also forgot to talk about the fact your gonna need to clay periodically anyway... Bottem line though just wash your car however you think works best for you...
Yeah that's a good point as well, if ur gonna clay then ur gonna polish, I understand ur analogy on the rinse bucket being dirty but ur correct in pointing out that they aren't pre-washing properly, btw u need to get that hair cut, I couldn't keep my eyes off it, my eyes were drawing to the top of ur napper because it looked like something was blurred out at certain angles, it was one of those things, once u notice it u can't help but see it 😂😂😂😂😎👍🏻🏴
I notice there's a vid of yours on here from 4 years ago on this very subject, no idea how you managed to talk about washing a car with one bucket for 45 mins but I might just have to watch it to find out lol.
I’d been convinced that you need two buckets to remove the dirty from your wash mitt. Recently switched to Bilt Hamber Touch-Less and I’m now pre-washing effectively. The wash mitt and shampoo bucket are as clean as if I’d just filled them. I’m wringing the wash mitt out between panels too. So far all good. Might use multiple mitts come winter, depends.
That's what I've done for years. It's always been better than just shaking a mitt into a bucket of water. If it won't blast off then it won't shake off either!
I agree, though I do use a 2nd bucket - an empty one to put all the used mitts in! I tend to use maybe 10 to 12 mitts per wash. No need to rinse or jet them out they go straight in the wash afterwards, that method with a proper pre-wash system is about the best you can do to minimize the scratch risk and you can only minimize it, there is no such thing as a 100% safe pre-wash or 100% safe contact wash, all you can do is reduce the risk at every stage. It's another reason I use a DI water rinse so I don't have to do a contact dry although the main reason is to save my rotator cuffs! I'm lucky I have the time to let the car drip dry I guess
One bucket for me , washing your car is supposed to be a " feel good " experience with all the techniques and equipment nowadays it.suddenly becomes a chore
Same, a solid hit with an apc, let it dwell. Snowfoam, more dwell, then a good rinse. Then a layer of a citrus based bug cleaner or similar and then commence contact wash. Rinse.
1. Pre-Rinse 2. Pre-wash (snow foam) 3. Soap in the Lance over whole car. Obsessed garage style! 4. 2 bucket wash In that order. Don’t worry you won’t influence me to change.
@@yenghooitan5666 yes, the more lubrication the better. I also rinse between snow foaming and lance applying soap over the car, I do not just let it run off. Sometimes pre wash is harsher than snow foam.
Agree with everything you say. I will continue to use 2 buckets, though, if only because having 2 buckets strategically placed between my car and pressure washer stops the hose snagging under the front wheels 😂
i can't recommend Hose-Eez/Detail Guardz enough for that issue, only need 2 for the front for my Outback, no more stuck PW hose. Used them for several years now.
A subject close to my heart Jon. I was having a discussion with a well respected Professional at the weekend about the two bucket wash and the detailing buckets in general including the grit guards. I am planning a video on the subject that will be controversial but totally agree with you, we are forced by peer pressure at times to follow a certain route or process that just doesn't add up. My channel has never been about "this is how you do it" but always about "this is what Im doing". There seems to be an industry that has sprung up around detaining buckets that are far two big, trollies to put them on because they are too heavy to carry and then all sorts of grit guards that you don't need if the preparation is right. Thats it I feel better now I have that off my chest.
That always cracks me up Martin! There are detailing suppliers that offer kits of 2 x 25-litre-buckets, 2 x grit-guards, 2 x sit-on lids, 2 x trolleys, wash/rinse stickers and metal bucket dividing plate packages for about £140 to £160. Yet I just use one simple orange builder's bucket that I bought for £4.50 twelve years ago from B & Q. It always worked for me. Why overthink it!
Yep doesn't make sense 25 liter Liter bucket with 10 liters of water in it there a bit overkill really Probably just so you get through more product Not even sure the grit guards do anything I never drag the wash mitt on the bottom of the bucket
@@owensteele1274 seen a few mobile “valeters” use these 25L buckets for multiple cars. Guy was bragging about how one full up in the morning lasted him all day long doing 7-10 cars per day. I’m sure he’s probably not the only one doing it as well, so there is a market for these oversized buckets.... not a good market though
Never have and never will, use the 2 bucket method. I’ve been ridiculed on forums for saying this. The 2 bucket way, died when pre washes and snow foams come out.
100% agreed on the pre-wash. I've made a lot of mistakes and learned the more you can blast off before touching your paint / coating, the less there is to scratch it. Best of all, a good pre-treat and hose work is less labor-intensive than scrubbing like a maniac from the get-go. I also use the same style mitt as you and closely evaluate soap lubricity before I'll use it on my truck. Drying with a blower or using a drying aid w/ a soft rag is my final step in the process. Oh, and as you pointed out, no pressure on any mitt or drying towel ever. Let the water and expensive products do their job instead of trying to power it off like an action hero in a training sequence. :)
I just place my chenille mitt on the windshield and blast it with water, just with a normal garden hose... Or just use the sink near the garage. So little come on the shampoo bucket.... I agree with you, there is not point in putting my mitt in dirty water... If being extra careful just use 5-6 mitt to wash each panel....
I love this. For me, I’ve always used the single bucket method. But I also use a gas-powered pressure washer. By the time I’m hand-washing the car, there isn’t much to really grab and add back to a bucket that’s substantial. Hell, half the time the amount of soapy water I’m bringing with the mitt up onto the car is enough that I have to add water before the session is over. And that water is clean, and the soap is further agitated. At the end of the day, remember this- It is the result that counts. We are grown-ass men, debating how many buckets to use to clean a a big metal object. If anyone holds tightly onto a position in that realm…you have bigger issues than a bucket to sort-out. Have fun, improve each session, and clean objects for the right reasons.
Depends upon how dirty the vehicle is. I just finished a ZERO bucket wash because all the car had on it was dust. I pressure washed with water. Foamed the vehicle let the foam sit for about five minutes. Pressure washed the foam off. Foamed the vehicle again, and then rinsed it with deionized water, and used a blower to dry it. Then went over the car with an SiO2 spray and called it done. Sometimes you don't even need a bucket...
I agree 100%. If your rinse water or soap water becomes dirty while washing, then the prewash has been ineffective. Good that someone talks common sense here. Also a lot of youtubers are not using the pressure washer to its full potential, and keeping it too far away from the paint when rinsing, thus decreasing any benefits it has compared to regular hose rinsing. Modern paints can easily take consumer washer pressures. Pressure washer with a good prewash makes a big difference.
This vid deserves an award! It is all TRUTH! Mit MUST be clean. I had a scratch free car. Always used 1 bucket, 1 mit. Always flooded mit with hose before another pass. Car stayed scratch free. Jumped on 2 bucket wagon without hosing mitt, scratched car while snow foaming was even being utilized. Now I use multi mitts and 3 buckets which help alot, but the car never really feels clean while washing with ph neutral snow foam. So now I have bilt hamber and can't wait to use. Car pro has a really good apc to apply also in which I've used 2x but can get expensive to utilize, it's best in my opinion!
If i want a swirl free wash, citrus pre wash and then snow foam after, apply shampoo snow foam style and your 1 bucket method with shampoo in and pressure washing mitt instead of a rinse bucket, blow dry if you can as drying probably causes more swirls than the wash stage
I don't hear many people pick up on the drying damage angle 👍👍 I've not found a decent blow dryer yet, I have gone down the DI water rinse route because I have the time to let the car drip dry. I do use multiple mitts though, I don't think rinsing really gets them clean so I use a new mitt every panel pretty much, so maybe 10 to 12 mitts per wash. Again luckily I'm not a commercial detailer doing multiple cars a day so using that many every time I wash my car is no problem. I also apply my shampoo snow foam style with a shampoo bucket as well, makes total sense to me 👍👍
@@tonye7490 thanks I Google that one. I did try a cheap leaf blower but it just was not man enough for the job. Ok at blowing water out of crevices and trim though but struggled with large panels
OMO the 2bm is as you rightly point out, not as necessary as many preach. Always filling 2nd bucket, hardly ever use it. Common sense is what counts on all the reasons you pointed out. The same as most detailing procedures, use your noddle, access the tasks every time. Every task is different as is every day. About time someone made this comment Jon!
The KEY is to rinse your mitt with PW / hose and squeeze out b4 going back in the single bucket. I stopped doing 2 bucket when I started rinsing mitt and realised the rinse bucket was staying clean. The chenile is safer because there is less contact and pressure on the surface with them - they aren't as effective as a mf mitt the same size IMO.
