This might be an obvious idea to some of you, but if you aren't aware of this, you will eventually be disappointed with your car, and our products, and every product you buy in the future from any brand.

If you've ever been with a driving coach on a race track this is a common piece of advice.

"You need to go slow, in order to go fast"

All this means is that if you are over-driving and being sloppy, your time will suffer. So moving slowly and hitting your line will make you faster.

(Although you can't forget to speed up once you learn the course. Fast is fast, once you are fast!... sometimes they forget to tell you this in the name of safety)

When it comes to washing though, this means that sometimes you need to do a FULL DETAIL so that you don't have to spend so much time fussing with your paint.

The Drive Lab Wash Kit Is Fast UNLESS...

your car isn't being taken care of properly...

YES, you can get a full detailed look in a matter of minutes (usually 20-30 depending on how dirty your car is) from a maintenance wash, without harming your paint, or compromising how shiny and awesome your car looks...

BUT, if you take your time and detail the car properly, you can get a maintenance wash in as little as 10-20 minutes and you are good to go!

In other words... Spend 60-90 minutes detailing your car once every 4-6 months at most (unless it gets super dirty), and you can spend 10-20 minutes washing in between without compromising the result.

Let me show you, step by step, the difference between a proper maintenance wash and a full detail, and you can see how if you never do this right... if you only spend 20-30 minutes washing every single time... your car might start looking mediocre and you don't even know why.

The Maintenance Wash: Speed and Efficiency

A maintenance wash is exactly what it sounds like—an efficient cleaning process designed to remove surface dirt and grime to maintain your cars cleanliness and aesthetic. Typically, this method involves:

• Exterior Rinse: Using water to wash off loose dirt and debris.
• Soap Application: Applying a pre-rinse or car wash soap or shampoo to remove stubborn dirt and grime from the paint and the wheels (which most often require a wheel cleaner too)
• Rinse and Dry: A final rinse followed by drying with leaf blower and/or a microfiber towel.
• (optional) apply dressing to tires.

We know you know this, but this usually takes people 45 minutes and delivers mediocre results because it's incomplete and slow and requires extra products. With our kit/method you do the same thing plus extra beneficial steps, in less time.

THE DRIVE LAB METHOD: By having a stronger soap to work with you don't need a wheel cleaner or to worry about stubborn left overs while wiping. Then using our Step 2 to dry saves you a contact wash during the wash phase, cleans up any left overs while also sealing and protecting your paint to make washing easier in the future, and producing a superior gloss and shine. Then our tire coating is quick drying and you don't need to re apply every time!

On average, our products will save you 10 minutes over the leading competitors simply by being stronger, working together, and being dialed in and balanced for speed.

The Major Problem With This, Still:

Regardless of what you use or how you do it, over time, maintenance washing will neglect key areas that will slowly start to make your car look worse, and make washing slower...

You see, moving quickly or saving time means that gunk that sits in the nooks and crannies of your car starts to build up. Along with contaminants that you can't see embedded in the paint.

Nothing can save you from needing intermittent full details to keep your car looking brand new.

Now, you can hire out for these a couple times a year, or follow the steps below so your car is reallllly clean. Either way, doing this twice a year will ensure you can have faster maintenance washes, and reap the benefits of having a car that looks like it never ages (for resale, or for joy!).

A Proper Detail: Precision and Perfection

In contrast, detailing is a meticulous process that goes well beyond the basics. It involves:

• Exterior Wash: A comprehensive wash that includes multiple stages—pre-soak, hand wash with a towel or mitt, and rinse.
• Spot Detailing: After the first wash, using a soft detailing brush or mitt to focus on specific areas where gunk builds up over time, like around emblems, window seals and corners, and any area that usually gets neglected. Then...
• Clay Bar Treatment: Removes embedded contaminants from the paint. This would be so you can towel dry without any worry of scratching because you are perfectly clean.
• Rinse and Dry: A final rinse followed by drying with a microfiber towel or chamois.
• (Optional) Ceramic Coating: Using OneWiper or OverShield post clay bar provides a protective layer to enhance shine and safeguard against environmental damage. This is part of regular maintenance if you use Drive Lab since it is a speedy process for us. But you should definitely consider trying our Ceramic Coating, OverShield. It's graphene enhances and the easiest professional grade coating on the market!
• (Optional) Interior Cleaning: Thorough vacuuming, shampooing, and conditioning of upholstery, carpets, and trim.

Benefits:

1. Enhanced Appearance: Provides a showroom-quality finish, addressing imperfections and restoring the car’s original luster.
2. Faster Washing: Maintenance washes will require less effort and be done in no time.
3. Protection: Professional grade Coatings offer long-term protection against elements like UV rays, acid rain, and bird droppings.
4. Increased Value: Regular detailing can preserve or even enhance the resale value of your vehicle by maintaining its aesthetic appeal and condition.

Go Slow, So You Can Go Fast

When you have the time to take, doing a full detail won't feel like a chore. Taking  a few hours out of your year isn't a big deal so that washing regularly isn't such a pain, or doesn't look like ass.

Personally, I detail my cars exteriors maybe once a year, it takes 2 hours to detail AND COAT my car with OverShield, and the thorough job makes it so I can whip through washing so quickly that it doesn't prevent me from being late to a car meet, even if I do it right before! And my car doesn't show up looking half assed either.

Let us know if you need help with more steps and instructions for any part of this process!