STAGES OF THREE-PHASE CAR WASH
Three-phase washing is carried out using professional cleaning products in three stages.
In the summer, before the first phase, it is necessary to cool the body by pouring plenty of water on it, since even the safest shampoo for the first phase can leave a burn on the chrome, and it will simply dry out on the body, leaving smudges that you will be tormented to wash off later.
The task of shampoo for the first phase of washing is to remove the main organic contaminants from the car body. First they cover the wheels, wheel arches, the lower part of the body, then they move on to the doors, radiator grille, rear part, windows, and finally the roof is treated. Thus, the shampoo lasts the longest on the coating of the lower part of the body - where there is the most dirt. After a few minutes, the shampoo is washed off from bottom to top, paying special attention to hard-to-reach places.
It is desirable that the composition be applied in the form of an emulsion; the emulsion has a number of advantages over the usual foam.
- First, the emulsion does not dry out on the body, thus the composition works as best as possible on the car body.
- Secondly, the composition penetrates into all cavities and crevices, allowing you to work in hard-to-reach places.
We knock down the primary composition with high pressure from the bottom up, in this way you visually control the process, imagine a large marker in your hand and you must “paint over” the car without missing a single section.
Since we worked with a high-pressure apparatus, a lot of sand came out of the cracks and joints, sand is an abrasive and in the second phase there is a high risk of adding scratches to the car, so we need to spray the car body with water from a hose. Removing static dirt from wheels is quite difficult. Manual cleaning required. To do this, use a special shampoo, which is applied to the rims, arches, and tires. Using sponges, brushes, and microfiber, remove frozen dirt, after which the foam is washed off.
At the second stage, a shampoo for hand washing is used with a high content of tensides, which help to separate static contaminants. Cover the body with shampoo for manual washing, then use a large-pored sponge or a special mitten made of microfiber or wool to clean the car body. It is also worth paying special attention to rims with tires and wheel arches, thoroughly cleaning them using delicate brushes and brushes. For hard-to-reach places (for example, the radiator grille) use a special brush. After treating all surfaces, the remaining foam is washed off.
At the third stage, a preservative-drying agent is applied to the paintwork, which gives it long-lasting shine, hydrophobic and antistatic properties. The composition is washed off with water under low pressure.
The final stage is drainage. The body is wiped with microfiber and blown through using turbo drying, paying special attention to the glass.
How to properly wash a car
Let's consider all the stages of caring for a car that has finally waited for the bath day to arrive.
Interior cleaning
For every car owner, the main problem of car care is cleaning the interior, which takes the most money, effort, time and, for those who are especially impatient, nerves. But the interior demonstrates the owner’s attitude towards his car. In addition, everyone wants the car to be not only comfortable, but also cozy.
You can't do without a vacuum cleaner
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Do-it-yourself car cleaning and washing
If you decide to refuse the help of professionals, who sometimes ask for serious amounts of hard-earned rubles for cleaning, then our cleaning tips will come in handy for you. Experience shows that the most problematic places when cleaning the interior are dirty carpets, windows that constantly tend to fog up, and a dashboard that seems to collect dust from all over the globe. In order to get rid of all these unpleasant moments, we need a bucket, a lot of water, car chemicals, a vacuum cleaner and all kinds of brushes and rags.
Sometimes it doesn’t hurt for the car interior to arrange a real bathhouse
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First the vacuum cleaner
Having freed the car interior from all objects that may interfere with cleaning, we collect all the dirt with a vacuum cleaner, and after this simple procedure we proceed directly to cleaning the interior, which must be done exclusively from top to bottom.
When cleaning the interior, special products must be used. Many people use household chemicals, but this is fundamentally wrong. Well, you don’t use dishwashing detergent or brush your teeth – GOI paste. But even if you decide to go with special products, you need to remember that they are all water-based, so before use they need to be shaken until foam forms.
There are specific rules for cleaning leather.
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"White" the ceiling
First, let's look up and start cleaning the ceiling. Typically, ceilings are sheathed with velor or vinyl. For the headlining of new models, leather is often used, for cleaning which the same products are used as for vinyl coverings. Vinyl is best cleaned with a stiff brush and plastic cleaner. The velor ceiling is washed with a soft brush, which will not contribute to the formation of lint. Washing door cards is carried out in a similar way.
Car seat cleaning
Next comes the turn of the seats. In order to knock dust out of them without dusting the entire interior, you need to put a damp cloth on them, on the inside of which the ubiquitous dust will settle. We clean velor seats with a special product and then dry them. Leather seats should also be cleaned with special products, but do not forget to treat the leather with conditioner at the end of cleaning. Now let’s descend from heaven to the sinful earth and begin cleaning the floor. Focus on the rugs that definitely have the most dirt on them. Then everything is standard. It is only worth noting that in winter salt accumulates on the floor, which is best removed with boiling water and a weak vinegar solution.
The dashboard is cleaned using special products.
