How You Wash Your Van?

[Adam Lucas]

Ok people what do you do, wash at home with every product possible , go to the petrol station jet wash, drive through car wash etc

Personally i won't be on my drive way waxing away , but could do with some tips on a quick wash at home in-between going somewhere to have it washed waxed properly.

So are people blasting with jet washers ? Or just warm soppy water with sponge and then quick rinse off ?

 

[N58amx]

Bilt hamber auto wash through a pump sprayer ,(as a prewash)
Leave for 5 minutes then jet wash off.
Followed by a rinse with di water .
I wont hand wash my van with buckets and a mitt this time of year

Prefer to do a touchless wash

 

[Ads_Essex]

Bilt hamber auto wash through a pump sprayer ,(as a prewash)
Leave for 5 minutes then jet wash off.
Followed by a rinse with di water .
I wont hand wash my van with buckets and a mitt this time of year

Prefer to do a touchless wash

That reminds me - I was going to look in to deionised water - how much do you go through and what do you use to apply it?

 

[N58amx]

That reminds me - I was going to look in to deionised water - how much do you go through and what do you use to apply it?

Went half's with me son beginning of year on a 25litre di vessel with tulsion resin
We full rinse 3 vehicles every week and the hardness meter is still on 0 . So thats a lot of rinsing

Very hard water here in kent . The initial outlay was quite expensive with the resin being about £80 a bag .
I went with the bigger vessel to basically make the resin last longer .
I would never go back to hand drying a vehicle again to avoid water spots.

 

[Tourershine]

Wash & Wax Time . . . . . . But Which One And How?

 

[Clydiee]

Bilt hamber auto wash through a pump sprayer ,(as a prewash)
Leave for 5 minutes then jet wash off.
Followed by a rinse with di water .
I wont hand wash my van with buckets and a mitt this time of year

Prefer to do a touchless wash

Why wouldn't you hand wash this time of year?

 

[N58amx]

Why wouldn't you hand wash this time of year?

Really dont see the point , its used daily , and comes up fine with just a prewash.
Only to get filthy again the next day!
My time is precious this time of year .
That and it is cold and dark lol

 

[Scruffy]

Ok people what do you do, wash at home with every product possible , go to the petrol station jet wash, drive through car wash etc

Personally i won't be on my drive way waxing away , but could do with some tips on a quick wash at home in-between going somewhere to have it washed waxed properly.

So are people blasting with jet washers ? Or just warm soppy water with sponge and then quick rinse off ?

Oh christ, you asked the wrong question here! Personally at this time of year I like to build up a good layer of muck to protect the van from the nasties, and wash it off in May.

I maybe banned for that.

 

[Lord Mfwic]

I'm thinking of just snow foaming rinse and repeat this time of year. It gets the majority of the muck off and as the van get filthy within 5 miles of driving its a waste of time giving it the full 2 hour wash treatment. Once March comes round I'll revert to my normal washing which is as above, then wash using 2 buckets and fresh/clean microfibre cloth on every panel and both bumpers. then I rinse again and hand dry with Aqua Wax.
Wheels just get washed with the clean soapy water.

I actually find it rather therapeutic so its never a chore and it gets me out of doing jobs around the house.

 

[Adam Lucas]

Wow I'm seeing that there is some dedicated van washers hear.

So will a halfolds sponge , bucket and car shampoo (also jet wash) hurt my van?

 

[T6180]

Wow I'm seeing that there is some dedicated van washers hear.

So will a halfolds sponge , bucket and car shampoo (also jet wash) hurt my van?

like washing your face with a brilo pad

 

[Loz]

Except your face would heal...

 

[Sjacko20]

Be careful, once you start with the ‘fancy’ wash techniques, you won’t go back and it becomes a weird obsession. Save yourself all the time and heartache and keep it simple just don’t look at the swirl marks.
I do a compromise, snow foam, jet wash, single bucket wash with a grit guard and luxury wash mitt, rinse with hose then dry. Takes about 45 mins but the van is ceramic coated which makes things a bit easier and I’m happy with the way it has worked out keeping swirl marks to a minimum whilst not taking too long to do.

 

[Loz]

Be careful, once you start with the ‘fancy’ wash techniques, you won’t go back and it becomes a weird obsession. Save yourself all the time and heartache and keep it simple just don’t look at the swirl marks.
I do a compromise, snow foam, jet wash, single bucket wash with a grit guard and luxury wash mitt, rinse with hose then dry. Takes about 45 mins but the van is ceramic coated which makes things a bit easier and I’m happy with the way it has worked out keeping swirl marks to a minimum whilst not taking too long to do.

That is what I do as well..

 

[Lord Mfwic]

Be careful, once you start with the ‘fancy’ wash techniques, you won’t go back and it becomes a weird obsession. Save yourself all the time and heartache and keep it simple just don’t look at the swirl marks.
I do a compromise, snow foam, jet wash, single bucket wash with a grit guard and luxury wash mitt, rinse with hose then dry. Takes about 45 mins but the van is ceramic coated which makes things a bit easier and I’m happy with the way it has worked out keeping swirl marks to a minimum whilst not taking too long to do.

I do agree, it can become an obsession but when i've spent 2 hours cleaning it and I stand back and look at my van, I think its worth all the effort.
Mine is also ceramic coated and its the best money I've every spent on my van.

 

[Clydiee]

Wow I'm seeing that there is some dedicated van washers hear.

So will a halfolds sponge , bucket and car shampoo (also jet wash) hurt my van?

Only the sponge part, bin it and buy yourself a microfibre wash mitt.

A wash mitt will absorb dirt into the pile, whereas a sponge can't...instead it will stay on the face of the sponge and end up scratching your paintwork.

The same goes for drying aids, ditch the good old chamois leather and opt for large microfibre drying towels.

 

[Jimmi]

I live next to the canal so washing the van with a hose and shampoos etc. isn’t allowed due to the wildlife. So my only option at the moment is to buy some products and go to the garage and use the “Buy Time” jet wash there. Obviously I won’t be using the washing broom!

 

[ddktm]

What kind of price would you pay to get a van ceramic coated.

 

[Lord Mfwic]

What kind of price would you pay to get a van ceramic coated.

Around £400 - £500

 

[Jimmi]

I'm thinking of just snow foaming rinse and repeat this time of year. It gets the majority of the muck off and as the van get filthy within 5 miles of driving its a waste of time giving it the full 2 hour wash treatment. Once March comes round I'll revert to my normal washing which is as above, then wash using 2 buckets and fresh/clean microfibre cloth on every panel and both bumpers. then I rinse again and hand dry with Aqua Wax.
Wheels just get washed with the clean soapy water.

I actually find it rather therapeutic so its never a chore and it gets me out of doing jobs around the house.

I was looking at the aqua wax today. My van is a month old so I figured it shouldn’t need polishing. I’m not up for spending 50 odd quid on ultra hd wax or spending loads of time waxing on and off! How do you rate the Aqua Wax?