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Rear of charger filthy after wash

4K views 32 replies 7 participants last post by  Junkman2008 
#1 ·
This past Saturday we had a 60+ degree day in NJ so I decided to do a full exterior detail on my 17 scat. Wash, clay and wax with chemical guys products. Looked incredible. Couple days later the rear is disgusting, almost as if I took it mudding and never washed it off. 80% of the car still looks great and glossy. It’s such an eye sore but not worth it to clean it again only because of the rear and how quickly it’ll get dirty again. It’s probably due to all the road salt/grime but anyone have any luck in keeping that stuff at bay from the rear even a little? Would rear mud flaps help block it from getting thrown back there?
 
#4 ·
Yeah I’m thinking a quick cheap touchless car wash once a week or something. I have a waterless car wash product with a sprayer I could do too. Just don’t like the idea of physically wiping that much dirt off without a pre-rinse. Oh well
 
#5 ·
That's the magic about having a white car (mine). You can almost scrub it down with a brillo pad and the scratches won't show.

I live in a city but everything around me is rural. I drive dirt roads, gravel roads, and paved roads that oil transport truck coming onto the highways deposit red clay. The car can be a mess at times whether the roads are dry or damp. It gets a weekly bath and shave and garden hose in between if needed. No show-cars at my house unfortunately.

If I need to get to the fields I will take the Jeep which comes back caked in red clay when wet or covered inside and out with dust when dry.
 
#13 ·
Dude I so hear you on the White Paint. I had White Knuckle on my Durango R/T and man scratches where amazingly hard to find. I owed it for little over 3 years and only polished it twice. Once when I got it to coat it and once after 3 years because I wanted to paint to POP more and I was coating it again.
I went completely the other way and got a Pitch Black Scat pack and man you can see a spec of dust from across the street on it. I knew that going in I had a Black BMW years ago and it did the same thing. Black just looks so good for about 5 t o 6 minutes after a wash, then it's all down hill from there LOL.
 
#8 ·
The way the airflow is on the rear of any car, it is going to happen in any case. While water left leaching out of nooks and crannies will allow more dirt to stick, it is going to happen in any case. I installed some protective film on the rear bumper ledge to help a little. It also protects against scuffs when loading/unloading things in the trunk.

When I want to do a quick clean on that area I use a waterless wash in a spray bottle. Much better than a detailer. When I spray it on heavy, you can see the dust and light turn just run off the paint. Most of the time I'll just use a self serve car wash and just spray down the rear to rinse off that area. Costs the minimum charge and is easy to do.
 
#11 ·
The way the airflow is on the rear of any car, it is going to happen in any case. While water left leaching out of nooks and crannies will allow more dirt to stick, it is going to happen in any case. I installed some protective film on the rear bumper ledge to help a little. It also protects against scuffs when loading/unloading things in the trunk.

When I want to do a quick clean on that area I use a waterless wash in a spray bottle. Much better than a detailer. When I spray it on heavy, you can see the dust and light turn just run off the paint. Most of the time I'll just use a self serve car wash and just spray down the rear to rinse off that area. Costs the minimum charge and is easy to do.
I think I’ll be using my waterless wash more often in that area alone like you. Would a rear diffuser help at all to disrupt the airflow going back there? I know that most diffusers sold don’t actually do what real racing diffusers do and it just looks cool but I wonder if it would do enough to just make it not as bad?
 
#12 ·
Anytime you use a quick detailer to wipe THAT MUCH DIRT off of a car, YOU ARE DAMAGING THE PAINT. That damage doesn't show up all at once (unless your paint looks as good as mine), but over time. By the time you realize how bad it is, you've done a lot of damage. If you don't want to actually wash the car but the car is TOO DIRTY to use a proper dust removal process, do what I do. A water restricted wash, which work great where people are restricted to using water to wash their car.

 
#14 · (Edited)
Mine does the same thing but nothing like yours. I get a dust build up on top of the bumper.
As Junkman2008 said, your not getting all the water out of around the tail lights. Here is what I do.
After a wash and before I dry it, I use a Leaf Blower to blow out all the cracks around the car. I spend sometime getting out all the water around the Tail lights as they hold water well. Then I dry the car with a super soft Microfiber Drying Towel from Adam's Polishes , I also have a Chemical guys and the Rag Company's Models but I like the Adam's the best.
Once the car is fully dry , my very next step is to open all the doors, trunk and hood. I clean all the jams with a spray wax or detailer. Then after the jams are done I close the trunk and see if any water runs out which sometimes or most of the time it does. I get the leaf Blower and blow the back end again. If you don't blow out the water, it will run out and cause your back end look. I think that's why you have a much dirty rear end .
I like the idea of Mud guards on the back end. I have thought of that myself . Not a bad idea my friend.