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Clean and polish the dashboard or dashboard
Cleaning the dashboard is done with a damp cloth (never wet or even poorly wrung out). Grease stains are removed using special cleaning products, and to add shine and accentuate the color, use a wax-based plastic spray polish. Having finished with the ceiling, floor, seats and dashboard, we turn our attention to the windows. A weak vinegar solution is perfect for cleaning glass. Never use liquids that contain ammonia. The fact is that such products are suitable for glass, but for rubber and plastic they are destructive. It is best if the water used to wash windows is hot, but you need to be extremely careful during the winter season, because sudden changes in temperature can lead to cracking of the glass.
You won't get a pat on the head for washing your car in a non-designated area.
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Having wiped away the perspiration from the efforts made, we proceed to washing the car.
Wash your car yourself
Again, if you decide to abandon high-tech methods of washing your car and don’t mind exploiting your loved one, then we send a portal and tunnel wash to the furnace and proceed to manually wash your crew, especially since a real car owner is always pleased to wash his car with his own with your hands!
Legislative "but"
The law of the Russian Federation allows car washing only in designated places, which are service stations. However, in real life everything does not look so dramatic. If you do not do this in public places, on central streets, in recreation areas or in nature reserves, then law enforcement officers are unlikely to put a spoke in your wheels, either literally or figuratively.
To wash your car yourself, you need: a suitable place (not a river bank or a yard), a bucket, foam sponges, soft lint-free rags and car shampoo.
Do not press the sponge too hard, as you may scratch the paint.
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Water is the main consumable when washing a car.
There are some guidelines regarding the water you will use for washing. The car does not like contrast showers, so the water temperature should be approximately the same as the ambient temperature. Otherwise, the paintwork may develop microcracks. And as Aron Semenovich, who lives on Jose de Ribas Street, says - do you need it? Like the interior, the exterior is put in order from top to bottom according to the “roof – glass – hood – trunk – wheels” scheme. You don’t need to press the sponge too hard, of course, unless you want to customize your steel horse with exclusive scratches.
Ask someone you know to help you))
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After a thorough wash, pay attention to the drains and drains, as well as the engine compartment, leaving the engine dry.
Wiping and drying the car after washing
It is extremely necessary to dry the car after washing, because a thin film of dirt and salt particles suspended in water remains on its surface, as a result of which the car loses its shine. Wiping can be done using a suede or flannelette rag. The optimal direction for wiping is considered to be: hood - roof - fenders. It is better to do all this in only one direction.
Make washing your car fun
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Dry it and go!
Drying the car after washing is extremely necessary, because water itself is not a neutral substance, but contains all kinds of salts, alkalis and other elements that are not entirely friendly to the paintwork. Therefore, you need to dry the car either using a special non-contact dryer, or press the gas pedal to the floor and leave everything to the wind. Photo
ADVANTAGES OF THREE-PHASE WASHING
Three-phase washing:
- improves the appearance of the car, gives the surface shine and brightness;
- eliminates old, frozen contaminants;
- allows you to remove dirt from hard-to-reach places;
- when using special compounds, it gives antistatic and hydrophobic properties to the paintwork surface.
A three-phase car wash is indispensable if you are putting your car up for sale, want to do a “general cleaning” of the body, and prefer to drive a truly beautiful, spotlessly clean car.
Algorithm of actions
The washing procedure is clearly regulated:
- Using a high-pressure apparatus, large particles of dirt are washed away and old mud deposits are softened.
- Active foam is sprayed onto the external parts of the body and wheel rims. It is characterized by excellent fluidity and effective alkaline properties, which allows it to penetrate into crevices and remove traces of oil and other technical fluids.
- Next, the product is washed off with a stream of water under high pressure.
- At the end, thorough drying is carried out using water distillers, suede cloths and compressed air. All foreign particles have already been removed from the surfaces even before drying. That is why this procedure does not damage the paint layer of the body.
While washing the body, you can do a little cleaning inside the car. This article will help you with this on how to take care of your car’s interior yourself. While the non-contact foam is in effect, it is possible to wipe the internal surfaces and clean the rugs.
It happens that the usual drying is replaced by applying coating wax to the surface of the vehicle. It helps water droplets roll off from the body. In addition, it makes the procedure completely contactless. The resulting thin film also protects the car from the direct influence of dirt and dust on the layers of paint and varnish on the body.
FEATURES OF THREE-PHASE WASHING
Three-phase washing is much more expensive than conventional washing and takes longer.
The period depends on the nature of the contamination and the type of car. A small, moderately dirty sedan can be cleaned in 40 minutes. An SUV that is regularly driven on dirt roads will require several hours. The high cost is due to the duration and complexity of washing. Professional shampoos, which you cannot do without, also affect the price.
Three-phase washing does not wash off the ceramic coating from the body. If the paintwork has been protected, it will not be affected.
