*** Car Wash / Valet / Detailing Thread ***

The Ava premium foam canon is an impressive piece of kit. Arrived early, won’t have a chance to try it out until next week, but having wide cups makes the whole thing easier to fill, plus they have lids that can be used to help stack the cups or stabilise the base. They seem really strong for plastic too.
 
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CaptainRAVE said:
The Ava premium foam canon is an impressive piece of kit. Arrived early, won’t have a chance to try it out until next week, but having wide cups makes the whole thing easier to fill, plus they have lids that can be used to help stack the cups or stabilise the base. They seem really strong for plastic too.
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Great set-up right? The lids and wide cups make it a doddle to set-up and switch out and also keep product for another wash.
 
yes they do look useful ... even though I've only foamed pre-wash, another container to swap in with water to clean out the canon would be useful.
(the sugar content of touchless seems like it should leave a residue, but not been on car long enough to see if cats&wasps also like it)
 
CaptainRAVE said:
Bought these, pretty cheap as far as they go these days, impressed with the quality so far, very soft.

Amazon Basics Deluxe Microfiber Car Wash Drying Mitts, 2 Pack, Grey, 30 cm L x 20 cm W : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive

Amazon Basics Deluxe Microfiber Car Wash Drying Mitts, 2 Pack, Grey, 30 cm L x 20 cm W : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive
amzn.eu
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I’ve had those before. Find they absorb too much product and become too heavy for washing


Try the TurtleWax Ultimate Plush Wash Mitt. It’s very decent and accessible as you can get it from Halfords
 
Jonnycoupe said:
Its a drying mitt, isnt that its purpose to absorb water rather than use for product application.
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Didn’t spot that they use “drying” in it too - the product info lists it as a wash mitt as do the pictures.


I think you’d be quicker with a towel though as more surface area and more fibres to collect water


Edit: product description reads as though it’s done with AI, first I’ve come across that on Amazon
 
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I’ll be using it as a wash mitt. I’m curious to see how heavy it becomes, I like that it picks up lots of water out of the bucket. Have been using a microfibre noodle sponge for a while, but it’s a pain to hold onto.

Also looking into these -

IVODEELA Cleaning Caddy Bag, Large Cleaning Caddy Organiser with Handle for Cleaning Supplies, Cleaning Supply Tote for Cleaners Housekeepers, Black : Amazon.co.uk: Fashion

IVODEELA Cleaning Caddy Bag, Large Cleaning Caddy Organiser with Handle for Cleaning Supplies, Cleaning Supply Tote for Cleaners Housekeepers, Black : Amazon.co.uk: Fashion
amzn.eu

Could be useful to carry the things I need to the car. Although the bucket I use isn’t terrible for the job.
 
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CaptainRAVE said:
I’ll be using it as a wash mitt. I’m curious to see how heavy it becomes, I like that it picks up lots of water out of the bucket. Have been using a microfibre noodle sponge for a while, but it’s a pain to hold onto.

Also looking into these -

IVODEELA Cleaning Caddy Bag, Large Cleaning Caddy Organiser with Handle for Cleaning Supplies, Cleaning Supply Tote for Cleaners Housekeepers, Black : Amazon.co.uk: Fashion

IVODEELA Cleaning Caddy Bag, Large Cleaning Caddy Organiser with Handle for Cleaning Supplies, Cleaning Supply Tote for Cleaners Housekeepers, Black : Amazon.co.uk: Fashion
amzn.eu

Could be useful to carry the things I need to the car. Although the bucket I use isn’t terrible for the job.
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Been using a cardboard box since forever ago until a few months ago when I decided to get one of these.

Highly recommended. I got mine from Halfords, which came with a cool bag. Not as big as the Amazon one you've linked, but does the job for me. Very useful for separating things too - I've got one pocket for car cleaning things, etc.
 
dannyjo22 said:
I got the P50 from B and Q for £159 including using a discount code for them and topcash back or quidco.

It comes without the foam cannon as I was advised the one you get isn't worth it anyway. I then just bought the MJJC foam canon for £40 to pair with it. 12m hose is an absolute godsend. Gun is excellent and pressure has been superb. I only use it for car cleaning and for me and cleaning the cars once a week it's been a bargain.
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Well it arrived and it’s a very impressive piece of kit. Loving all the storage for all the accessories on it.
 
Well I’m mighty impressed with that. Far more pressure than my old washer, much more flow, love the short gun, quick and easy to swap attachments. Although my arm was tired by the end!