The way I convinced myself to starting rinsing my mitt Vs using a rinse bucket, was putting my wheel mitt / brushes in my wheel bucket and noticing they would would still be dirty whereas when I'd rinse my wheel mitt off I'd see it would be clean.
I could not agree more. I use the one bucket method. Dunk a bunch of wash pads and super fluffy mf towels in the bucket with soap and let them absorb. I add a bit of shampoo to the wash pads and then use each one for parts of the car whilst holding the hose with the other hand to be able to give them an occasional rinse off (because of insects, bits of trees mostly since pre-wash takes care of most of the dirt). Usually one pad for the bonnet, one for the roof, separate ones for the bottom bits and so forth. Once used it goes into another bucket ready to be washed and dried. This way I never dunk a ‘dirty’ pad into the clean water bucket with the other pads. Yes, I am one of the multi mitt guys 😁
When it really comes down to it, rinsing the mitt between panels with the pressure washer is the best thing you can do. The rinse bucket is like a security blanket so you can see the process working but it doesn't change the fact that the mitt is being dunked into dirty water.
I am completely new to car detailing / washing having just bought my dream car.. I love the straight talking videos I have watched a few of yours now. Fantastic , useful and honest. I hope you are making ££££ from youtube you certainly deserve it
I use no buckets, they are in the garage gathering dust. I put shapoo in a 2 ltr pump sprayer and after snow foaming and rinse i spray a few panels and my wool mitt with the shampoo, wipe down panels then rinse the mitt with a hose, towel dry, job done. Just a hose, pump spray and wash mitt does it for me. Black 159
Gotta say my rinse bucket always ends up with visibly dirty gray water when I pure it out. And the soap clean bucket stays clean. So seems to work for me? 🤷♂️
1 bucket is fine for daily drivers. When cleaning high end cars that have near perfect paint 2 is a must. Multiple mits and rinsing the wash mit everytime prior to touching the paint is important in my opinion. Always open to strategies I just use precautions with high end stuff like Italian exotics. Great video.
I use 2 grit guards in one bucket with loads of shampoo, aswell as heavily concentrating on the prewash with citrus/snowfoam. 2 mitts, 1 for the top section of the car and 1 for the lower section. I completely agree with disregarding the 2 bucket method.
Alway pre-wash with BH snow foam. Used to 2 bucket, but not any more. I now always snow foam the shampoo onto the car, and just use one bucket to rinse the noodle mit. If very dirty rinse the mit using a quick blast of the pressure washer. Always now rinse with softened water, no need to dry as dries spotless.
Contentious issue John, which you have handled perfectly, I am in your camp regarding the two bucket method. As you say, pre-wash is the most important thing to get right, I then cover the car in shampoo using a snow foam lance, then I use my mitt with one bucket of shampoo to carry out the contact wash.
After my pre-wash process I usually slap another coating of snow foam on for extra lubricity and cleaning power anyway. I very rarely use 2 buckets. Just have a grit guard in my main wash bucket which seems to keep any bigger contaminants away from my wash mitt. I do tend to use a separate mitt for the lower parts of the car (and do them last)
Well said. I don't have crazy expensive cars. We have 2 Lexus's and a Toyota pickup. All 2019 and newer. I've only used Wolfgang Uber Rinseless washes. Quick and easy. I'm very happy with the swirl results and you have to remember, if you drive your car, it's getting swirled. The debris in the air, bugs, dirt off the road, etc. are all putting micro swirls in the CC. If I owned some exotics, then maybe I'd want to keep them pristine, but for daily drivers, I realized that I was starting to go way overboard in thinking about how to wash a car.
Love the fact you are addressing this. I have used the 1 bucket method before. So snowfoam, let it dwell, rinse, then snowfoam the shampoo onto the car. 1 fresh bucket of water. This wasn't a dirty car and the first snowfoam was built hamber auto foam, which works well for me. I usually use 2 buckets and both my buckets have relativity clean water at the end. The only time my rinse bucket is dirty it when I use my second mitt to do the edges of the underbody. That's the end of the contact wash!
Jon, I love your channel because of the way you present ideas. But, I use a 2 bucket system and I have grit guards with “washboard” attachments in both buckets. I rinse my wash mitt in the rinse bucket against the “washboard” and at the end of the contact wash it always amazes me the amount of “dirt” in the bottom of the rinse bucket. And I pre- rinse, foam, rinse and then start a contact wash. I’m gonna to continue to use the 2 bucket system because anything I can do to minimize any damage is a good idea. And in the big picture, it doesn’t really add that much time. Cheers. Great topic btw. I enjoyed it.
I like your way of thinking. One action that I think makes a difference is to squeeze out ones mitt BEFORE entering a bucket. Which will get rid of the majority of the contaminants. And that's wether you use one or two buckets. That's: squeeze-rinse bucket-squeeze-soap bucket.
I agree with you on the 2 bucket method. I use a second small bucket for the wheels. I do think its important to have a giant bucket for the paintwork and most of the time the water from the wash bucket is pretty clean still from the end. There is definitely aways grit at the bottom of the bucket but as you say a proper mitt and wipe technique provides much better protection. Plus lugging two massive buckets of water is way more effort than lugging one.
After 38 years of being a car owner I have always used the one bucket method and I cringe looking back how I used to wash my cars without pre rinse or wash and using washing up liquid and sponge. As I got older, wiser, married and after the kids come along I spent more and more time perfecting my ‘detailing’ technique maybe as a consequence of escaping childcare duties😁. Recently, and with two new cars on order I thought about the two bucket method and I am so glad I watched your video Jon as we shared the same thoughts about ensuring the critical pre wash stage is done correctly. In the early 2000’s I invested in a Karcher HDS 601C pressure washer as I became disillusioned with the cheaply versions sold by Halfords breaking down. It was as a result of being stolen replaced with a HDS 745m which as well as cleaning the family cars, cleaned patio’s drives, conservatories and other things, it was a beast and pretty much faultless for the 15 years I owned it, returning 70% of its original cost when recently sold. I have now invested in a HDS 7/10-4MX which is the latest version of the 745 and gives me the best options to ensure that my cars receive the best pre wash, rinse and wheel arch clean all year around, with the option of cold, hot and steam wash. On that basis I’ll stick with the one bucket method as my present X1 paintwork is although not entirely swirl free is looking very good for a three and half year old daily driver.👍🏻
My process involves a spray bottle of soap. I use one bucket that holds all the rags I will use to touch the paint. I rinse the panel, spray the soap, wash with one rag from the bucket with rags and water. Once I use that rag, it does not go back in the bucket. I do that for the entire process. Once the car is washed and rinsed, then I used more damp rags to assist my air compressor with drying.
I now use, wolfgang uber rinseless, pumped on the car, using a Wurth sprayer, big red sponge and drying towel or soft micro fibre, also Griots garage rinseless with wax, if the car is very dirty, which mine isnt, as its treated like, a tin god. Pressure wash it first, its amazing how cleaning technology has come along.
If it’s very dirty two buckets is good. If not then no. Recently got my regular hose out (one of the magic expanding ones) and use that around as I shampoo. Wash off the mitt before dunking back in. Saves water and shampoo.
I use 1 bucket, rinse the mitt with the hose after each panel. Done so for years, I always tell people 2 buckets is BS. Grit guards don’t filter out traffic film
Completely agree. Two buckets is a big waste of water too. A half gallon foam gun, rinsing my mitt after 1-2 passes with the soapy water works wonders for me. Great video!👍
TOTALLY AGREE!!!!! I have broken away from the religion of detailing loool. Do what works for you and makes life easy for you. There is no set blue print and I went away from two buckets wash years ago and I've washed countless customers cars for years, with no scratches, no dramas. MY HERO!!!! Hahah I thought I was going mad but I'm glad to hear my thoughts out loud. Great vid 👍
I agree with you on being told that is the way to do it even though it kind of doesn't make sense when thought through. My ethos is to use a citrus wash overlaid with a snow foam after a pre rinse with my power washer, then two buckets and a grit guard in the rinse bucket. I am happy with that process and until someone comes up with a radical change that I agree with that will be my method.
My car never has caked on mud, it is mostly dust, some road grime and maybe a few water spots here and there. My regime has been to pre-wash the car with a good quality foam. I rinse off the foam and then use quality towels with a rinse less wash solution. I fold the towel/s as I pass over each the panel. I wash one panel at a time. My car is also ceramic coated.
