It’s a safer way to wash a car by using two buckets. One bucket holds soap, and the other is for rinsing the mitt so you don’t put grit back onto the paint.
This is like the two-bucket wash, but with an extra bucket. The idea is to keep dirt away from the soapy side so you’re less likely to scratch the paint.
Protector Wax is a car wax-style product. They’re using it as an example to explain how certain products can behave differently depending on conditions like direct sun.
Tuffa Shell is a product the host developed. They mention it because it ties into their earlier experience with ceramic spray products and what they wanted to improve.
Ceramic sprays are spray products meant to protect your car’s paint and help water bead and roll off. Here, the host is saying earlier versions used solvents, which they didn’t like.
“Solvent-based” means the product uses chemical solvents to help it spread and work on the paint. The host is saying they didn’t like how the older ceramic sprays felt or behaved because of that formulation.
It’s a spray-on product that uses “ceramic” ingredients to protect your car’s paint. The goal is to make water bead up and help dirt wash off more easily. “Water-based” usually means it’s not as harsh-smelling as some older solvent products.
pH neutral is a way of saying the soap isn’t very acidic or very harsh. That’s usually chosen to be safer for paint and protective coatings. The speaker is arguing that some pH-neutral soaps may focus more on slickness than on removing dirt.
Geon Wet Coat is a product people use to make water bead up and make the paint feel slick. The host is saying it didn’t behave well for them when the car was in direct sunlight.
Brand
McKee's Hydro Blue
McKee’s Hydro Blue is a product meant to help water slide off the paint. The host says it streaked when used in direct sunlight.
This is a wax meant to protect your car’s paint. The host says it’s easier to use because it foams, doesn’t leave streaks, and can be applied even when the sun is strong.
Carnauba wax is a natural wax used in many car waxes for gloss and water beading. The host says older-style carnauba waxes don’t behave as well in direct sunlight because they can dry fast and be harder to wipe off cleanly.
A rotary polisher is a machine that spins a polishing pad to buff paint. It can correct paint well, but it takes skill to avoid burning or marring the surface.
3M compounds are abrasive products used to polish paint and remove imperfections. They’re usually used with a machine and then you often polish again with something gentler.
“Super Sober” is the name of a car-cleaning product the host helped create. They bring it up to explain that newer cleaning chemicals have made modern detailing work better.
Dwell time is the “wait time” where you let the soap sit on the car before you rinse it. Giving it time helps the cleaner break down dirt so you don’t have to scrub as hard.
Abrasives are the “scrubby” ingredients in some detailing products. They help remove dirt or surface issues, but the wrong abrasive or technique can leave scratches.
Abrasive blends are a mix of different “scrub” particles in a product. The blend is designed to clean effectively while trying to be gentler on the paint.
Lubrication is how “slippery” a cleaner or product is while you’re scrubbing. More lubrication helps prevent damage like scratches because the tools glide instead of grinding.
Thickness here means how runny or gel-like the product is. A thicker product can stick to the car longer and cover better, especially on sides and vertical surfaces.
GPM means how many gallons of water flow each minute from a sprayer or pressure washer. Higher GPM can rinse faster, but it also affects how you manage water usage and cleaning time.
Quick connects are the snap-on/screw-off hose fittings that let you change attachments quickly. They’re handy when you’re switching tools during a wash or rinse.
Pre-soaking means you wet the car with cleaner first, before you start scrubbing. It helps loosen dirt so you can clean it with less rubbing.
Term
touch lists
This is about cleaning with less direct contact. Instead of scrubbing the paint, you use foam and chemicals to loosen dirt first, so there’s less chance of scratches.
Carnauba wax is an older-style wax that gives paint a glossy, slick finish. It can be a bit fussier to apply correctly, especially if the paint is hot or drying too fast.
A paint protectant is a coating you put on your car’s paint to help protect it. It helps water sheet off or bead up and can make the car easier to clean later.
Term
indirect sun
“Indirect sun” refers to applying products when the car isn’t sitting in direct sunlight. Many waxes and protectants can dry too quickly in direct sun, which can make them harder to spread and remove cleanly.
“Water beating” means water forms little droplets on the paint instead of running as a sheet. It usually indicates the surface has some protective slick coating on it.
Touchless wax means you apply protection without scrubbing it in by hand. The goal is to add shine and water-beading while minimizing the chance of scratching.
