Your preferred method of washing your model 3?

[P85_DA]

Is a pressurized sprayer any better than a regular spray bottle in this case? Do you have a water deionizer (they seem expensive)?

I use pressure washer for hose connected to double chuck water deionizer ...only reason I use a flow master is doesn’t use much water and I can do in my garage ..given California is still in somewhat drought conditions want to do my part ...if I’m lazy I will just use water deionizer (double chuck ) foam down ..spray off and it will dry in sun without spots

 

[favo]

...if I’m lazy I will just use water deionizer (double chuck ) foam down ..spray off and it will dry in sun without spots

This one, I guess? Deionized DIY Spotless Car Wash System at Home - Simple Chuck

 

[P85_DA]

This one, I guess? Deionized DIY Spotless Car Wash System at Home - Simple Chuck

Yes

 

[svp6]

Touchless carwash for me.

 

[Nvbob]

Hand wash using Adams Polishes products

 

[pandam3]

Yes

Just saw the thread, watched the YouTube videos, and picked up a simple chuck.

My Model 3 is already ceramic pro coated.
I’ve been washing it using this technique
1) use pressure washer w/ tap water+ mtm foam canon + chemical guys vitalize soap to foam the car
2) rinse with pressure washer w/ tap water
3) if I’m not lazy then 2 bucket method with more of the soap and tap water
4) rinse with pressure washer and dry with leaf blower
5) detail any remaining water spots with chemical guys vitalize detail spray

Now with the simple chuck I’ll probably replace step 4) with rinse with pressure washer + simple chuck and walk away (I got the bypass valve as well so I can just use the simple chuck only during the rinse phase). If I’m not feeling lazy I can blow dry with the leaf blower and add a coat of vitalize detailer.

Am I doing that right?

 

[P85_DA]

Just saw the thread, watched the YouTube videos, and picked up a simple chuck.

My Model 3 is already ceramic pro coated.
I’ve been washing it using this technique
1) use pressure washer w/ tap water+ mtm foam canon + chemical guys vitalize soap to foam the car
2) rinse with pressure washer w/ tap water
3) if I’m not lazy then 2 bucket method with more of the soap and tap water
4) rinse with pressure washer and dry with leaf blower
5) detail any remaining water spots with chemical guys vitalize detail spray

Now with the simple chuck I’ll probably replace step 4) with rinse with pressure washer + simple chuck and walk away (I got the bypass valve as well so I can just use the simple chuck only during the rinse phase). If I’m not feeling lazy I can blow dry with the leaf blower and add a coat of vitalize detailer.

Am I doing that right?

Yes definitely this is the lazy method ...when I don’t feel like drying

 

[israndy]

Touchless carwash for me.

Yeah, when we come off the highway after a road trip we go straight for the Isle 1 wash at Nob Hill grocery.

If the car has been sitting and needs a wash from pollen mixing with dew I use my Mister Clean to get it all washed off and spray wax while drying to keep it shiny.

-Randy

 

[Hans L]

Mind if I ask - how dirty are your cars when you wash them? Some of the recommendations seem very laborious if your car is only dusty. I live in SoCal and this time of year, we don't get rain, so cars don't really get dirty...just dusty, a little road grime, a bug or two, and being closer to the coast, sometimes a moisture film layer. The car is also garaged.

So I just use a water spray bottle and dry the car off. If it's really dusty, I'll rinse with water first - but just water, never soap. That work or am I at risk of damaging the paint??

 

[m3tx]

Mind if I ask - how dirty are your cars when you wash them? Some of the recommendations seem very laborious if your car is only dusty. I live in SoCal and this time of year, we don't get rain, so cars don't really get dirty...just dusty, a little road grime, a bug or two, and being closer to the coast, sometimes a moisture film layer. The car is also garaged.

So I just use a water spray bottle and dry the car off. If it's really dusty, I'll rinse with water first - but just water, never soap. That work or am I at risk of damaging the paint??

