just curious as to how long it takes everyone to wash and clean their box. and also how many times a month??

i.e. i wash and clean mine once a week. it takes me about 2 hours to do.

just interested cause i get a lotta crap from some of my friends (not big car enthusists) and neighbors. about how i spend too much time cleaning it and their car will look the same if they take it to the car wash.

im kinda picky on how my car looks... and i dont like the image of it being dirty. a clean car looks wayy better. and by washing it myself i feel more accomplished on how it looks. IMO

so in conclusion i just wanna kinda get a feel if 2 - 2+ hrs is TOO long. haha =)

 

way too long.. i'm soooo outta shape.. LOL

my longest was 6 hours straight, detailing..

i try to wash my box once a week, and a nice wax job once a month at least..

 

Wash and dry by hand, 3 bucket method, including rims, tires, wheel wells and door jambs…..about 1 hr. Once a week wash.

 

I don't have a box, but to clean my tC it takes anywhere from 30 min to 3hrs... depends on how much I want to do. If the inside is clean, then I just get the outside and that takes a while. If it's been raining and I want to clean the inside then that just takes a few minutes.

But a total clean... vacuum and shine the inside, wash and dry the outside and clean the wheels = roughly 2 hours. And I try to do this once a week... unless it's raining and I will skip it until my next day off.

Last time I waxed it... that was a different story. That took a while...

 

I take about 2-3hrs to wash, dry, wax, clean rims, shine tires, vacuum and wipe everything down on my tC. Don't let other people knock what you enjoy doing man. My friends nag on me taking that long doing mine but the results are SOOOO worth it. I love my car and she deserves the best. Take pride in what you do with your box. Now if you spent all day doing your box then that may be an issue LOL

 

*head out of gutter* I'll be good....

 

A tip: I do not have a washer/dryer at my place, so I have a vacum that plugs into the cig. lighter. While my clothes are washing. I can vacum the interior, do the windows and protect the interior plastic while I wait. Makes me feel like I am getting something accomplished instead of just sitting there and reading (or whatever) while the clothes get clean

 

damn heathen about an hour?! how do you do it? i wash and dry by hand as well. including rims, tires, wheel wells, door jambs, engine bay, and hatch.

tips? plus what is a 3 bucket method? lol!

oh and i also cleaned my interior today... took 3+ =/ worth it though.

 

Longest it has ever taken me was 6.5 hours and that consisted of a wash, dry, wax, wheel shine, interior shine, vacuum and a final wipe down with a microfiber or diaper tower to kill the accrued dust and a lot of water drinking. I live in Florida and the heat will kill you. Hell look at the other Florida person in this thread... another 6 hour wash!

The xB stayed clean for about 3 full weeks after that wash with continuous quick detail spray wipe downs.

On a regular it’s about 2.5 hours, which consists of a solid wash, wheel shine, and interior shine.

 

depending on hat im doing, Just a wash takes about an hour and a half. If im getting ready for a show....about 3+ lol

 

was that directed towards me?

 

About three hours to do the whole sheebang, 4 or more if I get really intense with the interior brushes or do the f@#$#ing grill. That's about once a month. Continuous quick detailing during the week, sometimes a rinse and dry. Windows frequently.

Somebody here is responsible for my Autopia addiction. I can never go back. I need to learn to use an orbital buffer next.

Think of all the terrible things you could be doing with your time. Be thankful you are spending it constructively.

I'm detailing my boyfriend's car for his birthday as a surprise. He barely washes it now, so the difference will be quite something.

 

speaking of detailing and such... anyone had any exp with spray-on claybar?

 

with me and the old lady cleaning the box it takes us about 90 min. i do the out side and she dose the inside. and i clean the box every chance i get

 

Thanks man.

Well, I look at it as a cardio routine so I push myself to keep going and not waste steps, therefore time. Mentally go through your routine and find ways to save time….initially, it took me over an hour just to do the body, but refinement of my technique gave me quicker and quicker times.

If you really want some details on the "bucket method", search for a post by "accumulator" on the autopia website. He actually uses a 5 bucket method, but I dropped it to 3 - first bucket is for soapy water, the other two plain 'ol water. Soap down your roof (I do use a foam gun to lube my paint before a MF wash mitt even touches it and multiple mitts) and clean as usual, then rinse off mitt well in #2 and then again in #3 before returning to #1….this keeps debris out of the wash bucket. Repeat as usual.

For proof of how well it works from keeping crap out of the wash bucket, try it out and let all 3 buckets sit overnight. I see #2 as the dirtiest, and #3 only very, very lightly dirty. #1 is crystal clear except for the slight soap haze in the water.

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Random:
Rinse car - foam car (let it sit for a minute or two) - quick rinse (no need to be perfect) - refoam. Then proceed with wash. This gets a majority of the dirt off your box before you even touch the paint. Very important step IMO.

Plain 'ol dishwashing soap works wonders for wheels/tires/wells if you are smart enough to keep it off your paint. Even the inner cup of the wheel still shines after two years. Looks like the wheels went on yesterday. The wells look like the day I bought the car w/ 2 miles on the ODO.

Always run your MF mitt over your paint the same way air travels over it when driving. This keeps any light scratches going in a single line and lessens the visual impact of them. NEVER wash in circles.

If you have not discovered it yet, look in to Klasse Paint Sealant. Superior to any carnuba based wax and lasts for 6 months, even in the California sun. You cab layer carnuba on top if you want a "deeper" shine.

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I could go on and on, but I would rather point you in the direction of the masters on Autopia. I am humbled by the techniques discussed on there, especially accumulators theories and zen of the wash.

As always, your mileage (and opinions) may vary. I only know what works for me.

 

lets see now....

take my car late in the evening to a 24 car wash. and do the hand wash. that takes about 30 minutes.

to dry takes an hour maybe more.

so total about 3 hours to wash and with a wash and wax, (every other week depending on mood and weather) takes at least 4.

i love turtle wax's ICE products. I've used their liquid clay bar and paste and liquid wax. all are excellent products.

i really like the pasts because i don't miss any spots. the liquid is as good as the paste. its a choice of preference. both are excellent.

the secret is good, clean microfiber. i bought a huge pack from Advance Auto Parts. and they worked very well.

the ICE spray detailer is good for the inbetweens. gets rid of pollen and ocean salt easilly.

 

sweet. i tried to claybar one day. bought the mother's kit. got the hood, front of car, and drivers fender done before i dropped the bar. ='( havent tried to do it again since.

but when i was purchasing the mothers kit... i saw the liquid claybar. was just wondering if it was any good or worth buying. thx for the info firesquare. i think ill try that this week.

oh and the microfiber pack you bought. what was the brand. cause i have some polishing towels but they suck. all they do is push the dirt and dust around. worthless. lol

 

i wish i can tell you. just a huge pack of microfiber towels at AAP.

they're pretty big too

 

let's see....I wipe my car every morning before I leave the house...takes about 20 minutes. I wash it about once a week, takes about 2 hours. Now when I was getting ready for a show last week, I spent about 15 hours inside and out...even waxed the rear springs and anti-sway bar...lol..Most people definitely think I a bit obsessive about my car....

 

they say obsessive... i say dedicated.

i cant wait till my first meet/show... i wanna go to one soo bad. even though my mods arent very much atm, still seems like a lotta fun to take part.