This is the idea that scrubbing and wiping can scratch paint. So you try to loosen and rinse off dirt first, then touch the paint as little as possible.
Heat sensitive means the product doesn’t work as well if the car is warm or in direct sun. It can dry too quickly or leave streaks, so timing and conditions matter.
“Water behavior” is how water acts on the car’s surface—whether it beads up or spreads out. If it behaves better, rinsing and drying are easier and the surface is often cleaner.
Term
faster curing
“Curing” means the product is setting up and changing so it works properly. “Faster curing” means it finishes setting sooner, so you can move on more quickly.
“Gloss Boss” sounds like a specific detailing product/brand. The host mentions it when talking about products that you can work for longer without them becoming difficult to use.
Microfiber towels are special cleaning cloths with tiny fibers. They grab dirt and hold water well, so they’re safer for car paint than rougher materials.
A rinseless wash cleans the car with special soap and cloths, without doing a full rinse. The downside is you often have to put in more hand work to get the dirt off.
Work time is how long a detailing chemical is allowed to sit and act on dirt before wiping or rinsing. Longer work times can improve how effectively the product loosens contamination, reducing the amount of physical scrubbing needed.
Heat tolerance is how well a product performs when the car’s paint is hot, like under direct sunlight. If it can handle heat, it usually dries slower and wipes off more cleanly.
Multiple buckets is a wash method where you use more than one bucket so you don’t keep putting dirty water back onto the paint. The host is saying you shouldn’t obsess over it if you’re doing better prep steps first.
APC is short for an all-purpose cleaner—basically a strong cleaner used to break down dirt and grease. The host is saying you may not need those harsh chemicals anymore if you use the right products and process.
An all-purpose cleaner is a chemical spray meant to clean lots of different things. Some versions are harsh enough that they can leave streaks or blotchy patterns on car plastics.
Term
old school wax mentality
This phrase means people are still thinking like it’s the old days of detailing—mostly using wax for everything. Modern products and methods can do the job differently, often with less hassle and better results.
“Modern chemistry” means newer cleaning and protective products that are formulated to work better and be gentler. The goal is to get cleaner results with less chance of messing up the paint or trim.
“Safer chemistry” means the cleaning products are designed to be less harsh on your car’s surfaces. That helps prevent streaks, discoloration, or damage to trim and paint.
“Better protection” means the product leaves something behind that helps shield the car. That can make dirt and grime stick less and be easier to clean later.
The “five or six pillars” are like a checklist the host uses to judge new detailing products. It’s about making products work well while being gentler and reducing how much you have to scrub or rub.
A pressure washer blasts water at the car to knock off grime. This host is saying that having the right water (DNS/DI) can improve results more than just using a stronger washer.
Brand
DNS water tank
A “DNS water tank” is a special water setup used for car washing. It helps prevent those hard water spots, so the car looks cleaner with less effort.
LIVE
One of the statements that gets brought up all the time
and I get commented all the time
is that you really shouldn't be
or you can't be a professional detailer
or you can't get good results detailing cars in direct sun.
And it's really just this old school kind of mindset
that has kind of lingered around for a long time
and is not true at all anymore.
In fact, you could pretty much do everything,
every type of detailing
and achieve amazing results and equal,
if not better results working in direct sun
outside in the elements as you can
as someone working in a climate controlled garage or shop.
Now, as a lot of things
and a lot of things that I have learned in detailing
is there are things that you can do
and then there is a whole another segment of niceties
and things that make it convenient, right?
And so I think a lot about pressure washing
and pressure washing equipment, stainless steel
and the brass fittings and discussions
and angled pressure washer wands and quick connects
and different types of quick connects
and electric pressure washer, gas pressure washer,
gallon per minute, double braided hose,
flex hose, all these different things.
And there are ways that you can do it
and then there are niceties in detailing.
But one of the comments that I get brought up a lot
is that you cannot detail in direct sun
or you cannot apply that detail spray.
You cannot wash a car like that in direct sun.
And the fact is, is that you can, you 100% can.
And in fact, I still see it being touted a lot
with different products of like,
oh, you don't wanna use this in direct sun.
And for me, my whole background is really mobile detailing
where I either had to pick products that would work
in direct sun or figure out ways
to make those products work in direct sun.
