Nick@Autogeek

"What was I thinking?" That's the question I kept asking myself after I took on the job of detailing a bright blue Acura RSX. This particular Acura belongs to a co-worker's friend and it had not been properly detailed since the Bush administration was in office, or so that's how it appeared. The car was absolutely filthy and was in desperate need of full detail.

The featured Acura RSX is a daily driver and the condition of the paint made it obvious: bugs, tar, industrial fallout, road film, and worst of all - tree sap. This sticky substance can be a royal pain to remove if not properly equipped. The afternoon I originally inspected the car it had been sitting out in the sun and the paint was actually tacky. Again; "What was I thinking?!" That question was immediately followed by a verbal; "Sure, I'll do it."

The Acura doesn't look too dirty, right?






Let's take a closer look: Like I mentioned earlier, there was a fine mist of what appeared to be tree sap all over the vehicle. It was sticky to the touch and didn't look like it would be easy to remove.






Ewwwww, that's nasty! If that's what you're thinking after seeing those pictures, we're on the same page. I'm an advocate of working smart, and not hard, so out came the big guns - which in this case turned out to be Chemical Guys Citrus Wash N Gloss, a Half Gallon Foam Wash Gun, Grit Guard Dual Bucket Washing System and a bottle of P21S Total Auto Wash - to make cleaning the vile paint on this daily driver a walk in the park.






If you're not familiar with a Foam Wash Gun, you should be, as this is a must-have tool for those who want to cut their wash time in half. The Foam Wash Gun (available in quart and half gallon sizes) enables you to cover the vehicle in a thick blanket of frothy foam when used with the appropriate car wash shampoo. This thick layer of foam clings to your vehicle's horizontal and vertical surfaces, loosening dirt and road grime so when your mitt touches the surface, less effort is required to remove the dirt and grime. Pair a Foam Wash Gun with a Grit Guard Dual Bucket Washing System and you'll be maximizing your wash time. Work smart, not hard.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the Foam Wash Gun, you need to use a shampoo that was designed for high-output foam. When I think foam, two shampoos in particular immediately come to mind: Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss and Detailer's Xtreme Foam Formula Shampoo. The latter is the more luxurious wash of the two and produces more foam than any shampoo available. It is also packed full of gloss enhancers and conditioning agents that pamper your vehicle's paint. The former, Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss, is known for its tremendous cleaning ability and has been a favorite among professional detailers since its inception. In the case of the filthy Acura, Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss and its impressive cleaning power was the obvious choice.

I added four ounces of Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss to the half-gallon Foam Wash Gun and four ounces (1 oz. per gallon) into my wash bucket. This combination yields unsurpassed cleaning power, but it wasn't quite enough for the Acura...






P21S Total Auto Wash is one of those products I couldn't live without. This citrus-based degreaser can clean anything that's dirty or grimy. It has no harsh chemical smell, it rinses freely and no film of any type will be present on your vehicle's paint or glass after using it.

I'm a fan of clear dispenser bottles so I emptied a bottle of P21S Total Auto Wash into a Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Professional Spray Bottle. These bottles are constructed of a rugged plastic and they include a high-output chemical resistant sprayer.

I gave the Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss a couple minutes to sit on the paint before spraying each panel with P21S Total Auto Wash. Spray a panel and wash it using a Supreme Micro Chenille Wash Mitt; that was my technique. I was also sure to rinse the mitt in the dedicated rinse bucket with a Grit Guard insert after each panel to prevent cross-contamination. When the car was clean I gave it a thorough rinse and towel dried it using a Cobra Guzzler. If you can't believe it's that simple, start believing!






Thanks to two superb chemicals and a handy car washing tool, minimal agitation was required from the Supreme Micro Chenille Wash Mitt to remove the bugs, tar, road grime and the sticky mist of tree sap that completely covered the vehicle. I was left with squeaky clean paint that was in dire need of being polished. Fortunately enough for the Acura, that was the next step.






Let's fast forward and article or two and see what the Acura turns out like after a polishing.






Featured Products

• Grit Guard Dual Bucket Washing System
• Detailer's Half Gallon Foamaster Foam Gun
• Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss
• P21S Total Auto Wash
• 32oz. Mirror Glaze Professional Spray Bottle
• Supreme Micro-Chenille Wash Mitt

Kjjyi

Thanks for the recommendations and the steps! It'll help me a lot with me and my car as I am just starting out

JaySupreme

Nice. You can definitely see the difference in the shine

Mb120529

Thanks for the info!! I have a new Black Lexus ES350 in need of it's first wash. Since it is not so dirty would using the Foam Wash Gun with the Detailer's Xtreme Foam Formula Shampoo and PS21S be the best choice?

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

That Acura looks much better now.

Does your foam gun hook up to a water hose or does it require a pressure washer?

krnhyun

looks very clean

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

The foam gun shown in this write up attaches to a traditional hose via quick disconnects. You can find it here: Gilmour Foamaster II Foam Gun



If you are looking for a foam lance that attaches to a pressure washer, here is the link.


Both make suds, but the pressure washer will provide much thicker foam that really clings to the surface.

-Zach

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

If your vehicle is not that dirty, using a foam gun is simply extra work without any benefit. The pre-soak process with the foam lance is to help break down dirt buildup on the surface of the car with the hopes that you can remove the heavier debris before you ever touch the vehicle with your wash mitt. In theory, this will reduce the chances of wash induced scratches and marring.

Also, using an All Purpose Cleaner like P21S Total Auto Wash during your wash process will remove or at least degrade any wax or sealant on the surface of your vehicle, so you only want to implement this type of product if/when your vehicle is very dirty and you need heavy cleaning power and/or when you plan on applying a new layer of protection to your paint.


For basic routine maintenance, you simply need a high quality shampoo like Optimum Car Wash, as well as two buckets with grit guards, a sheepskin wash mitt, and some waffle weave drying towels.


For more tips on safe washing, check out this article on How to Properly Wash and Dry Your Vehicle.

-Zach

Mb120529

Thank You Zach - Will definitely try your recommendations.

Woodrow

I've use sheepskin wash mitts for years, but my son gave me a new microfiber (I think) wash mitt that is supposed to be pretty good, and Nick appears to use a Supreme Micro Chenille Wash Mitt.

So what's best? Sheepskin, Microfiber, Chenille? What's the difference?

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

"best" is always very subjective when it comes to detailing products... all can be great.

I love my reThickulous Wool Wash Mitt... it is MASSIVE and the fibers are super soft and long so debris gets trapped within them and not rubbed along the surface.

I also own several of the "regular" sheepskin wash mitts and use them very regularly.

I think the most important thing is using the proper 2-3 bucket washing method and understanding that your wash mitt will need to be replaced over time, so you should discard it and get a new one as needed.

-Zach

rgonza1

Some of the items I use when washing my car are as follows:

• Adams professional grade plush synthetic wool wash mitt
• Adams great white micro fiber waffle weave drying towel
• Adams detail spray

I always suggest trying out different products to see what works best for your application.

Happy Detailing!

07bsmtis25

great looking products.