I've never really hand washed my car but I would like to start. I bought a bunch of microfiber towels which I believe I will use for drying after washing. (any other uses?) I also stocked up on car wash soaps from chemical guys. I want to do a two bucket car wash. Already have one bucket so I will go to home depot to pick up one of their 5 gallon buckets. I will need grit guards for the two buckets. I plan on getting 3 grit guards total; 2 for rinse bucket and 1 for the wash bucket. Or should I just get one grit guard with washboard for my rinse bucket? Also, for regular grit guards, does it matter if i buy the "Grit Guard" grit guards or chemical guys grit guards? I will be picking up these wash mitts: https://www.amazon.com/Microfiber-POLISHING-Ultra-soft-Absorbent-Free-Scratch/dp/B00YEWFNFW/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1472135525&sr=8-5&keywords=wash+mitt https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-MIC_493-Microfiber-Scratch-Free/dp/B003TTL0TE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472135525&sr=8-3&keywords=wash+mitt These two seems to be the best being sold from amazon so I will try them both to see which one I will be using from then on. Does everything look good so far? Comment below for corrections/recommendations please. Now, this is where i really need help. What do I do with washing my wheels? From researching, it seems like I will need another bucket solely dedicated to washing the wheels. does this bucket need grit guards? if so, how many? can i use the chemical guys soap for washing the wheels or would i need special wheel washing soap? would i put aside one of those wash mitts for the wheels? or is there a different type of washing thing for wheels? POST-WASH After I finish washing and drying my car, what is the usual step I would take?
Having a dedicated wheel bucket is a must. Brake dust has small metal particles in it which should never be introduced to painted surfaces. I would always suggest a grit guard in every bucket. One in each of the 3 buckets and also the washboard in your rinse bucket. The washboard will make it a lot easier to to clean your wash mitt of any contaminants. You can use "Normal" car soap for your rims. But, some company's do offer wheel soap because it is a little more aggressive than "Normal" car soap to help get rid of the grime and brake dust on your rims. NEVER, NEVER use any tools that go in your wheel bucket on the exterior painted panels!!!! Have a wheel bucket with dedicated tools in it. Wheel woolies, Lug nut brush and Wash mitt. After the car is washed and dried I would recommend to apply some type of sealant or wax. If the vehicle already has a sealant or wax applied, you can add another layer of wax for a little more protection and gloss for the paint.
Here are my suggestions: Buckets: Wash Bucket Rinse Bucket Wheel Bucket Note: All Buckets should have grit guards Note: You may want to look at Chemical Guys, Adams, Auto geek, etc wash bucket kits online. Allot of these are great starter kits and have allot of the items you need to purchase as a kit to help you save some money. I was reading a post the other day on another Forum where they were able to Get the Chemical Guys kit cheap from Costco for $54.99 (see image below this will give you allot of the items you need to start Soap / Cleaners: Car wash Soap (Chemical Guys, AMMO, Meguiars, etc. Wheel Cleaner (AMMO, Chemical Guys, Meguiars, CarPro etc. Meguiars AP Cleaner Meguiars Super Degreaser Cleaning Tools: Wash Mit Wheel Woolies (Wheels) Boars Hair brush (Wheels and Tires) lug nut brush (Wheels) Etc. Glass Cleaning: Stoner or other good automotive glass cleaners Medium Microfiber towel and glass microfiber towel After you are done washing and drying your car the next step is really up to you and what level you want to take the car and the condition of the paint. As you can tell this is really a very open ended question. If you are looking to just do a basic next step, then I would probably go with a cleaner wax. If you want to do the next level up then I would: clay the car polish the car wax the car granted this next level will require you to invest in the following: polisher pads polish wax etc.