So my whole entire detailing career has been about
how do I either make products work for me
in the elements that I'm in
or how do I create products
that can work in these elements, right?
And so though they might not be,
it might not be the nicest way to do it.
It might not be the best way to do it
because you may be sweating a lot
versus being in a climate controlled environment.
But can you get the end result to be the same, right?
And a lot of this,
a lot of this kind of thought comes from,
and I want to tie it into kind of car washing in general,
but a lot of this thought is just old lingering thoughts
from when detailing products did not work in direct sun.
Waxes would dry out,
soaps didn't have enough lubrication in them,
the surfactants were bad,
but as modern raw materials have evolved,
a lot of brands wanna talk about
how they use the latest and greatest in raw materials,
but the fact of the matter is they don't, they change.
It's much easier to change the technique.
It's much easier to change the directions
than it is to change the raw materials in these products.
And so I think about this all the time
when it comes to soap.
People are still using buckets of soap,
but the fact of the matter is,
or pre-rinsing with water in a car wash,
and the fact of the matter is,
is that it's just not that safe.
It's not the best way to do things.
You can actually foam your car and it's a lot safer.
And you can even foam your car in direct sun
and it's much safer than using a two-bucket method
or a three-bucket method, right?
I think about it with the Protector Wax-style product
that I'm developing that's getting the label designed.
It's almost done, we're almost ready to launch that.
But a lot of those, when I think about the Geon Wet Coat,
when I think about the Protector Wax,
I just saw another one of Yum Cars.
You either have to use a lot of product
or you cannot use it in direct sunlight
because the streaks will be so bad, right?
And so when I set out to create a product
that was similar to that and I thought about
what would make my product different
or what would make the product,
really what it starts out with is not
how can I make my product different.
It's how can I make this product better?
How can I, you know, when I developed Tuffa Shell,
when I was just selling it as private label,
the ceramic sprays back then were all solvent-based
and I just didn't like it.
It wasn't, it was my preference
that I did not like to smell.
A lot of people give me crap for like being a wimp
about having an overly smelly solvent in my product, right?
But I didn't want that.
So I set out to develop a water-based ceramic spray.
Now that is the norm, right?
When I set out to create a car wash soap,
I set out to create a car wash soap that was better
and what made it better was the ability to clean, right?
And so I developed a functional foaming car wash soap
that actually cleaned the surface of the car
because that felt very logical to me of like,
hey, let's, what is the purpose of the car wash soap
and then how can we make that better?
And then the purpose of a car wash soap
was to actually clean your car.
But then what I realized is through a lot
of these pH neutral soaps, they were just talking
about putting lubrication on the car
and making the car slick for when you guided your mid-across
but no one really ever talked about the soap
actually cleaning.
And that seemed counterintuitive to me of like,
wait, why are we doing that?
Why don't we create a soap that cleans, right?
And so that's why I created the Super Soap,
which is a high foaming, high cleaning car wash soap, right?
That works in direct sun.
And the foam actually clings and dwells on the surface.
And by the way, if the Super Soap dries on the car,
you have no issues, no streaks, no staining,
no water spots, no nothing.
Because sometimes I know this from experience,
you get tied up when you're washing your car
and you foam it and then the neighbor wants to talk
or a client comes up.
I've had that happen so many times
that I had to make a product
that if the soap dried on the car,
it would create no issues whatsoever.
So the Super Soap doesn't create any issues.
The protector style wax that I've developed,
I've actually finalized the formula,
just working on the label design.
I wanted it to work in direct sun
because when I personally tried Geon Wet Coat
or a couple of these other ones,
McKee's Hydro something, Hydro Blue maybe,
when I tried them in direct sun,
they just streaked like crazy.
It was a total nightmare, right?
And so you had a total nightmare on your hands.
And so when I set out to create a product,
I looked at what the existing offerings were
and then I thought, how can I make that better, right?
And so the protector style wax that I'm developing
not only is foaming, doesn't streak, works in direct sun,
but you only need one ounce in a foam cannon, one ounce.
So it's highly dilutable.
I just watched the video the other day
of a similar product,
but you needed three to four ounces in a foam cannon, right?
I'm at a quarter of that amount,
which is really, really effective
because I wanted something that was totally very economical
but also delivered a really great result.