A well protected car and a good pre wash and a single bucket for me is usually enough. I regularly check the wash mitt and it's coming off the car clean which to me shows my pre wash is working 😁
The most common sense detailing channel on the tube, period. At least that I know of. Always enjoy hearing your take. You have a fine ability to always pick up on what would (or should) seem obvious....what so many others seem to either love skipping over, or just "stay in line" and not think about for themselves.
Koch Chemie Green star, Bilt Hamber Auto foam, rinse and then contact wash using two bucket method. I split the car into third's: one mitt for the upper third, one mitt for the middle third and one mitt for the lower third. Some may classify it as overkill, but you get different levels of precipitation within these third's. I find this works best for me. As with anything, it comes down to opinions.
Thank you Jon, I think your approach is spot on. I recently modified my wash process after seeing a video by Pan the Organizer, to drop the RINSE bucket and even the WASH bucket. I pre-rinse withe ONR, RINSE, the wash with the Foam cannon and multiple mitts, but I lay the mitts under the wiper blades and dose them thoroughly with soap. I agree that the chenille wash mitts feel the safest as those little noodles really prevent you from over-pressing the mitts into the paint. Just my $.02........
I totally agree with the significance of the pre-wash! I used to use two bucket, but having assessed your magazine review on the types of wash media - I'm totally sold on the chenille noodles. So I literally have about 15 or so clean ones in one bucket and use two per panel. That way I'm sure no additional contaminates are being transferred back to the paint. The most import combo is lubrication! so before even hitting the panel with the chenille, make sure each panel is pre-wet with the shampoo and not dry! Simples!
Foam cannons changed the game for me. I dont use buckets at all anymore. I rinse, foam with a surfactant heavy soap, rinse, then foam again with a second soap of my choosing. I have several towels and use those. All the towels wash clean no dirt on them. I load heavy in the cannon and have no issues with lubrication at all. I just need some DI tanks so I don't have to dry anymore. That's where a bulk of scratching comes from imo anyway no matter how careful you are.
I have never used the 2 bucket wash method, but my car never gets that dirty, after 3 years, my bucket handle broke so I decided to buy 2 buckets, apart from holding more and being heavy, I think my wash method is safe. I do now have grit guards, but I agree with what you say, to that end I now have a spare bucket 😊
Jon, There is another process you may like to consider - I use 1 bucket with shampoo and i wash with mitt or noodle under running water from a hose gun held in the other hand so the contact area is always flushed with clean water.
Great video highlighting the pre wash👍 When neighbours ask why I pre wash and use such gentle pressure to wash the car I ask them how would they wash grit out of their eye without scratching it. Only a fool would go straight in with a hard soapy scrub without pre rinsing and after that you'd go gentle as possible for any last bits of debris!
Here's my personal opinion, two buckets, two grit gaurds, and bilt hambers awesome pre-wash + bilt hamber wash mitt. That during the washing stage is ultra safe and if that's what you aim to do then do that but I agree, there's a point where it does become a little pointless so draw your line somewhere. What I will point out is that many scratches come from drying the paint without a lubricant, so please use a drying aid that is 100x more effective then a two bucket wash method! Great video Jon!
spot on. I use bilt hambers snow foam and rinse off thorough and then only use a 1 bucket 🪣 method. hardly see any dirt in the bucket or wash mitt when contact washing as most of the dirt is already removed. so John is spot on when saying that the pre wash stage is very important and therefore 1 bucket really can be sufficient
I’ve been using a two bucket method for years now and been very careful in performing a prewash with Bilt Hamber snow foam etc. Black hard Mercedes paint and I’ve still got faint wash swirl over the car. However, I will continue to use the two bucket method purely for peace of mind alone.
I have a very common car: a Renault Mégane III Grandtour. I take care of it, as it is very expensive - because it was the first car I bought with my own money, no loans. Due to this, and because it spends a lot of time out in the elements, I take really good care of it. Moreover, when I eventually sell it, I would want it to retain as much value as possible. Furthermore, I would like to learn now, and get better as my cars get more expensive. Cheers to all!
I only use one bucket with 4 mitts. After my foam and jet I divide the car into 4 and use a mitt per quarter. Each used mitt then goes into a rinse bucket for a hand rinse before they are washed in the machine, madness?
Provided you have an outdoor water supply and a hose there's no need to use any buckets. Fill up a spray bottle with car shampoo and water and spray that onto the car and washmitt. Will use less product as there's no waste, it's miles quicker, plus as you would be using clean water from the hose to wash the mitt, it's safer as well.
Totally agree with you. When I got into this detailing craic I got two buckets and realised fairly quickly that it is pretty pointless once you do a real thurer prewash. And then my good wash mitt for the top two thirds of the car and another one for the bottom third. Too much time faffing around with two buckets.
You make a valid point Jon and I tend to agree. Dipping your wash mitt into a dirty water bucket defeats the idea in a way yes, but that's if the water holds the dirt in suspension. Having seen all the ONR videos, it has prompted me to add some ONR to my rinse bucket so the dirt falls out of suspension an drops below the grit guard. This makes the two bucket wash more feasible. Another method is to simply rinse the wash mitt with the pressure washer or garden hose. Some detailers rinse their cars with a hand trigger pressure gun with the lance and so rinsing the mitt with this apparatus makes it just as effective to clean the mitt. You hit the nail on the head though with the pre wash. That precedes everything. Do a thorough pre wash and you will minimise the dirt.
Yes John!! I agree 100% it makes no difference whether you rinse your mitt in a rinse bucket or wash bucket with shampoo in it. The mitt is still going back in the bucket with debris in it. Using a good pre wash technique is the most important part of washing your car.
You are so correct and on point in this video. People are trying to sell ludicrous techniques because, they are ultimately trying to sell their own products. I believe in working clean. Just don't introduce dirty mitts or whatever into my one bucket wash. Simply rinse and wring them out after each panel wash.
One bucket is all I need car gets done once a week, use labocosmetica primus to pre wash which does a fantastic job and then as you say feels like your then washing a clean car!!
If we are relying on “common sense,” we are doomed! Lol. Thanks for this content. I prewash with a rinse, a good long dwell time foam, rinse and one bucket contact wash with four or five mitts followed by a final rinse and heated, filtered air dry with my BigBoi Pro dryer. My cars are professionally ceramic coated and the prewash does a good job in removing most of the dirt. You Rock! Be blessed.
Yes absolutely agree, have never used the two bucket method, always done an extensive prewash and use very little pressure on the mitt when washing afterwards, like you said after my prewash it should feel like your washing a clean car, Ive had my black cayenne for almost 4 years now and it's like a mirror, so I know it works.
I use the 4 Bucket method. 1 Bucket for soap,2nd Bucket for rinse 3rd Bucket to stand on for the roof,4th Bucket to sit on while i drink my coffee and smoke. The 4 Bucket system is the only way to go. One day i will move up to 5 Buckets.
Hi Jon, I use lots of pre wash steps. Switched from bilt hamber foam wash to the new touch less, followed by a spray with surfax hd on lower panels. After a good pressure wash the car is looking clean. I like the gtechnic mits, I use 2 of them plus the two bucket method plus a couple of the noodle mits for the sills etc. The touch less is great as is the BH shampoo 👍👌 rice bucket water stays clean.
and you alone should know x thousands / millions of gallons of water is wasted through leaks in the network, I'm sure adding a second bucket into your routine isn't going to make a difference - go on live a little 😊
I’m still a fan of the multi-pad method (Chemical guys noodle pads). It’s just one more thing to reduce the amount of grit possibly under the pad during agitation. It still requires an extra bucket to “ditch” the used pads in after using it for a panel or two.
I use two buckets, use the soapy bucket, wash out mitt in the clean bucket, tip clean bucket out, leave hose pipe in to fill clean bucket whilst washing car again with soapy, and repeat. . .
I use 1 bucket and my spray gun so I always have a clean mitt before applying to the car I pre wash with a citrus pre wash spray more on bottom part leave it to dwel a bit I also dont rinse first as I find pre wash sticks more to the water then dirt I rinse this off the spray my ph neutral shampoo with pump sprayer on the car 1 side at a time my mitt is clean and wet the wash the car 1 side at a time I dip my Mitt into bucket with grit gaurd then wash Mitt with spray gun in the bucket so I know its clean every time 😁👍 great video
BH snow foam, BH shampoo and use 2 mitts (1 for the car, 2 for the lower edge of side skirts). Only use the 2nd bucket for the side skirt mitt. May look at APC for lower edges, thanks
I am pretty new to detalling, and as you say the first thing you run into is being told that the 2 bucket method is the only safe way wash your car. As I am only washing 2 daily drivers and I use a, to me, decent prewash it seemed redundant to me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this - And thank you for all your great videos. I was especially inspired by your video on fixing rock chips and after watching your video I will be giving it a try.
