How do you clean your car?

[BP2411]

Hello everyone, sorry if this isn't the correct section, just wondering how everyone washes their car? I'll probably give people nightmares here but my last car I would wash with a sponge and a single bucket!  I've now got a pressure washer and a foam lance so wanted some product recommendedations and any tips?  Not looking for it to look brand new just a decent quick / easy wash.

[GingerFlame]

For the general service I

⊙Rinse with low pressure water

⊙snowfoam prewash

⊙pressure wash off

⊙2 bucket wash method with lambs wool washmitt

⊙pressure wash off

⊙dry (DO NOT USE A CHAMOIS)

⊙apply chosen method of protection/glaze

⊙apply trim/tyre dressings

When it comes to wheel cleaning, there is NO NEED to use a fallout remover every time you wash your car. Most of it will just wash off normally assuming it hasn't had time to bond.

A non acidic cleaner willl take care of 99% of dirty wheels. Don't forget to clean the tyres too!

When it comes to decontamination;

⊙wash car as above, but before drying.

⊙tar removal

⊙wash off

⊙fallout removal

⊙wash off

⊙clay bar

⊙wash off

⊙dry

Product recommendations

Snowfoam - inspired automotive snowfoam OR Kleen freaks

Shampoo - inspired automotive detailers choice or mad cow candybath

Fallout remover - inspired automotive extreme stance or Kleen freaks

Quick detailer - Yorkshire detailing LUSTROUS or Inspired Automotive QDS

glass cleaner/ Rain repellant - YD LUSTROUS or Kleen freaks glass cleaner & sealant

Tyre & exterior trim dressing - autoglanz trim reaper

Interior trim - Mad cow mango sauce or Inspired Automotive el natural

All purpose cleaner - I swear by inspired automotive Wide stance 1000%

Wax - anything from Wax planet for best bang for your buck

www.yorkshiredetailing.co.uk - approved resellers of the Highest quality detailing & Valeting supplies

[Bobr]

I pay £10 for a mini-valet at the local eastern European gang and they do a cracking job.   Takes them 20 minutes for a 4 man team and the car looks like new.

[Ian Lanc]

17 hours ago, GingerFlame said:

For the general service 

 

Jesus that must take all day 

[Ian Lanc]

Never closely jet wash door handles/mirrors/badges/rubber seals/chrome edging by blasting at them! Instead buy a child's toothbrush and use a plastic jug with warm water and concentrated shampoo and gently clean around them and rinse clean, jet washing can cause problems if used incorrectly. Think about wrapping insulating tape around the washer head, far better for soft plastic to bump on paintwork than a hard plastic head.

[GingerFlame]

I prefer detailing brushes to toothbrushes. I had 1 toothbrush which I used for engine bays and it lasted 2 weeks if that

The only issues you're really going to have with a pressure washer is if the machine you're using is stupidly powerful when it really doesn't need to be. If you've got a machine that's only as powerful as you need it, then it's difficult (not impossible) to cause yourself problems

www.yorkshiredetailing.co.uk - approved resellers of the Highest quality detailing & Valeting supplies

[TomsFocus]

Depends which car and how much time and money I have at the time lol...

Focus - Pressure wash - single bucket, washmitt, decent shampoo wash - hose rinse - dry - polish - wax - trim gel - glass - tyres

Fiesta - Single bucket cheap shampoo wash - watering can rinse - dry - cover it in quick detailer - glass - tyres.  

The Fiesta paintwork isn't great and it's not my daily so doesn't get 'that' dirty and I'm not fussed about a long lasting finish.  The Focus on the other hand I want to look good for sometimes months between washes...

[BP2411]

I recently bought a Nilfisk C110 4-5 pressure washer, a foam lance and some snow foam (pro-kleen) but the foam doesn't stick to the car for long, I'm assuming I just adjust the water / foam ratio to solve this?  I usually pressure wash, foam, pressure wash, single bucket wash mitt shampoo, pressure wash and then leave it to dry naturally which will probably upset some people here but I did pick up some micro fibre drying towels a few days ago.  Should I be looking to change some products or start waxing or something?

[GingerFlame]

I recently bought a Nilfisk C110 4-5 pressure washer, a foam lance and some snow foam (pro-kleen) but the foam doesn't stick to the car for long, I'm assuming I just adjust the water / foam ratio to solve this?  I usually pressure wash, foam, pressure wash, single bucket wash mitt shampoo, pressure wash and then leave it to dry naturally which will probably upset some people here but I did pick up some micro fibre drying towels a few days ago.  Should I be looking to change some products or start waxing or something?

Your problem is that pro Kleen products are cheap & nasty.

You don't want/need super thick foam. In fact, most thick foams don't clean as well as a nice thin one!

Leaving it to try naturally can leave some pretty nasty waterspots & mineral deposits on the paintwork if you live in thing other than a perfectly soft water area.

Your best bet is to either apply some decent protection (dm me and I can help further) or simply use a drying aid before drying with a microfiber towel :)

www.yorkshiredetailing.co.uk - approved resellers of the Highest quality detailing & Valeting supplies

[SpannerTheCat]

I use Poorboys Black Hole on the bodywork & STP Son of a Gun for the interior black plastic. Gtechniq G6 for the glass & one of the best things i've bought was a 2'x2' microfibre drying towel.

[winemart2]

I washed and waxed mine just before last xmas, still looks like new. Tis red though, doesn't show the _rap. (I only use it when I wanna go somewhere). I promised myself i'd wash it on the middle sunday of Wimbledon, stuff that.

(They played on the middle Sunday this year) 

Well, wifey doesn't wanna wash it (or do anything), why should I?

