Spray & Wipe Applications

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kimwallace

New member
This question was asked in another thread but I think it deserves more attention ... How dirty is too dirty to use Spray and Wipe ... second part ... After spraying it on how do you recommend removing??
 
Personally, if my car is extermely dirty with grit and mud I would rinse before using my spray and wash. One man's opinion!
 
So, if i drive my car through the salt (which really sticks to the paint) and then hose it off ... Is Spray and wipe going to work without scratching? I assumed I would use a MF to remove it, but do you wipe one direction or back and forth and how often do you turn the towel?
Thanks for your help, my S&W is sitting in the garage begging to be used.
 
I had the same questions when I first wanted to start using S&W.

I wipe back and forth lightly without using much pressure, if any. I turn it when it gets dirty. Don't use too much product either, I know it's scary and you want to flood the entire panel with spray, but trust me just a squirt or two can go a long way.

I haven't seen any swirls from S&W thus far!
 
ranch4x4 said:
I had the same questions when I first wanted to start using S&W.

I wipe back and forth lightly without using much pressure, if any. I turn it when it gets dirty. Don't use too much product either, I know it's scary and you want to flood the entire panel with spray, but trust me just a squirt or two can go a long way.

I haven't seen any swirls from S&W thus far!
Click to expand...

:yeah

excellent description....you are definitely on a roll today:D..play the lottery:dunno
 
kimwallace said:
So, if i drive my car through the salt (which really sticks to the paint) and then hose it off ... Is Spray and wipe going to work without scratching? I assumed I would use a MF to remove it, but do you wipe one direction or back and forth and how often do you turn the towel?
Thanks for your help, my S&W is sitting in the garage begging to be used.
Click to expand...

kimwallace,

Personally, I think a "salty" vehicle requires washing.......... again, to make sure all the salt is out of the areas where one simply can't wipe with the S & W. My process is to wash the vehicle "lightly" with a car wash, and THEN........... come back and wipe down with Spray & Wipe. To me, that insures a pretty clean paint surface.

Keep in mind that after an entire winter of salt, one needs to do more than wash, and/or S & W to get all the "crap" off the paint.
 
Boss_429, I agree with you process completely. Any foreign abrasive should be rinsed or washed off your paint before wipping down if possible.
 
That is what I thought about the salt residue. That stuff seems like sandpaper. It just seemed like people were using Spray and Wipe over everything.
Boss ... I know what you mean I have lived through almost 50 winters here in PA ... 34 of them driving and trying to keep the salt off. Thanks for your help everyone!
 
I have used it over salt and all sorts of crud...the trick is to be very gentle, have lots of mf, and do it twice....yes it is best to rinse IF you can...but IF you have no other choice it is safe and can be done anywhere...
 
Personally, I like S&W but there is no way that I would use alone on heavy dirt or grit. When my car is dusty I use a california duster and then use S&W.
 
It has more lubricant and surfactants than soap and water and is much safer than dragging dirt around with the ccd.
Just remember not to use any pressure and turn your mf often to a clean side(which can't be done with a ccd)
 
If the vehicle is excessively salty, it is preferable to do a regular wash. However, if you're in the middle of a bitter cold spell, it may not be possible to pull out the garden hose for a wash or even a quick rinse. This winter has brought uncommonly low temperatures along with significant snow/ice to my neck of the woods. So, it's been quite a challenge to maintain my high standards of car cleanliness and shine.

I've been experimenting with a new routine which seems to work pretty well under these conditions. While parked in the garage, I spray liberal amounts of S&W onto the surface and let it sit for a few minutes. During this time, I prepare two buckets of warm water (one plain water and one with several drops of car wash soap). By the time I get back to the car, the S&W pre-soak has done a good job of dissolving and lifting dirt from the surface. At this point, I gather up 2-3 wash mitts and proceed to do the 2 bucket wash method. When the rinse water starts to look dirty, I get a fresh bucket of water and switch to a fresh mitt at the same time. After I finish "washing", I blot dry with a waffle weave MF towel. Then, I reach for the Spray & Wipe bottle for a second time and apply/remove using normal S&W technique. This second pass is to ensure that any remaining soap residue is removed. If I am feeling especially ambitious, I will follow-up with a gloss enhancing quick detail spray (like QD+ or FD) to bring back some "pop".
 
So with SW is the MF doing the cleaning with the SW lubbing and loosening - much like the lube when claying?

Or is SW grabbing the dirt and suspending it in solution?
 
dalmore said:
So with SW is the MF doing the cleaning with the SW lubbing and loosening - much like the lube when claying?

Or is SW grabbing the dirt and suspending it in solution?
Click to expand...
It seems to be more a case of S&W loosening, lifting, and suspending. The dirt is then carried away by the passing mitt/towel.
 
When mine is REALLY dirty/salty I go to the high pressure car wash so I can also spray the undercarraige etc. I try to keep the undercarraige as clean as the paint. After the spraying I go home and use S&W everywhere...windows, engine, door jambs, paint.

If the truck is not "dirty", just dusty with dirt on the lower panels I spray S&W on the lower panels and wipe them off with a relatively dirty or used mf and then switch to a clean mf and do the whole truck. If it's just dusty I use S&W and I use it almost every day.

It works. Get some.

If you havn't used it you can't imagine how good the stuff is and once you have used it you'll not be able to believe you ever lived without it...no exaggeration. I've used about 7 gallons since last April but I haven't had to wash the truck more than about once a month.:beer
 
kimwallace said:
That is what I thought about the salt residue. That stuff seems like sandpaper. It just seemed like people were using Spray and Wipe over everything.
Boss ... I know what you mean I have lived through almost 50 winters here in PA ... 34 of them driving and trying to keep the salt off. Thanks for your help everyone!
Click to expand...

kimwallace,

Yep, I've got you beat by an additional 3 years! :D

Again, don't get me wrong........... S & W is an extremely valuable detailing tool............... one that I wouldn't be without! As a matter of fact, I do something similar to the process awd330's mentioned. I take about an ounce of Poorboy's Bird S#it Remover (a concentrated form of S & W), and mix it with water in a 32 ounce spray bottle. Then I go to the local pressure car wash place, and pre-soak the vehicle with the BSR, and then wash it off with the pressure wand. It's not the way I really like to do it, but it's the only option I have during the winter. Anyhow, If I get a chance afterwards, I will wipe it down with a normal Spray & Wipe procedure.

I would like to be able to do it more closely to awd330's procedure, but I'm "minus" the garage! :( Still, I think the pre-soak process does help................ any dirt that can be removed/desolved before touching the paint is an advantage.
 
I have a garage that is heated ... I like the idea of a presoak before trying to wash of the salt and whatever else is on the winter roads. I was really just trying to get an idea of where the limit was to using S&W as a beginning step in a cleaning process. I haven't had very good luck using FI as a light dust cleaner even without introducing new swirls into the paint.
 
kimwallace,

In the end, you'll need to judge it for yourself, and set your own comfort level.

Good Luck!
 
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