Forgot to ask. What do people use on the inside?
I did not know that. I was just going to use the water from the hose.
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Washing The Tesla Model Y
- Thread starter Jimt29
- Start date
Wattsisname
MY Red/White/Gems
That will be be cold water from the hose?
Re inside: I have used GTechniq for the glass. A soft brush and then a damp microfibre for the seats and a soft dry MF for dusting. Vacuum or brush for the floors.
For bug splatter, also bird droppings don't wait. I use water on a paper towel. For stubborn deposits I use a cleaner that contains ammonia, i.e. Windex and let it sit for a couple of minutes to loosen the crud.
For the windshield, camera lens covers, windows and side mirrors, rear view mirror I use Invisible Glass (the spray bottle not the aerosol can.) I use Invisible Glass on the inside of the windshield, windows and rear hatch glass too. For the first pass I use paper towels (can leave a residue and streaks.) For the second pass I use a microfiber wash cloth (leaves no residue or streaks.) Invisible Glass sells a cleaning wand accessory that is very useful for reaching all corners of the windshield (inside and out.) For the Tesla screen I use a damp microfiber cloth (I have the Abstract Ocean matte finish screen protector installed so fingerprints are not an issue), I just wipe off the screen periodically because it is there.
Inside: Dust seats, dash, center console with a hand duster. Vacuum floor mats or floor liners. (Remove floor liner(s) from vehicle, then wash and dry if needed as in winter to remove sand and salt.)
Seats: I dampen a microfiber wash cloth with plain water and wipe all seating surfaces. It is also safe to use unscented baby wipes to wipe off spills from the seats. If the seats require additional cleaning then add a drop or two of liquid dishwashing detergent in a container of water and go over the seats with a microfiber wash cloth. Dry with a separate microfiber cloth.
For the windshield, camera lens covers, windows and side mirrors, rear view mirror I use Invisible Glass (the spray bottle not the aerosol can.) I use Invisible Glass on the inside of the windshield, windows and rear hatch glass too. For the first pass I use paper towels (can leave a residue and streaks.) For the second pass I use a microfiber wash cloth (leaves no residue or streaks.) Invisible Glass sells a cleaning wand accessory that is very useful for reaching all corners of the windshield (inside and out.) For the Tesla screen I use a damp microfiber cloth (I have the Abstract Ocean matte finish screen protector installed so fingerprints are not an issue), I just wipe off the screen periodically because it is there.
Inside: Dust seats, dash, center console with a hand duster. Vacuum floor mats or floor liners. (Remove floor liner(s) from vehicle, then wash and dry if needed as in winter to remove sand and salt.)
Seats: I dampen a microfiber wash cloth with plain water and wipe all seating surfaces. It is also safe to use unscented baby wipes to wipe off spills from the seats. If the seats require additional cleaning then add a drop or two of liquid dishwashing detergent in a container of water and go over the seats with a microfiber wash cloth. Dry with a separate microfiber cloth.
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BearlyAdulting
Member
I put Xpel PPF on my MYP for this very reason. Can’t always hand wash and the PPF lets me hit up any car wash without concern.
White cars are the best for hiding scratches. If your car was black or blue, you would notice it a lot more. For our model Y, I've even stopped bringing it to hand car wash places as they get lazy and sometimes don't wash the mitts thoroughly between washes. For our white SUV, I just take it there since you can hardly even see the scratches.
mackgriggs
Member
You made the right choice with ONR. I would just ditch the sponge/2 bucket method and lookup the Garry dean method, which is what I use.
In a nutshell:
Spray ONR mixture with a garden sprayer onto one side of the car.
Have 1 bucket with like...1 gallon of water and 4-6 Microfiber towels soaking in it (depending on how dirty the car is).
Take 1 towel, fold it into 4ths, so you now have 8 "sides" to use.
Wipe the side of the car gently with the microfiber. If it starts getting dirty, switch to a new side of the microfiber. Usually....1 MF is good enough for a side of the car...but if you are worried, you could always just use more towels (costco microfiber pack are great towels for dirt cheap) and only do 1 wipe per side.
Once the 8 sides are used, just put it to the side...you never "rinse" them in a second bucket and reuse. Well...I'll rinse them...after I'm doing washing the car I rinse them and throw them straight into the washing machine.
Once side of car is wiped down, then dry. Move to next side of the car.
ONR is great for doing washes in the winter, and also the summer. Can even do it in full sun...but....I would just do "panel" washing at that point in full sun to avoid water marks.
Oh, for interiors.....I just use a bucket of warm water with a capful of simple green and a Microfiber towels. Since I have tinted windows I use Sparkle instead of windex (sparkle is ammonia free). Every 9 months or so I do another layer of gyeon leather shield.
