[PassGas]

Since I had the roof of my 4S wrapped in gloss black along with the door handles I have to be very careful washing those areas. That's why I won't use an automatic car wash. I don't even use a hand car wash. Either I wash it myself or use the a local pressure wash and am very careful with the roof area as door handles.

 

[hDavidsonDan]

the paint is nothing special so a regular car wash would be fine with me...

I think the design engineers should be forced to wash the car by hand after getting dirty from street salt and dust. They would immediately "fix" the small slotted fins found on both front and back under the license plates and get rid of numerous areas around the car that can only be cleaned with a Q-Tip! I love the car but trying to keep it clean will likely be the reason I move on to something else in the near future... somebody messed up big time on this seemingly small detail.

 

[vaf222]

I always hand wash but use a hog-hair brush rather than a mitt or sponge. The reason is that if a piece of sand is on the car surface it could get caught between the mitt or sponge and the paint and scratch the surface because of the pressure between the mitt and sand particle could be high. You could never get like that kind of pressure between a hog hair and the sand particle, I have never seen a scratch or a swirl. A good hog hair brush is expensive but lasts for a very long time.

 

[jeff s]

...
If you hand wash your Taycan what products/techniques do you use?

For me it's the same wash technique for a decade, and I highly recommend it to anyone who hates swirl marks:

Tools:
1) Pressure washer with a wide tip to reduce the pressure to a few hundred PSI
2) Foam cannon to apply wash soap
3) CR-Spotless high capacity deionizer cart (there are other brands as well) for the rinse
4) 36V Makita brushless leaf blower to dry
5) Microfiber cloths - sorted by age/use to reduce the odds of dragging something gritty across the paint

Process for a well waxed car:
1) Wet the car with the pressure washer and let stand for a few minutes - really helps to soften up the dirt/bugs
2) Spray off any loose dirt with the pressure washer - removes 95% of all dirt
3) Spray on some car soap with the foam cannon, and let stand for a few minutes
4) Mist on a bit more soap to re-wet the car
a) If the car is very dirty, spray with the pressure washer, soap again, and wash with a microfiber cloth, changing cloths when you see any dirt. If not very dirty, proceed.
5) Rinse off with the pressure washer hooked up to the de-ionizer spot free rinse
6) Blow mostly dry with the Makita blower
7) Open the doors, etc. and dry with the microfiber cloths

Unless the car is quite dirty, a wash is almost completely touchless, requiring a cloth only to dry the nooks and crannies. I do a "paint perfection" level polish on a car and it stays swirl-free for about five years - though this is in California so YMMV.

 

[Smitty11]

For me it's the same wash technique for a decade, and I highly recommend it to anyone who hates swirl marks:

Tools:
1) Pressure washer with a wide tip to reduce the pressure to a few hundred PSI
2) Foam cannon to apply wash soap
3) CR-Spotless high capacity deionizer cart (there are other brands as well) for the rinse
4) 36V Makita brushless leaf blower to dry
5) Microfiber cloths - sorted by age/use to reduce the odds of dragging something gritty across the paint

Process:
1) Wet the car with the pressure washer and let stand for a few minutes
2) Spray off any loose dirt with the pressure washer
3) Spray on some car soap with the foam cannon, and let stand for a few minutes
4) Mist on a bit more soap to re-wet the car
a) If the car is very dirty, wash with a microfiber cloth, changing cloths when you see any dirt. If not dirty, proceed.
5) Rinse off with the pressure washer hooked up to the de-ionizer spot free rinse
6) Blow mostly dry with the Makita blower
7) Open the doors, etc. and dry with the microfiber cloths

Unless the car is quite dirty, a wash is almost completely touch-less, requiring a cloth only to dry the nooks and crannies. I do a "paint perfection" level polish on a car and it stays swirl-free for about five years - though this is in California so YMMV.

This is a really good list @jeff s thanks for sharing this. I'll have to try it on my own cars. Are there any specific soaps or polishes that you tend to use?