Now dispite what Junkman2000 says which he is right by the way , I will use a waterless wash spray and a super soft Microfiber towel to dust off the dust as it drives me insane. I use the proper technic to minimize scratching. My car is always coated and topped with toppers so I got a good amount of protection and minimize scratching even when using a waterless wash. You can also use a detailer as most higher end detailer have a good amount of carnauba wax with synthetic lube agents to help glide over your paint. You also need to use a high quality Micro fiber towel which if you don't , you will absolutely fine scratch your car due to the poor quality of your towel.
Here is what I use

eagle-edgeless-500-ultra-plush-microfiber-towel

These are what I use to remove waxes , sealants , coatings ( they go in the trash after a coating ) , Detailers or Toppers. I will use them for super light waterless wash jobs like the rear bumper top and back end of the car due to the dust there and no where else. I have waffle towels that are designed for Waterless wash use and they also work pretty well they just don't feel as stupidly pillowy soft was the 500's do.

adam-s-microfiber-waterless-towels

Again I have these towels and they work well with a Waterless wash as on my White Durango I used them and never saw a single scratch. One my Charger which is Pitch Black I hesitate to use them and go for the 500's as they are so stupidly soft and the technic I use to remove the dust , I have yet to see a single scratch from doing so. I flip the towel over after 1 pass to remove the dirt and rotate the towel while doing so so when the dirt is captured in the towel it's not sanding the paint as I continue to do so. Then after the dirt is removed. I use a new side of the folded towel to wipe away the rest of the waterless wash.
I don't recommend doing this when it's as dirty as yours I only do it when it's light dust and it kills me to leave it. I also like Junkman2000 suggests is I much prefer to do a full wash then use the Waterless washes.
 
#15 ·
Mine does the same thing but nothing like yours. I get a dust build up on top of the bumper.
As Junkman2008 said, your not getting all the water out of around the tail lights. Here is what I do.
After a wash and before I dry it, I use a Leaf Blower to blow out all the cracks around the car. I spend sometime getting out all the water around the Tail lights as they hold water well. Then I dry the car with a super soft Microfiber Drying Towel from Adam's Polishes , I also have a Chemical guys and the Rag Company's Models but I like the Adam's the best.
Once the car is fully dry , my very next step is to open all the doors, trunk and hood. I clean all the jams with a spray wax or detailer. Then after the jams are done I close the trunk and see if any water runs out which sometimes or most of the time it does. I get the leaf Blower and blow the back end again. If you don't blow out the water, it will run out and cause your back end look. I think that's why you have a much dirty rear end .
I like the idea of Mud guards on the back end. I have thought of that myself . Not a bad idea my friend.

Now dispite what Junkman2000 says which he is right by the way , I will use a waterless wash spray and a super soft Microfiber towel to dust off the dust as it drives me insane. I use the proper technic to minimize scratching. My car is always coated and topped with toppers so I got a good amount of protection and minimize scratching even when using a waterless wash. You can also use a detailer as most higher end detailer have a good amount of carnauba wax with synthetic lube agents to help glide over your paint. You also need to use a high quality Micro fiber towel which if you don't , you will absolutely fine scratch your car due to the poor quality of your towel.
Here is what I use

eagle-edgeless-500-ultra-plush-microfiber-towel

These are what I use to remove waxes , sealants , coatings ( they go in the trash after a coating ) , Detailers or Toppers. I will use them for super light waterless wash jobs like the rear bumper top and back end of the car due to the dust there and no where else. I have waffle towels that are designed for Waterless wash use and they also work pretty well they just don't feel as stupidly pillowy soft was the 500's do.

adam-s-microfiber-waterless-towels

Again I have these towels and they work well with a Waterless wash as on my White Durango I used them and never saw a single scratch. One my Charger which is Pitch Black I hesitate to use them and go for the 500's as they are so stupidly soft and the technic I use to remove the dust , I have yet to see a single scratch from doing so. I flip the towel over after 1 pass to remove the dirt and rotate the towel while doing so so when the dirt is captured in the towel it's not sanding the paint as I continue to do so. Then after the dirt is removed. I use a new side of the folded towel to wipe away the rest of the waterless wash.
I don't recommend doing this when it's as dirty as yours I only do it when it's light dust and it kills me to leave it. I also like Junkman2000 suggests is I much prefer to do a full wash then use the Waterless washes.
I ended up signing up for a monthly car wash subscription. 25 bucks a month for unlimited car washes. It’s not zero touch like I’d prefer but this is a just recently opened wash and does a really nice job. Better than most other soft touch washes near me. I think I’ll keep it for the winter months and get it washed every week to keep off the road grim and salt. I don’t mind getting it full detailed and polished one a year to remove any scratches and swirls left behind from the winter washes. conveniently it’s on my way to work so I literally could wash it every other day if I wanted to. One a week will do for the winter months.
 