So again, going back to when waxes were wax on, wax off,
carnauba based waxes,
you really couldn't use those in direct sun.
You'd spend all day Saturday waxing your car,
have a sore shoulder,
you were using a diaper to clean your windows
or newspaper to clean your windows.
You only had a rotary polisher and 3M compounds.
And so again, you just had different chemistry,
different techniques and a lot of that has spilled over
because it gets ingrained in us
that that is the way to do it.
That is the only way to do it
and we don't have modern advances of chemistry or whatever,
but honestly detailing technology has completely evolved
even over the last like three to five years,
but really totally evolved over the past 10 to 15 years, right?
Even in the past couple years,
since I developed the Super Sober,
better surfactants were on the market.
You could increase your lubrication,
you could increase and really dial in the dwell times
of the soap on the surface.
You can make it rinse off the surface better.
And so a lot of times people and brands,
other brands will just talk about the thickness of their soap
or the thinness of their soap
and equate that to a higher quality of soap, right?
Our soap is thicker and so that makes it better.
Our soap foams more, so that makes it better.
But really what the key ingredients
to making a soap better or a product better
are the surfactants, are the abrasives,
are the abrasive blends.
That's a lot of times people don't talk about
like with the picture perfect polish,
one thing that I really learned in developing it
is there are endless, I mean, it's overwhelming
how many abrasive options there are.
So the trick is not only finding the right abrasive
for you, there's different sizes, there's different cuts,
there's different aggressiveness,
there's different percentages of that abrasive
that you could put into a product.
It's very daunting the amount of options that you can have,
which is why a lot of people pick stock products.
I don't blame them for that.
It's just, it's daunting and extremely overwhelming
with the amount of options that you have nowadays
for raw materials.
And so having all those raw materials played together
nicely is incredibly difficult.
And then when you start blending abrasives together,
for example, it gets even crazier, right?
Because you're taking a little percentage of this,
a little percentage of that, mixing it together.
Oh, that doesn't work, that threw something else off.
That's crazy, right?
When it came to developing the soap,
we looked at the surfactants and lubrication
and the thicknesses and you work in your preferences
as a detailer, your preferences mixed in
with the latest offerings and then you try
to make something work.
But for whatever reason, I know a lot of other YouTubers
are really good with tools.
A lot of other YouTubers are good with like Raj Buildouts.
A lot of other, they wanna figure out the GPM
and or they'll figure out Quick Connects
and how to connect everything together.
And it's awesome and I really enjoy watching those.
And for whatever reason, my specialty is chemicals.
And so it's not as sexy as like stainless steel
Quicknecks or whatever, right?
But I have figured out and have built a team around me
of like, hey, what is the latest technology
as far as raw materials are concerned
and then what are my preferences?
And I have this weird ability to like test a product
and almost instantly know if it's good or bad.
So I'm kind of trying to lean into my niche is chemicals.
And that's just what I like, right?
So when I was developing, you know, the Super Sober,
I looked for high lubrication designed
for what I was effectively, you know,
calling the modern wash method of like,
I didn't want buckets, I wanted foam cannons.
I talked about pre-soaking and talk about pre-soaking
and then got into this whole world of like touch lists,
which has really developed into, you know,
the modern way to kind of wax a car
that I'm talking about.
So in the old school ways of, you know,
Carnuba waxes and not being able to wax and direct sun
to now we're talking about foaming
on a paint protectant, right?
Foaming on a paint protected indirect sun
and getting insane water beating, right?
On either a already protected or non-protected car,
I actually tested it on a highly contaminated car
that needed to be clayed
and got about four weeks worth of protection
after just one foam application, which is crazy.
But even before that,
so now we're going into a touchless wax application
indirect sun, but before that with pre-soaking
and foaming and functional foam,
we're getting rid of the bucket,
we're almost eliminating the mitt altogether.
We're definitely eliminating immediate contact,
which is crazy.
And we're foaming a car, we're letting it dwell,
we're rinsing it, right?
And then maybe we're foaming again
to use the rest of that foam cannon
with minimal agitation if possible.
And really we're removing way more dirt
before we ever even touch the car.
And then beyond that,
we're protecting it and barely even touching the car, right?
And this all comes from this idea that I had
of like the more you touch,
well, it was just something that I said really,
the more you touch your car,
the more chance you have to scratch your car.
