Big winter wash and new product writeups - NO PICS, sorry

[AntonV]

So its been a rough winter so far here on Long Island. I haven't been able to wash my 135i for over a month now. We've had 3 good snow-storms, but I didn't drive in any of them. Driving a few days after the storms gave me a tiny amount of salt accumulation. The car was dusty, more than anything.

Got a few orders from Greg @ DI and Autogeek in the past month, so I was really looking forward to using some now products. It was a fairly pleasant winter day (42 F) and not windy. Dropped the gf at JFK airport early in the morning, so this week will be dedicated to my real love. My car, lol.

First off, my hose is shut off for the winter, so my routine gets complicated. It cant be super cold out, because I don't want to make the driveway a sheet of ice. I turn on the valve from my basement, no biggie. The bigger problem is the hose itself. When I'm finished washing, i have to bundle up the wet hose, obviously with some water inside too, and bring it to the basement, making a mess. I tried leaving it in the garage once, but the water inside froze, and I couldn't even wash my car. I purchased this 50 foot collapsible hose.



The idea is great, and it allows me to wash the car in the winter. Unfortunately, the god damn thing kinks up at the slightest movement. Gets really frustrating. Folds up nice and neat though.

Ive been researching foam guns a lot lately, so I figured id try the gypsy approach before i pulled the trigger on the foamaster ii. I found this in my garage, never used.



Lets just say the results were mediocre at best. Filled it with some old Megs gold class left over from my e36. Read at autopia that its a decent foam gun soap.

A few weeks ago I was in home depot, and had an epiphany. While in the lighting section, I came across this...



It was a big enough piece for me to make 4 grit guards. I'm not trying to take any business away from DI or DD. buy a grit guard, its much better, lol. I cut them a little wider and wedged them 3/4 down in the bucket.

Now the actual wash....

First thing I always do is wash the wheels & tires. I have an old 100% cotton mitt that I use and wash separately. I always used to spray the wheels, then clean them with the wet mitt, spraying it off frequently with the hose - no bucket. With the products I got, I figured Id do it differently. Picked up CG diablo wheel gel, the smaller EZ detail brush, and a lug brush. I mixed the wheel gel 1:3 with water. I was shocked how "clingy" it was when diluted. This stuff is awesome. It just sticks on and barely runs off. Sprayed all 4, then put a drop into a bucket with water, the detail brush and lug brush. First I cleaned the inner rims with the EZ brush, and did all of the lug holes. Then I followed up with my cotton mitt for the exterior of the rim, using the bucket of water to release brake dust. Worked out great...I just kept banging the rotor heat shield until I got the hang of it.

Picked up CG Grime Reaper APC. I sprayed it at full strength into the wheel wells and let it sit while I got my wash buckets and garden sprayer/foam gun ready. This stuff worked very well, and seemed to take a lot of water to get it all off. I guess Ill dilute it next time, maybe 50:50.

Finally got me some P21s Total Auto Wash. Was really excited to use it, but I chickened out. Does this stuff remove wax & sealant? If it does, can I pre-rinse with ONR and keep my protection on? I spritzed some on the exhaust tips. It worked, I guess. The black chrome tips don't help on getting stunning results. I always wash my tips with the same cotton mitt I use on my wheels.

Barely "foamed" the car, but still feel a little better about giving the dirt accumulations time to break up. I dont know if you're supposed to wash the car with the original foam, or wash it off before the actual wash. I washed it off.

LC grout sponges were on sale, so I got 2. They seem to be popular, and I feel that my most recent swirls are being created from my sheepskin mitt. Ive only washed with sheepskin/mf/cotton MITTS, never used a sponge before. It seems extremely soft, and I like the cuts in it. It definitely seems like it would release dirt much easier than a mitt in the rinse bucket. On the other side, it doesn't seem like it would trap dirt better into the sponge while you're actually washing the car. This was a very different way of washing, that I am not used to. The sponge is definitely harder to hold, and seemed unnatural dragging it flat across the paint, plus you can easily drop it. It did a great job, and I have faith in it.....just need to get used to the method. Used 3 buckets. 1 with CG Maxi Suds II, 2 with water for rinsing. All 3 were filled up with hot water from the kitchen sink. Sooooo nice using hot water in the winter.

I usually washed my mitts with CG mf detergent in a machine, so I was stumped on what to do with the sponge after the wash. I rinsed it well with the hose. Do i just let it dry? Do I put it in the washing machine? I felt like putting foam in the washing machine wasn't a good idea. Letting it air dry didn't seem like a great idea either. Felt that airborne dust will just settle on the top. I washed it, with hopes that the spin cycle would extract most of the water. It came out okay, but it frayed a very tiny but, and was still wet. So i was back at square one. I left it to dry in an open plastic bag. Here's a little helpful tip I do to keep mf cloths and mitts contaminant free after washing ad drying. In the produce section of the grocery store, they have those plastic bags to put your veggies in. I put a whole roll or "brick" in my shopping cart. Just leave it in there when you check out. Nobody has ever complained, and I'm up to my ears in free, unused, clean plastic bags.

I used my electric leaf blower (150mph) for the first time on the car to dry it. I dont know if mine is underpowered, or I just did it wrong. My first mistake was not using the sheeting method. I figured the blower would take it all off. It didn't, and my car was basically all wet with fine water streaks.....maybe took off 15% of the water. More importantly, I used it for the crevices and mirrors. That worked well. I used my compressor for the door jambs. Probably gonna stick with the compressor, unless I figure out a better way to use the blower. It is winter, and always takes a lil more effort to dry the car.

I have 2 DI ww towels. I always use just one to dry the paint. I tried the blot-dry method, and gave up halfway through the hood. Think you need a summer afternoon to blot-dry. Any suggestions?

A few years go, someone gave me a used vaccum, thinking it would be helpful for my restaurant. I used it once, and didnt like it. A few weeks ago I was cleaning my dry storage area, and came across a box. I opened it up, and it was like finding buried treasure. Look what I found....I was just about to buy one.



I vacuumed the interior, and it did a good job. I was hoping it had a little bit more blowing power, so I could skip the leaf blower & air compressor. I went to the parts section of Metros website, and found that I can buy the motor with more HP, for 80 bucks I think. Ill call them and confirm if it will fit. If it does, ill swap out the motor, at the very least for a lil more suction when vacuuming. I used the mini brushes for the vents. These things are REALLY small. This vacuum has a world of potential.

Did the 303 Aerospace Protectant thing on the interior with mf towel and boars hair dusting brush.

I purchased Optimum Tire Bond gel from DI a while back. Always had lame results. I think it was a combo of 2 things. The tires were dirty. Usually, I dont scrub the rubber in my wash routine. I think the tires were a little wet, when I was applying. I used the CG APC on the rubber and scrubbed them well with my dirty wheel mitt. This was before washing the paint. Dried the tires nicely. Ive been using the LC tire applicator. I wish it was a touch smaller, but I guess it wasn't designed just for low profile tires. My biggest help for the tire dressing was using rubber gloves/powder free. I was able to get down and dirty, and smear it into ever nook. Came out really nice.

At this point, I guess I'm finished with my wash. Its that special time to grab a beer, light up a cig and walk around your car and gaze at the fine job you've done. Thats all fine and dandy until you find 2 rock chips on the hood. The BMW paint is sooooo soft. I really regret not getting a clear bra from day one. Maybe ill fill them in and get on in the spring....well see.

[UR2SLOW1]

JM2C - I've had the Metro Air Force Blower for about six months now and don't know how I lived my 39 years without the thing - it's the greatest !!! I think you will love it !!!!!!!!!!