Maybe stupid question but, I bought mine a year ago and am registering it today. It's mainly been in the garage since I bought it and I haven't washed it yet.

I worry about water and the windshield seals. While the car shows no signs of rust in the usual spots, I don't want to inadvertently start the process. So, what do you all do to minimize the risk?

 

Maybe instant detailer on a microfiber cloth?

 

if it can't stand a garden hose, you have a serious problem.

 

If you thump the corners of the glass after washing you can get some of the water out.

Or blast the area with WD40. WD40 is very mild....it can't hurt anything....and it might help

Or blow out as much as you can with compressed air. Go easy on the PSI

Cheers
DD

 

My Jag has Never been "washed" during my ownership, a bit more than 5 years by now.
At 43 years old I'm sure all the rubber seals have seen better days.

Someone asked me once, "How much wax is on that car?" I said, "There's NO wax on that car."
He was a bit shocked until I told him I only clean it with Meguiar's Ultimate Detailer and a microfiber cloth.

It seems to do fairly well keeping her shiny.
(';')

 

Don't want a problem. That's why I asked.

 

Well, you folks are getting after my conscience. Mine is unwashed. And needing it badly.
Cold weather and health issues are my "excuse"!!!

But, soon, I think!!!

Tools:

1. 5 gallon bucket & wash mit.
2/ Meguir's waxy soap. Generous portion to the water, preferably warm.
3. Electric leaf blower.

Process

Rinse it down with a jet nozzle on the hose. Start at the top and swish on the soapy water with the mitt. Rinse. Go to the other side of the top. repeat. Finnish washing and rinsing the "green house". Keep all of the car wet.

Start at one end or the other and wash and rinse. Wheels last.

Now, fire up the blower and blast the water away. Avoids wipe down and no stains left.

Then, finnish by doing the glass a pane at a time. I found a foamy spray that really does a nice job. Better than classic windex…

It helps that my car does sport a good layer of high carnauba wax from Meguir…

Original Grosvenor brown thermoplastic fr from perfect, but shines up well... No crazing!!!

Carl

 

If you do use the traditional water method I would recommend the two bucket way. One for soap water and the other the rinsing bucket.

 

In Florida, no matter where you park your car, it will accumulate dust and if outside you will surely get fine sand on the car. I learnt my lesson regarding cleaning my car. After hand washing my car a few times, I ended up with swirls all over the car and had to buff the swirls out.
If my car stays outside for any period of time, water from a hose bib is not good enough, so I use a pressure washer to get rid of the grits of sand.
After pressure washing, I can hand wash to get rid of dirt etc.
I use compressed air to dry off the car. Like Doug stated, use compressed air and thump the corners of the glass to get rid of any water collected there
When in the garage, I use a car cover.

 

I use Elinor's method to "dry clean" my vintage cars. But when I drove the new 87 home to Ohio from Sacramento I was very worried about rain getting past the seals on the windshield and back window. So I did some testing and then I took with me a roll of wide painter's tape. It sticks well enough to drive at freeway speeds, comes off with no residue, and is water proof. So the plan was to tape it up well if rain threatened and then remove it as soon as the sun came out. Amazingly it didn't rain all the way home.

If it truly needs a bath I was always taught to use a very soft car washing brush instead of a cloth. The later can trap a particle of sand or the like and make swirls. Also, when I wash my wife's Lexus I use a second brush for the lower part like the rocker panels because it is much dirtier and there may be some tar there. Then finally a third stiffer brush for the wheels.

Jeff

 

Jeff,
I fold the cloth into quarters; half, and half again.
Then I merely turn the cloth Very often, and I use a Lot of them! (Costco sells them in Bales)


One section Never touches more than 1/2 of a panel.
Roof is divided into 4 sections, trunk into 2 sections, Not including tops of rear fenders which get their own new section.
Hood is 4 sections, Doors are 2 sections each, upper and lower.
Rocker panels and rear quarters under bumper extensions are done with Windex first, and only when cloth comes up relatively clean do they get Meguiar's.
Rims also get Windex first, and again, only when the cloth is clean, they get Meguiar's.
And then I have a load of laundry!
(';')

 

When I moved into a neighborhood that has a lawn and scrub service as part of the HOA fee I had no use for my leaf blower anymore. Never thought to use it to blow dry my car. What a great idea! Anybody think of any downside besides keep it away from the ground picking sand from the ground?

 

I have used a WORX Turbine 600 leaf blower to dry my car. I took another old leaf blower nozzle and with a heat gun I flattened the tip. So what was a 3 inch round tip became a 6 inch flat tip. Flattening the tip also accelerates the air flow.
As for the sand on the ground, I am drying the car after washing so the driveway is wet = no sand blowing around.

 

Well, way back when, I was a professional at washing cars!!! The last year or two of college, I had a full/part time job at a full service station. We had a wash rack. Two bucks. An awful goop for tires and rubber floor mats. Chunks of tat dissolved in kerosene to make a "paint"!!! It did look good!!!

No soaps, just a chamois and a hose of hard west Texas water. Keep it wet!! No scrub, just wipe...

Then off to the front for the finish. The best chamois used here to wipe dry. Windows by a wet chamois and he moist one. It worked the cars got clean.

A customer touted an old tech thing, and now that is old!! Add a bit of kerosene to the wash water. Easy on the rinse. Indeed, it did impart a sheen to oxidized paint

The salient points I've brought through the years is top down and lots of water. Keep it wet...

Bill, just don't "scrub" as you wash with lots of water and the grit will not scratch.

Our water is "soft' and our pressure is great. The jet nozzle on the hose makes it even better...

Carl

 

After I posted that photo above, I got to looking closely at Nix's finish. When the sun was just right she looked sort of dull brownish and not that Deep, Velvety BLACK I do so love. And it felt a bit like I had parked it under a tree that was weeping aphid dodo; a bit rough. Probably it was a full summer of forest fire smoke particulate matter and road grime that dulled her finish.

So today I decided to branch out into Adventure Land and give her a Clay Bar treatment.

I've had the kit for some time, but the very thought of (shudder) Mineral Clay in such close contact with those 6 coats of soft clear made me Very nervous!

It was so easy-peasy, I should have done it Months ago.
Now she looks as nice as the picture above, and back to a condition I can maintain with Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Detailer!
(';')