And so I kind of worked backwards from that
of like, well, how do we touch our car less, right?
And so the old school ways of doing things
that are super heat sensitive, short lifespan,
super streaky into the modern era of detailing
of like easier application, better water behavior,
faster curing, faster cutting,
longer work times if you want it with like the gloss boss,
you know, modern technology is just way more forgiving.
I think that's what I want to get across.
Like it's way more forgiving in the sun, modern,
you know, we use microfiber towels now
and there's a slew of different microfiber towels, right?
Edgeless towels, higher GSM towels.
They have better absorbency.
You could use one towel to dry your whole car.
You're not using a diaper.
You're not using newspaper.
You're not using any of those materials
that were kind of, we just made work.
There are materials that are made to work now.
Instead of having to make stuff work,
we could just let it work.
And I talk about this all the time of like,
hey, if I can let the,
since you have to work out in direct sun,
if I can have the chemical do the work for me,
that's a lot better than me actually working.
That's one of my biggest gripes against rinseless washes.
It's so labor intensive.
I'm trying to get out of doing as much labor, right?
And so when we talk about, you know,
modern chemistry and modern products,
longer work times, better abrasives, abrasive blends,
which is what I found to work for me,
less dusting when it comes to polish,
just less products in general, right?
Each product serves a purpose or multiple purposes
and all these products have way better heat tolerances.
So you can use them in direct sun, right?
But again, getting more efficient with less products
that actually do more, right?
Longer cycles, more efficiency,
better wipe off, less streaking, right?
And so I think the biggest mistakes that people still make
or still hold onto is the obsession with multiple buckets.
In the US, we're not pre soaking, right?
Which I think once you start doing that,
you never go back to buckets.
And pre soaking a car on a car wash
could be as simple as foaming it.
The first foam is your pre soak, right?
You don't need a dedicated cleaner for that.
You don't need a dedicated product for that.
You just need a high quality foam soap
that you just use first in your process,
change your process up a little bit, right?
We don't need to use harsh APCs anymore.
I've seen on numerous Facebook groups
that people getting like tiger stripes on their plastics
after using an all-purpose cleaner.
That's because that all-purpose cleaner is too strong, right?
Don't use cheap towels anymore.
Just this old school wax mentality or mindset, I guess.
Because I think a lot of the internet still
teaches detailing like we are back when I started shooting
2008, right?
We're teaching the techniques at 2008
when we have the modern 2026, 2027 chemistry, right?
You're not using the same foam that you did in 2008 and 2026, right?
Why would you use the same kind of,
why would you use the same detailing techniques, right?
And I think when I think about my brand
and what I think about detailing in general,
kind of the modern, what modern detailing is about
and the things that I, when I develop new products,
kind of the criteria, I guess, that I run it through
is it needs to be efficient.
It needs to be safer chemistry, less touching, right?
Better lubrication and better protection.
How do, how, that's kind of like the five or six pillars
that I run all my products through
or when I have a spark and I have an idea
of like a new product, it's like,
I kind of run it through that.
How does it make my detailing more efficient?
How is it safer?
Is the chemical safer?
Is it safer for me to use it?
How can I touch my car less?
Let the chemistry do the work.
Is it better lubrication?
Is it softer when I glide over it?
If I have better lubrication
or if it makes the surface slicker
or if it adds better protection to the surface,
that is making it an all around safer environment, right?
So I think instead of saying,
don't use this in direct sun,
I think what people need to start saying is like,
make sure the surface of the car isn't scolding hot, right?
Because there are just like with anything
there are give and take and there still are limits, right?
If it's super, super windy, maybe you don't want to do that.
If you have hard water, again,
I will take this one to the grave.
Like I still think the number one tool
that you need to invest in is a DNS water system
because that makes everything so much better.
I think starting before you get a high-end pressure washer,
before you get any of these high-end fancy tools,
the one thing that will dramatically make your life better
when it comes to detailing,
and if you're taking this serious as a hobby,
is to get a DNS water tank.
Like that is even if you have a garden hose,
a garden hose with a DNS water tank
will yield you better results
and will make your life so much easier
than a high-end pressure washer or any pressure washer
without DNS water will.
It'll make your foam foam better.
It'll make you use less product.
It'll make you use less work.
