Order of your Passes

[Car Wash Man]

Curious as to how everyone has their wash passes set up? Also would you recommend we run our hot wax right before the ceramic, or is it good where we have it now? This is the order that our soap distributor set it up. We are using simoniz products, except for presoaks those are kleentrack. We are currently running:

1. Low Presoak
2. High Presoak
3. Triple Foam
4 HP Rinse
5. Hot WAX
6. Clear Coat
7. Ceramic
8. Spot free rinse

 

[ShinePro]

Top wash package

(And this ought to stir some comments)

But its what the aggressive tunnels are doing, converted to an IBA

Hi ph presoak
Dwell
Lo ph presoak
Hp rinse
Lo ph flex spritz
Tri foam- (ceramic friendly)
Flex rinse
Graphene (lo pressure)
Ceramic (lo pressure)
Spot free rinse

My opinion from a boat load of testing
I believe I have said this on other threads here as well.
If you are applying a good ceramic-
Get rid of the hot wax and old style clear coats, its a waste of $$$

 

[Car Wash Man]

Ill be honest we are in a pretty cheap area in Wisconsin. So getting rid of the lower clear coats and hot waxes would really turn away a lot of our more price conscious customers... We give our standard clear coat on the 10 dollar wash. Hot wax on the 12. and ceramic on the 14, an none on our basic 8 dollar wash.

 

[ShinePro]

Same here as far as the lower washes go

I m not in a wealthy town either.
But getting rid of those older items has not cost me anything.
I use less water.
The tri foam is less $$$
Carnuba hot wax was expensive/ car
And my wash times are faster
= less $ cost per car.

 

[Greg Pack]

I don't know the specific simoniz products and that would be a good question for a simoniz rep. Personally, I'd want to stay away from any products that contain seal oil, especially early in the wash process. I'd probably want my premium product to be the first to hit the paint for the best chance to bond and work as intended, but depending on what they're composed of it may make no difference. I run my premium products weaker on my touch free for fear of locking in a road film on a car I didn't clean thoroughly.

I've got three packages- good, better, best $8,,$10,$13. The $13 is essentially the $10 with the premium wax package added.

The $8 and $10 get just enough of a ceramic wax (Quest total shield) in a high pressure application to cause the water to break for the dryer, maybe 500:1. So technically all washes get a "ceramic" but I don't advertise that. Cost per car is less than .20 I believe. It could be cheaper with other products but I'm trying to minimize my skus and the silicone based products don't create a mess on windshields when it rains.

The $13 gets the ceramic foaming wax (Quest vantagloss) applied through the tri foam applicators and then I top it with the same Quest total shield used on my basic washes at a stronger concentration applied through a a rain bar. The liquid application helps break down the foaming wax and ensures complete coverage. The stronger concentration of total shield gives it protection longevity and is the one that I fear could lock in a film. I run it even stronger on the friction wash since there;s no real worry there of locking on a film. The protection is so strong it beads at least 30 days and will survive a couple touch free washes.

So-
1-undercarriage, High pH, tire cleaner
2-ghost pass back to front of the car to allow dwell
3-rocker panel blaster and low pH presoak
4-high pressure wash
5- ceramic foaming wax (vantagloss) applied through triple foam applicators
6-low pressure ceramic liquid (total shield) applied through a rain bar
7-quick medium pressure rinse to dissipate any residual foam
8-spot free, customer then exits though dryer

 

[washnshine]

I like this approach and agree with not using mso products.