Hi John, a good debate this one 👍👍 No influencers for me 🤣🤣. I'm just still a bit old school 😊😊. I use 2 super soft merino lambs wool wash mitts . One for lower panels, bumpers etc.. the other for the cleaner parts of the car. Agree about the pre wash with snow foam, but still using 2 buckets for wash & 2 buckets for wheels, both with grit guards. Overkill maybe, but helps my OCD, 100%.. I tend to rinse the mitt prior to putting in my rinse wash bucket & rinse my wheel brushes & mitts prior to putting in my wheel rinse bucket. This method has served me well for many years & don't see me changing anytime soon.
2 buckets for wheels seem quite overkill. If you rinse your wheel cleaning tools out with your pressure then there nothing that putting them into a rinse bucket is gonna do.
For me 1 bucket and multiple mitts ,unlike everyone using 10 mitts ,I use 3 using both sides effectively ,1 bucket with small amount clean water mixed with shampoo with all mitts soaked in ,After prewash ,spraying car with shampoo first before contact so as to reduce friction between paint work and mitts,when all 3 are used up and if any panel needed redoing again ,I take the cleanest mitt of all and rinse with clean shampoo bucket (one time only) to use both sides of that mitt again. good prewash is key .To dry i use 3 (1200gsm) clothes and use dab technique ,After all you can do so much to prevent or lessen swirl marks but eventually they do happen but at a smaller micro scale . I Use liquid detergent not powder to clean all washing mitts in washing machine .
Your absolutely correct. I washed, clayed and waxed my neighbours black astra the other day with BH auto foam pre wash, ONR, OCW and a clay towel all in one bucket with a chenille wash mitt, and in nearly one step. It was a daily driver and the surface was like sandpaper when I started, and glass wen I finished. I didn't spot any marring on the paint, after, and my neighbour was happy with the results, and i was very surprised. i guess the point is if you know the rules and risks, then you can decide to break them.
Whilst I completely agree that thorough pre-washing is absolutely critical, I can't get on board with advising a method that can inflict more damage. Even when I've prewashed with Surfex HD at 10:1 under Autofoam at 4% PIR I still often end up with a filthy rinse bucket. So no, for me, I'll never use one bucket unless it's the single use mitt method (or MF towel as per AMMO NYC) or you're rinsing out the mitt after every section (which is a horrendous waste of water if you're doing mobile detailing and using a water tank).
Great video with lots of common sense. I'm looking at my car now, a humble Honda Jazz. Last washed just over 2 weeks ago. Epic rain storm yesterday and there is little or no loose debris on the car. On top of that it's well protected. I genuinely can't see the point of 2 buckets in this scenario (plus it's not a Ferrari!). I'll wash it gently and I'll have a grit guard in the soap bucket (is that necessary?) I also follow Heather of Autocare HQ and her car is insanely glossy and free of swirls. She doesn't do the 2 bucket method either although she told me she uses more than one mitt. Key is her thorough pre-wash and the fact the car is washed regularly and well protected.
Persoanlly i like the 2 bucket method, not saying its better, but at the end of the day one of my buckets is dirty ,the other is clean, where would the dort be if i only had one bucket. For me thats enough evidence
1) Spray BH autofoam as a prewash on a dirty, dry car (softening the dirty) 2) Wait and rinse 3) Repeat with the BH again on a wet car 4) Wait and rinse 5) Wash with your preferable mitt rinsing it after using both sides (1 for the top half, 1 for the bottom half, 1 for the wheels) 6) Rinse 7) Drying: spray on a wet car i.e. Koch PW 1:200, dry with a towel.
100% agree, never done two buckets one is fine, if there is too much dirt not pre-washed/rinsed correctly, and also just empty and refill in the worst case ;-)
I use a no bucket method! First I take my car to a touch-less car wash! Then I use a foam cannon to pre wash my car. Let if soak with foam to soften the dirt and then rinse! Then I use the same foam cannon to put foam on the part of the car I’m about to use a contact wash method.. then I use the pressure washer to blast the mitt completely clean of dirt. Rinse and repeat! Works perfectly and I have no scratches or swirls what so ever after doing this for over a year! The results speak for themselves
I wash my car in the following manner Step 1 pressure washer rinse Step 2 Built Hamber Autofaom used as touchless while brushing dirt off from the wheels + pressure washer rinse Step 3 Built Hamber Autofaom with a cleaned wash mitt, upper car on one side of the mitt and the reset of the car with the other side + pressure washer rinse. No bucket at all. No matter how clean is the mitt if abrasive particles on the surface will surely damage the car.
You're not wrong on how the prewash is the most important part, but the alternatives to the 2 bucket wash method take just as long if not longer, as I will try to list some here 1) rinse mit with pressure washer 2)have soap already on car with foam Cannon and only use a rinse bucket 3)use multiple mitts I've tried all of these and they all take up more time than the 5 seconds it takes to dunk my mitt in one bucket, scrub it with my hand a little, and put it in another bucket with soap. Through washing I usually start at the top and finish at the bottom, and I might dunk my mitt in the wash bucket 10 times because I also use the other side of the mitt and don't bring dirt parts of the car (the bottom) to other parts The other method I guess you could use is just only dunking your mitt in the soap bucket to clean it, and there, you're not going to get a very clean mitt each time and you'll be dragging that across the car again and it will only get worse throughout the detail. I understand that the 2 bucket method is useless if the paint is already in rough condition, but if I'm maintaining my own paint corrected car or someone else's without any swirls, taking measures to avoid scratches makes a difference in the long run and from my experience, the 2 bucket method is the fastest way to do that, as I bet I spend less than a minute throughout a detail with my hand in the rinse bucket. Any thoughts?
Just saw somebody comment on your video about your EML light on on the M4. Their comment made me come looking for this video. I couldn’t agree more with everything you’ve said. The two bucket method is nothing but a show piece imo. The most vital part is the pre wash. Spend a substantial amount of time working on the pre wash, and the contact wash isn’t an issue. Queue the nay sayers!
also forgot to talk about the fact your gonna need to clay periodically anyway...
Bottem line though just wash your car however you think works best for you...
How do you “clay periodically”? Do you need a table?
@@helipeek2736 nice one
Yeah that's a good point as well, if ur gonna clay then ur gonna polish, I understand ur analogy on the rinse bucket being dirty but ur correct in pointing out that they aren't pre-washing properly, btw u need to get that hair cut, I couldn't keep my eyes off it, my eyes were drawing to the top of ur napper because it looked like something was blurred out at certain angles, it was one of those things, once u notice it u can't help but see it 😂😂😂😂😎👍🏻🏴
I notice there's a vid of yours on here from 4 years ago on this very subject, no idea how you managed to talk about washing a car with one bucket for 45 mins but I might just have to watch it to find out lol.
I’d been convinced that you need two buckets to remove the dirty from your wash mitt.
Recently switched to Bilt Hamber Touch-Less and I’m now pre-washing effectively. The wash mitt and shampoo bucket are as clean as if I’d just filled them.
I’m wringing the wash mitt out between panels too. So far all good. Might use multiple mitts come winter, depends.
I thought the 2nd bucket was to stand on so I can reach the roof.
😂 as a height challenged man, i that what i used mine for, or dig out my Oddjob platform.
😂🤣👏👏
Another vertically challenged one, here 🙋🏻♂️
I’m about around 5ft 8 and I still struggle to reach the roofs on some cross overs 😂
Finally someone speaking with common sense... Well said.
I just rinse the mitt with the pressure washer now and again and also turn the mitt. I'm glad others think its a waste off time.
That's what I've done for years. It's always been better than just shaking a mitt into a bucket of water. If it won't blast off then it won't shake off either!
For me, it is always one bucket and multiple mitts. Can't go wrong :)
Same with me. This whole industry can be a racket to an extent. Its over thought and gimmicky.
