All products I refer too (and comments about them) are at end. I’m not discussing grit guards, buckets, wash mitts, etc. I'm not affiliated to any of companies or products
Summary
New to detailing. Spent a lot of time trying to figure out components, etc. Hope it helps someone out
Very quick setup/teardown
Only 1 hose trails me and doesn’t get stuck
Spotless rinse, so no water spots
A bit of history
Up until a few months ago, I’d never been one for washing my own car or any kind of detailing. Now I have a Rupes ES15 MKII. Porter Cable Metrovac, CR Spotless system, and a ton of detailing products. I’ve also done a little wet sanding.
Why the change? In December (Chicago) I bought a 3 year old, black (eek) BMW 535xi with 14K mile on it. Was in good condition apart from a few scratches on bumpers and some curb rash on two wheels. Dealership had bumpers repainted and all 4 wheels refinished. Was $26K below original purchase price, so I think it was a good deal.
Being winter and not having all the gear from washing (and my garage doubling as a wood shop), I decided to take it to a reputable hand-wash place. (Yes, I know you’re all cringing, but now, so am I). They did a crap job and I found it really stressful: watching them ding the paint with the bottles hanging off their pockets, using cloths that had been god knows where, etc. I told them they did a crap job: there was a 3 foot by 1 foot streak of dirt on one side and they “fixed” it by wiping it over outside in the dark (5pm in winter).
The next week, I took it to the other "reputable" hand wash place. Equally stressful. I asked for spray wax and when they’d “finished” there were wax streaks everywhere. I pointed them out to the kid who was finishing the car. He tried for a while and then gave up and got manager. He was rude, made a lame attempt, and then blamed it on the weather.
After paying $20 a pop with tip and getting stressed, I decided it was time to do it myself. Not having the gear or the space, I went to the touchless place and then when drove home and dried it (after the ice thawed). Finally, I went over it with quick detailer.
Did this for a few weeks. Bought a lot of detailing products and microfiber towels and the metrovac mini (originally for blowing out dust on the inside). Got a good deal on the mini when it was on sale at Adam’s Polishers and got an additional 15% off with a coupon). Then I started using it to blow the water out of mirrors, etc. and then dried most of the car with it and finished off with a quick detailer or spray wax as part of the drying process.
In the meantime, my buddy bought me a PORTER-CABLE 7424XP 6-Inch Variable-Speed Polisher and some Wolfgang products and I (very nervously) started doing paint correction. My buddy let me try his Makita rotary on his daily driver SUV and he bought a Flex, which we used on my car to buff out a scratch. Ultimately, I wet sanded the scratch. Paint correction and polishing is something I enjoy and I wanted a step up from the Porter Cable. I got an unexpected bonus at work, so splurged on a Rupes Bigfoot 15 Mark II ultimate kit (with Rupes pads and compounds) and looking forward to trying that out.
Back to car washing. I started using ONR for rinseless maintenance washes. I like ONR. I plan to try the Meguiars D11501 Gallon Rinse Free Express Wash And Wax.
After a few weeks, I was so impressed with the mini metrovac, I was planned to buy the Masterblaster (using some of my bonus). I thought it was around $300, but the new model is over $400. (I have a weakness for buying the newest or best I can afford). A buddy of mine who’s big into detailing and uses a full-size leaf blower said he’s read some so-so reviews and junkman had reviewed it on YouTube, saying he wouldn’t recommend a weekend warrior buy it. As I was searching reviews, I stumbled across the CR spotless water system and I thought why not attack the problem at the other end: eliminate the possibly of water spots instead of having to dry the car quickly enough to avoid them (and be able to wash my house windows too)? So, I read a ton of reviews, watched a load of YouTube videos and decided it was the way to go. I bought a TDS meter (see below). Measured my TDS: 146. According the chart from CR Spotless (see below), I could get about 600 gallons of water on one refill. I figured, using the spotless for final rinse only (seems to be the common practice), it would cost me about 25 cents per wash in consumables. After much comparison of the models and much deliberation, I opted for the DI-120 Medium Output Standing System, which was a little over $200. It arrived last weekend and I used it for both the house windows and final rinse on the car. Just as everyone said, and as advertised (for a change), it worked: no water spots!
Although, I own a Karcher gas pressure washer, I wanted an electric one as they are quieter, zero maintenance, and use less water. I originally had no plans to buy one—mostly because I didn’t want to spend more needless money and, from what I’d read, most of the small electric ones are garbage. When I read how much less water they use than a hose, I decided I'd buy one after all. I ended up buying a Greenworks GPW150 largely based on reviews and mentions of their customer service.
I also bought the MTM Hydro Professional Adjustable Foam Cannon. This comes with a Karcher fitting and adapters that are supposed to fit other pressure washers. The ¼-inch quick disconnect does not fit the Greenworks. It’s close, but it is too long to lock in. Below is a picture.
The pressure washer tip is on top and the adapter supplied with the foam cannon is below. The profiles are slightly different and the adapter supplied with the cannon is slightly longer. I bought a Power Care 1/4 in. Male to 1/4 in. Female Quick-Connect NPT Brass Coupler from Home Depot.
