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Car wash for S
- Thread starter TennisRat
- Start date
Personally wouldn’t use brush system ..if using car wash go for touch less ..depending on car color car washes are notorious for swirl marks etc ..there are many threads on here discussing use of optimum no rinse to wash car ...I highly recommend that way ..also. Not sure if u are planning on paint protection film or ceramic coating but that does help with cleaning
What color is your car? Silver would be fine but don't do it with black.
There will be lots of opinions on this, but just take care of it the way you did your other cars. Not everyone needs to drive a spotless, swirless museum piece. (well, I do, but I'm crazy)
SpudLime
Active Member
Copy Pasta from another thread.
Dont do carwash!!
Order these things:
1x
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GG9FK2M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
3x
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8MZ7IA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
1x
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA66IGK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
1x
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TJXWH4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Uses only 2 gallons of water. Can wash in your garage, if you have one, to stay out of the sun from drying the water.
Use the ONR and the bucket. Use the 4 fold method on the MF towels. One flat side of the towel per panel. Never dip the towel back into the bucket. Just use a new MF towel.
Use other MF towels to dry the car off.
Use the special soap to wash your towels in your clothes washer. Dry on low heat or hang dry.
Quick, easy, saves water, works very well.
Shout out to @P85_DA for telling me about this method.
If that's what you have done for your other cars and you are happy with it, go for it.
Soo many people on here seem to plan their lives around the car, but it is only a car. Enjoy it!
Even in resale value, I've never seen "perfect paint condition" a criteria in the price. Lousy pain condition would be, but that is generally vehicles that park under trees, in the sun, and NEVER get washed.
Soo many people on here seem to plan their lives around the car, but it is only a car. Enjoy it!
Even in resale value, I've never seen "perfect paint condition" a criteria in the price. Lousy pain condition would be, but that is generally vehicles that park under trees, in the sun, and NEVER get washed.
I'm not one of those that gets all upset about the occasional ding or scratch so mine goes through the local brush-type car wash (the brushless never seemed to do a good job). My S is the best car I've ever owned. Love it. If I ever have to replace it it'll be with another Tesla. But every time I read a thread like this (and as has been noted there have been a few) I can't help but think of this commercial:
boonedocks
MS LR Blk/Blk 19”
Just posted this today. Touhless is 100% okay. Spinning brushes / felt strips etc 0% don’t do it!!
What does 57,000 miles on a Tesla look like?
What does 57,000 miles on a Tesla look like?
I think this sums it up nicely.
I have had my car a couple months and only hand wash it weekly. I too am crazy, I am not sure how long the crazy will last, but could be a while. Washing it in my driveway doesn't take long, I am currently using optimum no rinse mainly with a deep wash occasionally and I have waxed monthly.
How dare you!
Spudlime advice is good. I have been using "NO RINSE" with the microfiber towels for two years on my MS. I use about a quart of water in a quart spray bottle for the whole car. The first towel wipes off the wet dust carefully, second towel dries the car that you just wiped. No swirls, no scratches in over 2 years with this method. Takes about 6-8 towels per session. You can do the whole car in a half hour. Those Chemical guys microfiber towels are great. It takes longer if you do all the interior spots and wheels, but I don't do those every time.
I live on a dirt road in the Santa Cruz mountains so need to wash once a week. I also have very hard water so I use my RO (Reverse Osmosis) water to mix with the No Rinse. Use Distilled from the grocery store if no RO available. It's a great system and a lot faster than driving to the car wash.
I live on a dirt road in the Santa Cruz mountains so need to wash once a week. I also have very hard water so I use my RO (Reverse Osmosis) water to mix with the No Rinse. Use Distilled from the grocery store if no RO available. It's a great system and a lot faster than driving to the car wash.
rhumbliner
Member
I’m with @Patrick W on this. Brushless never gets the car clean, so I’ll do a hand wash every so often to get my S really clean, but I don’t hesitate to use a brush wash when needed. No PPF, so yes, if I lean over and the light is juuuust right I can see some swirls in the blue paint, but I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.
buzescu
Member
One other recommendation - Check out Griots's Garage foam cleaning. Don't need to buy their expensive foam gun - a $20-30 on Amazon will get you a good one but the Griot's foaming cleaning liquid is amazing (https://www.griotsgarage.com/produc...IoXfcCneRh33A-SxHLEk-ja-U0bSvr_QaAohUEALw_wcB). A gallon can clean the car for 30-40 times easy.
You can clean your car using the washer pressure an that foam in about 10 minutes- it takes you longer to get your pressure washer ready and put it back. You only touch the car to dry it...
You can clean your car using the washer pressure an that foam in about 10 minutes- it takes you longer to get your pressure washer ready and put it back. You only touch the car to dry it...
SpudLime
Active Member
I forgot to mention that it takes me no more than 20 minutes to clean my car and it also takes me about 8 towels. Just for those that are lazy like me. I am about to add the spray bottle option because there are times where i just need to wipe the bugs off the front and i dont want to wait until i fill two gallons to do the whole car.
ONR is the real deal. Lots of times with the leftover water, i wipe my F150 and my wifes Odyssey down without drying. She doesnt care that much about it being shiny and my truck..well..its a truck and still looks good after a wipe down.
Optimum No Rinse is amazing. Buy it and don't look back.
Use the two bucket method. I finish the drying with a quick spray of Optimum Instant Detailer and Gloss Enhancer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GG9FBJ4/ref=twister_B00GN1PXVG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Just spray it over the wet surface before drying. Very easy and makes the car VERY glossy. (Get the 32 oz one. It's a concentrate and lasts longer. The 17oz premix is not enough).
Use the two bucket method. I finish the drying with a quick spray of Optimum Instant Detailer and Gloss Enhancer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GG9FBJ4/ref=twister_B00GN1PXVG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Just spray it over the wet surface before drying. Very easy and makes the car VERY glossy. (Get the 32 oz one. It's a concentrate and lasts longer. The 17oz premix is not enough).
docrice
Member
ONR user here also. I'm relatively paranoid about paint management compared to many others, but I use those car wash bays from time to time. Just the rinse and the blow-dryer though. I never use the brushes (all that grit picked up when people leave the brush on the ground is asking for it) and I even skip the soap cycle since they tend to be harsh.
However, I can afford to be less hyper-sensitive about my washing since I have PPF and paint coating in place. Most people probably care less about long-term preservation of their clear coat when considering how much up-keep is required to keep things pristine forever. It can be a lot of effort.
A write-up on my process:
2018.09.03: The Fine Details
However, I can afford to be less hyper-sensitive about my washing since I have PPF and paint coating in place. Most people probably care less about long-term preservation of their clear coat when considering how much up-keep is required to keep things pristine forever. It can be a lot of effort.
A write-up on my process:
2018.09.03: The Fine Details
