Seems as if I’m always late to the party and this topic has been beaten like a govt mule, but I’ll add my five cents.
For years I washed my own cars/trucks. In fact, I probably bought 5 different ladders and platforms until I found the best to reach the roof of the Raptor without killing myself. And no, with the Diamondback cover, one cannot easily, if at all, stand in the bed to reach it. But I digress.
First, if you haven’t, and I have zero connection, check out obsessedgarage.com for everything detailing. And by that I mean custom stainless steel braided bucket fillers, etc.
As for water, I have a 450 ft well and it’s hard, kinda like a certain body part of mine used to be more often. People here who poo-poo water spots and say just wash it must be looking thru rose colored glasses. Once you get water spots, they are a beeyatch to remove. And they will be all over.
I have a whole house softener and if I wash in the sun, or even close to sun, it will still leave spots if I don’t use my metro blaster or leaf blower and dry it quicker than
@Oldfart drops a load in a poor sheep.
I’ve always considered one of those things filled with resin, but I finally decided to stop spending a fortune in detail supplies (yes, I have a Kranzle, etc) and I now go once a month to a good hand wash, spend 50 bucks, and they make it look new, especially the inside. They use high pressure air inside, then vacuum, etc. Well worth it to me.