Looking for advice on proper washing procedure

First off, thank you very much to everyone who helped me in this thread regarding what sponge to use.

Now that I've narrowed it down to probably the Lowe's grout sponge, or possibly a wool mitt, I wanted to ask everyone's advice on actual wash procedure (everything in between removal of sponge/mitt from bucket 1 to rinsing it in bucket 2 ). I'll be using the 2 bucket system with either Adam's or Optimum Wash, and am fairly confident I know what I'm doing as far as prerinising and drying the car, just want to confirm the actual sponge-touching-car portion...

So for example, how much (if any at all) pressure do you use? Do you squeeze out the sponge at all before it touches the car? Do you take a fully saturated sponge/mitt and squeeze it as you go to generate more suds? Do you do one gentle pass of a panel (cleaning sponge periodically) and then come back for a slightly firmer round? Etc...

Any and all thoughts/advice for a newbie are greatly appreciated! I have a black car and am trying to avoid swirls as best I can. I've done a couple of ONR washes with a MF mitt (which I didn't love as it got very dirty), and would like to try a traditional wash to see how it goes.

Thanks again!

 

Just a few thoughts to some of your questions...

1. I like to wring my sponge out onto the panel I am washing. Then load the sponge/mitt up with soap again and wipe the panel. This is a good way to loosen grime and ensure good lubrication before your mitt/sponge hits the panel

2. It is better to use light pressure and have to wash a panel twice than use more pressure and inflict defects into the paintwork. This is especially true on a black vehicle.

3. I try to wipe in a front of car to back of car motion. Straight line mind you, not circular.

HTH

 

I don't see anything wrong with wringing the sponge out first onto the panel as long as you using a two bucket system you shouldn't have any contaminants or anything. I personally use a foam gun, soak the whole car then go over it with my two bucket system. I rarely have to re wash any areas.

To ensure that I'm not damaging the paint I always use light pressure. If I have to wash a panel twice I will. In the end it will save me the time, effort, and products to polish out the swirls or scratches you would put into the paint by using a lot of pressure and dragging the dirty and grime all over the paint.

I always do sections first, usually the non-dirtiest to the dirtiest. For example I'll start with the roof, then go to the trunk lid and hood. Then I will do the windows all around. Then move my way down, doing the side skirts and bumpers last.

 

Just realized I missed the original post and thought I was responding to RCrew...been a long day!

I think I touched on all of newbies questions though.

 

Yep, thanks!!

 

Check out this video, its filled with a lot of great tips.

How to Wash Your Car (ShowCar style!)

 

Good Vid.

Personally I like to start on the bonnet(thats Hood for you folks state side) first. Mainly because thats where I feel swirl is most noticeable, so I want to be using the cleanest water Ive got. Then I move to the roof and work down.

one thing I will say about that Vid is I didnt like how he'd clean the lower section of a panel, then move back up to the upper section. Perhaps it was just because he was working quickly to get it done before the sun went.