In a nutshell:
Spray ONR mixture with a garden sprayer onto one side of the car.
Have 1 bucket with like...1 gallon of water and 4-6 Microfiber towels soaking in it (depending on how dirty the car is).
Take 1 towel, fold it into 4ths, so you now have 8 "sides" to use.
Wipe the side of the car gently with the microfiber. If it starts getting dirty, switch to a new side of the microfiber. Usually....1 MF is good enough for a side of the car...but if you are worried, you could always just use more towels (costco microfiber pack are great towels for dirt cheap) and only do 1 wipe per side.
Once the 8 sides are used, just put it to the side...you never "rinse" them in a second bucket and reuse. Well...I'll rinse them...after I'm doing washing the car I rinse them and throw them straight into the washing machine.
Once side of car is wiped down, then dry. Move to next side of the car.
ONR is great for doing washes in the winter, and also the summer. Can even do it in full sun...but....I would just do "panel" washing at that point in full sun to avoid water marks.
Oh, for interiors.....I just use a bucket of warm water with a capful of simple green and a Microfiber towels. Since I have tinted windows I use Sparkle instead of windex (sparkle is ammonia free). Every 9 months or so I do another layer of gyeon leather shield.
I don't like the Gary Dean method of washing the vehicle using ONR for a few reasons:
When you are done washing your vehicle you have to wash what could be a large stack of microfiber wash cloths in the washing machine. If one of your objectives with using a rinse less car wash is to conserve water this method requires lots of water before all is done.
Microfiber wash cloths and microfiber towels are great for washing windows, drying off the vehicle. One major annoyance with the micro fiber cloths is that they effectively trap organic debris such as seeds, plant burs, etc. Removing this organic debris from the microfiber cloth after cold water washing and air only (no heat please) drying is a tedious job. I can only imagine if I had to remove organic crap from a couple of dozen microfiber wash cloths.
The cross cut sponges such as the Big Red Sponge can be easily rinsed clean when done, do not accumulate the organic particles to nearly the same degree as the microfiber cloths.
When you are done washing your vehicle you have to wash what could be a large stack of microfiber wash cloths in the washing machine. If one of your objectives with using a rinse less car wash is to conserve water this method requires lots of water before all is done.
Microfiber wash cloths and microfiber towels are great for washing windows, drying off the vehicle. One major annoyance with the micro fiber cloths is that they effectively trap organic debris such as seeds, plant burs, etc. Removing this organic debris from the microfiber cloth after cold water washing and air only (no heat please) drying is a tedious job. I can only imagine if I had to remove organic crap from a couple of dozen microfiber wash cloths.
The cross cut sponges such as the Big Red Sponge can be easily rinsed clean when done, do not accumulate the organic particles to nearly the same degree as the microfiber cloths.
mackgriggs
Member
Well, to be clear...I only wash the microfiber towels when I have enough to wash. Usually....after doing 2-3 cars (so there are like 12-15 microfiber towels and 3 drying towels to wash). If I just do 1 car, I'll do a quick rinse to get most the dirt off the towels and let them dry...and put them in a "dirty towels" drawer and wash them in a machine later.
And....the water conversation difference is minimal, at best, vs a sponge ONR system vs gary dean method? First.....yes, both systems save a lot of water vs a hose/pressure washer, hose rinse type of car cleaning. But comparing the two....I'm using, maybe 1/2 gallon of water to wet the 4-6 microfiber towels. Lets say I wash my towels when I've done....2 cars. My front load, HE washing machine uses 7 gallons of water when doing a wash. So for 1 car....that is: 1/2 gallon to wash the car, 3.5gallons to wash the towels. So 4 gallons. Of course, even less if I wait until its 3 cars worth of towels. VS.....sponge ONR method? You probably use 4 gallons when filling up a 5 gallon rinse bucket? And....you'll have to eventually do a load of laundry anyway...since you shouldn't reuse drying towels (drying towels accumulate any leftover dirt that is on the surface of the car). So...yeah, difference is going to be minimal.
Comparing gary dean vs sponge method....is for ease of use. Dunking a sponge in rinse water would suck in the winter, even in a garage. Plus it takes longer than just flipping to a new side of a towel. Plus I don't have to wait to fill it, or lug the 4 gallons around, etc.
