Spec me... basic cleaning products and a pressure washer!

Booner!

Booner!

Booner!

Soldato
Joined
29 Sep 2005
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With the sale of my car rapidly approaching and a new one round the corner, I want to invest in a few basic cleaning products so could you spec me all the basics for cleaning outside and the cloth interior of my car? I haven't ever really detailed my car, except tcutting it each year and using a wax...

I know I will need a bucket (:D), sponges? wash mit? spray foam? but don't really know where to start? I will be using these on my next car too so whatever the going favourite products are would help :)

Also, could you spec me a pressure washer for roughly £100 give or take? I need to clean up my wheels for sale and they are in a right state, we will also use it to clean the family cars when we get lazy in the winter?

I will read up on the cleaning thread and detailing threads tomorrow at work..
 
give me a budget for the cleaning products and I'll spec you up.

For a pressure washer check out the Karcher range, can't really go wrong with them
 
I looked at the Karcher range, spotted one with pressure at about 120bar ... is that about right? Any point spending any more than this budget of £100?

Cleaning products, say £50? I am not sure what you can get for the money but I need to start from scratch if possible for that budget?
 
for £50 I'd go for (priced at polishedbliss.co.uk):

DESCRIPTION QUANTITY PRICE COST
Meguiars Shampoo Plus 1
£12.97 £12.97
Lambswool Wash Mitt 1
£6.76 £6.76
Poorboys Waffle Weave Towel 1
£8.57 £8.57
Meguiars Quik Clay Kit 1
£10.77 £10.77
Subtotal £39.07
VAT £5.87
Total £44.94

Then get 2 cheap buckets from somewhere.

TBH anything in the Karcher range will be ample pressure for car washing purposes, you don't want something that's going to blow the paint off your car anyway :D
 
Just to reiterate what Toker has said, deffo use a good wash mitt rather than sponges and use two buckets to avoid scratching your paint.
 
Ok sounds good, what about for cleaning the cloth interior? anything cheap I can use to get a quick scrub up?

Also, what's that stuff that makes tyres look clean? or is that considered over the top? :D
 
In my old car I did the cloth with some generic spray foam type valet product from a local motorfactors, it was the one all the taxi drivers used to clean up their cabs so I just used that, worked alright. I wouldn't waste money on a big brand one off a detailing website, it'll just do the same job.

The best tyre shine is blackfire long lasting tyre gel
 
There's a few bargain refurbed pressure washers on the Halfords site ATM. I've just ordered a Halfords HP2000, which won some group test in Auto Express against 'better' brand washers last year.

It was reviewed at £179.99, and can be had for about £56 all in for a refurbed one, and about £95 for a new one (which is currently on offer). There's a 10% off everything online offer aswell which is included in those prices.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/225261/pressure_washers_test.html

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_707265_langId_-1_categoryId_165689
 
Firstly I wouldn't bother with a pressure washer, never use mine anymore. Just give the car a good soaking before you start so the crud has time to soften.

In my (non)expert opinion I'd get:

2 buckets - I use B&Q ones, large capacity and a mere 99 pennies
Sponges or Mits- whatever really, I manage to wash my car with a sponge without turning it into a swirly mess. Keeping whatever you are using clean and grit free by rinsing regularly is most important IMO.
Decent Shampoo without wax- Megs NXT or Gold Class for example
AG Clean Wheels... for the wheels :p
Wax It Wet- use it after every wash
A shed load of microfibre cloths- Poundland ones do the same job as over priced ones from specialist places
Silicone blade- for windows only
White vinegar for windows- can get it in a trigger spray for convenience
Some kind of bug and tar remover- I use AG Intensive Tar Remover and some cheap brand stuff for baked on bugs
Detailing spray is a "nice to have" too.

Once a year, twice max;
Polish with AG Super Resin Polish
Solid Carnauba wax- I use Harly Wax

I've got stacks of car cleaning stuff but thats all I actually use.
 
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Unless you are going to be washing down sewage trucks daily I really can't see much point spending anything other than the bare minimum on a pressure washer.

I've had a B&Q own brand one for over 2 years now, I think it was £30? It weeps a tiny amount of water from the inlet but otherwise it's fine. It puts out water, under pressure :p
 
Lopéz said:
Unless you are going to be washing down sewage trucks daily I really can't see much point spending anything other than the bare minimum on a pressure washer.

