QuestionI own a medium pearl gray 2005 Maserati coupe and simply want to take good care of the paint. I don't want to spend $85 a week having it washed, and I can't spend two hours every Sunday washing it myself. I need a no-nonsense, step-by-step list of instructions on how to wash my car in order to get it clean without hurting it. Do I need a chamois? Can I use a towel? Do I need special auto soap? Can I use dishwashing liquid? How often should I wash (I live in LA)? What should I do to avoid swirl marks or other damage? Is it evil to ever take it to a car wash? That kind of thing. Can you help? Thanks.
AnswerOk, here it goes.
Get a wash mitt (doesn't have to be wool)a spray nozzle with a flat setting, some car wash soap (don't use dishwasing liquid), an Absorber drying towel, some wheel cleaner, and a shop vac or leaf blower.
First wash the wheels. Wet the wheel, spray on and clean with a rag or better yet an old wash mitt (never use this on the car again) then rinse. Spray out the wheel wells and clean the edges and any other smooth surface you can find. This is also a good time to mist the door jams and rinse them out. Wet the entire car with the nozzle on the Flat setting, and get the mitt very sudsy and wash the top surfaces and rinse. If they start to dry, rinse them quickly. Never put the mitt back into the bucket without rinsing it with the spray nozzle and getting it clean. Never. Ever. Move on to the sides and rinse accordingly. Use the flat setting and create a sheet of water that will rinse the entire surface. It drives me nuts when I see someone nailing their car with a sharp stream of water and the water is bouncing off the car. It obviously isn't rinsing anything that's on the car, right? Wet your Absorber before you start and have it ready. Have your vac or blower ready before you start. As soon as you're done with the final rinse, blow off the top section and then side facing the sun, if applicable. If you know you're in an area with hard water, dry the windows first with the Absorber (Can you tell I think this chamois thing rocks?)to avoid hard water spots. Don't necessarily blow all the water off, but get the water out of the crevices, the trim, around door handles, and especially out of the side mirror area. This will prevent your car weeping water after you've dried it, and reduce water spots and trails that build up after time. Then use the Absorber to dry off the car. DON'T park under a tree for shade, as it will drop sap, leaves, pollen, etc. on your car. Never rub hard to remove sap or something stuck on the car, use some rubbing alchol or lacquer thinner, then wax over it. Don't take it through a car wash unless you have to and only take it to a car wash that is a stand alone car wash, not a car wash that's at a gas station that gets used once in a while. Wash it when it's dirty, which I would thing would be once a week. Wax it every other month. You don't need the ultimate wax with carnuba from the deepest jungles of the Amazon. Get a reputable product like Meguiar's and look at the label, or ask the auto parts guy what's good. (They have a million different types so go with what's available there). Get a responsible neighbor kid or someone from the local church and train them if you know you're going to procrastinate on your crusade to maintain your ride. Give them my instructions and have them start their own wash service. Heck, why not. Plus they get the please of taking car of a sweet ride.
Hope that helps.
PS Get a full exterior detail once a year at least, from a shop that is recommended by a body shop.
