratch removal..
Check out obsessed garage optimum training video part 2 (in fact watch all 3).. Was watching last night and Yvan lacroiux was talking about wet sanding...
The only part I did not agree and thought was strange was at the end when you said that after the car has been dried you could apply protection. Typically if you want to apply long term protection you do a more heavy-duty wash prior instead of a normal maintenance wash. I use bilt hamber Surfex HD to wash the entire car, then I do tar and iron removal of hood, sides and rear and finally I wipe all panels with Bilt Hamber Cleanser Fluid. Then when I know that all dirt and traces of old wax are gone from the surface, then I apply the new wax / sealant.
But maybe what you meant in this video was applying a topping wax (such as the CG Butter Wet Wax) on top of the long-term wax?
yer, like you say.. with some "protection" your going to need to prep... but I just meant like once its all clean the fun bit starts really.. generally if its just a wash I will top with some detail spray and thats it...
Yup, that's what I do too. Great video once again, keep'em coming :)
future video idea for you, I'm quite interested how you clean and look after all your tools after using them? for example how to was microfiber cloths what sort of detergent to you ect?
Sean Haywood I'm sure he had a video on how to clean microfiber
Zain K yep there is mf videos too.
Oh sorry didn't know! I will have a look now thanks
The hot weather isn't going to help us detailing in the UK
I feel sorry for our fellow American detailers who have it worse
Brillaint video jon ! Always a pleasure to see you too could sit and talk to you for hours about detailing id likely end up losing my job however ha always welcome to pop past for a hot drink and a chat keep up the great content !!
cheers ben appreciate it mate.
i use 3 wash buchets wash,rinse and wheels with labels on them and 2 grit gards.Have chemical guys cyclone grit guard in the bottom and the normale grit guard at the top works great and also use 2 wash mitts and 2 drying towels for the upper and lower part of the car :)
also i have a 60 degres grit guard bord in my rinse bucket for easyer cleaning of my wash mitts and i always squeez the mitts out before i clean them in the rinse bucket :D
You should compare
Chemical Guys cyclone
normal grit guard
2 normal grit guard stacked
1 CG cyclone and normal grit guard stacked!
I'm also interested in the CG cyclone. But haven't you forgotten one option which I use already today? Namely a grit-guard with the washboard extension. Then you rub against the washboard and not deep down against the grit-guard.
I also just got the washboard extension, first time of use tomorrow!
I have a CG Cyclone, I use it with ONR and you can really see how it traps the dirt under the grit guard. I don't do regular washes anymore unless I have to get the pressure washer out to spray mud/thick dirt off the fenders. I use this method on my own car and on customer cars. I don't really use the standard grit guard anymore.
i was looking at the CG cyclone and the clever thing for me on it is that the holes are like funnels so they are big from the top then the hole gets smaller such as a funnel and im sure this would greatly reduce dirt from getting lifted above the guard due to the small holes it would have to go through
Zain K Never trust theories, test, and you'll be wiser.
Going off topic I've just noticed Makita have just released a DA polisher, hopefully we'll see it featured soon on the channel.
Does this mean two prewash foamings? First with bilt hammer and then again with angelwax cleanliness?
Awesome video, already ordered most of the recommended products, quick question if you have time - for a foamer / power washer setup what do you recommend?
Have you tried the mtm hydro cannon, I have it and really good
I bought a couple of Meguiars buckets with grit guards but a point I found out is they don’t fit under the tap when filling with water. They are much taller than conventional buckets. So I have to fill a smaller bucket and decant into the larger bucket! Annoying 😩
doh :( cant you fill up from the host tap outside?
Forensic Detailing Channel what wash the car with cold water?? Outside tap is cold water 💦 freezing doing that
Another good video! Here's a question especially at this time of year, bug splats, sometimes they need a bit more effort to remove, any tips or products to get rid of them safely? Thanks
a bit like bird poo... you dont always have the time to wash them off properly and get all the gear out.. So I tend to use ONR spray and the BRS and gently wipe them off... If I have more time then maybe soak in citrus prewash..
Autoglanz bug off is was prolly the only product Ive had thats designed for bug splatter.. you could also get some of that and keep it in the dash with a microfiber..
bug splatter is a nightmare right now.. should really do a video on it
If your paint is well protected it is easy with Bilt Hamber Auto-Foam and a pressure washer...
A good way is to put some paper drowned in ONR and let it sit for a minute or so, after that the bugs are easy to remove without scratching the paint. No need to buy a separate product...
Looking forward to getting my snow lance, call me Darth Vader! May the foam be with you!
Another tip. When drying, use the hose pipe and hold it close to sheet water off the car which should take off a lot of the water so there's less for your drying towel. Works much better on well protected cars.
excellent video, i've spent a fortune watching you
I find my drying towel works slightly better when you mist it with the hose before use. It's the same theory as how beading works, droplets pull other droplets towards them.