I agree, though I do use a 2nd bucket - an empty one to put all the used mitts in! I tend to use maybe 10 to 12 mitts per wash. No need to rinse or jet them out they go straight in the wash afterwards, that method with a proper pre-wash system is about the best you can do to minimize the scratch risk and you can only minimize it, there is no such thing as a 100% safe pre-wash or 100% safe contact wash, all you can do is reduce the risk at every stage. It's another reason I use a DI water rinse so I don't have to do a contact dry although the main reason is to save my rotator cuffs! I'm lucky I have the time to let the car drip dry I guess
I'm considering switching to this method, but isn't it a pain having to wash and dry all these mitts?
@@steverabbits how 10 mitts per wash?
@@KiranPatel-fk1pg washing machine does a great job getting them almost dry. 1200 rpm
One bucket for me , washing your car is supposed to be a " feel good " experience with all the techniques and equipment nowadays it.suddenly becomes a chore
many people take the fun out it. I've been guilty of it myself. Have fun and experiment to see what you enjoy.
I only use one bucket. A really thorough pre-wash and jet my mitt out with the pressure washer every now and again. 2BW is dead.
basically what i do. I do use 3 mitts though.
Same, a solid hit with an apc, let it dwell. Snowfoam, more dwell, then a good rinse. Then a layer of a citrus based bug cleaner or similar and then commence contact wash. Rinse.
1. Pre-Rinse
2. Pre-wash (snow foam)
3. Soap in the Lance over whole car. Obsessed garage style!
4. 2 bucket wash
In that order.
Don’t worry you won’t influence me to change.
I go for the snowfoam on dry car first. Softens the dirt and adds a Lubricity when pre rinsing.
This is the way!!
Do you still use a bucket of soap after step 3?
@@yenghooitan5666 yes, the more lubrication the better.
I also rinse between snow foaming and lance applying soap over the car, I do not just let it run off. Sometimes pre wash is harsher than snow foam.
@@dillingerdan thanks mate, that sure is a lot of soap!
Agree with everything you say. I will continue to use 2 buckets, though, if only because having 2 buckets strategically placed between my car and pressure washer stops the hose snagging under the front wheels 😂
that's actually a great tip
i can't recommend Hose-Eez/Detail Guardz enough for that issue, only need 2 for the front for my Outback, no more stuck PW hose. Used them for several years now.
Agree with Martin. That's actually a really good idea.
A subject close to my heart Jon. I was having a discussion with a well respected Professional at the weekend about the two bucket wash and the detailing buckets in general including the grit guards. I am planning a video on the subject that will be controversial but totally agree with you, we are forced by peer pressure at times to follow a certain route or process that just doesn't add up. My channel has never been about "this is how you do it" but always about "this is what Im doing". There seems to be an industry that has sprung up around detaining buckets that are far two big, trollies to put them on because they are too heavy to carry and then all sorts of grit guards that you don't need if the preparation is right. Thats it I feel better now I have that off my chest.
That always cracks me up Martin! There are detailing suppliers that offer kits of 2 x 25-litre-buckets, 2 x grit-guards, 2 x sit-on lids, 2 x trolleys, wash/rinse stickers and metal bucket dividing plate packages for about £140 to £160. Yet I just use one simple orange builder's bucket that I bought for £4.50 twelve years ago from B & Q. It always worked for me. Why overthink it!
Yep doesn't make sense 25 liter
Liter bucket with 10 liters of water in it there a bit overkill really
Probably just so you get through more product
Not even sure the grit guards do anything I never drag the wash mitt on the bottom of the bucket
@@owensteele1274 spot on 👍👍👍
@@thephantomarse exactly👍👍👍👍👍
@@owensteele1274 seen a few mobile “valeters” use these 25L buckets for multiple cars. Guy was bragging about how one full up in the morning lasted him all day long doing 7-10 cars per day. I’m sure he’s probably not the only one doing it as well, so there is a market for these oversized buckets.... not a good market though
Never have and never will, use the 2 bucket method. I’ve been ridiculed on forums for saying this. The 2 bucket way, died when pre washes and snow foams come out.
100% agreed on the pre-wash. I've made a lot of mistakes and learned the more you can blast off before touching your paint / coating, the less there is to scratch it. Best of all, a good pre-treat and hose work is less labor-intensive than scrubbing like a maniac from the get-go. I also use the same style mitt as you and closely evaluate soap lubricity before I'll use it on my truck. Drying with a blower or using a drying aid w/ a soft rag is my final step in the process. Oh, and as you pointed out, no pressure on any mitt or drying towel ever. Let the water and expensive products do their job instead of trying to power it off like an action hero in a training sequence. :)
I just place my chenille mitt on the windshield and blast it with water, just with a normal garden hose... Or just use the sink near the garage. So little come on the shampoo bucket.... I agree with you, there is not point in putting my mitt in dirty water... If being extra careful just use 5-6 mitt to wash each panel....
FINALLY..A Detailer with common sense..Thank-you!
For Sale :- One bucket complete with grit guard, going cheap!
I love this. For me, I’ve always used the single bucket method. But I also use a gas-powered pressure washer. By the time I’m hand-washing the car, there isn’t much to really grab and add back to a bucket that’s substantial. Hell, half the time the amount of soapy water I’m bringing with the mitt up onto the car is enough that I have to add water before the session is over. And that water is clean, and the soap is further agitated.
At the end of the day, remember this- It is the result that counts. We are grown-ass men, debating how many buckets to use to clean a a big metal object. If anyone holds tightly onto a position in that realm…you have bigger issues than a bucket to sort-out.
Have fun, improve each session, and clean objects for the right reasons.
Depends upon how dirty the vehicle is. I just finished a ZERO bucket wash because all the car had on it was dust. I pressure washed with water. Foamed the vehicle let the foam sit for about five minutes. Pressure washed the foam off. Foamed the vehicle again, and then rinsed it with deionized water, and used a blower to dry it. Then went over the car with an SiO2 spray and called it done. Sometimes you don't even need a bucket...
I agree 100%. If your rinse water or soap water becomes dirty while washing, then the prewash has been ineffective. Good that someone talks common sense here. Also a lot of youtubers are not using the pressure washer to its full potential, and keeping it too far away from the paint when rinsing, thus decreasing any benefits it has compared to regular hose rinsing. Modern paints can easily take consumer washer pressures. Pressure washer with a good prewash makes a big difference.
This vid deserves an award! It is all TRUTH! Mit MUST be clean.
I had a scratch free car. Always used 1 bucket, 1 mit. Always flooded mit with hose before another pass. Car stayed scratch free.
Jumped on 2 bucket wagon without hosing mitt, scratched car while snow foaming was even being utilized.
Now I use multi mitts and 3 buckets which help alot, but the car never really feels clean while washing with ph neutral snow foam.
So now I have bilt hamber and can't wait to use. Car pro has a really good apc to apply also in which I've used 2x but can get expensive to utilize, it's best in my opinion!
If i want a swirl free wash, citrus pre wash and then snow foam after, apply shampoo snow foam style and your 1 bucket method with shampoo in and pressure washing mitt instead of a rinse bucket, blow dry if you can as drying probably causes more swirls than the wash stage
I don't hear many people pick up on the drying damage angle 👍👍 I've not found a decent blow dryer yet, I have gone down the DI water rinse route because I have the time to let the car drip dry. I do use multiple mitts though, I don't think rinsing really gets them clean so I use a new mitt every panel pretty much, so maybe 10 to 12 mitts per wash. Again luckily I'm not a commercial detailer doing multiple cars a day so using that many every time I wash my car is no problem. I also apply my shampoo snow foam style with a shampoo bucket as well, makes total sense to me 👍👍
@@steverabbits Hi Steve try using a Stihl BG86C-E leaf blower which is brilliant to a dry car
@@tonye7490 thanks I Google that one. I did try a cheap leaf blower but it just was not man enough for the job. Ok at blowing water out of crevices and trim though but struggled with large panels
@@steverabbits you will not find a more powerful petrol hand held blower on the market, we use them everyday at work and their bullet proof.
It’s the way I wash
OMO the 2bm is as you rightly point out, not as necessary as many preach. Always filling 2nd bucket, hardly ever use it. Common sense is what counts on all the reasons you pointed out. The same as most detailing procedures, use your noddle, access the tasks every time. Every task is different as is every day. About time someone made this comment Jon!
The KEY is to rinse your mitt with PW / hose and squeeze out b4 going back in the single bucket. I stopped doing 2 bucket when I started rinsing mitt and realised the rinse bucket was staying clean. The chenile is safer because there is less contact and pressure on the surface with them - they aren't as effective as a mf mitt the same size IMO.
