Can the 2 bucket wash method cause scratches?๐
For decades, we've been taught that the 2 bucket method was the safest way to wash your car without creating swirl marks.
And don't get me wrong, it's still a good option for most vehicles.
But I say "most" for a reason.
Cars with super sensitive, easy-to-scratch paint can actually still get swirled up by using this so-called "safe" process.
How?
Well, let's backtrack for a second - what exactly does a 2 bucket wash entail?
Simply put, you have one bucket full of soapy water, and a 2nd one full of clean water.
Both should have Grit Guards at the bottom to trap dirt.
Every time you come back to dunk your wash mitt in the soap bucket, you rinse it in the clean water bucket first.
The theory behind this is that rinsing your mitt in the clean bucket after removing dirt and grime from your car, hits the reset button on your mitt....
Except it doesn't.
Chances are, you're using a microfiber wash mitt (super common).
Microfiber is designed to grab and hold onto particles and contaminants.
Simply dunking it quickly in fresh water is not guaranteed to remove every single grain of sand or dirt.
Not 100%, at least.
Which means you're now rubbing what's left across the rest of your car.
That's how you get swirl marks.
So what do you do instead?
Well, I'll make a video about this if people are interested enough, but here's the gist:
- 1 bucket
- Multiple microfiber towels, folded in 4s
- Every time a side gets dirty, you flip it to a fresh side
- Once you run out of fresh sides, you toss it for a new towel
The crucial part here is that you never introduce dirt from the car back into your wash bucket.
This is how I was recently able to wash the incredibly soft paint on my MR2 without creating any swirl marks.
Which is good, because I don't want to spend another 71 hours polishing it.
Try it out!
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