*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***

[iMacMart]

It is great but I'll be switching to a sealant after it runs out..

Which sealant? And What Wax would people recommend after a clay bar on the panels?

And are the pads good enough on a home mains drill at low spin? Was watching some youtube vids last night, but unsure which discs to get if I went that route

 

[dacads]

Which sealant? And What Wax would people recommend after a clay bar on the panels?

And are the pads good enough on a home mains drill at low spin? Was watching some youtube vids last night, but unsure which discs to get if I went that route

CarPro HydrO2 is the sealant I will be trying All you need to do is spray on, rinse off and then dry car.

 

[grudas]

CarPro HydrO2 is the sealant I will be trying All you need to do is spray on, rinse off and then dry car.

will still need wheel cleaner to clean off the wheels my wheels are sealed with hydr02.

 

[dacads]

will still need wheel cleaner to clean off the wheels my wheels are sealed with hydr02.

No you won't, normal shampoo should do the trick Auto wheel has some degreasing properties that will just remove the sealant AFAIK.

 

[Cleisthenes]

I partially debadged my car the other day, and after Tardis to get the residue off, compound, polish, colour restorer etc it has still left a shadow. I think I'll likely have to use a machine polisher to get rid, it's only very faint and can only be seen in the right light, however I thought I'd ask whether you guys have any pearls of wisdom regarding this?

Thanks

 

[Jokester]

How old is the car? Is it possible it's actually the rest of the paint has faded slightly?

 

[grudas]

No you won't, normal shampoo should do the trick Auto wheel has some degreasing properties that will just remove the sealant AFAIK.

should do or have you actually used it and tested it ? stuck brake dust wont come off without a wheel cleaner or a lot of scrubbing, I guess it depends how much time you want to spend on the wheels. 2-3mins per wheel is max for me.

 

[dacads]

should do or have you actually used it and tested it ? stuck brake dust wont come off without a wheel cleaner or a lot of scrubbing, I guess it depends how much time you want to spend on the wheels. 2-3mins per wheel is max for me.

I thought the whole point of a sealant is it makes wheels easier to clean

I haven't tried it but will report back when I do.

 

[grudas]

I thought the whole point of a sealant is it makes wheels easier to clean

I haven't tried it but will report back when I do.

well yes but what I'm saying is that from my pov hydro2 doesn't make much of a difference.

because rather than using the wheel cleaner which would involve -;

spray on
agitate with a brush if required
pressure wash off

you'll do

pressure wash
wash with a wheel mit + shampoo
scrub all the hard to reach areas
pressure wash again

what I'm saying is that you'll end up spending more time/putting more effort in for the same result.

with my wheel style I'd be at it for 10 minutes before each hard to reach area got cleaned.

 

[iMacMart]

And what about clay bars?

 

[dacads]

well yes but what I'm saying is that from my pov hydro2 doesn't make much of a difference.

Well it will in terms of protecting the alloys, better than no protection

I might try hydro2 lite actually..

 

[grudas]

Well it will in terms of protecting the alloys, better than no protection

I might try hydro2 lite actually..

it does help in that sense but I wouldn't treat it as a thing that will magically keep all crap off the alloys and make washing a breeze haha there are other more serious coatings like gtechnic that would properly seal your wheels.

 

[dacads]

it does help in that sense but I wouldn't treat it as a thing that will magically keep all crap off the alloys and make washing a breeze haha there are other more serious coatings like gtechnic that would properly seal your wheels.

Yeah I was looking at Gtechnic C5 originally, but hydro2 seemed appealing

I guess it depends how far you want to go, as you can try and make it easier but it comes at a cost

 

[Cleisthenes]

How old is the car? Is it possible it's actually the rest of the paint has faded slightly?

2009, it is a MX5 though so the paint is notoriously naff.

 

[Evo8]

Ive applied with a new sponge cut to size but I think I'll give the paintbrush method a go next time around. Anyone have a prefered method for best results?

That's exactly how I apply it, it's the best way I reckon.

 

[Conscript]

Wash and a coat of wax today. Collonite 476. Forgot what a cow it is to apply :/

 

[iMacMart]

What's people's recomdations in interior cleaning for leather and plastics? I use baby wipes currently as they have moisturizer in but would like to use something else ... Thanks

And tyre dressing, I have one but it doesn't apply too well

 

[Cookeh]

303. Megs Endurance.

 

[dacads]

What's people's recomdations in interior cleaning for leather and plastics? I use baby wipes currently as they have moisturizer in but would like to use something else ... Thanks

And tyre dressing, I have one but it doesn't apply too well

Any apc will do the trick and be handy for engine bay etc as well.

Don't forget a few brushes as well, useful for areas like vents and door shuts.

 

[norm]

What's people's recomdations in interior cleaning for leather and plastics? I use baby wipes currently as they have moisturizer in but would like to use something else ... Thanks

And tyre dressing, I have one but it doesn't apply too well

3M Tyre Restorer - nice finish natural looking finish, the blackness begins to fade around 10 - 14 days but the bottle lasts ages, I bought a little orange foam tyre applicator to go with it. Way more cost effective than foam sprays you can get.

As for interior cleaning I'm quite a fan of Armor All wipes, you can pick them up at Halfords often discounted in their 2 for 3 car cleaning offer. There's loads of different ones for dash/seats/carpets/leather. Just go over it with a microfiber towel at the end to pick up any excess product (normally only needed on plastics to make sure it dries to an even finish).