The way I convinced myself to starting rinsing my mitt Vs using a rinse bucket, was putting my wheel mitt / brushes in my wheel bucket and noticing they would would still be dirty whereas when I'd rinse my wheel mitt off I'd see it would be clean.
I could not agree more. I use the one bucket method. Dunk a bunch of wash pads and super fluffy mf towels in the bucket with soap and let them absorb. I add a bit of shampoo to the wash pads and then use each one for parts of the car whilst holding the hose with the other hand to be able to give them an occasional rinse off (because of insects, bits of trees mostly since pre-wash takes care of most of the dirt). Usually one pad for the bonnet, one for the roof, separate ones for the bottom bits and so forth.
Once used it goes into another bucket ready to be washed and dried. This way I never dunk a ‘dirty’ pad into the clean water bucket with the other pads.
Yes, I am one of the multi mitt guys 😁
When it really comes down to it, rinsing the mitt between panels with the pressure washer is the best thing you can do. The rinse bucket is like a security blanket so you can see the process working but it doesn't change the fact that the mitt is being dunked into dirty water.
That takes way too much time and using a concrete slab would have to suffice.
My pressure washer is gas and I don't leave it on during contact wash
I am completely new to car detailing / washing having just bought my dream car.. I love the straight talking videos I have watched a few of yours now. Fantastic , useful and honest. I hope you are making ££££ from youtube you certainly deserve it
I use no buckets, they are in the garage gathering dust.
I put shapoo in a 2 ltr pump sprayer and after snow foaming and rinse i spray a few panels and my wool mitt with the shampoo, wipe down panels then rinse the mitt with a hose, towel dry, job done.
Just a hose, pump spray and wash mitt does it for me.
Black 159
Megs gold class wash and wax so no need to use a QD after each wash.
Foams up a treat
Good technic! I have used similar method.
One bucket and grit guard has always been good for me, and give the mitt a quick sling at the end of each wash cycle
Gotta say my rinse bucket always ends up with visibly dirty gray water when I pure it out.
And the soap clean bucket stays clean.
So seems to work for me? 🤷♂️
After washing 3 cars, my rinse bucket is always visibly dirty and my wash bucket is clean so I'll continue to use 2 buckets
1 bucket is fine for daily drivers. When cleaning high end cars that have near perfect paint 2 is a must. Multiple mits and rinsing the wash mit everytime prior to touching the paint is important in my opinion. Always open to strategies I just use precautions with high end stuff like Italian exotics. Great video.
I use on bucket and rinse my mitt with the pressure washer after I wash a panel and before I put it back in the soap bucket.
Bang on mate
You applying the favorite wash method from DPC ?.
@@runxfan02...30 I've watched all the different washing method videos. I like that one.
I use 2 grit guards in one bucket with loads of shampoo, aswell as heavily concentrating on the prewash with citrus/snowfoam.
2 mitts, 1 for the top section of the car and 1 for the lower section.
I completely agree with disregarding the 2 bucket method.
Alway pre-wash with BH snow foam.
Used to 2 bucket, but not any more.
I now always snow foam the shampoo onto the car, and just use one bucket to rinse the noodle mit.
If very dirty rinse the mit using a quick blast of the pressure washer.
Always now rinse with softened water, no need to dry as dries spotless.
Contentious issue John, which you have handled perfectly, I am in your camp regarding the two bucket method. As you say, pre-wash is the most important thing to get right, I then cover the car in shampoo using a snow foam lance, then I use my mitt with one bucket of shampoo to carry out the contact wash.
Same here
After my pre-wash process I usually slap another coating of snow foam on for extra lubricity and cleaning power anyway. I very rarely use 2 buckets. Just have a grit guard in my main wash bucket which seems to keep any bigger contaminants away from my wash mitt.
I do tend to use a separate mitt for the lower parts of the car (and do them last)
Well said. I don't have crazy expensive cars. We have 2 Lexus's and a Toyota pickup. All 2019 and newer. I've only used Wolfgang Uber Rinseless washes. Quick and easy. I'm very happy with the swirl results and you have to remember, if you drive your car, it's getting swirled. The debris in the air, bugs, dirt off the road, etc. are all putting micro swirls in the CC. If I owned some exotics, then maybe I'd want to keep them pristine, but for daily drivers, I realized that I was starting to go way overboard in thinking about how to wash a car.
Love the fact you are addressing this. I have used the 1 bucket method before. So snowfoam, let it dwell, rinse, then snowfoam the shampoo onto the car. 1 fresh bucket of water. This wasn't a dirty car and the first snowfoam was built hamber auto foam, which works well for me. I usually use 2 buckets and both my buckets have relativity clean water at the end. The only time my rinse bucket is dirty it when I use my second mitt to do the edges of the underbody. That's the end of the contact wash!
Jon, I love your channel because of the way you present ideas. But, I use a 2 bucket system and I have grit guards with “washboard” attachments in both buckets. I rinse my wash mitt in the rinse bucket against the “washboard” and at the end of the contact wash it always amazes me the amount of “dirt” in the bottom of the rinse bucket. And I pre- rinse, foam, rinse and then start a contact wash. I’m gonna to continue to use the 2 bucket system because anything I can do to minimize any damage is a good idea. And in the big picture, it doesn’t really add that much time. Cheers. Great topic btw. I enjoyed it.
I like your way of thinking. One action that I think makes a difference is to squeeze out ones mitt BEFORE entering a bucket. Which will get rid of the majority of the contaminants. And that's wether you use one or two buckets. That's: squeeze-rinse bucket-squeeze-soap bucket.
I use one bucket multi wash mitts. Super Chinese fake wool but do the job brilliantly. I rinse snow foam soap and clean the car, with the mitts.
Id be wary of cheap mitts..cheap material is not good.
I agree with you on the 2 bucket method. I use a second small bucket for the wheels. I do think its important to have a giant bucket for the paintwork and most of the time the water from the wash bucket is pretty clean still from the end. There is definitely aways grit at the bottom of the bucket but as you say a proper mitt and wipe technique provides much better protection. Plus lugging two massive buckets of water is way more effort than lugging one.
After 38 years of being a car owner I have always used the one bucket method and I cringe looking back how I used to wash my cars without pre rinse or wash and using washing up liquid and sponge.
As I got older, wiser, married and after the kids come along I spent more and more time perfecting my ‘detailing’ technique maybe as a consequence of escaping childcare duties😁.
Recently, and with two new cars on order I thought about the two bucket method and I am so glad I watched your video Jon as we shared the same thoughts about ensuring the critical pre wash stage is done correctly.
In the early 2000’s I invested in a Karcher HDS 601C pressure washer as I became disillusioned with the cheaply versions sold by Halfords breaking down. It was as a result of being stolen replaced with a HDS 745m which as well as cleaning the family cars, cleaned patio’s drives, conservatories and other things, it was a beast and pretty much faultless for the 15 years I owned it, returning 70% of its original cost when recently sold.
I have now invested in a HDS 7/10-4MX which is the latest version of the 745 and gives me the best options to ensure that my cars receive the best pre wash, rinse and wheel arch clean all year around, with the option of cold, hot and steam wash.
On that basis I’ll stick with the one bucket method as my present X1 paintwork is although not entirely swirl free is looking very good for a three and half year old daily driver.👍🏻
My process involves a spray bottle of soap. I use one bucket that holds all the rags I will use to touch the paint. I rinse the panel, spray the soap, wash with one rag from the bucket with rags and water. Once I use that rag, it does not go back in the bucket. I do that for the entire process. Once the car is washed and rinsed, then I used more damp rags to assist my air compressor with drying.
I now use, wolfgang uber rinseless, pumped on the car, using a Wurth sprayer, big red sponge and drying towel or soft micro fibre, also Griots garage rinseless with wax, if the car is very dirty, which mine isnt, as its treated like, a tin god. Pressure wash it first, its amazing how cleaning technology has come along.
I've never done 2 bucket.
I just rinse the mitt out with the hose gun, clean water each time!
I wish DPC sees this comment, his favorite wash method 👍
If it’s very dirty two buckets is good. If not then no. Recently got my regular hose out (one of the magic expanding ones) and use that around as I shampoo. Wash off the mitt before dunking back in. Saves water and shampoo.
I use 1 bucket, rinse the mitt with the hose after each panel. Done so for years,
I always tell people 2 buckets is BS. Grit guards don’t filter out traffic film
Completely agree. Two buckets is a big waste of water too. A half gallon foam gun, rinsing my mitt after 1-2 passes with the soapy water works wonders for me. Great video!👍
Totally agree, if pre wash is done effectively then the water in one bucket doesn't get dirty anyway.