IMG-0739.jpg

IMG-0741.jpg


Bilthamber pre wash (about to run out and switch to touch less)

Autoglym polar wash (the new mitt is indeed heavy, but love how much water it carries with it)

Autoglym polar seal (haven’t used this in ages, forgot what a joy it is to apply)

Looking at the paint I think I’ll wax it soon.
 
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I tried the Shell Station's self car wash today as I have 50% off this week. It took me two sessions of 9 mins (£6 total) to complete the wash. It was my first time doing it and hence was not efficient with time.

Overall I am satisfied with the results. Could it have been better? Of course. Will give my car a go again. Today it was the missus's car. It gave me joy as a little kid to do it myself rather than taking the car to a local car wash.
 
My Renault 5 went in for a multi stage paint correction and ceramic coating. Was badly prepped, if you can even call it that, by the dealership. To their credit, they did pay the full amount for the work done. Is there anything that I can use/is recommended to keep on top of the finish? Was thinking maybe just using a quick detailer whilst drying? So used to just applying a wax but I guess it’s not needed with it being ceramic coated.

Also, need a trim dressing for the plastic trim around the arches/sills. Preferably something with a matt finish. Seen Koch Chemie Plast Star but open to other recommendations.

 
Plastar is great, I use it on my plastics - easy to apply and it last ages considering it's not a coating like Gtechniq C4.

Quick detailer that can be used as a drying aid, I really recommend Koch Chemie FSE - it's such a great product.
 
Mekrel said:
Plastar is great, I use it on my plastics - easy to apply and it last ages considering it's not a coating like Gtechniq C4.

Quick detailer that can be used as a drying aid, I really recommend Koch Chemie FSE - it's such a great product.
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Should be cautious about using something so acidic on a ceramic coating - not every coating offers the same chemical resistance, with some being better against bases and others against alkaline.


FSE is quite acidic, as is Gtechniq Quick Detailer - so much so, you can use it to remove Crystal Serum Ultra if freshly applied. Very few things do.


IMO not worth taking the risk and no reason to use on a ceramic coated car.



Jon20 said:
Is there anything that I can use/is recommended to keep on top of the finish? Was thinking maybe just using a quick detailer whilst drying? So used to just applying a wax but I guess it’s not needed with it being ceramic coated.
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Which brand of ceramic coating is it? Usually best to stay on brand as the company will typically test their products on their own coatings.


If you want to use a product on top of the ceramic to act as a sacrificial layer, I’d recommend something like Gtechniq Liquid Crystal (buy direct so you get their V4, just released) or Collinite Beadcoat.
 
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I've been using FSE for the last four years and it hasn't degraded either of the coatings I've had. Gtechniq CSU and a Labocosmetica combination - I only had CSU replaced due to the car being repaired after an accident and had to have a load of over spray machined off.

You're literally applying two sprays per wet panel so it'll be diluted quite a bit and ceramic coatings can take quite a wide range of pH levels, and benefit from acidic washes.

Gtechniq state only wet sanding removes CSU. I personally think FSE lends itself well to ceramic coated cars, especially in hard water areas.
 
MrRockliffe said:
Which brand of ceramic coating is it? Usually best to stay on brand as the company will typically test their products on their own coatings.


If you want to use a product on top of the ceramic to act as a sacrificial layer, I’d recommend something like Gtechniq Liquid Crystal (buy direct so you get their V4, just released) or Collinite Beadcoat.
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It’s Cartec Ceramic Guard. I’ll have a look at Gtechniq and the Collinite. I see Infinity Wax do a couple of ceramic and graphene based detailers as well. This is where I normally buy one and then start wondering if the other one is better lol.
 
The only thing with some detailers is they can streak, especially noticeable on darker cars. There's ways to get around it, usually having a damp cloth to level it off. I've found people reporting that tend to use graphine based detailers.

Another option is Garage Therapy Sigma V3 - not used it personally but read good things. It sounds like a bit of a hybrid product as their own website says its a sealant / quick detailer..

I also use Labocosmetica Perfecta SiO2 but I don't recommend it, it's quite a fussy product imo.
 
Jon20 said:
It’s Cartec Ceramic Guard. I’ll have a look at Gtechniq and the Collinite. I see Infinity Wax do a couple of ceramic and graphene based detailers as well. This is where I normally buy one and then start wondering if the other one is better lol.
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I’ve never heard of it. Do you know if it’s hydrophobic? A lot of basic coatings aren’t.


If it isn’t, you’ve got another reason to look at a top up product.



I wouldn’t worry about whether something is better, I’d look at how easy it is to apply.


Both C2 V4 and Beadcoat are dead easy, but will need topping up regularly.
 
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