Clean Exterior of Car - PEP BB nest.straw.exteriorcar

Here is my attempt at washing a vehicle exterior:

This is the before shot. I keep the vehicle pretty clean and the tan hides dirt very well. If you look behind the front tire you'll see all the sand and salt that came from rinsing underneath.



You can see the birds enjoy detailing.



Items I used in this car wash were a wash mitt, Simple Green cleaner, and a California Water Blade.



Applying soap to the wash mitt. I do not use a bucket, which holds the dirt. Instead I rinse the mitt and renew when it is dirty.



All spiffed up and ready for a drive.



To wax the windshield I used Meguiar's wax.



Rub it in and buff off when dry.



Final polished windshield should help keep bugs from sticking, when the weather warms of course!

I don't know enough about this stuff yet to innovate.  I had to start in the evening so the car surfaces weren't so hot, but took an extra action shot this morning because my phone camera isn't so hot, either.

- Simple green concentrate + water to clean. I used a bucket.
- Meguiar's wax on the glass and front of the car.

(The wax should have a warning, stating that once you put it on part of the vehicle, it'll look so good you'll want to put it on all of the vehicle...)

I don't have a car. If I clean someone else's car, can I get this BB? Or is cleaning my bicycle OK too?

Hi Inge,

You can clean someone else's car, not a problem!

Ashley Cottonwood wrote:Hi Inge,

You can clean someone else's car, not a problem!

Then there's an opportunity coming! My son and his family will be back from two weeks holiday trip this weekend. I'll warn them I'll clean their car.

Edit: I changed my mind. Maybe another time I'll clean that car. There are more important things to do now. And I already care for their three cats while they're away

Such a great thread. Gonna give it a shot.

My attempt to wash the car, using some items a family member had that I could borrow. I rinsed off with a house first, then used sponges and wash mitts to scrub down with Wet Shine Car Wash. Then used a Nu Finish car polish to do the windshield - put on with a damp cloth, let sit, wipe with clean micro cloth. Hope this works, if not, another car wash on a hot summer day!  

I used a bucket of hot water with a bit of Castile soup, homemade window cleaner (vinegar and orange essential oil), stiff brush, a couple of cleaning cloths and a couple of old tea towels for drying surfaces. I used my neighbours pressure washer on the wheels and arches.

I made some wax using coconut oil, beeswax and jojoba.





Here are my before pictures:











Here are my during pictures:







Here are my after pictures:











Here is the windscreen being washed, dried, and waxed:







Windscreen finished:

The other day I washed the exterior of this Honda with water, (some reused), microfiber towels, and a piece of borrowed clay bar for the front windshield.

Washed and waxed the car (and windshield).

This car only gets particularly dirty when I accidentally park it under a sappy tree... I haven't done that recently, so it was mostly just some road splatter, dust, a few leaves, and some pollen. A light cleaning to be sure.

I used a hose to rinse well from top to bottom. Then I hand-mopped to agitate dirt that didn't come off with a rinse. Then I hosed down again. I didn't need any cleaners for washing other than water. Finally I wiped off most of the water.

I waxed the car and the windshield with carnauba wax.

I don't think it's a majorly visible difference from the pictures, but it's certainly cleaner and more protected from the elements now. Maybe you can appreciate the lustrous shine from the wax?

To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
 - wash vehicle exterior
     - proper cleaning and waxing of windshield

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must provide:
  - a before picture of the dirty exterior of the car (Before Pics)
  - an action shot of the windshield being waxed (Action Pics)
  - an after picture of clean exterior of the car (After Pics)
  - a description of the cleaners and how they were used (water, hose, hand-mop, cloth, paper towels)

Before Pics




Action Pics
Carnauba wax

Applying to windshield

Wiping it off


After Pics

I cleaned my car today since it was cloudy and cool. I rinsed it, soaped it with a few squirts of Sals Suds in warm water, rinsed, and dried with microfiber cloth. I followed the video instructions to wax the window with a clay bar, window cloth, and Meguiars wax.