the two-bucket wash method

CAR CARE & DETAILING TIPS FROM O’KELLY’S AUTO DETAILING AND FINISH SPECIALIST

Routine washing is crucial to maintaining the appearance of your vehicle. As your car becomes covered with dirt and contamination, it is important to remove these surface contaminants often.

We are often asked for recommendations on the best way to handwash a vehicle. Enter the two bucket wash method.

The concept is simple. You should use one bucket for your shampoo wash solution and one bucket with plain water for rinsing your wash mitt.

The WASH Bucket:

The Wash Bucket is where the magic happens. Here you should put in a mild PH neutral soap and fill the bucket with water. We recommend using either Chemical Guys Maxi Suds II or Chemical Guys HydroSuds Ceramic SiO2 Shine Car Wash Soap. You can use your hose or pressure washer to agitate the shampoo and create suds in the bucket.

THE RINSE BUCKET:

The rinse bucket will contain only water. Before placing your wash mitt into your wash bucket, it should first go through the rinse bucket for a few dunks to dislodge any grit that may be attached to the mitt. The idea is to have the mitt as clean as possible before it touches the shampooed water of the wash bucket. This way, there is far less risk of getting any dirt or contaminants into the wash bucket, which could cause scratches and swirls when the wash mitt touches your vehicle. We recommend that each bucket has a grit guard at the bottom.

GRIT GUARDS

Grit guards act as a barrier at the bottom of your bucket, allowing dirt to filter through but physically stopping larger items such as your wash mitt or hand. If you are on a budget and can only afford one Grit Guard, the Rinse Bucket is the one to have it in since this will collect the majority of dirt; that being said, we would recommend having a Grit Guard in both buckets. Grit guards can be purchased individually on Amazon. If you do not already have buckets, we recommend purchasing something like Chemical Guys Two Car Wash Bucket Kit from Amazon.

`

Washing Techniques

When washing your vehicle, you should work from top to bottom and in straight lines (not in circles.) Most of the dirt and grime will usually be located towards the bottom of your car, so it’s essential to leave this area last before once again rinsing. We recommend working panel by panel and dunking your wash mitt into the buckets between panels. Try to utilize the grit guards and washboard to help knock as much dirt out of the mitt as possible.

Larger panels like the roof and hood can be split into two sections. Never apply too much pressure when going over your vehicle; the wash mitt should be allowed to glide along with the paint.

We’re sharing the tips & tricks we use to clean and maintain vehicles in hopes that it will help you learn a thing or two about caring for your own car.

If you’d like to see us cover some other popular detailing topics, drop us a line at hello@okellysautodetailing.com