I dont tend to do that Tom.. but yer I know others that do.. I just find the towels work best when dry and the wetter they are the less effective they get... I think a sprite of water or detail spray of a fluffy towel can help stop it sticking or dragging on the paintwork a bit though.
Firstly, came across your videos after a recommendation from the facebook group Detailing Addicts. Great videos with some great detail and proper tests between products with methodology thought about. Awesome work. Now onto my point, I've got to be honest, hugely disagree with your point about the the guards not keeping the grit and dirt at the bottom of the bucket, it is their reason for being designed! Look into fluid dynamics and you'll realise you can very aggressively move the liquid around in the bucket and there will me minimal turbulance of the liquid below the grit guard and not pick up the dirt. There are products for rubbing your mitt/sponge against to clean it, why put the mitt all the way to the bottom of the bucket to clean it?!
main problem with GG is because they dont sit tight in most buckets the movement of the GG and the fins actually stirs up more dirt. If your interested in this subject have a watch of this video. th-cam.com/video/HO1aSHBrkV0/w-d-xo.html
and also the GG washboard video.
Very useful video from UK finally.
Jon. Do you still think the two bucket method is the best way to wash a car? I am thinking of just having one bucket and multiple microfibre/ chenille mits/ sponges. Use each one and dump it into a rinse bucket and take the next clean one from my shampoo bucket. Living in the country, even after jetwashing and snow foam, my rinse bucket looks disgusting by the time I get to the end of the wash.
anything you can do to ensure a cleaner mitt will help for sure... but you could use lance to put the soap on and just have one rinse bucket.. save going back to collect product up all the time.
is it just concentrated shampoo that you're using at 32:47 in the bottle to top your pad up with or something else? and do you do this for every time you rinse your mitt?
yer I sometimes load up a small amount of shampoo and water in a booster bottle.. not essential to do this though
Great video as always but I've just watched your one bucket method video so can you please tell me what's your preferred method? You seem to sing the one bucket method praises a lot so what's your favourite? Many thanks. Ian.
I tend to use one rinse bucket and put the shampoo on the car with a lance nowadays. Ill use one main wash mitt and maybe chuck in a couple of the chinese ones for lower sections, if its winter.
@@ForensicDetailing thank you John.
@@ForensicDetailing
Makes sense, One bucket with a grit guard for rinsing! Better than having two buckets...!?
A question about pre-washing: do you mix your citrus together with your snow foam and apply at the same time (ie same bottle on the lance)? Or do you do one before the other? Thanks for all the effort you put into your videos - very informative!
no I dont mix products together generally so its one or the other.. I really like both actually mate. thanks for watching appreciate it
Thanks for the reply! What determines which one you use? Or does it just depend on what mood you're in?
Are you saying you dilute the BH Auto Foam at 7:1 before filling the snow foam lance
cheers Paul
so 1 part auto foam and 7 parts water would go in the lance bottle. prolly a little bit stronger than that.. but dont go mad with this foam its a strong surficant. my experience of it now says you dont want this so strong that it looks pure white and thick on the panel.. If you do that you will strip your wax.. so best used thin and wet with a bit of whiteness like in the vid basically).. you can of course go higher ratio if you are gonna be preping or apply more protection so you are less worried about whats on there... but my advice is do the flow rate calculation trick and work out what 100:1 (out the nozzle of the pressure wash) for the flow rate of your machine.. this is a product you want to use the appropriate ratio with paul.
bugger used my last 5l neat, oops, but that karcher was 15 years old and on its last legs, got a K4 with the karcher lace, how do you do the flow rate calculation
cheers again Paul
Awesome vids, I’ve bought so much of the stuff you’ve been talking about, Loving Carpro, Bilt Hamber and Angelwax products.
Just a really silly and stupid question but every video I see everyone is filling up their Wash bucket with water from the hose which is cold water, Is warm or hot water not being used? My Mrs is going mad with all the boxes being delivered, lol. Thank you :-)
I usually use cold water.. perhaps in the winter warm water is a nice little thing to keep hands warm.
Great video.
please can you do a video on how to store your waxes correctly.
Thanks!
I do like the Dooka wash pads as my BMW clear coat is very prone to scratching easily. The Dooka put a stop to that completely...!
great stuff max.. yer they are really great wash pads.
I just bought the Bilt Hamber carwash for the 2BM wash and it says 5ml or .167 of an ounce or 1 teaspoon for carwash, how many gallons of water to that ratio are we talking here, 2, 3 or 4 gallons?
i think 7ml for 10litres. will work. it is a 2000:1 I beleive so in throey 1ml = 2 litre so would be 5 ml for 10 litre but go 7-9ml. can go more if you want more suds
@@ForensicDetailing thanks John, bought this soap due to your recommendations!