Many car owners, having ordered a three-phase car wash once, then prefer it in the future. Because it makes the car shine, as if it had just come from the showroom. It is impossible to achieve such an effect on your own. Moreover, trying to do it on your own only makes the situation worse. Some types of stains cannot be removed with soap and water. Complex chemical agents perform their tasks 100%. As a result, the owner loves his “iron horse” again, even if it is many years old.
I want to drive my car for a long time. How to wash it?
Having dealt with automatic car washes, let's move on to the next important issue. Which car wash should you use if you want to preserve the appearance of your car and avoid rust?
Turning to the same Runet forums, you can come to the conclusion that the best way is a contactless car wash. There are many advantages to them.
First of all , they are common. This is the most popular type of business in Russian cities. Finding a suitable option in your area will not be difficult.
Secondly , the quality of services provided by such car washes is quite high due to competition and the struggle for customers. Only the new sinks do their job especially well. They need to establish themselves in the service market. Because of this, very often a newly opened sink is best suited to achieve a good result. You will be guaranteed a couple of years of excellent service.
Thirdly , VIP washes and car wash networks. Do not neglect branded car washes and car wash networks, especially if you own a luxury car. The cost of service here is higher, but you will get a guaranteed result and careful treatment of your car.
And a couple more tips. Pay attention to customer reviews of a particular car wash. Particularly valuable advice can be obtained from regulars of these establishments. Although it looks decent, if you visit for a long time, the contactless car wash can turn out to be a ticking time bomb. The problems will be identical to those that are fraught with automatic car washes: scratches, fading of the paintwork, early appearance of rust on body panels.
What could be causing this? After all, the body comes into contact only with water and auto chemicals? Alas, contactless washing cannot do without real contact. After all the water treatments, what is the final stage the car goes through? Removing residual water from the body using rags or a scraper. When wiping a clean car, dirt also remains on the rag. It's unavoidable. Rinsing and washing the rags will not help here. A dozen or two cars - and the rag turns into sandpaper. Grains of sand penetrate into its fibers and begin to scratch the coating.
There are exactly two options for solving the problem. Use the services of branded car washes, where disposable rags are used to wipe each car. Take a lint-free, clean rag with you and ask the washer to wipe the car with it. Throw away after use.
PRICES FOR THREE-PHASE WASHING
Prices for a three-phase car wash vary depending on the status of the car wash complex, the region, and the products used for the three-phase car wash.
Prices for a three-phase car wash at the time of writing start from 700 - 800 rubles, this is at the most affordable car wash where they use auto chemicals from a domestic manufacturer, in the central region of Russia the price of a three-phase car wash of a Toyota Camry class starts from about 1,500 rubles. For this price, your car will be washed with good auto chemicals using high-quality accessories. Many car enthusiasts don’t like having their car washed with a sponge, but with proper three-phase washing using good car care products and the right accessories (large-pored sponge, wool mittens, microfiber towels, brushes for hard-to-reach places, etc.) you will minimize the risk of adding scratches to the car. Car paintwork.
For example, in Europe there is no contactless washing; the concept of contactless washing exists only in Russia - this is a torn phase from a proper three-phase washing! A contactless shampoo will never clean the car body perfectly, so three-phase washing is the only correct technology!
Tools Overview
The market for contactless cleaning products is very large. Some of them have proven themselves very well in the vastness of Russia:
- Hi-Gear. This product, produced in Moscow, has performed very well in numerous tests. Users of the substance noted its thick consistency and quick action time - two minutes is enough to remove stubborn dirt stains;
- ASTROhim. Another product from Moscow developers. Unlike the previous detergent, the exposure time is slightly longer - from two to five minutes, but the result is almost ideal: minimal dust deposits and the complete absence of large contaminants;
- FILLinn. The Moscow-made concentrate has many good reviews. Users note the thick foam and cost-effectiveness of the product. However, in their opinion, the product does not cope with dirt in hard-to-reach places;
- AGA S15. A relatively inexpensive product that can solve the problem of large stains in two minutes. However, according to some car owners, the foam quickly drains, leaving a layer of dust on the body;
- Dr. Active. Cheap and effective shampoo for contactless car washing. The foam of the shampoo is good, dense, and three minutes is enough to work. However, the substance does not cope with exhaust residue and can leave dirty stains if not dried.
TWO-PHASE WASH
There is only one difference between three-phase washing and two-phase washing, namely, in the second phase of washing, a shampoo with a hydrophobic effect is used, so to speak, two in one.
As a rule, these are shampoos with high cleaning abilities and special additives that mask small scratches, thereby adding shine to the car body. The protective effect of such shampoos is much lower than that of special preservatives; two-phase washing is more suitable for regular care. Take proper care of your car!
Below is a small list of products for proper care of your car.
What shampoos are used
This type of washing has emerged recently, it is the result of the development of cleaning products based on surfactants, including special additives that can increase cleaning power. This group of shampoos has unique cleaning characteristics and excellent foaming; as a result, it was called non-contact foam or active foam. This product is presented on our website - car shampoo for thorough washing made in Germany
