I was going to buy Rain-X, but read that you can't use this because it's bad on the windshield, I was going to get Ivory soap because it's gentle on skin so I thought it would be easy on a car, but I read should not use it. Does anyone know what I can actually use to wash the car? I've asked a few people but they told me it does not matter but when I googled Rain-X on the model 3 it says it can mess with the windshield and the wipers don't work correctly afterwards. I'm going to be honest I'm totally lost LOL. I'm a bit confused about the whole thing.
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E90alex
Active Member
Ivory soap?? Like the bar??
There’s hundreds of car wash soaps you can buy from the store or online. They’ll all be fine. There’s nothing special needed and no need to over think it. The Model 3 is just a car and you can wash it like any other car.
There’s hundreds of car wash soaps you can buy from the store or online. They’ll all be fine. There’s nothing special needed and no need to over think it. The Model 3 is just a car and you can wash it like any other car.
Rain-X is a brand with many products.
I assume you are referring to their glass sealant. It does work well, when applied (and re-applied) properly. Water beads off the glass (windshield as well as roof and rear) with minimal effort. When it wears off (after 6-12 months), you need to re-apply it, else the uneven friction of the glass surface will induce wiper "chatter". Which is not bad, but is somewhat annoying. Easily fixable.
You are overanalyzing this problem. Any vehicle cleaning supply will 100% work on the Tesla's.
You can go to your local Walmart and stock up, or if you desire high-end options, go here:
Car Surface Care Products, Detailing Supplies, Auto Accessories
Car Care for the Perfectionist! Polishes, waxes, cleaners, polishers, foaming systems, detailing supplies, and accessories. We make it, we guarantee it!
www.griotsgarage.com
Don't use dish soap; most of them are a little too harsh and can strip sealants and coatings over time, as well as pull oils out of the rubber on window and door seals.
I like Meguiar's; gentle on finishes and seals, foams easily to lift so you don't wipe micro grit around (and makes it easy to see where you've washed and haven't rinsed, doesn't cost much, comes in a 64 ounce bottle that lasts me a couple years.
I like Meguiar's; gentle on finishes and seals, foams easily to lift so you don't wipe micro grit around (and makes it easy to see where you've washed and haven't rinsed, doesn't cost much, comes in a 64 ounce bottle that lasts me a couple years.
Also, we have a lot of overhead and rear window glass. Feel free to treat those with Rain-X if you want. Water will bead up well on the roof and look cool, as well as roll off more easily (as will snow.)
JimShaw
Member
I use Optium No Rinse and love it. 2 cap fulls into 2 gallons of water and away you go.
Fantastic as a window cleaner (NO STREAKS). 2 cap fulls into a 32 ounce spray bottle, spray and wipe off with a microfiber towel
I use my window formula to wipe down the interior AND does not hurt window tint
A fantastic all around product to clean your Tesla
I've talked myself into reordering a bottle
Fantastic as a window cleaner (NO STREAKS). 2 cap fulls into a 32 ounce spray bottle, spray and wipe off with a microfiber towel
I use my window formula to wipe down the interior AND does not hurt window tint
A fantastic all around product to clean your Tesla
I've talked myself into reordering a bottle
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TigerNinety
Member
When I had my MS, I used Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine, and I was very happy with it. I’ve read that it’s a great solution for those who live in apartment buildings or otherwise don’t have ready access to a hose, etc.; I decided to try it even though I have a house. I got one of the recommended sponges (maybe a victim of marketing, but…); it worked very well. I paired that with about four Meguiar’s microfiber towels, and the results were always stunning. FWIW, I used Rain X 2-in-1 Glass Cleaner and Rain Repellant on the windows with no problem or chatter.
UncertainTimes
Active Member
(not moderator note. Not representing TMC, TMC moderators or anyone other than jjrandorin the regular poster, not jjrandorin the moderator)
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I admit freely to being somewhat amused by how many posts we get like the OPs here on TMC (and I am sure elsewhere). I am talking about in general, not specifically, how many posts seem to be coming from a place that some regular car function (like washing it) is somehow different on this car vs basically every other car.
The answer to "how do I wash this car?" is "the same way you washed (or didnt) every other car you owned". The answer to "do I wrap and ppf this car?" is "if you wrapped / PPFed your other cars, do that to this one, if you didnt, dont".
Here is where I would normally say a model 3 is not an appreciating asset, but the bonkers car market means that at least in the short term some models of 3 and Y have gained a small amount of value in the short term, but that doesnt change the fact that this is a regular car in almost all respects except for the fact that it doesnt run on gas / petrol.
So, my question to the OP would be, what did you do with your previous cars as it pertains to washing them? I just went almost a whole year without washing my car, because Im lazy, and was working from home so was not getting it washed by the mobile service that comes to my job.
