I’m doing this after a few months break and it can still be done relatively quickly. I also realized that I didn’t spend any more money buying new items for my DIY car wash.
BHPian narayanang76 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
It’s been a year and a half since I started my DIY car wash journey and I’m excited to share with you that I’ve continued to do so despite most of the constraints.
In 2024, there is a water shortage in Bengaluru and the BBMP (Blue Hat Bangalore Mahanagara Palik) has issued an order not to wash cars during the crisis. The car wash attendant at my apartment building was not allowed inside, but I rarely saw anyone washing cars in my apartment. During this period, I mostly stayed away from DIY car washes and made do with dusting, three on-site car washes, and two paid car washes. Outdoor cleaning was done in my hometown where a strong water source was available and the cleaning process was completely different and required more water usage. Paid washes were done in Bangalore at Detailing Mafia (Rs. 2500) and Detailing Duniya (Rs. 800) in Whitefield, Bangalore near my home. Both of these places are decent, but I went there because my car at the time was very dirty and I didn’t want to get into the water wasting issue.
It’s been raining more and more in Bangalore, so last weekend I decided to try my hand at another DIY car wash and managed to squeeze out two hours on a lazy Sunday morning. The process was a miniature version of a car wash, with the interior cleaning and post-wash waxing omitted. We only clean the exterior body panels. I also noticed that even though I’m doing this after a few months of break, I can still do it relatively quickly. I also realized that I no longer had to buy new items for my DIY car wash and could utilize most of the things I had already purchased. I was also able to save money by not using my apartment’s car wash and not damaging my car’s paint by scrubbing it frequently.
The cleaning process is largely similar to the one previously described, with some minor adjustments and effort/time improvements.
Preparation: It was easy to fill both the 8L and 1L sprayers with filtered water. I also filled two half buckets of water (one for rinsing the wash mitt and one for the shampoo mix). I carried a ShineXPro Chenille Microfiber Wash Mitt, one large ShineXPro Puremagic 1100 GSM towel for wet wipes, and other ShineXPro Buttersoft Hybrid towels for dry wipes. Also equipped with a rubber wiper for glass parts. Mix car wash shampoo in both the foam generator and the bucket of water. All sprayers and foam generators were primed and pumped. Cleaning the interior: I checked the interior, floor mats, and found them to be clean, so I decided to skip that step. Pre-rinse and Soak: I sprayed water from both 1L bottles to wet the body panels. I then sprayed all the panels with foam using a manual foam generator. I had to do some good hand training to keep the bubble generator working. Shampoo cleaning: Using a microfiber wash mitt, we mixed the water and shampoo in a bucket and started working panel by panel, starting with the roof. Although the wash mitt is heavy, its weight itself is enough to clean the panels, so you don’t need to apply extra pressure. After creating one panel, rinse the mitt with plain water in another bucket, then mix the shampoo water again and proceed to the surface of the next panel. Keep the bumper and bottom area for the final sequence. Rinse after cleaning: Using an 8L water sprinkler, start rinsing by spraying water on each panel, starting at the roof. I was surprised that three-quarters of the water from the 8L sprayer was enough to comfortably wash down the entire body panel of the Fortuner. The remaining water was used to rinse the tires and wheel arches. Additionally, this sprayer does not require multiple pumps and can complete the rinse with just two pumps. Wet wiping: Highlight – Just one ShineXPro Puremagic 1100 GSM towel was enough to remove excess water from a large vehicle like a Fortuner while keeping it completely dry. I didn’t have to wring out the towel or use multiple towels to remove excess moisture. This process saved us a lot of time and effort. Also, this towel is large, so you can cover a wide area with both hands, and you can finish wiping the water quickly. I also used a glass wiper to remove moisture from the glass parts. Dry wiping: Dry wiping is relatively easy and quick as most of the excess water has been removed. The dry wiping process took less than 10 minutes.
Impressions and Summary: I realized that I had forgotten to click a photo, so I looked around the car, took some photos, and took my luggage home. I spent time cleaning my equipment and washing and drying my microfiber clothing.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo while washing, but I did manage to get a few clicks after washing. It is as follows:
cheers,
Narayanan 76
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