*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***

[Cookeh]

DSW should go 4-6 months depending on frequency of washes and dilution of products like prewash or shampoo.

Both DSW and Fusso are excellent products. I'd personally say that Fusso has a slight edge on gloss and has better water behaviour, but DSW definitely has the better durability. From your requirements lost though I feel Fusso would suit you better.

 

[Shilz]

I am currently looking at purchasing a new wax or combo of wax’s. I am about to run out Meguairs ultimate wax, what was a gift from my kids the other year. I do have a very small pot of EZ ceramic wax. But I looking at some different ones. I don’t want to spend much more than £50. Would like something that beads very well, durable, a good level of gloss but that not a top of my list and good value for money.

So far I have now narrowed it down to Bilt Hamber double speed wax. From the reviews I have seen tick most of the box’s but not sure on the durability of it.
Or soft 99 Fuso coat, what I have been meaning to try for ages. This one tick all the box’s but it not a massive glosser. But I could add a layer of soft 99 Kiwami for the gloss, I have read that it’s a great combo.

I just bought a pot of Soft99 Kiwami from Nipponshines lockdown sales. Think its all sold out now.

I did a final swirl correction on my Black Accord MK8 (very soft paint) a week ago with Meguires Ultimate compound on a blue Hex Logic medium pad, followed this with AF Tripple on their red finishing pad as a final finishing/filling polish sealed with Auto Finesse Tough coat topped with Kiwami Soft99 wax.

Its not a great gloss wax but gives a lovely mirror shine. Fwiw I bought the silver one as they only had this in stock. Apparently there's very little in final finish shine/gloss.

Excellent beading and sheeting too which I hope will last a while now.

I've also tried and tested on my other car - Black EP3 Type R, Meguires gold class carnuba wax and Nattys Poor Boys Black wax - Megs is a good shine wax but doesn't last very long. Poor boys is a lovely gloss enhancing wax and really nice to work with comes off with minimal effort.

 

[inflames]

DSW should go 4-6 months depending on frequency of washes and dilution of products like prewash or shampoo.

Both DSW and Fusso are excellent products. I'd personally say that Fusso has a slight edge on gloss and has better water behaviour, but DSW definitely has the better durability. From your requirements lost though I feel Fusso would suit you better.

I have considering buying both. Using one on my car and another on my wife’s car.

 

[Django x2]

I've often wondered about the water purifiers. I never seem to have a problem just using an open hose as the final rinse, and that's despite living in Dorset which has one of the hardest waters in the UK. However, I absolutely will not wash the car in direct sunlight, so perhaps that's why I've never had an issue. Tempted by the WPF though as it will only ever be last rinse

 

[wedrum]

got the car back before, they have done a great job.
the before and after shot on the boot lid shows just how well the paint has come up.

 

[Razor-BladE]

got the car back before, they have done a great job.
the before and after shot on the boot lid shows just how well the paint has come up.

"Image not found"

 

[Belloni]

Since I got a new pressure washer recently I'm thinking to get back to some better car washing. Used to clay my previous car but that took to long so want to try the mitt. I've got the below in my basket, what should I apply at the end? I've got some Sonax left over which I like or I'm tempted by the Meguiars hybrid ceramic wax.

2 x buckets
Wash mitt
Autoglym shampoo conditioner
Auto finesse tripple polish
Microfiber cloths
Drying towel
Applicator pads
G3 clay mitt
Alloy wheel brush
Turtle wax glass and dash cleaner

 

[ShiWarrior]

guys

how do you stop the Wipers dragging ?

im about to clean my car, do i need to do anything afterwards?

 

[wedrum]

"Image not found"

oops should be fixed now

 

[ShiWarrior]

oops should be fixed now

wow

love that Audi !

 

[wedrum]

wow

love that Audi !

Thanks yes she does look well.

 

[Conscript]

If you're just using it for final rinse, you should get a year out of it no problem. TDS meters are peanuts, a few quid off eBay so well worth picking up. If your water is particularly hard/high ppm - it will probably reduce the longevity of it - but the resin isn't that much. I recently topped up from eBay for £41 for 10 litres.

