Using two buckets, one for washing and one for rinsing your tools, reducing the introduction of new defects, swirls or scratches as you wash your car.
The first step towards detailing your car is learning to wash your car the right way. You may be ready to dive head first into the journey towards paint perfection, but to ensure all that hard work is worth the effort in the long run you need to learn to wash your car with out introducing new defects or damage. The easiest method to keep your car looking fresh is to wash it yourself using the Two-Bucket Method.
Why Wash Your Car by Hand?
First of all, automatic car washes are a detailers nightmare, especially full-contact car washes. Every time you enter one you are dragging the previous cars filth all over your shiny paint, introducing scratches and swirls not to mention stripping off protective layers with unknown chemicals.
You want to be in control of your cars appearance because you are searching for perfection. Whether it be to keep your shiny new toy factory new or to revitalize your classic project, the first step is to be able to treat the paint with care.
Paint is super expensive to repair. Every contaminant you can stop from touching the surface of your car is just elongating its life and saving you money!
Why Two Bucket?
You understand now that contamination is bad. Just like you wouldn’t want to drag another cars dirt all over your car, you don’t want to drag the dirt from panel to panel as you hand wash your vehicle.
The solution to this is simply the Two Bucket Method. As you move across your car you want to decontaminate, most commonly the Wash Mit, as you go. Wash a panel, Rinse the mitt.
So what is the method to achieve the best results?
Necessary Tools
These tools are must have to be able to begin. There are many more tools and products that can improve the process. I get into those in my Intermediate and Advanced washing methods.
- Two Buckets
- Two Bucket Grit Guards
- A Wash Pad (Alternatively Wash Mit / Microfiber Towels)
- Car Washing Soap
- A Hose or access to water
- A Soft Absorbent Towel to Dry
Method
Getting Started
The Two Bucket method revolves around a simple 3 step process.
- Dunk wash mitt in sudsy water
- Agitate dirt on a panel or small surface area of the car
- Rinse mitt off in clean bucket to remove dirt, and contamination from mitt
- Repeat until car is clean
Full Process
- Rinse car thoroughly
- The goal is to remove as much dirt as possible from the surface.
- A regular hose is perfectly acceptable to use but a power washer can make the entire process much more enjoyable. Get our take on whether you need a power washer here
- Fill Two Buckets
- 1 bucket full of fresh water
- 1 bucket with car washing shampoo
- Dunk wash mitt in Soap Bucket
- Agitate surface
- Top Down Approach
- Linear Motion
- 1 Panel or section at a time
- Rinse Mitt in fresh water
- Rubbing on grit guard to release contaminants and trap them below
- Repeat 3 – 6 until entire car is soapy
- Rinse Car until no soap remains
- Dry with soft absorbent microfibers
- Follow the same process as when agitating, moving top to bottom until all water is removed
- Dry thoroughly to avoid water spots
- If towel is soaked ring out or use a second towel to continue
- Enjoy the results of your hard labor!
5 Tips For the Ultimate Results
Rinse Well
In an idea situation you would be able to wash your car with out touching the paint at all. This just isn’t feasible, but what you can do is ensure that as much dirt is off the surface as possible before ever touching the surface with your hands.
Always top to bottom
The car is cleanest at the top and dirtiest at the bottom. This is due to grime thrown up from the wheels as you drive. The goal is to not drag these contaminants up as you go. By cleaning top to bottom you reduce contamination of clean areas and get the added bonus of soap dripping down the car to loosen any dirt before you reach the area.
Quadrants
I like to break the car down into small sections. This is a great way to ensure you don’t go to long before rinsing your mitt and reapplying soap. You want to keep the mitt as soapy as possible to maintain lubrication between the pad and the painted surface.
Work In the Shade
Working with hot paint can result in substandard results. It is extremely difficult to work with some products when they dry fast, not to mention the risk of water spots appearing if the surface dries before you can rinse any product off. Even worse. working in direct sunlight can soften your cars clear coat making it more susceptible to scratching and marring as you work. If a shady spot is unavailable. Early morning or late afternoon are great times to get great results.
Linear Motion
When physically removing dirt from the car always try to move the wash pad across the panel in a linear motion from the front of the car to the rear and back. Moving your hand in circular motions can be temping but circular scratches are harder to remove in the paint correction phase. Keeping straight lines will save you work in the long run!
