The two-bucket wash, done properly
Most swirl marks are put there by washing. The two-bucket method, grit guards and the right towels stop it at the source.
Look at a black car in low sunlight and you will often see fine circular scratches all over the paint. Most of those were not caused by bad luck. They were caused by washing: dirt picked up by the wash mitt and dragged across the clear coat.
Why two buckets
One bucket holds soapy wash solution. The other holds plain rinse water. After each panel you rinse the dirty mitt in the rinse bucket before it goes back into the soap. The grit ends up in the rinse water instead of back on your car.
Fit a grit guard in the bottom of each bucket. It is a simple plastic grid that lets dirt fall below and stops the mitt from picking it back up.
The method
- Work in the shade on cool paint, so water and soap do not dry into spots.
- Clean wheels first with separate brushes and a separate bucket. Wheels are the dirtiest part of the car.
- Pre-rinse thoroughly to remove loose dirt. A snow foam pre-wash helps loosen more.
- Wash top down, one panel at a time, in straight lines rather than circles.
- Rinse the mitt in the rinse bucket after every panel, then reload with soap.
- Leave the lower sills and bumpers to last. They carry the most grit.
- Final rinse, then dry straight away.
Drying without scratching
Use a large, plush drying towel and lay it flat on the panel, then lift and move it rather than scrubbing. Old bath towels and chamois leathers are rougher on clear coat than you think.
Finish the glass and trim
With the car dry, clean the glass and treat faded plastic trim. Restored black trim makes a clean car look sharper than almost anything else.
Wash this way every time and you will spend far less time correcting paint later.
