best way to clean all off small stones in the frontend?

[gnychis]

I got semi-blasted by a garbage truck on the highway today that was passing me on the right hand side. Was nothing I could do about it other than sit there and try to back off a bit. Now I have tons of small stones on my frontend. What is the best way to clean these off without scratching the paint, panels, and car?

 

[EdA]

A hose?

 

[gnychis]

A hose?

Alright, maybe it's that simple. Just didn't want them getting dragged along.

 

[Gizmotoy]

Use as little water pressure as possible for the first pass (think water from the hose without a nozzle), then gradually increase it. There's not much you can do that's lower impact than that. You could maybe spray on and then immediately hose off some waterless wash solution, which essentially attempts to encapsulate dirt so it doesn't damage the car. I don't know if it would have any effect on rocks, or if water damages the solution's bond, but it could be worth a shot if you have some lying around. (Just to be clear, note that I'm definitely *not* suggesting using the waterless spray by itself without water).

 

[GDH]

A gentle hose, slow moving water.

 

[gnychis]

Thanks for the suggestions! Much appreciated. I'll take some gentle and slow moving water to it later on today when I get home.

Gizmo, what waterless wash solution to you use? Have you heard of Eco Green Auto Clean and their product in the Bay Area? Was wondering if you have experience with their service vs. Griot's or some other ones I saw online.

 

[Gizmotoy]

Thanks for the suggestions! Much appreciated. I'll take some gentle and slow moving water to it later on today when I get home.

Gizmo, what waterless wash solution to you use? Have you heard of Eco Green Auto Clean and their product in the Bay Area? Was wondering if you have experience with their service vs. Griot's or some other ones I saw online.

No, I haven't tried any of them personally. My detailer swears by Optimum's version, but I'm still a little skeptical. If they work as they claim, though, it's possible you'd see some benefit in this case. If you don't already have one on hand, I wouldn't bother. Just use low pressure water.

 

[brianman]

Maybe lift the pebbles directly with something like a post-it note or scotch tape?

 

[gmontem]

I suppose you can try to use the pressure washer + foam lance combo. Be sure to use a shampoo that generates a lot of suds.

Sent from my RM-877_nam_att_205 using Board Express

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Gizmo, what waterless wash solution to you use? Have you heard of Eco Green Auto Clean and their product in the Bay Area? Was wondering if you have experience with their service vs. Griot's or some other ones I saw online.

gnychis, I swear by Eco Green so much so that I've prepaid for 12 car washes which also nets me a discount on the regular $30 price, a bonus wash and a free wax job as well.

Tesla Menlo Park used their services often as does the Ferrari dealership nearby.

 

[gnychis]

Thanks guys, a decent number of them fell out on my commute home, and I used a slow hose to rinse the remaining ones out. All seems to be okay,

I'm going to give Eco Green a shot on Monday if the rain is supposed to hold off next week, gg! Thanks for the feedback on them, that's quite a number of washes lined up

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

I'm going to give Eco Green a shot on Monday if the rain is supposed to hold off next week, gg! Thanks for the feedback on them, that's quite a number of washes lined up

Got to keep my precious clean. The thing is it's not tied to one car; my wife's car gets the spa treatment too under this plan. There are a couple of folks on here - mulder1231 is one, I think - who pay a flat $55 per month to be a VIP member for unlimited car washes and a special lane for priority service during busy periods.

 

[Gizmotoy]

gnychis, I swear by Eco Green so much so that I've prepaid for 12 car washes which also nets me a discount on the regular $30 price, a bonus wash and a free wax job as well.

Tesla Menlo Park used their services often as does the Ferrari dealership nearby.

How does it work if your car is really dirty or has large soil spots (bird droppings)? Those are the cases were waterless washes aren't recommended. It seems like an interesting idea, but I'm skeptical. I see conflicting information as to whether it's completely waterless or low water, and their website doesn't give much information about the actual Redwood City location.

I see you have green, which is pretty dark: how are your swirl marks?

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

How does it work if your car is really dirty or has large soil spots (bird droppings)? Those are the cases were waterless washes aren't recommended. It seems like an interesting idea, but I'm skeptical. I see conflicting information as to whether it's completely waterless or low water, and their website doesn't give much information about the actual Redwood City location.

I see you have green, which is pretty dark: how are your swirl marks?

Yeah, I guess my car doesn't get that dirty before I go for a wash. Most of the time, it's just a lot of dust and little else (it's almost always parked indoors both at home and at work).

Swirl marks are there but are not noticeably large. It's worked out okay so far.

 

[yobigd20]

get it wrapped. it'll save you these kinds of headaches. Self Healing Paint Protection Film - XPEL ULTIMATE Paint Protection Film