 

[Mariner]

23 hours ago, Bobr said:

I pay £10 for a mini-valet at the local eastern European gang and they do a cracking job.   Takes them 20 minutes for a 4 man team and the car looks like new.

I do much the same. As I have said before cars in my view are transient possessions. In a few years It will be in the scrap yard and I will have another. Time is too precious.

[supraking]

On 03/07/2016 at 10:38 PM, BP2411 said:

Hello everyone, sorry if this isn't the correct section, just wondering how everyone washes their car?

 

ALOT!

[Ian Lanc]

On the subject of cleaning the car, Can I just hi-light a warning!!.......

I've just changed the interior seats in my 10 plate and noticed something that not many will spot unless you are to remove the rear seats, the torx bolts which holds the seats in place in my car are rusting badly on the threads, removing the bolts hi-lights a hidden problem that if not sorted will no doubt lead to major rust and eventually rot, you can actually see the road through the bolt holes, I've cleaned the rust off the threads and coated them in thick grease and also rubbed grease into the holes, this will hopefully stop any further rusting.

I doubt there'd be any such rusting going off on new cars but as they get older they may well start to rust, like mine has  Prevention is the key word 

Not hard to remove the seat base only and take out the bolts and grease them up and put them back in.

[dave_k]

1 hour ago, Ian Lanc said:

On the subject of cleaning the car, Can I just hi-light a warning!!.......

I've just changed the interior seats in my 10 plate and noticed something that not many will spot unless you are to remove the rear seats, the torx bolts which holds the seats in place in my car are rusting badly on the threads, removing the bolts hi-lights a hidden problem that if not sorted will no doubt lead to major rust and eventually rot, you can actually see the road through the bolt holes, I've cleaned the rust off the threads and coated them in thick grease and also rubbed grease into the holes, this will hopefully stop any further rusting.

I doubt there'd be any such rusting going off on new cars but as they get older they may well start to rust, like mine has  Prevention is the key word 

Not hard to remove the seat base only and take out the bolts and grease them up and put them back in.

Or perhaps also fit some sort of cap over them too to protect the threads from the elements, as you say not a great from a safety perspective!

[Ian Lanc]

15 hours ago, dave_k said:

Or perhaps also fit some sort of cap over them too to protect the threads from the elements, as you say not a great from a safety perspective!

Fitting caps would be hard for most guys as the car will have to go up on a lift and then look for the holes from underneath which have the bolt in them, easier to fill them with grease.

[BP2411]

21 hours ago, supraking said:

 

ALOT!

What products do you use? Looking at your car thread is one of the reasons I asked this question, my car is white though so it'll never look as good.

[SeanW]

Washing my car?

HA! Yeah...doesn't really happen lol

Maybe half a dozen washes in the 3 and half years of ownership lol

[BP2411]

My wife normally takes her car to the car wash twice a year, since my car washing obsession started a few weeks back I've washed her car 4 times, she's furious 😁 

[The Undertaker]

1 hour ago, BP2411 said:

My wife normally takes her car to the car wash twice a year, since my car washing obsession started a few weeks back I've washed her car 4 times, she's furious 😁 

When can I bring mine round lol

[BP2411]

Any time! I almost asked my neighbour (who I've never spoke to) if I could wash his car because it's covered in mud, my wife talked me out of it luckily!

[SeanW]

Where abouts in the world are you?

Might conveniently leave my car parked outside yours with a note saying "dare you to wash me!" Lol

[supraking]

16 hours ago, BP2411 said:

What products do you use? Looking at your car thread is one of the reasons I asked this question, my car is white though so it'll never look as good.

thanks buddy, makes it worth while. im sure a white car can be made to look on point :)

 

as for products, im quite cheap really. started with carplan snow foam shampoo in the lance, which has been replaced with a bulk  substance from my local motorfactors, seems to work well, but when thats run out ill be trying some inspired automotive snow foam.

use a seperate wheel bucket, generally with carplan shampoo, ocassionally use some alloy wheel cleaner, but after giving them a thorough clean and clay i coated hem in a gtechniq sealant, so they pretty much rinse off now. then a trim dressing for the tyres

i once went round with some cheap bug and tar remover, was a pain to remove, would suggest getting some better quality stuff

lambs wool wash mitt and 2 bucket method for the main wash. using carplan shampoo (may get some better stuff at some point). gave the trim a quick seeing to with trim dressing, seems to be helping sort the finger prints

have given it a clay using megs clay kit, mostly roof and bonnet, rest of car isnt too contaminated and is only getting better the more it gets washed properly. but the rear quarters could do with a seeing to.

 

then so far for protection its got the bonnet waxed with megs liquid carnuba.

 

not alot. and i think as long as the products are half decent its more about the process of the wash than what is used. i found mine lost alot of the grittiness after 3 good washes, then the clay just helped lift the last of it. bonnet feels like glass these days.

[BP2411]

I'm amazed you managed to get the car looking that good with products you can buy in a supermarket. Gingerflame has given me some good recommendations that I'll be trying next month probably, I stopped buying stuff from supermarkets thinking I couldn't get decent results, saying that the first time I cleaned my wife's car I just used my pressure washer, simoniz shampoo and a micro fibre noodle sponge.  Last time I was in asda the car plan stuff was half price so may give it a go.  Do you dry your car or let it dry naturally?   I bought 2 microfiber drying towels in Costco a few days ago for £3 and gave them a go yesterday and they made a huge difference!

[BP2411]

12 hours ago, SeanW said:

Where abouts in the world are you?

Might conveniently leave my car parked outside yours with a note saying "dare you to wash me!" Lol

Cardiff, no note needed, any Ford parked within hose pipe range will receive a complimentary wash, whether they want it or not.