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The Two Bucket Wash Method Explained

The Two Bucket Method is a safe way of hand washing your vehicle. By following these guidelines, you will significantly reduce the probability of contaminating your wash mitt during your typical cleaning process.

The concept is simple. You should have at least two buckets: one for rinsing and one for washing. Many car wash buckets (such as our own) offer the option to have a Grit Guard as well – whilst not a necessity, it will eliminate your chances of collecting dirt further. This acts as a barrier at the bottom of your bucket, allowing dirt to filter through but physically stopping larger items such as your wash mitt or hand. If you are on a budget and can only afford one Grit Guard, the Rinse Bucket is the one to have it in since this will collect the majority of dirt; that being said, we would recommend having a Grit Guard in both buckets.

The Wash Bucket is where the magic happens. Here you should put in a car shampoo such as our Concentrated Car Wash, and fill the bucket with water. If you have a pressure washer, you can agitate the shampoo nicely by applying some of that pressure within the bucket.

The Rinse Bucket will contain solely water. Before dunking your wash mitt into your Wash Bucket, it should first go through the Rinse Bucket for a few dunks and if necessary a quick wipe to dislodge any stubborn grit you may see. The idea is to have the mitt as clean as possible before it touches the shampooey water of the Wash Bucket. This way there is a far lesser risk of marking your delicate paintwork via scratches and/or swirls when the wash mitt touches your vehicle.

When washing your vehicle you should work from top to bottom and in straight lines. Most of the grime will be located towards the bottom of your vehicle, so it’s important to leave this area last before once again rinsing. We would also recommend working panel by panel and dunking your wash mitt into the buckets between panels. Larger panels like the roof and bonnet can be split up into 2. 

Never apply too much pressure when going over your car, the wash mitt should be allowed to glide along the paint. Using our Advanced Microfibre Wash Mitt paired with a car shampoo that is well lubricated with plenty of cleaning power, such as Advanced Poseidon Car Wash, the dirt should lift off with ease.

If your car appears heavily soiled before washing, we would recommend going through a good Pre Wash to dislodge as much grime before contact. You can read more about the importance of Pre Washing here:

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