My Tesla is in the NOVA area (near Fairfax) so I can talk about local conditions. Many of the people using ONR are California residents where they deal with a lot of dust, not much rain, minimal road salt/winter crap and also have water restrictions.
First -- With regards to PPF film, I highly recommend American Shine Detailing (
Northern VA's Detail Specialists | Ceramic Coating | PPF | Tint | Sterling VA). Call and talk to Brian (703-340-8640). He's got a phenomenal team including a PPF film guy who is a true artist. After a lot of back and forth and visiting four places in the area before I got my car, I settled on Brian. You can visit them any time and will likely see 2-3 Teslas in the shop along with some seriously high-end, exotic cars (last time I was there he also had a McLaren and a Aston Martin in the shop). Brian will walk you through all the options (film ceramic coating, etc.). Total cost was just north of $4K.
I walked in planning on front end film to protect from paint chips (I hate little chips in the hood and I keep cars for 8-10 years or longer). I ended up getting PPF over the entire car and a coating on top to protect everything (including the glass and wheels). Makes cleaning a breeze, water just beads up and flows right off during rain or a wash. I got the car in March 2017. In the Spring of 2018 and 2019 (last week) I take the car in for a full detail and treatment. Cost was $250/3 hours of time (i just sat in their office area in one of the big recliners and did work on my laptop). I consider this a full cleaning of the car to get rid of all the winter stuff that just tends to build up and get the car looking good for the next year.
Following the spring cleaning, here is my method (I live in a house with a garage and wash the car in the driveway):
- I have an electric pressure washer (one of the $99 deals, I just didn't have the need for a gas one even though they are better), and foam applicator cannon/gun. I use the Chemical guys citrus foam. Car gets a water coating with the washer (40 degree tip/lowest pressure nozzle) and then the foam and I let it sit for 2-3 minutes. While this is sitting I fill two 5 gallon buckets. One is just water and has a grit guard insert. The other is water with a capful of the Optimum car Wash (I think G4 is the wash but can't remember). I then wash all the wheels with a wheel cleaner foam tool on a stick. Always rinse in the rinse bucket to avoid grit in the soap bucket. I then hit car with the washer again to clear the foam. If the car wasn't too dirty (light wash), this is it and i now dry the car. If it was pretty dirty (say every 2-3 weeks) I next wash the car with the wash bucket...start at roof, then all windows, then hatch in back and the hood. Rinse car with regular hose, not pressure washer. Then I start on front quarter panel, wash my way all around the car going down to the line about 4 inches above the bottom of the doors (there is a natural ridge). I rinse the car after each side of car is done. Once I get nose cone done and rinsed (takes a bit to get all the soap out of the inserts around the louver). Next I go around the sides below the ridge and also do the area UNDER the car doors (a couple of inches) as well as the area under the back of the car (the black piece). I save these for last as they tend to be dirtier and have some road crap on them. Once all washed and rinsed, I proceed to drying. Use multiple soft drying towels. Start with front windshield, then roof, then back hatch. Then do hood, one side of car, around to back, other side of car, nose cone. Then pop frunk and open it. Dry the silver area around the "T", any water on the plastic pieces. I dry the outer part of the bottom of frunk lid where water collects working my way to back of the lid (near windshield). While drying that, I can also lift the wiper blades (you can't do this with the frunk closed) and clean them and the bottom of windshield). Once it's all done, close frunk. Go to rear hatch and open it. You'll discover that a LOT of water collects in the wells the rear brake lights sit in and drips out. Dry the outer part of the inside of the hatch as well as the part of the car body the hatch sits in. Check for the 4 rubber caps that cover the screws on each side of the back of the hatch underneath...they tend to come off. Once I have it as dry as can be and it has pretty much stopped dripping, I close the hatch and then catch any drips on the outside. Next I open each door, clean around the window, around the bottom and back of door and around the door jam. Finalize by applying HD-dress (no financial interest, just a great product) to the tires.
If it is winter and too cold to wash the car outside, I go to a self-serve pressure washer place about once a month and just use the pressure washer soap and wash to knock off the dirt and get the road dirt/salt off the car. I have thought about using the optimum no-rinse product in my garage and may try that next year. Just haven't tried it yet and my garage is pretty small making access to one side of the car impossible, so I'd have to wash one side, pull car out and then back it in to get the other.
I realize this is a long post but hopefully it's helpful. If you'd like to talk, drop me a DM and we'll exchange contact info. I'm actually in Virginia for the next two weeks before I head overseas again...