#16 ·
it's not horrible as winter washing in the cold sucks no matter how you do it . Unless you have a heated garage with a wash bay , your stuck outside in the cold trying to take care of your ride.
I'm not going to run my Scat pack through a car wash because it's black. If I had any other color I might do that if it kills me to see it covered in Salt and grime. You could have used the Coin do it yourself places, they usually have hot water and there is a complete method I'll use to do so. I bring all my own stuff and don't use their was brush. Only the Pressure washer with hot water which is the soap and hot wax. All others are cold water. I bring a Bucket with a lid and put my own car wash soap, hot water and wash kit in it. Then I also bring a second bucket with a Wheel and Tire cleaner kit also with a lid. I bring my own door jam and drying towels. You can get it done, still sucks but better then being out side trying to hose wash.
Hope your Soft Touch is nice to your car and you come out with little winter scratches.
 
#17 ·
Will never own a black car again. Had a couple and I still have the black Mustang just to reinforce what a pain they are. It even gets dirty parked in the garage. I resorted to using the leaf blower to dust it off between washings. That's how beat down that color made me.
 
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#18 ·
That's exactly what I said after owning a Black BMW. I hated how quickly it became dirty and how hard it was. I told myself never again will I own Black, and here I am 5 years later with a beautiful Pitch Black Scat pack. I was going to get Smoke Show which was exactly like my car optioned exactly the same the only difference was color. My Wife gave the Smoke show a 0 and I was shocked how much she didn't like that color. I almost got it anyway but her opinion was so strong I went with the Black one which looked so damn killer.
I don't regret it as I'm a total neat freak and HATE when my car even has a spec of dust on it. But I'm a X detailer and know how to keep it looking it's best so I deal with it. When it's clean it's incredible so the reward is there.
 
#26 ·
You pretty much need high pressure water to clear out all the body seams and nooks and crannies around the tail lights and race track that dust and dirt settles into. And then open the trunk and clean the weather seals and rubber flaps above the tail lights really good. If you don't do that all of that junk will eventually find its way onto the lip of the back bumper. But no matter how clean the back end is, the draft behind the moving car will deposit dust from the road onto the back end in 2 blocks,

Show of hands to see who is a compulsive car washer: You are on vacation traveling across the states. How many times would you stop at a car wash along the way each day?

Me: It stays dirty for about a week.
 
#28 ·
You pretty much need high pressure water to clear out all the body seams and nooks and crannies around the tail lights and race track that dust and dirt settles into. And then open the trunk and clean the weather seals and rubber flaps above the tail lights really good. If you don't do that all of that junk will eventually find its way onto the lip of the back bumper. But no matter how clean the back end is, the draft behind the moving car will deposit dust from the road onto the back end in 2 blocks,

Show of hands to see who is a compulsive car washer: You are on vacation traveling across the states. How many times would you stop at a car wash along the way each day?

Me: It stays dirty for about a week.
If I didn't own a Black car , I would stop at a local on a trip soft cloth car wash but also have a kit in the back to wipe up and clean up what the car wash missed. They never do a proper job but they can get off most of the highway mess you collect while on Vacation. My wife thinks there is something wrong with me why I keep a small detail kit in the back like an emergency kit LOL. With my Pitch Black I'm less inclined to rub on it as I do with the Plumb Crazy Purple which is awesome for hiding swirls and light wash scratches and Whilte Knuckle which is even better at hiding any paint scratch anything. White is absolutely the best color for anal people like myself.
 
#31 ·
I got lucky. My house was built in 1890 and the garage where I park my cars was actually a barn/carriage house where the police kept their horses and buggies. The horse stables are still there but no more buggies! I use the stables for storage. I still actually have the sign the police use to have hanging over the garage. They use to wash the horses off inside the barn and thus the drain. I can open the doors to both cars without them touching so needless to say, I love that size. They really don't make garages that big anymore unless you specify it or spend some loot. The barn is part of the carriage house that sits behind the main house.

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#32 ·
That's really cool and unique. My house was built in 2003 which we waited 2 years ford to issues with the drainage design. They had to re engineer it from the ground up. Sucked killed about a year for that so we waited.
My garage is only 20 x 20 so if I put 2 cars in there you have to be careful opening the inside doors. The Scat pack fits with a 18 inch tool box in front of it but there is only so many inches left behind the car and to the tool box. I can walk past the tool but it's tight and close to the garage door.
If I could re design it I would have made it 24 x 24 with a drain or 28 x 28 to give way more room and I would have had it climate controlled. Just didn't think of any of that during construction. I'm happy to have a garage , last home did not have one.
 
#33 ·
The older you get, the more time you'll spend at home. Get a big office or a big garage or both. That's where you'll probably spend a lot of time. I know I do, but then I also work from home. Taking care of your pride and joy can be time consuming so if you're going to spend time in there, you may as well make it comfortable. I spend most of my time in here, uploading and editing those videos I have on Youtube. I accidentally deleted a bunch of them so it looks like I am going to be making a whole lot more.

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