I know we are all guilty of not allowing adequate time to properly maintain our vehicles, especially in the colder seasons. There has been numerous occasions where we want a clean vehicle for the day or for the weekend but didn’t allow time, well in this exclusive article, I’m going to teach and show you how to wash and wax and get your vehicle ready in under 60 minutes.
I was trying to decide what customers car I would choose for this particular write up, but I decided to use my own car since it has only seen Optimum since day one. The car currently has 125k miles and you will see how the silver still looks fantastic. This car has never been fully polished either. I have used Poli-Seal a few times to clean the paint, but that is the most abrasive product I have used on the Acura.
Let’s first go through the products needed for this and then we will cover the proper application:
Optimum No Rinse
Optimum Instant Detailer
Optimum Car Wax
2 Waffle Weave Drying Towels
2 ReThickulous Towels
2 Buckets
Grit Guard(s)
Grout Sponge
Now that your products are ready to go, take your ONR and 2 capfuls and dump into your designated wash bucket. It doesn’t matter if you add the product before or after filling up your bucket, I just choose to add it first. In your other bucket fill with water and then place your grit guard. I also choose to use hot water from inside, especially during the winter times. Remember, the winter conditions are far worse for your car than during summer. Once you have your buckets ready, this is how it should look.
This next step is not completely necessary but I choose to do it just to be safe. I took an empty spray bottle and put half a capful of ONR and the rest water. I use this as a “pre soak” just to loosen up the dirt before washing. I only do the area where I’m about to wash next.
Now you will want to start from the top to bottom, but do the lower portions and bumpers last as they are the dirtiest. I had already done the top half of the car but I am doing this section solely for documentation purposes so you can follow with me. Go back and forth with light pressure and allow the ONR to clean. There is no need to scrub as that can cause swirls and scratches. Whenever I teach people I tell them to do patterns like your cutting grass, down and back.
Now after doing the panel, take your grout sponge and rub it against your grit guard to make sure there is no cross contamination. Then next, squeeze it out outside of the bucket before placing your sponge back into your wash bucket.
The weather will determine how much of the car you can do before you start the drying process. It was mid 40’s here so I did half of the car before starting to dry. During the summer months you’ll probably want to do just one or two panels at a time since it dries quicker. Grab your Optimum Instant Detailer and waffle weave drying towel and lightly mist onto the panel. The quick detailer will act as a drying aid as well as providing a barrier between your towel and the surface thus making it even more safe for your finish. You will also find that this product smells excellent and looks great by itself.
Here you can see how clean the drying towel is after doing the top half and the rear quarter panel. It shows that the cleaning capabilities of ONR are actually removing dirt and grime from the paint and not scratching the surface.
Then after the entire car is dried, (doesn’t have to be perfect, but get as much standing water as you can) make your way around the car again using Optimum’s Car Wax. Again, lightly mist the surface with the spray wax and use your ReThickulous towel to wipe away to a slick finish.
Now with the exterior nearly completed, grab your glass cleaner and your wheel and tire supplies and complete the finishing touches. Once you get this process down, you will wonder how you ever did without it. The pictures I am about to show you took me roughly 40minutes to have my car in this condition. Also remember, the better you take care of your car, the easier and quicker it will be to maintain.
Check out the 60 minute wash and wax complete kit for some great savings!
Thank you for taking time to view my work. If you have any additional comments or questions, please submit your reply in the comment box below.