Washing cars in the rain :)

[GeorgeR]

Washing cars in the rain

I wanted to test my new pressure washer and soap cannon and my wife just got back from a quick trip down to Portland, OR to visit our daughter in her 1 week old X6 so I tried to get a quick wash in before the rain started.

The car just had CQuartz Finest coating applied so I was extra careful.

Pressure Washer – Kranzle K499TST
MTM Hydro Long-Range Detergent Foamer Attachment
Pair of buckets with grit guards, microfiber wash mitts, microfiber towels and microfiber waffle towels.
Stihl backpack leaf blower

Just as I was finishing up drying as much of the car as I could with the leaf blower it started raining so I pulled the car into the garage and pat dried the rest of the car.

I pulled my 2009 335i Coupe out to use up the rest of the soap and it started pouring so I put on my rain coat and finished quickly.

Love the pressure washer and foam cannon. The pressure washer will also be used to clean our stamped concrete patio and tile roof which is why I went high end. It is a beautiful unit but I did need to install an additional 20 amp circuit in my garage.

This was when we first brought it home last Friday night.

[TBLM235X]

Looks Awesome!

I have the Kranzle 1122 and the foam cannon as well. I use a Master Blaster for drying (have to use a 20amp circuit for the Master Blaster). My coating is OptiProPlus and the water just flies off when drying.

One tip is that the filter in the form cannons can get clogged pretty quickly; I now fill up the bottle with plain water before cleaning up and empty it in the pressure washer to clean all the shampoo out of it.

[GeorgeR]

Originally Posted by TBLM235X

Looks Awesome!

I have the Kranzle 1122 and the foam cannon as well. I use a Master Blaster for drying (have to use a 20amp circuit for the Master Blaster). My coating is OptiProPlus and the water just flies off when drying.

One tip is that the filter in the form cannons can get clogged pretty quickly; I now fill up the bottle with plain water before cleaning up and empty it in the pressure washer to clean all the shampoo out of it.

Thanks for the tip; I already put everything away but will remember next time.

The paint coating does make washing much easier and an electric pressure washer with quick connects is fast to set up, simple and efficient to use. I was surprised how quiet it runs.

The back pack blower works well but it makes it a little tough to get above the car and blow down even on a step ladder.

[TBLM235X]

Originally Posted by GeorgeR

Thanks for the tip; I already put everything away but will remember next time.

The paint coating does make washing much easier and an electric pressure washer with quick connects is fast to set up, simple and efficient to use. I was surprised how quiet it runs.

The back pack blower works well but it makes it a little tough to get above the car and blow down even on a step ladder.

Agreed, the quick connects make it so fast & easy when you are switching between the foam gun and the spray wand.

You might want to check out the DP Turbo dryer from Autogeek - it's not too expensive and would make drying above the car much easier.

[GeorgeR]

Originally Posted by TBLM235X

Agreed, the quick connects make it so fast & easy when you are switching between the foam gun and the spray wand.

You might want to check out the DP Turbo dryer from Autogeek - it's not too expensive and would make drying above the car much easier.

Thanks for the hit to my wallet, master blaster ordered.

[P1]

Cannot beat Kranzle. Awesome piece of equipment.

[alphaod]

I miss having a garage to put a pressure washer. Now living in an apartment I am at the mercy of those terrible pressure washers they offer at those "self-service" car washes.

Sometimes a regular wash doesn't work. Right now my front bumper is covered with bugs. I can't just use a towel since that would really scratch the paint.

[TBLM235X]

Originally Posted by alphaod

I miss having a garage to put a pressure washer. Now living in an apartment I am at the mercy of those terrible pressure washers they offer at those "self-service" car washes.

Sometimes a regular wash doesn't work. Right now my front bumper is covered with bugs. I can't just use a towel since that would really scratch the paint.

There are a couple of products that I have found to work really well for me for this in between washes:

Auto Finesse Citrus - Bug and Grime Remover. I purchased it at Detailer's Domain.

Ultima Waterless Wash. I purchase this at Autoality but it is also available at Autogeek and Autopia.

I spray both on the bumper, let it sit for a minute and wipe off gently with a quality plush microfiber towel and it leaves no scratches.

[TBLM235X]

Originally Posted by P1et

Cannot beat Kranzle. Awesome piece of equipment.

I agree! Expensive but they are absolutely the best - mine is going on 3 years plus!

[TBLM235X]

Originally Posted by GeorgeR

Thanks for the hit to my wallet, master blaster ordered.

Ha, ha. I think you will love it. It's really powerful and I have to wear safety ear muffs with both switches on…my neighbors get a big laugh!

[HansRobert]

Originally Posted by TBLM235X

Ha, ha. I think you will love it. It's really powerful and I have to wear safety ear muffs with both switches on…my neighbors get a big laugh!

Ditto on the Master Blaster. It gets the job done. Highly recommended!

[alphaod]

Originally Posted by TBLM235X

There are a couple of products that I have found to work really well for me for this in between washes:

Auto Finesse Citrus - Bug and Grime Remover. I purchased it at Detailer's Domain.

Ultima Waterless Wash. I purchase this at Autoality but it is also available at Autogeek and Autopia.

I spray both on the bumper, let it sit for a minute and wipe off gently with a quality plush microfiber towel and it leaves no scratches.

I'll check these out. I have a lot of bugs on my bumper that the car washes can't seem to wash off and I know if I leave them on the bumper, eventually my paint will be permanently damaged.

[kanvas]

Beautiful car and gorgeous view.

[TBLM235X]

Originally Posted by alphaod

I'll check these out. I have a lot of bugs on my bumper that the car washes can't seem to wash off and I know if I leave them on the bumper, eventually my paint will be permanently damaged.

Your right, left unattended, it will definitely leave embedded stains in the paint that can only be polished or compounded off. Certainly best to remove the stains the same day if possible.

FYI - AF Citrus Bug Remover works best if you liberally spray the bugs and then hold the microfiber towel over the stains and let it soak for a minute or two and then gently wipe, repeat as necessary until gone. The Ultima Waterless Wash can then be liberally sprayed over the entire area or bumper in this case and use another quality microfiber towel to gently clean the area. The Ultima WW has lots of lubricity which will prevent scratching or marring if used properly with a high quality plush Microfiber.