Car shampoo instructions

Can someone explain the theory to me regarding the instructions on car shampoo, to start cleaning at the bottom and work up. I've just bought a box of sugar soap (not for cleaning the car ) and it says the same. Work from the bottom up to avoid streaks. Surely if you do the top last it is going to run down over your clean bottom

 

No, the idea being if you wash from the top down then the top drys by the time you've finished the bottom, therefore you get streaks. Bottom to top you don't

 

Later, Dr. Joker tackles the tricky subject of teeth brushing;

Should you go up and down or side to side?

 

I used to work as a Valeter a long time ago, and we always washed from the roof downwards, mainly because most of the crap on cars is along the sill line and bottom third.....you don't want to be dragging grit and tar on the sponge to the most noticeable panels...

 

But you rinse it after washing !

 

Yes, you remove all of the dirt from the car first before using the shampoo.

That's obvious. You wouldn't take a sponge or cloth to a car which hasn't had all the crap rinsed off it first. You'd also use more than one bucket with fresh water in and more than one sponge/mitt/cloth

Yes, you'll rinse it. They write the instructions for people who don't know how to wash a car. From your answers I'm thinking you maybe fall into that bracket...

If you want a streak free finish from washing alone you use the soap from the bottom up and then rinse when you've finished. That way, the water runs down and off the vehicle. That's why the manufacturers put instructions on the back. Follow what they say and you'll be amazed at the results...

Unless of course you're in Australia or your bus is upside down

 

I think you're supposed to go in circles ...

 

That's wax on, wax off

 

Well I think it's all a plan by the shampoo manufacturers to get us to use more shampoo trying to wash off the streaks caused by washing the bottom first

 

just shave all your cars hair off then you dont need to bother

 

im sure you have washed more cars than most @the2ems , this new shampoo n wax stuff is parp unless you have a new car , but most of those that have either go to car wash or get a new one once you cant see the number plates anymore . I too worked in a hand car wash in the late sixties early seventies and washed once wet from roof down and polished it properly after .

 

like you're supposed to

 

I don't wash my cars anymore because we're on a water meter. We let the Heros in Sainsburys car park do it now. Funny they never approach me when I'm in the van or doka


As Barney says if you're polishing it don't worry about which way you do it as you'll polish out the streaks any way. No polish and you want it stream free? bottom to top