[stlcdr]

Finding good microfiber towels I find quite hard - some which look to be good quality (which they are) do a terrible job of soaking up water, and others that look cheap are great at it.

Anyhoo, just finished a wash. Car had been sitting dirty for about 5 weeks, with bugs on the front, and dirt all on the back. Did not pre-wash with the foam cannon (power washer is winterized and could not be bothered with it).

Went straight into a bucket wash with Dawn Platinum dish soap (maybe a teaspoon at most in 2 1/2 gallon bucket). Did not wash the top as it was reasonably clean. Bugs came off with no scrubbing leaving no marks. But then, I do have PPF, so perhaps that helps.

I use a battery blower to get water out of the crevices prior to drying.

I am also in the never-use-an-automatic-car-wash crowd. Bad experience : bent a spot light, and ripped a big piece of rubber out of a brush guard (of course, they are not responsible for addons, but considering the damage it could do, I’m not going to risk it again).

I must say, ‘what do you clean your car with’ threads sometimes end up like the ‘what’s the best oil’ threads. The latter tends to get dirty, the former stays clean…