Since I am back driving into the office now (at least part of the time), I decided to get it detailed by them, because it had not been washed for over a year, and it looks fine. The point is, its a regular car, so "do what you did for your other cars", whether that is washed twice a week with a two bucket process and lovingly detailed once every 3 weeks, or not washed for several months at a time.
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I admit freely to being somewhat amused by how many posts we get like the OPs here on TMC (and I am sure elsewhere). I am talking about in general, not specifically, how many posts seem to be coming from a place that some regular car function (like washing it) is somehow different on this car vs basically every other car.
The answer to "how do I wash this car?" is "the same way you washed (or didnt) every other car you owned". The answer to "do I wrap and ppf this car?" is "if you wrapped / PPFed your other cars, do that to this one, if you didnt, dont".
Here is where I would normally say a model 3 is not an appreciating asset, but the bonkers car market means that at least in the short term some models of 3 and Y have gained a small amount of value in the short term, but that doesnt change the fact that this is a regular car in almost all respects except for the fact that it doesnt run on gas / petrol.
So, my question to the OP would be, what did you do with your previous cars as it pertains to washing them? I just went almost a whole year without washing my car, because Im lazy, and was working from home so was not getting it washed by the mobile service that comes to my job.
Since I am back driving into the office now (at least part of the time), I decided to get it detailed by them, because it had not been washed for over a year, and it looks fine. The point is, its a regular car, so "do what you did for your other cars", whether that is washed twice a week with a two bucket process and lovingly detailed once every 3 weeks, or not washed for several months at a time.
joebruin77
Active Member
I am a huge fan of rinseless wash products like ONR. I used to do a traditional 2-bucket wash using Meguiars Gold Class Soap, which is a great, reasonably priced car soap. But given that we are in a "mega-drought", I keep my traditional washes to a minimum. A traditional car wash can use 50 to 100 gallons of water. If I wash my car using ONR, I can safely and effectively wash my entire car using a total of 2-4 gallons of water
To do an ONR wash, I suggest you get 1) a 32 ounce spray bottle 2) a bucket with a grit guard on the bottom 3) a "Big Red Sponge" or a microfiber wash pad and 4) a few soft microfiber towels for drying. I first pretreat an area I am going to wash by using the spray bottle to spray on the ONR solution. I let it dwell for a minute, then I use the sponge or wash pad that had been soaked in the ONR solution to wipe down the area, and then you finally dry using a microfiber towel. It's kind of like giving your car a sponge bath.
As long as your car does not have caked-on dirt, you can safely wash your car doing this type of rinseless wash without inducing any scratches or swirls.
There are versions of rinseless wash solutions that also contain wax, if you want to give your car some extra shine, and others even contain ceramic (Sio2). So if your car has a ceramic coating, you can use the ceramic-infused rinsless wash products to safely wash your car and give your coating a little ceramic boost at the same time.
JimShaw
Member
"model 3 is not an appreciating asset"
It sure was for me. I purchased an M3 SR in 2019 for $35,000. Received back from California $2500 and So. Cal. Edison $1000 because it was an electric car making the car's cost $31,500. In Dec. of 2021, I sold it to a reseller in So. Carolina for $43,500. And boy, did they go over the car and afterwards, the said it was "Clean". It was "Clean" because I treated it like it was worth a million bucks and not like any other car I have owned
The majority of car wash products from Adam's Polishes are great. Adamspolishes.com has everything you'll need, many of their products have videos showing to properly use them
I use rain-X like product on my X and S and no problem. I also put it in my friends 3 and wipers did bounce for a bit.
If you clean wipers really good it usually takes care of it. There is nothing wrong but the wipers bite too good and bounce until some of the “rainx” rubs off.
I used griots glass sealer. Same type of stuff as Rain-X, makes water bead up. I find it’s worth it and wipers will settle down after couple rainy days.
If you clean wipers really good it usually takes care of it. There is nothing wrong but the wipers bite too good and bounce until some of the “rainx” rubs off.
I used griots glass sealer. Same type of stuff as Rain-X, makes water bead up. I find it’s worth it and wipers will settle down after couple rainy days.
puffdaddy
Member
If the drops are sliding off immediately, you don't need the wipers to come on
Me too, I would love to know how to wash and also what to you in the windows. Everything I use leaves foggy.
puffdaddy
Member
I'm OCD about clean windows and this is the best method I've come across (from my MX-5 forum TBH). Just water and no chemicals. I'd tried so many glass cleaners and these simple towels work better!
There are a boat load of videos on YouTube on car washing, but a simple and readily available wash soap is this:
I personally love Adams Polishes products, but there are MANY others that work safely. The most important thing is how you wash (if you want to prevent swirls in the soft paint. Look up 2 bucket wash method on YouTube
There are a boat load of videos on YouTube on car washing, but a simple and readily available wash soap is this:
I personally love Adams Polishes products, but there are MANY others that work safely. The most important thing is how you wash (if you want to prevent swirls in the soft paint. Look up 2 bucket wash method on YouTube
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