[w3ap0n-x]

For the last 46 years of vehicle washing I can honestly say I have NEVER used soap!

Just a bucket and good sponge, nice cotton bath towels to dry! Never had swirl marks or scratches!

You're either blind, lying, or only wash tanks.

To spend a lot of money on a liquid soap that says CAR SOAP and looks/smells nice is a waste of money. To me soap is soap.

This is not entirely true. A soap for dishes is for...well...dishes. Baked on finish that has forks being scraped across it all of the time.

For a car the soap doesn't actually "clean". What is important with the soap for a car's finish is the lubricity. Dirt and grit scratch and micromar paint and when they are scrubbed across a car's finish (regardless of what anyone says) with inferior instruments then they are only going to damage your finish even worse.

When washing a car your wash mitt is what actually removes the dirt...not your soap. The soap should lubricate and suspend the dirt and grit once you remove it from the surface of your finish, allowing the contaminants to simply glide off the car when you rinse.

Also, when using whatever brand car wash liquid you prefer be certain to follow the recommended measured amount for the proper dilution. If you mix too strong then you're going to strip your last step product. If stripping your LSP is your goal to apply a fresh coat then that's fine...but if you're just doing a maintenance wash in between details then you want a soap that has good lubricity but isn't too aggressive when diluted properly.

Edit: And for the record...right now I use Meguiar's Gold Class simply because it's slimy and Wal-Mart has it on the cheap.

 

[w3ap0n-x]

Okay.

Your quote box made it look like I was being rude and I wanted to make sure people don't think that.

Car care is very very delicate. If you make a mistake and you don't have the proper equipment then you have to live with it or pay big money to have it repaired. For a full detail I start my fee at around $250 and it goes up depending on the size and condition of the vehicle.

A soap really is supposed to be gentle. Everything that touches a car's finish should be as delicate as possible (aim for the soft bugs). There will come a time when the swirlmarks and scratches are simply too much and it will be time to have the car professionally detailed or buy the equipment and learn yourself.

Not many people are willing to spend that kind of money on their vehicle's appearance, so I find it very very very important to help them find ways to keep their micromarring and swirlmarks to a minimum.

 

[w3ap0n-x]

I am neither blind, lying or anything else and probably old eoungh to be your father's of grandfather's age.

I was just stating my own personal prefernce

I'd never let my father anywhere near my car with a rotary and my grandfather is dead.

I use a two bucket method and sheepskin wash mitts. I keep the car constantly wet and use nothing but the finest microfibers to dry the car and never rush. One swipe with the wash mitt, flip, one more swipe and in the rinse bucket. Ring out, dip in soapy water and repeat. I claybar every square inch of external painted surface, tape off every piece of trim, and rotary each panel individually with up to three different stages of polish and use a series of products to enhance shine, depth, and protection until the car is show-ready. I have a Century 400 Ninja extractor and a slew of professional chemicals to get carpets cleaner than any professional carpet cleaner could. I know about detailing because I try the method, chemical, or tool before I comment on it or give my opinion about it.

I agree with you about personal preference, though...I just believe that a person should have a vast amount of experience with something before they give their opinion on it. In my experience, if you don't use microfibers and the proper dilution of a good soap you will end up with micromarring and swirlmarks.

 

[w3ap0n-x]

If you can find a bit of shade or wash early morning, late evening, an electric leaf blower gets water out of all the nooks and crannies wonderfully. Follow that with two large microfibers (one in each hand). Move the towels gently across the car and you're good to go. If you drop the towel, grab a new one do NOT reuse it (until you wash it...don't throw away a good microfiber)

One great tip for drying is to take your hose after the final rinse and take the nozzle off it or detach it from the pressure washer and run just the open spout over the car. You'll notice that there is far less water left on the surface of the vehicle because it "sheets" off instead of puddles up in little spots. Drying then becomes a cinch.