And so again, if you're taking detailing
as a serious hobby, the first tool I would invest in
before anything except Jimbo's detailing products,
obviously it would be a DNS water tank, right?
So I think if you can't use a DNS water tank,
you could still use all the products in DirectSun.
You might just have to work panel by panel.
And again, it's just not gonna be as enjoyable for you, right?
And so I think if I were to try to summarize
and come across the one thing that I would like
to get across is that the difference in detailing now
is that it is way more manageable to detail in DirectSun.
Using modern products, you can literally achieve
the same results in DirectSun
as you could in a climate-controlled place.
With the caveat being,
it's probably just not gonna be as comfortable for you, right?
It's not gonna be as comfortable working in perfect conditions
or it's not gonna be as comfortable working outside
in real-world conditions as it is in perfect conditions.
However, the chemistry is still gonna work
just about the same, right?
So that's what I do.
That's a little kind of insight into what I think,
how detailing has evolved,
how what used to be impossible in DirectSunlight
is now absolutely doable.
The right chemistry, the right towels,
the right techniques and the right protection technology,
I guess, but these things are all achievable, right?
And so I think the main problem is that
most people just haven't gotten caught up
with the latest techniques or the latest chemistry.
And I think a lot of people are scared to stick their neck out
and kind of try and test and develop a new technique.
And so I think if you're still fighting streaks,
fighting spot, water spotting,
you're kind of fighting a difficult wipe off,
you're struggling in the sun.
It's probably not you, it's probably the chemicals, right?
So anyway, if you wanna check out the modern products,
modern technology, you can head over to jimbosdetailing.com.
Of course, I will link all the products below,
but this is really something that I'm passionate about,
liquids, chemicals.
This is something that I literally still do daily
and I teach people daily on how to do it
and interact with you guys daily, so I love it.
So of course, if you have to work in DirectSun,
not only should you choose the right chemicals,
but also sunscreen up, kind of protect yourself,
wear a hat, wear a sun shade, wear breathable,
but SPF clothing that kind of protects your skin
and take care of yourself, right?
Be here for the long term,
but also use modern chemicals
that help you achieve the results that you're chasing.
And I believe that my products,
jimbosdetailing.com products,
are those products that will help you achieve that.
So I'll link everything below.
Of course, everything is over on Amazon,
but almost ready with the new protector style wax.
I'm almost ready to reveal that.
Again, just a small couple of tweaks on the label,
but the liquid is finalized,
the formula is finalized, so we're getting there,
but it just takes a long time to do these things,
unfortunately, so with that, thanks for watching.
I will catch you guys on the next one
and of course, everything's linked below.
Thanks, see ya.
About this episode
The Auto Detailing Podcast tackles the “no direct sun” detailing myth, arguing you can “100%” detail outside and even achieve “equal, if not better” results with the right chemistry and tools. The host contrasts older bucket-and-wax habits with foam, dwell, and rinsing to reduce scratching, then dives into product development: water-based ceramic sprays, high-foaming soaps, and a foaming, direct-sun-friendly wax designed to dry without streaks or water spots. Key takeaway: let chemistry do the work—plus invest in DNS water.
Can you detail a car in direct sun? Years ago, the answer was almost always no. Soaps would dry too fast, waxes would streak, polishes would dust, and water spots could bake into the paint before you even had a chance to wipe them off.
But detailing products have changed.
In this video, I break down why detailing in direct sunlight used to be such a problem, what has changed with modern car detailing technology, and how better soaps, ceramic sprays, microfiber towels, and polishing products make it possible to safely detail in real-world conditions.
This doesn't mean you should be careless. Heat, hard water, black paint, and wind still matter. But with the right products and the right process, detailing in the sun is no longer the automatic disaster it used to be.
In this video, I cover:
Why old-school soaps, waxes, and polishes struggled in direct sun
How modern car wash soaps changed the game
Why pre-soaking before contact washing is safer
How ceramic sprays are easier to use than old waxes
Why microfiber towel technology matters
The difference between outdated detailing methods and modern detailing chemistry
car detailing in direct sun, can you detail a car in the sun, washing car in sunlight, direct sun car wash, car detailing tips, modern detailing products, ceramic spray coating, car wash soap, pre soak car wash, mobile detailing tips, Jimbo Balaam, Jimbo's Detailing, The Super Soaper, Tough As Shell, auto detailing, driveway detailing