Do you have access to Bowden's Own in the UK? It is an Australian made and owned company with exceptional products at reasonable prices. Most better high cost European or US products.
Hi Mate Great video just to ask you a question when you said about dooka wash pad and dead animal ? what did you mean Cheers
its a dead animal literally isnt it. real skin and fur...
@@ForensicDetailing See what you mean when you put it that way. Cheers
One last thing - I spoke with the chap from Nippon Shine regarding the waxes... He sang your praises as I did... however, once you go on their website, you've had it for choice... I'm now wondering if you can do an Authentic Wax review - Please 😄
the legend that is jackie wong... I will happily feature nippon shines soft 99 range any time.. they are all a little bit different and the chemistry is really solid.
Forensic Detailing Channel - Is there a personal email or way of contacting you privately to discuss an idea with you Jon?
Any recommendations for products to help clean powder coated wheels, have been using just shampoos but its not really shifting the brake dust.
So An alkaline wheel cleaner concentrate... Valetpro billbury wheels, Autoglanz Alkaalloy (see 1st ever vid on channel).. Citrus pre wash cleaner as well.. lots of brush work..
When clean quick mist of Bilt Hamber auto wheels to bleed out and bonded contaminants..
If you want more agressive Autosmart Smart wheels.
Do you use soaps without any Gloss enchancers or polymers that won't hurt your existing wax/sealant? Or is that false?
I tend not to use those.. but they dont hurt your wax or sealant... they have cationic forms of polysiloxane or modified silicone and these components are attracted to the surface of your car and sit on top of the wax.. altering the water behaviour... they do work those..
Hey Jon
Have you tried any of the new sponges that are on the market such as the Optimum big red sponge or the Kamikaze sponge
yes mate see optimum car care review video
Hi John, is it true that washing your car using the safest wash methods you can still inflict fine scratches. I washed my VW Caravelle yesterday with the two bucket method using all GTechniq products and even the GTechniq wash mitt and I feel as though I’ve put more fine scratches into the paint 😩😩
yes mate, no matter what method you use when you wash a car you create scratches. its about finding a process that works for you that minimises it but is still reasonably sensible in terms of time scales and effort etc...
Forensic Detailing Channel Thanks mate I’ll give the one bucket method a go, exactly how you did it. It probably is safer to be fair as well as less time consuming. If the van has a lot of dirt and grime on it then I’ll probably use a pre wash and jet wash.
Would you say the gtechniq wm2 wash mitt is identical to the microfiber madness incedimitt
I used to say that Zain.. but not its not identical.. Microfiber madness machine theirs in germany from my understanding.. Im not sure where they source that kind of 3 layered microfiber used in the mitt (im still thinking that has to come from korea ultimately but who knows).. but I think they were the first to develope this kind of mitt and then it got copied... the g techniq one is solid as well.. but I wanted to feature MM's incredimitt range because they pioneer'd it really. Given the choice which one Id buy I would go for the MM range... but yes you can save a couple of quid if you go for the other offerings.
Hmm thats good to know. Performance wise are they similar in cleaning. I remember you saying that the microfiber madness looks a little bigger but I don't see the problem spending £4 more if MFM are the first to make that design
What's the best way to maintain a vehicle that was caught out in the rain? Do you have to fully wash the car or can you use a detail spray?
As long as the car has had a good Wax / Sealant on the paint it should be fine in the rain - Typically the water should bead off. The idea is to touch the paint as little as often; Most of the time, waterless washes (Detail Sprays & Microfibre Cloths) cause more harm than good.
so if the cars been used and is dirty and then its rained etc.. its generally gonna need a proper wash.. but if you have a car you have just cleaned and it gets rained on and you want it dry again.. you could just dry it with a towel and then a detail spray and buffing cloth... just be carefull about dirt and dust on the panels though.. If the car is dusty something like ONR or the bilt hamber detail spray with charged polymer tech could be used..
Exactly what I was mentioning - I'm not sure if you know / follow Larry from AmmoNYC - But he did a pretty solid video on why washing and protecting a car is important; he was at a car show and talked about not removing the dust from panels with a waterless wash. Instead, he waited till he was able to power-wash off the dust - Then detail spray and dry the car.
By the way - Great content - Absolutely love the videos! Great thought processing behind your remarks on products too!
thanks cerberus appreciate it mate...
Good video and good information to avoid damaging your car while washing.on to the next video.
The only thing I would add, is I have a separate drying towel which I use for the door shuts and internal sills.
I think we need to see the clip from the Pink Panther - 'Warm up the Silver Hornet'. 😂
the old silver hornet ploy! that stuff has my in stiches untill my sides literally hurt :)
Can I ask your opinion on the Williams wash and wax
not used sorry mate.