I'm not sure what the exact amount is, but on Southern Waters website it is rated Hard. And we do suffer with typical hard water problems...im regularly cleaning the kettle. When we do the kitchen, I may consider installing a softener.

Going to order a meter now, I'd be interested to see what level it is.

Meter arrived today.
Water out of the tap: 286ppm
After going through the filter: 0ppm.

 

[Django x2]

Meter arrived today.
Water out of the tap: 286ppm
After going through the filter: 0ppm.

Ordered the 7l Race Glaze and a new pump sprayer. Should be here tomorrow so will give the SEAT a wipeless wash as it's only had pollen and dust land on it since it's last clean. Planning on only using the Race Glaze for final rinse and through open hose (never pressure wash a final rinse, that's schoolboy error 101)

 

[Muska]

I must buy a raceglaze filter this month!

@wedrum Your Audi came out lovely

Been refreshing my front brakes, decontaminated and cleaned the arch liners, dressed with CarPro PERL 3:1

Had a few new parts to fit, decided to ceramic coat the dust guards, repainted the calipers and ceramic coated those too.

 

[Django x2]

New discs always amuse me. The layer of paint they spray on in final process which lasts about one stamp of the pedal. It makes them look like plastic.

 

[Simon]

Keeps the hub and outer edge rust free though

 

[Ev0]

The new rear Brembo discs I bought for the RS3 have a decent looking dark grey coating that’s just on the hub and outer edge, but not on the main disc and hub face.

Will look a lot better than the current discs when fitted as they are looking rather tired now and should last.

 

[MORE SPEED]

Lockdown got the best of me. Been almost 6 months since I've cleaned it as I clean it at my parents house as access is a lot better. It's now just sat there looking sad so treated it to a bit more of a thorough clean than what it normally goes through.

I'd last clayed the car when I bought it 18 months and 20000 miles ago, so thought it was wise to do it again.

Process for the exterior vaguely followed:
1) Engine - BH Surfexed the entire thing and gave it around 3 go's to get rid of all the crud. Dressed with diluted PERL.
2) Wheels - APC arches and tyres > BH Auto Wheel for alloy (Flexipads 4 finger mitt works wonders here) > Dress tyre with PERL, wheel with bead maker. Already coated with C5.
3) Body - Rinse > door shuts with APC > dwell with BH Auto Wash > Wash with BH > Iron X > Clay > Wash again > Dried > Waxed.
4) Interior - Hoovering etc > Bit of APC on carpets > Leather cleaner etc > very light dressing with ODK Cabin.

Also used Gtechniq G1 for the first time on the side and rear window. I can see why some people would find it annoying if they use the wrong technique with the residue remover...

It needs polishing really, however I haven't got the tools to do it properly so I'll just leave it waxed for now.

Really happy overall. Any tips/other products you guys like to use?





EDIT: Sorry for the massive pics

 

[Conscript]

Looks ace that. Has it been lowered? has a lovely #Stance about it.

I've never cleaned my engine bay, usually not bothered, but it's a bit of a state. Is there an effective way to clean without water? I know lots of people say that if you cover the battery and alternator you can pretty much just rinse it down, but I'm paranoid that something would short out.

 

[MORE SPEED]

Looks ace that. Has it been lowered? has a lovely #Stance about it.

I've never cleaned my engine bay, usually not bothered, but it's a bit of a state. Is there an effective way to clean without water? I know lots of people say that if you cover the battery and alternator you can pretty much just rinse it down, but I'm paranoid that something would short out.

I mean you could probably do it by using microfibre cloths soaked in APC, but you'd get through a lot of cloths on a messy bay. With mine I drove it so it was warm, disconnected the negative terminal, then went to town. Just don't soak anything ridiculously and you'll be fine, didn't need to cover anything up. I rinsed lightly, sprayed thoroughly with APC, scrubbed with a brush (both small detailing brush for stuff I could get to and an EZ Detail brush for deeper stuff), rinsed off again, then sprayed PERL all over whilst still wet and shut the bonnet. Then after a couple of hours came back with a dry mf and removed any excess.