34 replies to this topic

[Steven33]

best wax i've had dodo juice rainforest rub. I usually seal my car after polishing with autoglym extra gloss sealant (sealants are synthetic waxes)and treat it a few times a year to a few layers of the dodo juice for added depth and gloss. the best i've used was blackfire midnight sun on a mate's car, the depth of the gloss was amazing, even on a silver car, although here you're starting to get into quite expensive waxes and solid rather than liquid so a bit harder to use. for general cleaning i apply a layer of autoglym sealant then 2-3 layers of meguirs liquid wax (http://www.halfords....27#BVRRWidgetID)
this stuff is nice and easy to apply and buff off and gives a nice shine (and nice water beading too!) best part tho is that it smells amazing!!

i tend to give it a quick wash after the claying just to remove any residue or contaminants that have been lifted out of the paint by the clay but left on the surface. doesnt take long for a quick wipe over and rinse and if youre going to the effort of polishing/sealing/waxing the paint you want to make sure the surface is as clean as possible, no point sealing in dirt! it will pay dividends in the end for the extra shine it achieves.

afraid I cant comment on the foam, i've never had a pressure washer, tbh i only thought you could use foam/snow with pressure washers but i'm happy to be proved otherwise!

and as I mentioned before, building up layers of wax will help make it much easier to clean later!

any other questions just ask mate!

[John Plumtree]

I dont use any water to wash car,i use proshine which cleans and waxes the car with no need for water.If you have never used it before once youve tried it you wont go back to water,Takes me about 15 mins to clean and wax the car.

[Steven33]

hi mate, wash/wax type shampoos are good for giving the car a quick clean and shine but they cannot do as good a job as stand alone products (shampoo or wax). Waxes are based on long chain hydrocarbons, which by their chemical nature are hydrophobic, i.e. they do not mix with water. To get round this I can only work out that the surfactants included in the soap must be carrying the 'wax', but this detracts them from doing their job of trapping the dirt. Often, in these type systems, silicones are added which gives the surface a temporary shine and water repellency, but wont last, and doesnt offer as much protection to the paint.

also, if it does apply a wax layer, you then cannot polish the paint work! I'm also wary of waterless systems, unless you rinse off the dirt first you are dragging it all over the car risking scratches and swirl marks over time.

[salsheikh]

im currently using armorall shield, the water beads off like crazy. i use autoglymn hd wax after washing normally.

not sure about being able to use magifoam without a lance though, not sure if it needs pressure to foam up. if you have a bottle connected to a hosepipe then give it a bash.

[jg321]

not sure about being able to use magifoam without a lance though, not sure if it needs pressure to foam up. if you have a bottle connected to a hosepipe then give it a bash.

Got the pressure washer and the 'standard' lance. Was wondering if I could just use the detergent "input?!" into the bottle rather than specific bottle type lance thing?!

You guys rule btw

[martyntdci]

i use magi foam thro a proper foaming lance on a kartcher power washer... i did try the detergant bottle that came with the power washer but results were imo megga poor... the lance cost me 50 pounds with i think 1ltr of magi foam from auto brite.... would recommend to any1....... i used to be a valeter, i put alot of time and effort into the scoob, but when we got the focus i lost heart until thursday night then i took this yeaterday ( hope you dont mind the pic)



i think it looks kinda ok, but still not impressed, yeah thats me with the kids in the reflection lmao

[martyntdci]

Got the pressure washer and the 'standard' lance. Was wondering if I could just use the detergent "input?!" into the bottle rather than specific bottle type lance thing?!

You guys rule btw

its the air imput i think that mixes with the water that gives you the foam, pull your cable out and try it in a bottle of mixed snowfoam, granted it wont anywhere as good as the lance but ok untill you can purchase 1. dialution rate personally in a 1 ltr bottle is 100ml of magi foam, 900ml water.... but remember this is a pre wash stage.....

[DanGull]

best wax i've had dodo juice rainforest rub. I usually seal my car after polishing with autoglym extra gloss sealant (sealants are synthetic waxes)and treat it a few times a year to a few layers of the dodo juice for added depth and gloss. the best i've used was blackfire midnight sun on a mate's car, the depth of the gloss was amazing, even on a silver car, although here you're starting to get into quite expensive waxes and solid rather than liquid so a bit harder to use. for general cleaning i apply a layer of autoglym sealant then 2-3 layers of meguirs liquid wax (http://www.halfords....27#BVRRWidgetID)
this stuff is nice and easy to apply and buff off and gives a nice shine (and nice water beading too!) best part tho is that it smells amazing!!

I would suggest that this is backwards. You can't polish with a sealant - the sealant is in no way abrasive and has no filling properties either. Your EGP is also not a good basis for wax, you should reverse your method and wax then seal.

To the OP - if you're looking to keep your car in top order the most basic step you should introduce is the two bucket method, preferably with grit guards fitted to both.

[DanGull]

Got the pressure washer and the 'standard' lance. Was wondering if I could just use the detergent "input?!" into the bottle rather than specific bottle type lance thing?!

You guys rule btw

To snow foam - you need a specific lance. The detergent input won't get the suds going as well - you might get something out of it but not enough to justify the cost of the snow foam.

[jg321]

Thanks for all the input guys. Will start simple, two bucket mitt cleaning method, then see how I go from there.

Now it's time to enjoy the sun, and I don't mean washing the car (although I may end up washing the girlfriend's!!).

JG

[Steven33]

I would suggest that this is backwards. You can't polish with a sealant - the sealant is in no way abrasive and has no filling properties either. Your EGP is also not a good basis for wax, you should reverse your method and wax then seal.

To the OP - if you're looking to keep your car in top order the most basic step you should introduce is the two bucket method, preferably with grit guards fitted to both.

Hi mate, perhaps I didn't word that the right way, of course you can't polish with autoglym ego, I meant after I have polished the car I seal it with egp. As for the order of sealant/ wax I've varied over the years and I've found sealant first to protect the paint and wax on top to protect the sealant and add depth. Asked a few guys I know who are professional detailers and they recommended sealant then wax, I think though it is very much dependant on the colour too, lighter colours, especially silver, work great with a sealant, whereas darker colours benefit much more from a few good layers of wax

[martyntdci]

i think you will find that most people use either a sealent or wax after a polish, not both..... as they can conflick together on the paintwork....

[Steven33]

i think you will find that most people use either a sealent or wax after a polish, not both..... as they can conflick together on the paintwork....

actually i think you will find that people who detail for a living use sealant and wax. granted i've had a few combinations where the gloss isnt as good but similarly some work great together... if thats what you mean by conflict. sealants are better for actually protecting freshly polished paint and is far more durable than natural wax. many people then add a few layers of carbuba wax for perceived depth and gloss. if you mean they react, they wont, both are based on hydrocarbons, waxes and long-chain fatty acids, all compatible together

[raskL]

I've used loads of the stuff mate and for good paintwork the best I can find on a budget is autoglym super resin polish then g3 resin wax, if your after spending a bit more same polish but basically the best swissVax wax you can afford

[artscot79]

ive used the autoglym super resin and it is good stuff realy you can spend any amounts on wax etc i find buy the best for what you can afford as stated above.
some colours respond better theres pics of my mk1 cleaned with just proshine but on my light mk2 its not as good