What can you tell us about the Megatron brush in your wheel bucket?
see sticky comment in gtechniq c5 video m8
Just a bit off topic...whilst pressure washing your car/rain does anybody see water on the shut/jambs area? I'm getting loads which leave water marks
hey karmel, yes mate when you dry you need to get all the doors open and dry those areas. fusso coat or sonax BSD is great for those areas before of the water repellency.
Thank you mate. I thought my seals had gone lol. New to detailing and your videos have been a great help to me. Keep up the good work!
comes in typically thorough the panel gaps in front of any door when you using a pressure washer . thx mate
I get it when it's rains too. Is that normal?
generally you dont get it in the lower door james where the little kick plates are.. but it can get it and run down the sides of the door panels a little bit.. guess it depends on the car on the m140 and golf they are ok from rain but loads gets the jambs in when I pressure wash
So overall, which method do you prefer? This 2-bucket method. or the 1-bucket method with multiple wash pads?
its more a case of which one is most suitable.. In the summer when the car has less road film the 2 bucket can sometimes be overkill... In the winter when theres tons of road film rinsing the pad with the hose is a pain... In the summer its handy to have the hose in one hand so I can keep the car cool if its hot.. But the chinese pads are not as safe as premium pads like the incredipad or the dooka etc... so its a case of pros and cons and suitability really.
I would love to see a "no-rinse" shootout, both in their designed "waterless" method shootout, and our "modified" uses IE using water shootout, get that dirt simulator running wide open! .
19.07, someone getting their weekly Iceland delivery lol
Was that the auto gland tfr in the pump spray and what dilution do you use
no m8 I got wheel cleaner in there at the moment.. I dont tend to use the TFR's much in summer.
Forensic Detailing Channel What wheel cleaner was you using in the pump spray? cheers.
Hey John is the Bilt Hamber auto-Foam save for your wax?
p.s. Great video's
yes m8
Forensic Detailing Channel Oke Thanks
Is Bilt Hamber auto wash safe wax friendly?
Yes
What's the rinse guard called you use have you got a link for us please
see decription mate...
Forensic Detailing Channel ta got it :)
Nice vid. Well thought out and very informative- top marks.
Anyone Stateside have a source for the Chinese synthetic wash mitts?
sammy belton eBay.
Great video as always Jon, i know everyone's pressure washer output rates are different but is that neat concentrate auto foam or how much solution are you using in the litre bottle?
you gotta run auto foam at about 100:1 I did some maths and playing around and in practical terms for my flow rate about 1:7 works and I can tweak the concentration nozzle untill I see it nice and white and snotty and not too thin
If the thin solution is enough (in the summer) no need to use too much product. Auto-Foam is not about the thick foam, it is about letting the product run down taking the dirt with it. Always put it neat in the Foam-bottle and adjust with the knob. Half a bottle is more than enough for a bigger car, if you use more, you use too much product.
Hmm, how do you think this process could be made safer?
ONR in the wash bucket was something I was going to suggest but Im not sure if optimum recomend you do it because of the effect on the soap/shampoo but I do actually do this sometimes as well...
Forensic Detailing Channel the guys from optimum actually recommend it as a water softener. it can cut down on the suds, but adds lubricity. I have so much that I starred adding a little to both wash and rinse buckets. I have grit guards in both and a washboard in the rinse bucket. Thanks for the videos!!
I would love for you to detail my van 👌🙂
how about the one bucket method, and multiple clean wash pads that way no dirt can cross from bucket to bucket. An average car would use maybe 5 pads. this would be safe and still very quick.
yer defo steve we have a video on a 1 bucket method, and lots suggested about using multiple mitts... its a good idea i think
Thank you for making this video ...very helpful 👍😎🙃👊🖤
Brilliant jon
So old school. When you find the trust in rinseless products there is no turning back. ;)
Suds are marketing, not lubrication or cleaning in any form.
How come you don't use those eBay mits to wash the whole car I use them all the time
You could but for me they are no where near as good as the 3 mitts I recomend.. but yes they work.
Iv just orderd the incredi mitt now I actually use 2 wash mitts the noodle sponge for the lower sections and ebay for top half but that's getting replaced now
Great. Nice video
i have the following.
wash bucket 20l
1 gritguard
1 scrub board
rinse bucket 20l
1 chemical guys "cone" guard
1 gritguard
1 scrub board
to me a perfect combo!
Lol 26.54 we've all been there with the hose
forgot drying door shuts John.
your right lol yer I knew there would be something... important to do those afterwards as well daaaaaamn :)
Forensic Detailing Channel haha! yes it is. can't remember if you mentioned dressing tyres too.
never mind. great detail none the less
Good video, try adams car shampoo and you wont have to worry about shampoo drying on the car.!
ive heard good things about goktug will try and check it out.