Totally agree!!! Somebody had to say it… thank you. Finally, a man with integrity.
TOTALLY AGREE!!!!! I have broken away from the religion of detailing loool. Do what works for you and makes life easy for you. There is no set blue print and I went away from two buckets wash years ago and I've washed countless customers cars for years, with no scratches, no dramas. MY HERO!!!! Hahah I thought I was going mad but I'm glad to hear my thoughts out loud. Great vid 👍
I agree with you on being told that is the way to do it even though it kind of doesn't make sense when thought through. My ethos is to use a citrus wash overlaid with a snow foam after a pre rinse with my power washer, then two buckets and a grit guard in the rinse bucket. I am happy with that process and until someone comes up with a radical change that I agree with that will be my method.
My car never has caked on mud, it is mostly dust, some road grime and maybe a few water spots here and there. My regime has been to pre-wash the car with a good quality foam. I rinse off the foam and then use quality towels with a rinse less wash solution. I fold the towel/s as I pass over each the panel. I wash one panel at a time. My car is also ceramic coated.
That's my method currently. Prewash, rinse Prewash use onr with a detail spray as a drying aid and extra lubrication
A well protected car and a good pre wash and a single bucket for me is usually enough. I regularly check the wash mitt and it's coming off the car clean which to me shows my pre wash is working 😁
The most common sense detailing channel on the tube, period. At least that I know of. Always enjoy hearing your take. You have a fine ability to always pick up on what would (or should) seem obvious....what so many others seem to either love skipping over, or just "stay in line" and not think about for themselves.
Koch Chemie Green star, Bilt Hamber Auto foam, rinse and then contact wash using two bucket method. I split the car into third's: one mitt for the upper third, one mitt for the middle third and one mitt for the lower third. Some may classify it as overkill, but you get different levels of precipitation within these third's. I find this works best for me. As with anything, it comes down to opinions.
Thank you Jon, I think your approach is spot on. I recently modified my wash process after seeing a video by Pan the Organizer, to drop the RINSE bucket and even the WASH bucket. I pre-rinse withe ONR, RINSE, the wash with the Foam cannon and multiple mitts, but I lay the mitts under the wiper blades and dose them thoroughly with soap. I agree that the chenille wash mitts feel the safest as those little noodles really prevent you from over-pressing the mitts into the paint.
Just my $.02........
I totally agree with the significance of the pre-wash! I used to use two bucket, but having assessed your magazine review on the types of wash media - I'm totally sold on the chenille noodles. So I literally have about 15 or so clean ones in one bucket and use two per panel. That way I'm sure no additional contaminates are being transferred back to the paint. The most import combo is lubrication! so before even hitting the panel with the chenille, make sure each panel is pre-wet with the shampoo and not dry! Simples!
Foam cannons changed the game for me. I dont use buckets at all anymore. I rinse, foam with a surfactant heavy soap, rinse, then foam again with a second soap of my choosing. I have several towels and use those. All the towels wash clean no dirt on them. I load heavy in the cannon and have no issues with lubrication at all. I just need some DI tanks so I don't have to dry anymore. That's where a bulk of scratching comes from imo anyway no matter how careful you are.
bang on, when i pre wash, i use Bilt Hamber Pre Wash because its the only pre wash that pre washes correctly.
I have never used the 2 bucket wash method, but my car never gets that dirty, after 3 years, my bucket handle broke so I decided to buy 2 buckets, apart from holding more and being heavy, I think my wash method is safe. I do now have grit guards, but I agree with what you say, to that end I now have a spare bucket 😊
Jon, There is another process you may like to consider - I use 1 bucket with shampoo and i wash with mitt or noodle under running water from a hose gun held in the other hand so the contact area is always flushed with clean water.
Great video highlighting the pre wash👍
When neighbours ask why I pre wash and use such gentle pressure to wash the car I ask them how would they wash grit out of their eye without scratching it.
Only a fool would go straight in with a hard soapy scrub without pre rinsing and after that you'd go gentle as possible for any last bits of debris!
Here's my personal opinion, two buckets, two grit gaurds, and bilt hambers awesome pre-wash + bilt hamber wash mitt.
That during the washing stage is ultra safe and if that's what you aim to do then do that but I agree, there's a point where it does become a little pointless so draw your line somewhere.
What I will point out is that many scratches come from drying the paint without a lubricant, so please use a drying aid that is 100x more effective then a two bucket wash method!
Great video Jon!
spot on. I use bilt hambers snow foam and rinse off thorough and then only use a 1 bucket 🪣 method. hardly see any dirt in the bucket or wash mitt when contact washing as most of the dirt is already removed. so John is spot on when saying that the pre wash stage is very important and therefore 1 bucket really can be sufficient
“I thought I saw a swirl …” Epic!
I’ve been using a two bucket method for years now and been very careful in performing a prewash with Bilt Hamber snow foam etc. Black hard Mercedes paint and I’ve still got faint wash swirl over the car. However, I will continue to use the two bucket method purely for peace of mind alone.
As you say common sense, is your rinse bucket dirtier than the bucket with shampoo in... mine is that’s why I do it 😂
Idea, don’t let your car get filthy, like me, I only ever use one bucket to wash my car. Done that for the last 20 years
I have a very common car: a Renault Mégane III Grandtour.
I take care of it, as it is very expensive - because it was the first car I bought with my own money, no loans.
Due to this, and because it spends a lot of time out in the elements, I take really good care of it.
Moreover, when I eventually sell it, I would want it to retain as much value as possible.
Furthermore, I would like to learn now, and get better as my cars get more expensive.
Cheers to all!
I only use one bucket with 4 mitts. After my foam and jet I divide the car into 4 and use a mitt per quarter. Each used mitt then goes into a rinse bucket for a hand rinse before they are washed in the machine, madness?
Provided you have an outdoor water supply and a hose there's no need to use any buckets. Fill up a spray bottle with car shampoo and water and spray that onto the car and washmitt. Will use less product as there's no waste, it's miles quicker, plus as you would be using clean water from the hose to wash the mitt, it's safer as well.
Totally agree with you. When I got into this detailing craic I got two buckets and realised fairly quickly that it is pretty pointless once you do a real thurer prewash. And then my good wash mitt for the top two thirds of the car and another one for the bottom third. Too much time faffing around with two buckets.
You make a valid point Jon and I tend to agree. Dipping your wash mitt into a dirty water bucket defeats the idea in a way yes, but that's if the water holds the dirt in suspension. Having seen all the ONR videos, it has prompted me to add some ONR to my rinse bucket so the dirt falls out of suspension an drops below the grit guard. This makes the two bucket wash more feasible.
Another method is to simply rinse the wash mitt with the pressure washer or garden hose. Some detailers rinse their cars with a hand trigger pressure gun with the lance and so rinsing the mitt with this apparatus makes it just as effective to clean the mitt.
You hit the nail on the head though with the pre wash. That precedes everything. Do a thorough pre wash and you will minimise the dirt.
Yes John!! I agree 100% it makes no difference whether you rinse your mitt in a rinse bucket or wash bucket with shampoo in it. The mitt is still going back in the bucket with debris in it. Using a good pre wash technique is the most important part of washing your car.
You are so correct and on point in this video. People are trying to sell ludicrous techniques because, they are ultimately trying to sell their own products. I believe in working clean. Just don't introduce dirty mitts or whatever into my one bucket wash. Simply rinse and wring them out after each panel wash.
One bucket is all I need car gets done once a week, use labocosmetica primus to pre wash which does a fantastic job and then as you say feels like your then washing a clean car!!
If we are relying on “common sense,” we are doomed! Lol. Thanks for this content. I prewash with a rinse, a good long dwell time foam, rinse and one bucket contact wash with four or five mitts followed by a final rinse and heated, filtered air dry with my BigBoi Pro dryer. My cars are professionally ceramic coated and the prewash does a good job in removing most of the dirt. You Rock! Be blessed.
Filtered air lol
Yes absolutely agree, have never used the two bucket method, always done an extensive prewash and use very little pressure on the mitt when washing afterwards, like you said after my prewash it should feel like your washing a clean car, Ive had my black cayenne for almost 4 years now and it's like a mirror, so I know it works.
