[fxcw85]

I took delivery of my M440i this week and am driving it back from PCD.

I used to take my previous car through the car wash but want to wash this car at home.

I was wondering if anyone had recommendations when it comes to pressure washers.

Any other tips for at home washing are welcome.

[NorCalAthlete]

SunJoe SPX3000 seems to be the most common "bang for buck" for home washing.

I'm ordering one of those and then a TriNova foam cannon ($35 on Amazon). I have Microfiber Madness mitts and drying towels, still shopping for bucket + grit guard.

I plan on probably one good wash per month / quarter and foam spray on / spray off / dry quick wash about every other week / once a month.

Depends on how I feel in between. Might be excessive. But I've put 8k miles on it since April, so....

[VICG20M]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

SunJoe SPX3000 seems to be the most common "bang for buck" for home washing.

I'm ordering one of those and then a TriNova foam cannon ($35 on Amazon). I have Microfiber Madness mitts and drying towels, still shopping for bucket + grit guard.

I plan on probably one good wash per month / quarter and foam spray on / spray off / dry quick wash about every other week / once a month.

Depends on how I feel in between. Might be excessive. But I've put 8k miles on it since April, so....

Check out detailing.com I get all my cleaning supplies from there.

[R12ax7]

This is probably a stupid question....but do you use the pressure washer on the car? I just assumed even the lowest setting would ruin car paint.

[NorCalAthlete]

Originally Posted by R12ax7

This is probably a stupid question....but do you use the pressure washer on the car? I just assumed even the lowest setting would ruin car paint.

That's partially why the SunJoe is so popular I think. It's on the lower end of medium power for pressure, quiet, with multiple tips to get the right spray. As long as you keep the tip at least 18" from the paint you should be fine from what I'm told. I have PPF + ceramic coating on mine and that's what my detailer said - 18-24" away from the paint and you're still fine, 12" is probably still ok but getting risky, anything closer and you may start peeling the PPF.

[ultrared93]

You might want to check out Obsessed Garage. Matt has tested dozens of different power washers (data available in a spreadsheet) from low end to commercial grade. About 1000 psi is a good target for washing a car. Matt drives BMWs and Porsches and his wash technique has been proven over many years on both coated and ppf cars.

[fxcw85]

Thank you for the replies and the resources, this is all great info.

[themnmd]

I bought a Kranzel 1122 pressure washer from Matt at O.G. I love it, it is pricey though.

[justbananas]

I saw a guy on YouTube take his car to a carwash, only to use their wand. He had his own buckets and wash mitts in the trunk.. Pretty smart if you ask me and I don't know why I never thought of it.

[VipinLJ]

Originally Posted by justbananas

I saw a guy on YouTube take his car to a carwash, only to use their wand. He had his own buckets and wash mitts in the trunk.. Pretty smart if you ask me and I don't know why I never thought of it.

I do that too. I only use the pressure washer at the coin wash since I haven't bought one yet. Only issue is the recycled water can cause water spots if you don't dry the car fast enough. I usually wash my cars at home and take it to a coin wash if it is really dirty or after heavy rains.

PS - You can't do that at crowded coin washes. Most won't let you use your own bucket and soap either. I'm lucky to live in a small town with many coin washes that have hardly any patrons visiting. Even then, I usually go late in the evening or early morning when it's abandoned.

[justbananas]

Originally Posted by VipinLJ

I do that too. I only use the pressure washer at the coin wash since I haven't bought one yet. Only issue is the recycled water can cause water spots if you don't dry the car fast enough. I usually wash my cars at home and take it to a coin wash if it is really dirty or after heavy rains.

PS - You can't do that at crowded coin washes. Most won't let you use your own bucket and soap either. I'm lucky to live in a small town with many coin washes that have hardly any patrons visiting. Even then, I usually go late in the evening or early morning when it's abandoned.

I also own a Sun Joe washer from Home Depot... it's "okay". I further own a gas powered unit which is much heavier duty, but likely too much for my car. But frankly, I like the idea of the car wash because I can leave all the mess behind. Totally right if it's crowded.

[Bc2005]

I find it interesting that there are places with coin-operated self-washes that actually monitor your use of a bucket and soap. Every one I’ve been to was completely unmonitored, and you were lucky if they even had a working change machine or credit card swipe.

[TTG]

Originally Posted by themnmd

I bought a Kranzel 1122 pressure washer from Matt at O.G. I love it, it is pricey though.

This!

There really is nothing better than Kranzle out there but then OP sounds like a newbie and this might be a little too much for what he is looking for.

[SummerallGuard04]

Electric and gas pressure washers are fine--honestly anything over 2000 PSI. My only advice is to steer clear around headlights and tailights and really anywhere there is exterior lighting as you don't want to break seals with pressure. The real fun is the foam cannon.

[siegester]

I love my Sun joe SPX3001 and cheap foam cannon (both from Amazon on sale a while back). I stick to Megiuars mid level products for wash, correction, and protection. I'm not a crazy OCD detailer like you see online, but these products work great for me.

I also picked up a Griot's DA polisher and some lake country foam pads. All have been great for a novice like me and have had great results.

[CCM11285]

Sunjoe sxp3000, use the 40degree tip. You can spray as close as 12" away from the surface without harming anything. You'll want to look into getting a short gun for it and replacing the hose plus adding QDs. The standard hose and gun just suck to use for washing. Get a decent quality foam cannon (30-40$), find a quality soap, and use microfiber mitts and pads. Incredipads from Microfiber Madness are good but a little pricey. The Rag Company has their cyclone mitts and pads that are really good also and a bit more affordable. I use the multi pad method instead of messing with grit guards. You would have a mixture of 5 pads, and mitts. Once you've washed a panel or two then throw it in a separate bucket and grab another.

Alternatively, Obsessed Garage has curated packages available.