I know everyone has their own best practices when it comes to washing your ride, but I have a couple questions.

First off I only use Blue Coral brand car wash..its obviously blue in color in a clear jug.......you can get it at walmart in a gallon jug for like 3 bucks and it foams up really well with soft water and it puts a good lube on the paint while you are hand washing.

1. what do you use to apply tireshine to your tires without leaving lint. I usually use a towel to rub it on the tires but it leaves white lint behind. I don't like using the spray kind because you get overspray on everything like your paint, rims etc and it leaves a greasy look to everything when you just want the tires to shine.

2. What do you use to hand dry your car? I don't want to use the Mr. Clean auto dry as I have a water softener with a special hose bib just for washing cars, so i don't have a big issue with water spots but it does not dry perfectly on its own. I usually use a natural leather chamois but after a while it gets buildup on it and they dry out and become more abrasive over time. Also they are expensive to replace often.

3. What is the best stuff to remove bugs and road tar from the front bumper cover and the lower mudguard area where the tires kick up stuff... I have mudguards on all 4 wheel wells but sometimes stuff gets by them..... Also do you wash the car first and then use the bug a tar remover afterward to get what normal washing leaves behind?

I know many of you think this is common knowledge stuff but I'm wanting to know what you show guys use to keep your rides looking good and do it the right way. I really want to keep my car looking good for many years and I'm trying to avoid swirl marks on the paint at all costs.

 

1. you can buy an applicator made from foam. even a sponge will do. i would make a cut out for the rims from cardboard, if you wanna use the spray, then go over it with sponge/foam to even and dissapate the shine. i hate the crazy gloss look. sometimes i just use castrol super clean on my tires and don't shine them at all. castrol super clean is the $h!t! as soon as you spray it on you will see all this brown crap running from the tire, then it dries flat black not brown. but do not use it when its windy. it'll strip the oils from your paint like nothin.
2. i used to use an absorber but now i only use a waffle weave microfiber towel with silk edges.
3.yes that is the best way. wash first so you don't rub in and scratch up your paint then remove the stains. i personally like to lube up the tar a little stain a little with a quick detailing spray. i apply very little pressure, to prevent anything stuck to the tar/stain from scratching the paint, and repeat multiple times until the stain/tar is removed.
then i would clay bar the paint.

 

1. i use www.shiningmonkey.com sprry on tire stuff. it works great, you don't need an applicator and it won't spray all over your car. this is something you should try if you don't like the greasy look and getting overspray on everything

2. i use mr. clean also, but i dry the car afterwards. to dry the car i use the absorber. be sure to was it every once in a while though

3. best way to remove bugs and tar is a clay bar. first wash the car with a home dishwasher soap (ie. dawn) only if you plan to wax the car afterwards since it will remove the wax. then use the clay bar