Washing Car

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by nullrouted

I've read that before, great thread -- but that stuff is pretty expensive, and I'm not sure I'd need that much power for a car that is only 1800 miles old, do you think? How often do you treat your car with it? The only issue with the application I see is the 48hours thing. My car is a DD and I just sold my Honda, so leaving leather goop on it for 2 days would be tough for me -- maybe over a weekend or something. The heat wouldn't be an issue here in FL 3/4th of the year, could do it almost anytime. Your results on the 2008 look absolutely amazing.

Your leather is still brand new,next year you can start to use it, personal i do the treatment 2x year .

[E90M3velocity]

Originally Posted by nullrouted

QD sounds like a great solution for bird shit, etc... but I can't see using it to 'wash' the whole car.

QD's shouldnt be used to clean the car and it is not meant to be a substitute. Its for the type of people like OP who gets annoyed by the light dust collected on the car after washing the car. If your worried about scratching the cc then change wiping technique. Opticoat will act as a harder cc so you can be not as careful as cc and dirt and grime wipes off easier than on cc

[FogCityM3]

wash 1x every 2 weeks during good weather, 1x every 3-4 weeks during bad/winter. Going on spirited drives on weekends gets the car pretty dirty (bugs, dirt, mist, dew dropping from trees) so never really does stay clean for more than a week. I'd feel like washing my car a lot more if it were a Porsche/higher end sports car, but the M3's more utilitarian and practical nature allows one to let go a bit more and not feel bad about it.

[Koldun]

I try to do it once a week, but get lazy occasionally. It's hard, since the car is a DD and I work next to a pipe supply company, so there is a ton of dust (hence my choice to get a white car).

The wheels are the biggest pain in the ass.

[nullrouted]

Originally Posted by Hyperjack

before you do, i'd check out LarThaL's thread on detailing, especially post #5..
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=876366

i was about to spend a similar amount of money until i read what he had to say.

just tried these products on my cars with gloss coats and dig the results. a fast and effective way to maintain clean vehicles.

He makes some very good points. I'm switching my order to an AR Blue with an MTM foam cannon and only a few QD items. Got some Chemical Guys HoneyDew for the cannon as well.

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by Zacke92m

Washing too frequently puts it at risk for swirls and scratches if you're improperly washing and using incorrect methods. You can wash your car however many times you wish and not instill scratches/swirls as long as you use the proper methods

+1000

[M三]

1st year I wash it weekly, now I just pay some amigos to detail it monthly. They do good jobs for $35

[nullrouted]

Originally Posted by SpaceGrayM3DCT

1st year I wash it weekly, now I just pay some amigos to detail it monthly. They do good jobs for $35

I can't bring myself to let anyone else (let alone inexpensive labor) touch it. Do you watch them do it? Do you know what products and techniques they're using?

[odiesback]

- I clean the rims every five days or so.
- Wash every other week. (two-bucket method)
- Full paint treatment (clay, polish/swirl remover, sealant, and wax) every
three or four months. Just did this today! Car looks like it just came out
of the factory

[Aus_M]

I snow foam, wash and aqua wax the car every Saturday. I also keep a layer or two of duragloss 111 on there which keeps it shiny without as much work as a wax.

My car is parked on the street so it gets dirty fast or maybe I'm just a freak....

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by nullrouted

He makes some very good points. I'm switching my order to an AR Blue with an MTM foam cannon and only a few QD items. Got some Chemical Guys HoneyDew for the cannon as well.

Are you buying the foam cannon from ar?

[nullrouted]

Originally Posted by rjd598

Are you buying the foam cannon from ar?

No the MTM hydro, gonna get the powercare quick release wand and the AR fitting that attaches to it. Was in a thread on bimmerfest I believe, guy with a video showing how to connect them.

[flea333]

Originally Posted by JoeKixxon

Optimum No-Rinse is so great. Love that stuff. Cheap, easy, fast, saves water, and great results.

I also use a rather nice drive thru gas station car wash. Rudy's on 620 for those of you in ATX.

Oh and for the original question: I wash it once a week.

I just saw this on Amazon and wondered if anybody really uses this. Do you really just wash it off and then dry without rinsing? Seems like a way to leave dirt on the car.