Brush Cleaning

[Boss]

What does everyone clean their brushes with in their tunnels? I use Dawn and it does OK but was wondering if there is something better.

 

[washnshine]

What does everyone clean their brushes with in their tunnels? I use Dawn and it does OK but was wondering if there is something better.

For foam/closed cell brushes, I like a good degreaser - you can also use a wheel cleaner. Spray it on and let it dwell for 15 minutes or so - don’t let it dry . Then pressure wash the brush. First work the brush turned off to get the ends, then spin the brush while you spray it to flush it all the way into the core. Make sure everything is well rinsed and flushed out.
And wear a raincoat.
I used to use dawn, but it was too thick and hard to completely rinse without the continuous foam. Lower viscosity degreasers work better IMO.

 

[Greg Pack]

Quest makes a couple of products designed for brush cleaning: Wally and Auto Dish. It is similar in cleaning power to Dawn but has a surfactant designed to break down quicker. Auto Dish has a fantastic orange smell. These are also good for the first step in wall cleaning where the drying aids/protectants are being applied and end up on the walls in tunnels and brush IBAs. IIRC They also have a couple of products that you can use online as a shampoo that uses a degreasing surfactant that will help keep the brushes cleaner.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Sometimes we pull it off and lay it on the floor and pressure wash. Other times we may soak in a drum with diluted wheel cleaner and then theor in the washer.

 

[DiamondWash]

Blendco makes a brush cleaner called "It's a Wrap"

 

[washnshine]

One last thing - put black colored foam on the lowest 3-4 rows of cloth of your first set of wraps or side brushes - whatever hits the car first. This will hide the discoloration on the brush that gets the dirtiest and will also go a long way towards keeping the rest of the side cleaners staying and looking clean.

 

[MC3033]

Dawn has been my favorite. I’ve also mixed it with vinegar in the past to help kill the smells. I’ve tried a few different chemicals and never been impressed

Bleach also works on foam to help remove the stains. It isn’t as fun to work with though so i typically stick with dawn.