Just replace the water spray bottle with a waterless wash spray bottle, you'll greatly reduce risks of scratches vs just water, and car will be shiny, should not take much longer than what you do now

 

[seattlite2004]

This one, I guess? Deionized DIY Spotless Car Wash System at Home - Simple Chuck

I also found this DIY....but it looks like they might have turnkey kit:

 

[israndy]

Yeah, that's why I use the Mr. Clean. It has the same setup. Has a water filter for spotless drying. If I lived in SoCal where it is really dry I would probably just use the California Duster.

I have not had dew here for a month, so I do have the duster out now, but since I got the car in March I have mostly done the wash thing. My neighbor says "Wish your car saved as much water as it saves gas". I also have the Turtle Wax Bug and Tar at the ready, I have a lot of birds overhead.

-Randy

 

[Hans L]

Yeah, that's why I use the Mr. Clean. It has the same setup. Has a water filter for spotless drying. If I lived in SoCal where it is really dry I would probably just use the California Duster.

View attachment 325384

I have not had dew here for a month, so I do have the duster out now, but since I got the car in March I have mostly done the wash thing. My neighbor says "Wish your car saved as much water as it saves gas". I also have the Turtle Wax Bug and Tar at the ready, I have a lot of birds overhead.

-Randy

Yep - use CA Duster every-other day. But about once week, need to lightly rinse it to remove road grime, bugs, and a film layer of whatever that builds up.

 

[follow.johnny]

For light dust - I just use a leaf blower to blow off the dust on my model 3. It also helps having my entire coat ceramic coated so most of the dust doesn't cling onto the paint.

 

[WattsHappening]

Mind if I ask - how dirty are your cars when you wash them? Some of the recommendations seem very laborious if your car is only dusty. I live in SoCal and this time of year, we don't get rain, so cars don't really get dirty...just dusty, a little road grime, a bug or two, and being closer to the coast, sometimes a moisture film layer. The car is also garaged.

So I just use a water spray bottle and dry the car off. If it's really dusty, I'll rinse with water first - but just water, never soap. That work or am I at risk of damaging the paint??

If you want to reduce risk of scratches and also get better results, rather than just water, mix some ONR with distilled water (16:1 dilution) and put into spray bottle.

 

[Remonster]

If it's really dusty, I'll rinse with water first - but just water, never soap. That work or am I at risk of damaging the paint??

I live in CA too and mainly have road grime and dust. I use a Kozak rag for my day to day dustings. It's not abrasive, but I woulden't go scrubbing bugs off with it.

https://www.amazon.com/Kozak-1050-A...9993&sr=8-3&keywords=kozak+auto+drywash+cloth

 

[hoops129]

Has anyone tried to apply ceramic coating themselves? Wondering how easy/hard it actually is. Watching a couple of youtube videos, it seems very easy so I don't understand why a professional charges $1500. What am I missing?

When I asked a body shop, they tried to tell me that if I let it flash for too long, it'll permanently damage my paint. Seems like a good pointer, so why wouldn't I just make sure I wipe down soon after application? Seems trivial to me.

 

[JoganJani]

Has anyone tried to apply ceramic coating themselves? Wondering how easy/hard it actually is. Watching a couple of youtube videos, it seems very easy so I don't understand why a professional charges $1500. What am I missing?

When I asked a body shop, they tried to tell me that if I let it flash for too long, it'll permanently damage my paint. Seems like a good pointer, so why wouldn't I just make sure I wipe down soon after application? Seems trivial to me.

Professional apply several coats. Also includes the paint corrections. You have to have a paint in pristine condition. But it's not very difficult. I'm going to apply my own. Planning to use carpro cquartz UK 3. Deciding on which product I should use to prep the car after clay.

 

[Hans L]

I live in CA too and mainly have road grime and dust. I use a Kozak rag for my day to day dustings. It's not abrasive, but I woulden't go scrubbing bugs off with it.

https://www.amazon.com/Kozak-1050-A...9993&sr=8-3&keywords=kozak+auto+drywash+cloth

sroh and Remonster - just ordered ONR and the Kozak cloths. Look forward to trying them out.

 

[hoops129]

He told me the paint correction is $300. That seems more labor intensive than applying the ceramic. Maybe I'll have him do the paint correction and then do the rest myself.