I hooked up a Y adapter to the garden hose and attached quick release fittings to make it easy to go from plain water to spotless for the final rinse.
My First Pressure Washer Car Wash
Because of the problem with the fitting on the foam cannon, I couldn’t use it, so I just hosed down the car, washed by hand and rinsed with the spotless. Being impatient, I did blow a lot of the water off with both a full size corded leaf blower and the Makita cordless. It was a pain: having to move the pressure washer, the hoses to and from the pressure washer and the power cord. I hated the full-size leaf blower, yet another cord and I hit the car 3 times while wrangling cords. The Makita cordless was brilliant. It’s not that much more powerful than the Metrovac, but cordless is king. The big benefit is that I can take it with me to the touchless place in winter and get most the water off before leaving.
My Perfect System 1.0
I wanted to find a way of not having to trail multiple cords and hose around and to stop cords and hoses getting stuck under the car wheels. Two products that perfected my system:
Hose Slide - Ultimate Car Washing Accessory (4 Pack, Green)
The Uberflex hose, while pricey at $45, allows me to wall-mount the pressure washer and have ONE hose to move around. It’s night and day compared to the supplied 20-foot hose and having to keep moving all the hoses and cables. The Hose slides are brilliant too, as they stop the hose (or cables) getting stuck under the wheels while moving round the car.
Connections
A Y adapter connects to two short hoses: one to the spotless system input and the other to the pressure washer for the initial rinse and wash. For the final rinse, I connect to the output of the CR Spotless to the pressure washer (all with quick disconnects). At the hose, I just switch on or off the water to the spotless or hose using the levers on the Y adapter
My full car wash process (weather permitting) is
Put car sideways on garage apron
Connect Y adapter onto garden hose with quick disconnect.
Connect left branch of Y to pressure washer
Rinse car and then foam cannon it
Wash with microfiber mitts
Turn off left branch, disconnect connect pressure washer hose from Y and connect to spotless ouptut
Remove soap bottle and rinse cannon with spotless
Remove cannon and fit 40-degree tip
Rinse car
Put in garage and leave to dry or dry with Makita cordless blower if I can't wait.
This has a surprising amount of power, soft rubber tips and warms the air a little. Love it, but hardly use it now I have the cordless leaf blower.
Pressure Washer
Greenworks GPW1501 13 amp 1500 PSI 1.2 GPM Electric Pressure Washer ($84.99) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Not much to say. Works well. Wall mounted so nothing trailing me except the hose to the wand.
Pressure Washer Hose
UBERFLEX Kink Resistant Pressure Washer Hose 1/4" x 50' 3,100 PSI with (2) 22MM ($45.99) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
A bit pricey, but the pressure washing process is night and day compared to having to keep re-locating the pressure washer. The pressure washer is now wall mounted and ONLY this hose (from washer to wand) follows me.
Hose Slide
Hose Slide - Ultimate Car Washing Accessory (4 Pack, Green) ($19.99) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Another night and day experience product. It’s so great not having hoses or cables getting stuck under tires as you move around the car.
Cordless leaf blower
Makita DUB182Z 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Blower (Bare Tool Only) ($99) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This little thing is brilliant. Can dry 90% of car on one battery charge. I already have Makita tools so had batteries and charger. Not sure I would have bought it if I had to buy the charger and batteries too. Batteries can found cheaply now. I bought a pair on ebay for $90 a pair. They may be chinese knock-offs, but if they are they are very good ones. Look perfect and have used for a few years without issues. The tip of the blower is soft rubber too, so no damage if you hit car.
Does what it says on the can. Used it on my house windows and car. No spots. Should get 600 gallons on one cartridge, so about 25 cents per wash in consumables ($45 for enough resin for 2 refills). The chart below shows how much water can be treated. My city water’s TDS is 146.
I use this to split water to spotless and pressure washer. Connect left to pressure washer input (with quick disconnect) for wash and right to spotless input. For final rinse, connect pressure washer input to spotless output.
Quick Connects
A8011 Deluxe Pressure Washer Garden Hose Brass Quick Connect Kit 2 Sets (4 PCS) ($7.99) https://www.amazon.com/A8011-Deluxe-...K4XV4ATP21X3TH
Makes it quick to switch from plain water to spotless and to attach Y adapter to Hose end.
Foam Cannon
MTM Hydro Professional Adjustable Foam Cannon with Bayonet, 2600 PSI ($60) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Good set up! I got the same Rupes system as yours.
I wished I had this chart before doing correction work on my car. Print out the chart and have in bag with you! will save you days of work.
Good set up! I got the same Rupes system as yours.
I wished I had this chart before doing correction work on my car. Print out the chart and have in bag with you! will save you days of work.
After 17 hour bitter lesson, I've printed out the charts and copied the paragraph under each chart. Printed those paragraph into a word doc. Printed those out--cut and taped the paragraphs onto the charts. Then I've copied and printed those out. Now have one chart with descriptions all together. Taking those to kinkos and having them laminated. That way they are waterproof and in my bag.
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Originally Posted by TMQ
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