Maintaining A Flawless Finish - Swirl Free Hand Wash

Now that your car has been detailed, it is important to follow a few of the Dos and Don’ts of proper washing. NEVER take your car through the automated car wash; even touchless car washes can cause damage. Touchless car washes use strong cleaners to remove dirt and debris in a matter of minutes. These same cleaners also remove any wax or paint sealant from exterior car surfaces (glass, paint, wheels) leaving them unprotected from the elements. It is important to maintain a layer of protection on all exterior surfaces to prevent expensive and sometimes permanent damage to your beloved car.

Hand washing is a must if you wish to keep your car looking as good as the day it was detailed. At Critical Details, we always encourage our clients to use the Two Bucket Method. One bucket is filled with car shampoo and the other bucket is filled with rinse water. After each car panel is cleaned the wash media (mitt, sponge, towel) is wrung out in the rinse bucket releasing the dirt and debris into the rinse bucket. Once the wash media is free of contamination it is ready to be placed into the shampoo bucket and be used on another car panel. Always wash in a straight line and use a designated mitt, sponge or towel to clean lower car panels to prevent swirl marks. Washing in a circular motion or with contaminated wash media is a guaranteed way to inflict countless dollars of wash induced damage.

Now that we have covered the basic technique of maintaining a flawless finish it is time to discuss the necessary tools and products. Grit-Guards are five gallon bucket inserts that act as a baffle to limit lower bucket water turbulence. Grit-Guards trap dirt and debris in the bottom of the buckets and help prevent wash induced damage. A foam gun or foam cannon if you have access to a pressure washer is another way to further reduce the chances of inflicting wash induced damage. Foam guns/cannons work by applying car shampoo to exterior car surfaces loosening dirt and debris before physically touching the car. Equally important to using proper tools and techniques is buying quality products. It is important to buy a quality car shampoo and never use household soaps or detergents to wash your car.

If you have any questions about proper car care please feel free to call or email Critical Details.

Hand Wash

Our gentle hand wash will help keep car surfaces swirl free between correction details. Purchase a weekly or bi-weekly hand wash plan and save up to 25%.

• Tires, wheels and wheel wells are cleaned with a PH balanced cleaner.
• Exterior paint and glass receive a high pressure foam pre-soak.
• Gentle hand wash using two buckets equipped with grit guards.
• Door jambs are thoroughly cleaned.
• Paint and glass are dried using premium microfiber towels.
• Tires are dressed in a matte finish.