Car washing time

[rdeckert]

Though the forum is labeled for car interiors, there is not a forum for car exteriors of this sort. So I figured this may be the best place to post this. I need to give my truck a good wash. Well...I'm so cheap/broke that I can't go to a self wash. I can't go to a regular car wash because the thing is so damn dirty that I know that wouldn't work. My question is, what is something good to use for a car wash, something to scrub with. Nothing to go and buy. Would something like a rag or a sponge work? Obviously I don't want to go and start peeling paint. Remember, I'm cheap and broke. Help is appreciated!

P.S. Can I use a cotton cloth (or whatever else you may suggest) to use for applying polish?

[gw84]

Personally, I think that if you care at all about the condition of your car, you should buy some minimal supplies rather than using items around the house. I've seen people use diswashing liquid on their cars, but I WOULD NEVER do that on mine. I do not recommend this. You could probably get sufficient products for washing your vehicle for around $10 (if you're going cheap). You could buy a generic bottle of auto wash for around $1 at the Mega Mart. I used car wash sponges for a long time, but later decided that I didn't like their texture and went to a chenille mit. You could get a car washing sponge for about another $1, or get a chenille or microfiber mit for $3-4. Buckets are easily found, so you can save some money by not buying one. Just make sure that it's clean!!! If it was my car, I'd get some microfiber drying towels to finish the job ($3-5). That's the most minimal I would ever do. I do a much more thorough job on my vehicles, but if you just need to remove the bird doo, you could make do with some car wash soap, sponge or mitt, and towels for drying. Like I said, it all depends on how much you care about your car. Also, some people love terry cloth towels for drying, but I prefer microfiber as they are softer to the touch. Just my 2 cents

[Becker_11]

I've never used it myself as I prefer the Meguiars range of car care products but I have read on several forums that Johnsons and Johnsons Baby Shampoo can be used quite safely to wash your car.

Also a solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle is quite alright for cleaning the windows. Use either a terry toweling nappy or newspaper to dry and buff the glass.

Don't worry about drying your truck millions of people never do. The only reason you'd get the microfibre towels is to dry it properly before the water dried on the paint and left water spots which are the minerals in tap water and over time they can be harmfull if left to bake on. But for a quick clean on a filthy truck I'd say just drive it round the block a few times and you'll be fine.

[danielsatur]

I asked a young woman how she washed her Used Black SUV, they did a good job! ''No Water spots''

She laught and said ''The Auto Car Wash delux mode $7.00''

Once a week and you never have to hand wash again!

The Soaps,Wax,Spot less rinse,and blow dry.

[icovernanotech]

Your best bet is to look up iCover Nanotechnology car products. the have a full range of protective products, which make the entire car easy to clean since it doesn't allow any dirt, bird droppings, brake pad dust, water stains etc. to stick to the surfaces of your car.
Check it out.

[akboss]

Alright rdeckert, I'm not following - you don't want to pay for a self wash but you're going to apply polish? If you can afford polish (like $10-15) you can afford a $5 self-wash station. The high pressure wash is a good way to get rid of stubborn dirt and mud, and assuming it's a truck, that is the challenge. If you still want to stay away from the self wash, I'd tell you to use a small amount of household dishwashing soap (note 'small amount') and soak your truck and douse it with water to loosen up the muddy dirty bits, use the pressure to get rid of what you can. Then soap it up and let it sit for a few minutes, wash 'er down with a sponge or cloth, and hose it off - there may be water spots, but if you have a dry cloth you can follow the last rinse with that and dry it yourself. Dish soap is bad for your clearcoat and may erode the natural protective elements on your paint, but if you use it lightly and don't want to spend any money, it's really the best option.

A side note is that vinegar is the ultimate solution to take off bugs. Don't know if you have that problem but I have a white car with a lot of plastic up front, and in the summer when I drive up north it looks like I have a black bra on the car from the collection of flying micro wildlife I've collected at high speed. A little bit of white vinegar (like $2/jug at the grocery store) cleans it right up.