I've had a B&Q own brand one for over 2 years now, I think it was £30? It weeps a tiny amount of water from the inlet but otherwise it's fine. It puts out water, under pressure :p
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Performance Power? We have one of those as well. Water escapes from several different places at pressure, but that could be down to the equally cheap hose attachment :D
 
Conscript said:
Performance Power? We have one of those as well. Water escapes from several different places at pressure, but that could be down to the equally cheap hose attachment :D
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Not sure, it's red and had a plain white and black box I think! It oozes water here and there but if it's strong enough to blast algae covered paving stones back to perfectly clean then it's more than enough to rinse off a car.
 
some good cost effective products mentioned i.e. the use of white vinegar for windows and pound land microfibre cloths.

anyone come across johnsons baby shampoo ?

038797.jpg


apparantly works well and cost a fraction of the price (read it on a detailing forum somewhere)

cost = £1 for 300ml :) in tesco untill 20/1/2009
 
carlack shampoo - 7 quid for a litre - cleanyourcar.co.uk
lambs wool wash mitt - 10 quid - cleanyourcar.co.uk
two smart price buckets - 2 quid - supermarket
hose - 10 quid - supermarket
sponge for wheels - <1 quid

Clean car for 30 quid:-

cleanbeemer.jpg
 
Meguires seems to fit the bill for most stuff at this level and is often on offer at 3for2 in Halfrauds which is cool

-Gold Class Shampoo
-NXT Glass Cleaner (For glass and lights)
-Hot Rimz (Think that's the name, for the wheels...obviously)
-Meguiers Wash Mitt (I've got a couple, although I'd imagine other mitts are just as good tbh)
-Cheapo sponge for the wheels (why waste a good wash mitt?!)

Then just use the 2 bucket method and you're sorted.

Also, tesco's microfibres - 99p for a 2 pack. Wash them after 3 or 4 uses and bin them, can't be faulted imo!

That did the job on my old fiesta rather well (if I do say so myself) and now I still use Megs on my Leon mainly, with the exception of Poor Boys wheel sealant and some snow foam.
 
Naf said:
Meguires seems to fit the bill for most stuff at this level and is often on offer at 3for2 in Halfrauds which is cool

-Gold Class Shampoo
-NXT Glass Cleaner (For glass and lights)
-Hot Rimz (Think that's the name, for the wheels...obviously)
-Meguiers Wash Mitt (I've got a couple, although I'd imagine other mitts are just as good tbh)
-Cheapo sponge for the wheels (why waste a good wash mitt?!)

Then just use the 2 bucket method and you're sorted.

Also, tesco's microfibres - 99p for a 2 pack. Wash them after 3 or 4 uses and bin them, can't be faulted imo!

That did the job on my old fiesta rather well (if I do say so myself) and now I still use Megs on my Leon mainly, with the exception of Poor Boys wheel sealant and some snow foam.
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gold class shampoo is a rip off, shampoo plus for the win

hot rimz is acid based, no no no no no

Instead of a sponge for the wheels try a microfibre mitt (I got one from tesco for £1), makes much easier work of it than a sponge :)
 
lordrobs said:
Is it just expensive for what it is or is it no good? Got one sat in the garage for when I've finished the NXT (which I find pretty good).
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it's just like everything in the meguiars retail range, overpriced and overhyped. Shampoo plus is from their detailing range, which hasn't been available to the average joe for all that long. Far superior in quality and value for money :)

for ultimate value for money there's hyperwash, around £22 for a gallon and dilutes at 400:1 :eek: great stuff for using with foamers too
 
Toker said:
it's just like everything in the meguiars retail range, overpriced and overhyped. Shampoo plus is from their detailing range, which hasn't been available to the average joe for all that long. Far superior in quality and value for money :)

for ultimate value for money there's hyperwash, around £22 for a gallon and dilutes at 400:1 :eek: great stuff for using with foamers too
Click to expand...

Got ya, tbh overpriced and overhyped is something that I'm a attributing to a lot of the Megs range and AG too IMHO. Their are some gems in thier ranges but a lot of stuff is as good or better from the cheaper brands.
 
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