Brilliant2U

I know a lot of you love your cars and treat them right...I am curious where do you wash your cars and what products do you use for exterior/interior/leather...

dubbrand

In my driveway then finish in my garage. I use stuff from Chemical Guys. Everything Ive gotten from them has been great. I used their coating when I first bought my Q8 and it constantly has a shine on it now even when its dirty

KevinGary

I am also a fan of the personal hand wash. I am a big fan of the Sonax and Nextzett lines. Take a look at Detailers Domain’s website

OldSchool24

Griot's Garage Leather Care Spray. It's non-greasy and excellent for perforated leather. And, I live in an apartment and wash my car in an underground garage. My current car (FPace) is ceramic coated and when my Q8 arrives, I plan to have that coated as well. Highly recommend it, but not cheap.

doctorharrison

2019 A7 Lurker here...

Opti-Coat Pro Plus Ceramic Coating (pricey but IMO worth it) and XPEL front end protection film
Optimum No Rinse (2 two gallon buckets (recycled winter sidewalk salt buckets) with grit guards) - follow dilution guidelines
Big Red Sponge
Appropriate microfiber towels (NOT Costco) from The Rag Company
Air compressor with Tornador blow-out toot to clean grill spaces, blow water off wheels and wheel barrels, jambs, etc.

Retired and clearly with too much time on my hands
note: no hose required other than to fill buckets

BigHat

Basically what I do. Kamikaze coating, XPEL PPF, wash sometimes, but also use ONR. I don't use a sponge and never return a high end microfiber towel to the clean solution. About 4 towels wash the entire car and I flip then into fourths which gives me eight clean panels per towel. I use clean towels to dry the car section by section and once a month use Kamikaze Covercoat as a protective layer for the protective layer.

AMDG75

Always in garage or driveway. With underlying benefit of Xpel and Opticoat Pro:
Wash: Two buckets. Optimum No Rinse, can be used just below freezing. Use microfiber mitt
Dry: Water blade and/or microfiber rags. Like Cobra waffle weave, but any good quality microfiber fine (Rag Company, Autogeek). Optimum instant detail when drying or in between washes
Wheels: Sonax Wheel Cleaner plus
Windows: Invisible Glass
Tire dressing: PIA, so often omit

Periodically: IronX, particularly more often on wife's wife car

Brilliant2U

Thanks guys! Another question: will the car wash soaps hurt the lawn?

Brilliant2U

Thanks doctorharrison. I have a dumb question: is there any reason why "not Costco"? I was about to get some from Costco.

doctorharrison

I am no expert in this, by any means, but in comparing the difference of a quality microfiber (from the Rag Company or Chemical Guys) versus Costco's, the feel and absorbency is miles apart. The quality microfibers are much more plump, softer, not at all stiff or "grabby" like Costco's. Rinseless washing (Optimum No Rinse and others) solutions encapsulate the dirt and free it from the surface, so it can be literally wiped away using minimal pressure. The microfibers' role is to hold the dirt and lift it from the surface and then release it in the rinse bucket. The higher end fabrics are actually engineered to do this. The idea is not to leave swirl marks in the clear coat. There is a world of difference between your standard driveway wash which is absolutely fine for the vast majority of car owners (shall we say 99+%) and methods used by professional detailers. These are the guys you take your car to when you want to restore it to better than factory new.

Again, please don't flame me - I've got no horse in this race. For many - actually, for most - a driveway wash with Costco microfibers yields a clean car. All well and good. But I'm retired, I've got time on my hands, and I'll put up my paint-corrected, Opti-Coat Pro Plus™ ceramic coated, ONR rinse less washed car against any and every factory new paint job there is. Overkill for some, not for me...

Enjoy your day...