Totally agree , if your not letting a car look like you have done the RAC Rally in it , and pre wash it well , one bucket SHOULD be ok
I use the 4 Bucket method. 1 Bucket for soap,2nd Bucket for rinse 3rd Bucket to stand on for the roof,4th Bucket to sit on while i drink my coffee and smoke. The 4 Bucket system is the only way to go. One day i will move up to 5 Buckets.
Hi Jon, I use lots of pre wash steps. Switched from bilt hamber foam wash to the new touch less, followed by a spray with surfax hd on lower panels. After a good pressure wash the car is looking clean.
I like the gtechnic mits, I use 2 of them plus the two bucket method plus a couple of the noodle mits for the sills etc. The touch less is great as is the BH shampoo 👍👌 rice bucket water stays clean.
100% agree with you John.... I’ve never used 2 buckets but I do work for a water company 😜
and you alone should know x thousands / millions of gallons of water is wasted through leaks in the network, I'm sure adding a second bucket into your routine isn't going to make a difference - go on live a little 😊
I’m still a fan of the multi-pad method (Chemical guys noodle pads). It’s just one more thing to reduce the amount of grit possibly under the pad during agitation. It still requires an extra bucket to “ditch” the used pads in after using it for a panel or two.
I use two buckets, use the soapy bucket, wash out mitt in the clean bucket, tip clean bucket out, leave hose pipe in to fill clean bucket whilst washing car again with soapy, and repeat. . .
I use 1 bucket and my spray gun so I always have a clean mitt before applying to the car I pre wash with a citrus pre wash spray more on bottom part leave it to dwel a bit I also dont rinse first as I find pre wash sticks more to the water then dirt I rinse this off the spray my ph neutral shampoo with pump sprayer on the car 1 side at a time my mitt is clean and wet the wash the car 1 side at a time I dip my Mitt into bucket with grit gaurd then wash Mitt with spray gun in the bucket so I know its clean every time 😁👍 great video
BH snow foam, BH shampoo and use 2 mitts (1 for the car, 2 for the lower edge of side skirts). Only use the 2nd bucket for the side skirt mitt.
May look at APC for lower edges, thanks
I am pretty new to detalling, and as you say the first thing you run into is being told that the 2 bucket method is the only safe way wash your car.
As I am only washing 2 daily drivers and I use a, to me, decent prewash it seemed redundant to me.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this - And thank you for all your great videos. I was especially inspired by your video on fixing rock chips and after watching your video I will be giving it a try.
Hi John, a good debate this one 👍👍
No influencers for me 🤣🤣. I'm just still a bit old school 😊😊. I use 2 super soft merino lambs wool wash mitts . One for lower panels, bumpers etc.. the other for the cleaner parts of the car. Agree about the pre wash with snow foam, but still using 2 buckets for wash & 2 buckets for wheels, both with grit guards. Overkill maybe, but helps my OCD, 100%..
I tend to rinse the mitt prior to putting in my rinse wash bucket & rinse my wheel brushes & mitts prior to putting in my wheel rinse bucket.
This method has served me well for many years & don't see me changing anytime soon.
2 buckets for wheels seem quite overkill. If you rinse your wheel cleaning tools out with your pressure then there nothing that putting them into a rinse bucket is gonna do.
For me 1 bucket and multiple mitts ,unlike everyone using 10 mitts ,I use 3 using both sides effectively ,1 bucket with small amount clean water mixed with shampoo with all mitts soaked in ,After prewash ,spraying car with shampoo first before contact so as to reduce friction between paint work and mitts,when all 3 are used up and if any panel needed redoing again ,I take the cleanest mitt of all and rinse with clean shampoo bucket (one time only) to use both sides of that mitt again. good prewash is key .To dry i use 3 (1200gsm) clothes and use dab technique ,After all you can do so much to prevent or lessen swirl marks but eventually they do happen but at a smaller micro scale .
I Use liquid detergent not powder to clean all washing mitts in washing machine .
Since I already have a rinse bucket with a grit guard, I’ll continue to use it because what is 1 pence of water for a little extra protection.
Your absolutely correct. I washed, clayed and waxed my neighbours black astra the other day with BH auto foam pre wash, ONR, OCW and a clay towel all in one bucket with a chenille wash mitt, and in nearly one step. It was a daily driver and the surface was like sandpaper when I started, and glass wen I finished. I didn't spot any marring on the paint, after, and my neighbour was happy with the results, and i was very surprised. i guess the point is if you know the rules and risks, then you can decide to break them.
Whilst I completely agree that thorough pre-washing is absolutely critical, I can't get on board with advising a method that can inflict more damage. Even when I've prewashed with Surfex HD at 10:1 under Autofoam at 4% PIR I still often end up with a filthy rinse bucket. So no, for me, I'll never use one bucket unless it's the single use mitt method (or MF towel as per AMMO NYC) or you're rinsing out the mitt after every section (which is a horrendous waste of water if you're doing mobile detailing and using a water tank).
Great video with lots of common sense. I'm looking at my car now, a humble Honda Jazz. Last washed just over 2 weeks ago. Epic rain storm yesterday and there is little or no loose debris on the car. On top of that it's well protected. I genuinely can't see the point of 2 buckets in this scenario (plus it's not a Ferrari!). I'll wash it gently and I'll have a grit guard in the soap bucket (is that necessary?) I also follow Heather of Autocare HQ and her car is insanely glossy and free of swirls. She doesn't do the 2 bucket method either although she told me she uses more than one mitt. Key is her thorough pre-wash and the fact the car is washed regularly and well protected.
Persoanlly i like the 2 bucket method, not saying its better, but at the end of the day one of my buckets is dirty ,the other is clean, where would the dort be if i only had one bucket. For me thats enough evidence
Me and you must be the only ones lol
1) Spray BH autofoam as a prewash on a dirty, dry car (softening the dirty)
2) Wait and rinse
3) Repeat with the BH again on a wet car
4) Wait and rinse
5) Wash with your preferable mitt rinsing it after using both sides (1 for the top half, 1 for the bottom half, 1 for the wheels)
6) Rinse
7) Drying: spray on a wet car i.e. Koch PW 1:200, dry with a towel.
100% agree, never done two buckets one is fine, if there is too much dirt not pre-washed/rinsed correctly, and also just empty and refill in the worst case ;-)
I use a no bucket method! First I take my car to a touch-less car wash! Then I use a foam cannon to pre wash my car. Let if soak with foam to soften the dirt and then rinse! Then I use the same foam cannon to put foam on the part of the car I’m about to use a contact wash method.. then I use the pressure washer to blast the mitt completely clean of dirt. Rinse and repeat! Works perfectly and I have no scratches or swirls what so ever after doing this for over a year! The results speak for themselves
I wash my car in the following manner
Step 1 pressure washer rinse
Step 2 Built Hamber Autofaom used as touchless while brushing dirt off from the wheels + pressure washer rinse
Step 3 Built Hamber Autofaom with a cleaned wash mitt, upper car on one side of the mitt and the reset of the car with the other side + pressure washer rinse. No bucket at all. No matter how clean is the mitt if abrasive particles on the surface will surely damage the car.
You're not wrong on how the prewash is the most important part, but the alternatives to the 2 bucket wash method take just as long if not longer, as I will try to list some here
1) rinse mit with pressure washer
2)have soap already on car with foam Cannon and only use a rinse bucket
3)use multiple mitts
I've tried all of these and they all take up more time than the 5 seconds it takes to dunk my mitt in one bucket, scrub it with my hand a little, and put it in another bucket with soap.
Through washing I usually start at the top and finish at the bottom, and I might dunk my mitt in the wash bucket 10 times because I also use the other side of the mitt and don't bring dirt parts of the car (the bottom) to other parts
The other method I guess you could use is just only dunking your mitt in the soap bucket to clean it, and there, you're not going to get a very clean mitt each time and you'll be dragging that across the car again and it will only get worse throughout the detail.
I understand that the 2 bucket method is useless if the paint is already in rough condition, but if I'm maintaining my own paint corrected car or someone else's without any swirls, taking measures to avoid scratches makes a difference in the long run and from my experience, the 2 bucket method is the fastest way to do that, as I bet I spend less than a minute throughout a detail with my hand in the rinse bucket.
Any thoughts?
Just saw somebody comment on your video about your EML light on on the M4. Their comment made me come looking for this video.
I couldn’t agree more with everything you’ve said. The two bucket method is nothing but a show piece imo. The most vital part is the pre wash. Spend a substantial amount of time working on the pre wash, and the contact wash isn’t an issue.
Queue the nay sayers!