 

[jeff s]

I don't think the soap is anything magic. I use a Chemical Guys soap specifically made for foam cannons, since that generates the thickest foam. Just don't use anything so strong that it strips off the wax - unless that's what you want of course.

I didn't dive into my polishing method, but the short version is: Rupes LHR75 random orbital polisher (has a relatively small pad, which makes for slow but easily controlled polishing), Rupes foam pads (yellow and white) and Rupes polish (yellow and white). P21S wax because it's super easy to apply and works well for me. There are fancier methods and tools, yes, but my set works extremely well for me. I will never ever use a rotary polisher!

 

[David G Doshay]

I always hand wash but use a hog-hair brush rather than a mitt or sponge. The reason is that if a piece of sand is on the car surface it could get caught between the mitt or sponge and the paint and scratch the surface because of the pressure between the mitt and sand particle could be high. You could never get like that kind of pressure between a hog hair and the sand particle, I have never seen a scratch or a swirl. A good hog hair brush is expensive but lasts for a very long time.

I had never used a brush like this, and while I was not going to get a hog’s hair brush, I did have a brush where the bristles are made of plastic but all the ends are split open and are thus fuzzy and soft. Also worth mentioning that I have a full PPF wrap, so I have no concern about paint scratches.

The brush made very quick work of cleaning all of those air flow slats, which do not have the PPF.

 

[kort]

doesn't anyone just have the car detailed regularly?

 

[BluBaby]

I wash mine and dry it with a leaf blower. I also have extremely hard water so I bought this (Amazon $17) to try, it hooks up with the garden hose. Has anyone else tried a setup like this? Thanks.
View attachment 3587

I tried these. Useless getting rid of water spots in Naples. I was very disappointed.

 

[jeff s]

I tried these. Useless getting rid of water spots in Naples. I was very disappointed.

I completely agree - and no surprise. I use that same style of filter when filling the water tanks on my sailboat. It's a charcoal filter designed to remove sediment, bacteria, etc. It is not a de-ionizer and does not help with water spots at all.

 

[mellissapickron]

I wouldn't say I like to wash the car myself. Of course, when I was 20 years old and very proud of buying my first car, I washed it on my own or with my girlfriends. But now I'm just applying to a professional high-pressure washing company. In fact, such a sink is suitable not only for Taycan cars but also for any car. In the same way, I wash my boat. The deck shines beautifully after the pressure of cold water. Have you ever used a high-pressure washer, or are you asking this here because you have no experience in this? I don't want to buy a device or pump for this. It's much easier for me to call professional cleaners with a mobile hose and water.

 

[johnarpy]

I have a guy who comes and washes all our cars every other Friday. On the off week I take it to a self wash and do it myself so I can notice any problems.

 

[kartelan03]

There's nothing quite like the feeling of driving a clean car, but achieving that perfect shine can be a real challenge. That's where clay bar mitts come in. Using this innovative tool, I was able to remove stubborn dirt and grime from every crevice of my car, leaving it looking like new. With the added benefit of protecting my car's paint, I can now hit the road with confidence and pride.

 

[Humphry.taycan]

I'm not opposed to a regular car was (touchless for sure) but prefer washing it myself. Occasionally getting a pro to do it... I lvoe doing it myself and enjoy it, but sometimes you just have to spend the $ and get a professional!

Well, I also enjoyed cleaning it myself, but I also occasionally sought out a professional.

 

[Humphry.taycan]

There's nothing quite like the feeling of driving a clean car, but achieving that perfect shine can be a real challenge. That's where clay bar mitts come in. Using this innovative tool, I was able to remove stubborn dirt and grime from every crevice of my car, leaving it looking like new. With the added benefit of protecting my car's paint, I can now hit the road with confidence and pride.

Hearing you say that, I think I'll have to try it harder.

 

[Humphry.taycan]

I did find a pressure wash that works quite well when I'm in a hurry. I bring all my cleaning gear with me and do not use full pressure at any time.

That's right, it's best to have two hands.