forcaport7

iTrader: (1)

Hi All,

Just thought I would share this, I just got my RC and have been reading threads on washing cars through machines VS hand washing. I have decided to start hand washing my new car, this is not something I was use to with my older cars. I have been looking for starter kits and decided to head over to Costco, and found a pretty good deal on a car wash kit. For those of you that have a membership there this may be a pretty good deal for you if you are also starting off like me. I know Chemical Guys is not everyone's favorite, specially from what I have read online, but their individual product reviews still seem to be pretty good, and this is a great value. I did a breakdown of each item if I were to buy it directly off of Amazon.

Kit Includes:
1. Heavy Duty Detailing Bucket (4.5 gal) with Cyclone Dirt Trap Insert - $10 (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys.../dp/B01CJEBHMY)
2. TORQ Foam Blaster Foam Wash Gun - $50 (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys.../dp/B00F5MCL14)
3. 16 oz-Honeydew Snow Foam Auto Wash - $10 (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys...009OTK094?th=1)
4. 16 oz-Butter Wet Wax - $18 (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys.../dp/B00FALVU8A)
5. 16 oz-Silk Shine Sprayable Dressing - $10 (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys.../dp/B001TI1F5Q)
6. 16 oz-Signature Series Window Cleaner - $10 (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys.../dp/B003VKZAQ0)
7. 16 oz-Diablo Wheel & Rim Cleaner - $15 (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys.../dp/B003TTRORQ)
8. Waffle Weave Streak Free Drying Towel - $7 (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys.../dp/B001TZBB3K)
9. Short Handle Car Care Brush - $9 (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys.../dp/B00BCH51ZO)
10. Applicator with Hex Surface - $7 (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys.../dp/B00BUFWL4C)
11. Scratch Free Chenille Wash Mitt - $6 (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys.../dp/B003TTL0TE)
12. 3 Professional Grade Microfiber Towels - $12 (https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys...00BQYCK8O?th=1)

Total Price on Amazon - $164
Costco Price - $70

Costo Link -- http://www.costco.com/Chemical-Guys-...100291210.html

Hope this helps!

pbxcomm

Save your self some money..
Dawn ultra
Mothers Claybar
Zaino AIO Wax
Mothers Paste
(I mix half Mothers with Zaino AIO a good recipe..)
Lots of soft old T-shirts

WayneLaR1

Um, no. OP, please go to autogeek for enlightenment.

dchar

I don't recommend using dish soap unless you don't care about your paint at all. Dish soap is abrasive and it accelerates the oxidation process and gives the car a dull look. Dish soap will also break down a car's wax coat and can be tough on rubber.

Use some nice microfiber cloths to dry...gets rid of the hassle of wringing out the cloth and less streaking.

JT4

OP - thanks for posting..

pbxcomm

I completely disagree....
I wash my GS with Dawn every year, one a year and have washed my other vehicles as well. I would use nothing else to wash my car. After a good washing with Dawn Ultra the paint looks new. Then I follow-up with claybar if needed, if not I go right to the Zaino.
So far as I know there are no abrasives in Dawn and there are wax manufacturers' that actually recommend Dawn as a prep for wax.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

hope you realize that dishwasher soap strips wax/sealant. Detailers use it to strip wax before a detail

tfischer

Dawn is a harsh detergent, and will take off any wax. It's used to prepare a car for a polymer coating like Zaino or other treatments where the chemical has to bond with the paint itself. The OP should go to autopia or some some other detailers' forum to learn which towels to use (microfiber) and the best sealants and soaps, etc. The people there are professionals, for the most part, and the advice is excellent. They even discuss the better buckets.

w0rM

Terrible advice.

Please don't use Dawn on your car (I wouldn't even wash my hands with it).

Old t-shirts? I hope you're trolling us.

I've tried some of the Chemical Guys stuff. I like their buckets but I wasn't impressed with some of the other cleaners I tried. Hit Autopia. Those guys know their stuff.

w0rM

Spend a few minutes on Google for the laundry list of reasons you shouldn't be using Dawn on your car.

forcaport7

iTrader: (1)

Just FYI I ordered the Kit off of Costcos website right after posting this. Don't worry I won't be using Dawn on my car. No offense to @pbxcomm. Anyway @WayneLaR1, I did check out autogeek, definitely will be ordering from them in the future so thanks for that! And to @tfischer and @w0rM, I will check out Autopia for more tips, thanks for the advice. At this point I am also against machine washing at a car wash, I have enough time to hand wash my car, so I should be doing that to make sure it looks its best. I will post a review of the kit with pictures hopefully this weekend or next week, once it comes in and I wash my car with it. I do not have a pressure washer (but I may be investing in one soon) so I will have to work with what I have, but my car is pretty dirty right now, so this should be a good before and after review of this kit.

Thanks!

Arfboy

iTrader: (2)

Agreed. I was hoping he was trolling, but dish soap + old t-shirts appears to be his real recommendation.

Anyone who cares about the long term condition of their car's paint job should disregard pbxcomm's comments.

tfischer

You have a $50,000.00 car, or perhaps more, and your job should be to protect the paint while adding as much depth, reflectivity and luster to it as possible. The Lexus paints are pretty good, especially the Infrared, an extra cost option. I do not think Costco is the place to shop for the necessary products for this task. I would suggest looking into Opticoat and its ilk, or at least Zaino, and read up (Autopia, for example) on how to wash a car and what products to use. Once you learn why harsh detergents and automatic car washes (many of which use harsh detergents, dirty water and gritty rags, the trifecta of awful treatment) are not good for your car's paint, you will have taken a big step towards better car care which will surely result in, among other things, a higher resale value.

pbxcomm

Allow me to clearify..
I use microfibre to wash and 100% cotton T-shirts (only made in America, because all other cottons (imported) are terrible). They are my T-shirts that I have retired..
Next, I never use "car wash shampoo and conditioner", why? They contain alcohol, alkalides, sulfides and more, I don't wash my car with these chemicals. The label on the back is informative. Car Shampoos leave a haze or residue that if hit by the sun will be nearly immpossible to completley remove.
So far as I know there is no information out there in regards to Dawn harmful to paint and its biodegradable. This is just my preference to washing a car prior to waxing and have done so for several years.. Zaino also recognizes Dawn as a wax pre-wash.

Additionally, I never wash a vehicle unless I plan on waxing immediatley after. Claybar was done once on my car and not a big fan, but it is effetive.

Hope this clears up a few points.. My apologies, I was not specific.

When I have a moment, I'll send a few pics of the paint on my GS for example..

Ciao!!!

pbxcomm

Correction: Cotton T's to wipe excess wax..