Told me to use two buckets for washing. Laughed at him. He was right.

Buddy of mine who details cars on the side kept telling me to stop using one bucket with a grit guard. Said I was just rubbing dirt back into the paint. I ignored him for like 6 months. Finally tried it after I saw micro scratches in direct sun on my black truck. One bucket for soap, one for rinsing the mitt. Night and day difference. No more swirls. Has anyone else had that moment where you thought the old way was fine and then realized you were dead wrong?

3 comments

3 Comments

umar491mo ago

You ever wash dishes by hand and realize you're basically just moving grease around with a sponge? Same concept with the single bucket thing. I had a white 90s Honda that I washed for years with just a hose and one bucket of soapy water. Looked fine from ten feet away. Then I got a black used Subaru and the first time I dried it off in direct light I saw a thousand little scratches like someone took fine grit sandpaper to it. Tried the two bucket method with those grit guards and it honestly felt like showing up to a knife fight with both hands behind my back at first. But the scratches stopped showing up. Sometimes the stupid simple advice ends up being the real deal.

evan_cooper731mo ago

You ever have a buddy who thinks he knows everything about everything? My friend Mike swore up and down his method was fine. Single bucket, old rag, hose. He had a silver Toyota that looked decent enough. Then he got a dark blue Mustang, real pretty car. First time he washed it, he dried it off and the whole hood looked like a cat had a fit on it. Little swirls everywhere. He called me all pissed off, blaming the car paint. I told him to try the two bucket thing, he laughed at me. Two weeks later he shows up with grit guards and a new mitt, said he couldn't take looking at those scratches anymore.

jamie_adams1mo ago

Single bucket is fine if you know what you're doing. The problem isn't the method it's that people don't rinse their rag enough or use a dirty sponge. I've been using one bucket and the same rag for ten years on my black truck. No swirls. The two bucket thing is just another way for companies to sell you plastic buckets and grit guards. Your friend Mike's problem was using an old rag not the number of buckets. A clean microfiber cloth and a hose with decent pressure will get you the same result without all the extra gear. People act like washing a car is brain surgery when it's really just moving dirt off paint.