TrickyFishy

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I made a little web app that makes time lapse videos. This is me washing my SLK. It took over 90 minutes to wash, compressed down to 4. Does anyone else take this long just washing the exterior?

YouTube Video

http://www.chriscowherd.com/labs/tim...vie-maker.html

Woolly

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Nice vid - you forgot to wash inside the doors!!

p.s. surprised to see you use a sponge, and not a hose brush for washing - you're not worried any grit will just get scoured around over the paint work??

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2005 BMW LT - 16 countries, 2 CONTINENTS & counting
2004 MB SLK 350 Andradite Green (6 speed manual]
1999 Ducati ST2
2003 Vauxhaul Vectra
1974 Triumph Bonneville 750 T140V
1937 Norton 500 single
(all still current)

alroumi

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Thank you for sharing with us, I do the same but in 30 minutes.

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06 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG
06 Porsche Cayenne S
07 Jaguar XKR Coupe'

I use the Torque and keep the HP for my Steak Sauce!

Cold Shot

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Cool. Can you come by and wash mine? If you can do it in 4 minutes, I'll pay you $500 an hour.

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2007 Black/Black SLK55 AMG (Green Filters, SmartTop V1, Eurolight Clear Side Markers, R170 Modded Antenna)
2007 Pewter/Black ML350
19xx White/Blonde Wife (Lmtd Edition Model)

N4PWJ

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you have a serious amount fo time on your hands to make that video haha.
your a seriously quick mover, the Flash springs to mind

Zeiser50

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Similar : 90 mns to 120 mns for me ...

Alroumi, How are you able to do it in 30 minutes ?

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------Michel------
-SLK 55 AMG 2005-

alroumi

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Easy just do it quickly, nothing to detailed.

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06 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG
06 Porsche Cayenne S
07 Jaguar XKR Coupe'

I use the Torque and keep the HP for my Steak Sauce!

easty

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I like it.

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"I'm not a roman mum, I'm a kike, a yid, a heebie, a hook-nose, I'm kosher mum, I'm a Red Sea pedestrian, and proud of it!" Life of Brian


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FishtailnZ

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Cool lil' vid *L*. I'd say 90 mins is a good estimate for just a wash for mine too - damn bazillion spoke wheels take up a lot of that. ****

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Cruzer 8

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Takes us about that time to wash (90min) and the rest of the day to detail it

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Elwood

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Again, nice vid.

Prob takes me about 90mins for a normal wash and quick wet wax.

Usually;

1) Rinse First to Get the Loose Dirt Off

2) Wash using sponge and Car Wash Shampoo Stuff
3) Rinse

Step 2 and 3 are done panel by panel, usually starting with the roof, moving onto the windows, followed by front, sides and then back.

4) Wheels and Tires wash.
5) Complete wash with Car Wash Shampoo Stuff and rinse. Not panel by panel this time, just a quick once over just in case i've either missed a bit, or still dirt/smears.
6) Dry
7) Use Some Tyre stuff to make them black again.
8) Wax. Usually just use liquid Turtle wax for quickness.

MDLSLK55

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Nice Vid, all it's missing is a cameo by George Clooney.

It takes me about the same time to wash the xfire and use "wax as you dry" spray. When I polish and wax it for real, add another 2 hours...

TrickyFishy

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Haha actually, I did wash inside the doors / door jams toward the end (notice the orange cloths). Yes I have different colored cloths for different jobs Notice the blue ones for drying the wheels.

That's actually not a sponge but a really soft sheepskin mit. I'm SUPER paranoid about grit scratching the paint.

Here is my approximate process:

- Start with the wheels. I have four different brushes I use. First, spray them off. Then use a bucket of clean soapy water I start with a wheel and tire brush. I scrub the tires and the large surfaces of the wheels. Then with a spoke brush clean in between each spoke. The third brush is used to get behind the spokes and the brake calipers. Then the lug nut brush. Rinse and check for spots I missed. Next wheel.

- After the wheels, I rinse the whole thing down really well to knock off as much loose dirt as I can. Dump, rinse and refill bucket with clean water. LOTS of soap. Start with the top surfaces and work down.

- Rinse the mit periodically or after cleaning dirty surfaces to remove any traces of dirt. Keep plenty of soapy water on it. Very important especially for black paint.

- Rinse periodically from the top down. Never leave the soap on too long to dry. I wash the back and bottom of the car last. It's the dirtiest.

- Rinse Rinse Rinse

- I've tried everything I can find for drying. The best thing I've found is those "Super Absorber" rubbery feeling artificial chamois things. It's super soft, easy to see if you got it dirty, machine washable and absorbs water like crazy.

- Dry the door jams, trunk jams and wheels using their own towels.

- Throw everything in the washing machine so it is nice and clean for the next car wash.

412driver

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Im ready for a nap, you made me tired. Sams Car wash takes 10 minutes including wipe down, 11.95 usd. Free 48 hour rewash. Corse you have a new car, mine is old. You are young, I am old so everything is relevent. Do what you love and love what you do....

Woolly

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I start on the roof first, and work my way down.

Using a hose, with a jet & hose brush - I spray the car all over to loosen any dirt. I then swap the spray jet for a hose brush and start at the roof and work my way down. I do the wheels last cos by the time I get to them any brake residue etc. will have softened.

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2005 BMW LT - 16 countries, 2 CONTINENTS & counting
2004 MB SLK 350 Andradite Green (6 speed manual]
1999 Ducati ST2
2003 Vauxhaul Vectra
1974 Triumph Bonneville 750 T140V
1937 Norton 500 single
(all still current)

Zeiser50

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Same wheels .... So hard to clean .....

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------Michel------
-SLK 55 AMG 2005-

jfsully

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I would suggest the 2 bucket method with a grit guard in the bottom for wash buckets. "One bucket for soapy water, one bucket for regular water. After dipping your spunge/mit/shmitt into the soapy water and cleaning the desired panel on the car, you dip your sponge/mit/shmitt into the regular water to shed any large pieces of contamination(bugs, dirt, tar, etc...) you might have cleaned off of your paint. This essentially keeps your washing tool and soapy water cleaner and will produce less contamination based scratches during the wash."

Also try a foam gun to presoak entire car

When rinsing use a stream instead of a spray and the water will sheet off making it easier to dry.

The use of a waffle weave microfiber seems is more absorbant than a chamois. If you have a leaf blower use that to get off the majority if the water.)

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mtiede

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I've been using the Mr. Clean system. That skips the drying off with a chamois (or equivalent). That saves a little time. Instead of drying it off, you rinse with filtered water. That gets rid of the water minerals that leave the spots. It seems to work pretty good. I figure the less I rub the surface, the longer it will be before the little scratches show up.

-1-

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Yup, I was waiting for someone to mention the Mr Clean system. I use it 100% of the time and I'm a believer. You still get a few, very few, water spots but it's acceptable. I find the SLK the EASIEST car I've ever washed. I can wash it in 30 minutes. When you have five vehicles (well, only four get washed, no washy the trucky) I can't afford to spend 90 minutes on one vehicle. I'm no slouch, when I finish, they look good. Thanks for the many, washing tips.

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----------------1-----------------
--------SLK 55 ///AMG---------
THE MON55TER ON THE BLOCK

VitaminT

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Thanks for all the tips guys. I washed my new to me slk55 for the first time Wednesday. It was very easy to wash, probably 45min for the car and 30 min for the wheels.