The "organic debris" problem you are having....I definitely don't have, so sounds anecdotal. Maybe because I park cars inside instead of under a tree? Never had an issue with seeds.....only thing on the car is road dirt/bugs. Both come out 99% after the washing machine. Again, just anecdotally, but I've heard the opposite problem with sponges on the detailing forums. That sponges trap hard debris (like a seed) and don't release them when washed vs microfiber, thus sponges have a higher likelihood of microscratches vs towels. (or just, in general, using a rinse bucket doesn't fully release the dirt into the bucket so its safer to use "always clean" side of a microfiber.)
You are going to want a spray bottle (~1 quart) to hold some of the diluted ONR solution. Spray the panel (especially the dirtiest lower side panels and rear panels with the ONR, let soak for 30 seconds before wiping the panel.)Got the car on Tuesday and ordered my supplies last night from Amazon:
ONR Wash and Wax
Chemical Brothers buckets (2)
Chemical Brothers grit filters (1 red, 1 black)
ONR Big Red Sponge
Chemical Brothers El Gordo MF clothes (6 pack)
Should all arrive this weekend and I’m looking forward to giving her a bath as she already has some bugs on her grill
For cleaning the wiper blades first place the wiper blade arms in Service Mode (See Service settings.) Once the wiper blade arms are raised you can move the blade arms across the windshield by hand (this takes a little effort.) If you move one blade arm across the windshield the other blade arm will follow. When you exit the wiper blade Service mode the wiper blade arms will automatically index to the resting position.
You can use the diluted ONR solution on the wiper blades, the diluted ONR solution won't damage the rubber. I alternate cleaning the wiper blades of my 2020 LRMY using a paper towel sprayed with Windex (because it contains ammonia and cleans off oil and grease) and at other times using Invisible Glass (contains alcohol.) I have not yet had to replace the wiper blades (my Model Y is garage kept, rarely exposed to the sun for extended periods.) Keeping the windshield, wiper blades clean reduces wear on the wiper blades.
You can use the diluted ONR solution on the wiper blades, the diluted ONR solution won't damage the rubber. I alternate cleaning the wiper blades of my 2020 LRMY using a paper towel sprayed with Windex (because it contains ammonia and cleans off oil and grease) and at other times using Invisible Glass (contains alcohol.) I have not yet had to replace the wiper blades (my Model Y is garage kept, rarely exposed to the sun for extended periods.) Keeping the windshield, wiper blades clean reduces wear on the wiper blades.
So I have a spray bottle of the diluted ONR which I have been using for spot cleaning between weekend washes. I’ve been just spraying it on small areas that have some dirt and using a microfiber cloth to wipe it off. Then I got wondering if it is okay to use a dry microfiber cloth this way or if I should only be using a cloth dampened with ONR.
Also wondering if anyone uses ONR as a drying agent when washing with something else. I’m planning to do a full wet wash with a foam gun once a month or so.
Also wondering if anyone uses ONR as a drying agent when washing with something else. I’m planning to do a full wet wash with a foam gun once a month or so.
Wiping with a dry cloth could cause micro scratches in the clear coat depending on what has landed on the surface of the vehicle.
No drying agent needed; always wash on a cloudy day or when the sun is starting to get lower in the sky. If the vehicle starts to dry in the wind before I am ready I just spray more water. To dry I use a large microfiber towel like a chamois and pull it across the glass roof and hood. Two large micro fiber towels to dry off the Tesla Model Y without leaving hard water spots. Invisible glass cleaner and a small microfiber wash cloth to clean any residue after wiping down with the towel from the windshield, windows mirrors and rear glass.
No drying agent needed; always wash on a cloudy day or when the sun is starting to get lower in the sky. If the vehicle starts to dry in the wind before I am ready I just spray more water. To dry I use a large microfiber towel like a chamois and pull it across the glass roof and hood. Two large micro fiber towels to dry off the Tesla Model Y without leaving hard water spots. Invisible glass cleaner and a small microfiber wash cloth to clean any residue after wiping down with the towel from the windshield, windows mirrors and rear glass.
I realize my post may not have been clear. I’m spraying the car with dilute ONR and then wiping with a dry microfiber cloth. I was sort of assuming this wasn’t much different than drying the car after a two bucket wash although there is not as much liquid. Is it okay if spray a fair amount on and then do it? Sorry for the silly questions; I haven’t owned a new car on 16 years and have never tried to clean one properly.
If not too much dirt, dust and grime you can use the diluted ONR and spray bottle to clean each section. Just be sure to keep folding over the medium size microfiber with each panel/section or use a clean microfiber for each panel. The dirtiest panels may need a second cleaning.
The ONR car wash method works best if you make this a weekly routine, don't let the dirt accumulate.
flstcgranucci
Member
I am using a hybrid synthetic wax after clay barring.
Maybe after several years my car may grow?
Maybe after several years my car may grow?
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