Products / Wash & Exterior

Nº 01

Wash & Exterior

Washing is the foundation of car care. We've gathered everything you need for clean paint: products for touchless and contact wash, wheel cleaning and removing tough contaminants. We also broke down the right order to use them in.

Categories

→ 01 Car Shampoo Cola Bay · Slick Ice +6 more Car Shampoo → 02 Engine Bay Hello Motor · Well Done Engine Bay → 03 Paint Decontamination Juicy Citrus · Easy Prep +4 more Paint Decontamination → 04 Pre-Wash & Snow Foam Gentle Soap · Foam Buddy +2 more Pre-Wash & Snow Foam → 05 Tire & Trim Care Black Slipper · Soft Sealer +3 more Tire & Trim Care → 06 Wheel & Tire Cleaners Pure Wheels · Double Iron +4 more Wheel & Tire Cleaners

The wrong washing technique can damage clear coat: a dry microfiber towel over dust, a dirty wash mitt or one bucket for the whole car all raise the risk of scratches. Sand and hard particles act like an abrasive, so each washing step and type of dirt calls for the right product.

What order to wash in

Start with the wheels and rims — they're the dirtiest part of the car. Use a separate mitt, brush and bucket so brake dust doesn't end up on the paint. Then move to the touchless wash: lay down foam and rinse it off to remove sand and the bulk of the dirt. If a film is still left after that, do a contact wash with car wash soap. Once washed, dry the paint with a microfiber towel or a blower. Finish with a protective product or a ceramic coating. All products are concentrates, so the dilution calculator will help you get the mix right. More in the article "How to dilute concentrated products correctly?".

How to wash off road salt

In winter you should wash your car more often: road salt stays on the paint along with road film and keeps working on the surface. First knock the dirt off with water, then apply snow foam — for road salt season, go with Foam Buddy and Citrus Buddy. Rinse the product off thoroughly, paying special attention to the wheel wells and rocker panels. Then do a contact wash with the acidic wash soap Acid Shock or Acid Citrus — they help neutralize alkaline contaminants and remove light salt residue. For wheels, use Pure Wheels.

FAQ

What's the difference between a touchless wash and a contact wash?
A touchless wash removes dirt with chemicals and water pressure, with no contact with the paint: foam softens sand and road film, and the water stream rinses them away. A contact wash is done with a wash mitt and car wash soap, and it takes care of what the foam left behind: the translucent film and static contaminants. The right order is touchless wash first, then contact wash.
Can you wash wheels with the same soap?
Light dust will come off with regular foam. But brake dust contains metal particles that can embed into the surface, so for that you need a wheel cleaner and the iron remover Double Iron. It works on both wheels and paintwork.
Where should a beginner start?
Start with a proper two-stage wash: first the touchless stage, which removes the bulk of the dirt and sand, then the contact stage — with car wash soap and a wash mitt. Use a good microfiber towel for drying. You can add the other products as you need them.
How often should you wash your car in winter?
In winter you should wash your car more often than in summer: road salt keeps working on the paint as long as it stays on the surface. In hard frost, wash the car in a heated bay with warm water, and after the wash blow out the locks and seals and treat the rubber parts with Soft Sealer. If you can't wash often, protecting the paint matters even more: dirt sticks to the surface less and the next wash goes easier. Ceramic coatings Keramos and Keramos+ work for this, and for a quick refresh of protection there's the SiO2 sealant Mad Drops.