*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***
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Bilt hamber auto wheels will bring them up like new.
thanks will check it out. Would you recommend i take off the wheels or would this stuff be strong enough to clean deep?
Soldato
BH Autowheel is very strong, and capable. But to get fully into barrels and behind spokes you will always need to take wheels off.
Wheels off twice a year should be sufficient if you have a decent barrel brush though.
Wheels off twice a year should be sufficient if you have a decent barrel brush though.
If you have the ability to take them off safely I would suggest taking them off, getting them looking like new and coating them with something like https://ceramic-pro.com/en/shop/product-line/product/wheelcaliper/ or https://www.highdefinitiondetail.co.uk/products/siramik-wheels-ceramic-wheel-coating
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Wheel woolies if you want to do a really decent clean, but don’t want to take them off.
Cleaned the alcantara bits on my steering wheel today (top and bottom sections, sides are leather), first time since having the car a month or so.
When I got it the alcantara was discoloured and the fibres were very compacted and flat, didn’t have a nice feel to it.
Bowl of warm water with some mild washing detergent in it, microfibre cloth dipped in and rung until it was damp and then gripped the wheel with the cloth reasonably firmly and rotated around the rim (similar motion to unscrewing a bottle).
Got so much dirt and grubbiness off it, it’s now a nice as new colour and more importantly feels like it should with the fibres feeling back to normal
Such a small simple thing to sort but makes the world of difference when it’s something you look at and touch every time you’re in the car.
Being an idiot I have no before or after pictures.
When I got it the alcantara was discoloured and the fibres were very compacted and flat, didn’t have a nice feel to it.
Bowl of warm water with some mild washing detergent in it, microfibre cloth dipped in and rung until it was damp and then gripped the wheel with the cloth reasonably firmly and rotated around the rim (similar motion to unscrewing a bottle).
Got so much dirt and grubbiness off it, it’s now a nice as new colour and more importantly feels like it should with the fibres feeling back to normal
Such a small simple thing to sort but makes the world of difference when it’s something you look at and touch every time you’re in the car.
Being an idiot I have no before or after pictures.
Also on the subject of wheels, the barrels on mine are disgustingly dirty, not sure they’ve ever been cleaned properly!
I’ve got some BH wheel cleaner which has got some of the muck off, but feels like I need something more abrasive than my Halfords wheel brush to get some of the more baked in stuff off.
Any recommendations as to what to use, any sort of stiff brush that’s worth it?
Will need to get the wheels off and give them a good going over and seal.
Gor some wheel weight residue to deal with as well where previous ones have been pulled off and left loads of glue and crap behind
I’ve got some BH wheel cleaner which has got some of the muck off, but feels like I need something more abrasive than my Halfords wheel brush to get some of the more baked in stuff off.
Any recommendations as to what to use, any sort of stiff brush that’s worth it?
Will need to get the wheels off and give them a good going over and seal.
Gor some wheel weight residue to deal with as well where previous ones have been pulled off and left loads of glue and crap behind
Soldato
Well i can definitely now agree with those of you saying using snow foam isn't a lazy mans fix 
Also struggled with the snow foam lance at first and it was just running off. I assumed the +/- would be the amount of foam so had it turned all the way to the plus. However after a bit of messing i turned it all the way to the minus and got a decent thick foam.
I quite enjoyed it though so i think the next bank holiday i'll buy a few buckets and things and do the job properly.
Also struggled with the snow foam lance at first and it was just running off. I assumed the +/- would be the amount of foam so had it turned all the way to the plus. However after a bit of messing i turned it all the way to the minus and got a decent thick foam.
I quite enjoyed it though so i think the next bank holiday i'll buy a few buckets and things and do the job properly.
Caporegime
Well i can definitely now agree with those of you saying using snow foam isn't a lazy mans fix
Also struggled with the snow foam lance at first and it was just running off. I assumed the +/- would be the amount of foam so had it turned all the way to the plus. However after a bit of messing i turned it all the way to the minus and got a decent thick foam.
I quite enjoyed it though so i think the next bank holiday i'll buy a few buckets and things and do the job properly.
It's fine for a quick wash but I find that I still need to 2 buckets afterwards because there are still dirt on it (when you run your fingers over it you feel it even more), even after press wash it all off. So to straight dry towel on it would be a mistake.
It does make 2 buckets easier and get a much cleaner car but still need to clean it as before afterwards.
What has changed for me is the silicon spray products, after 2 buckets I now spray on those then pressure wash it off. That's my protectant seal as opposed to any waxes after drying.
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Well i can definitely now agree with those of you saying using snow foam isn't a lazy mans fix
Also struggled with the snow foam lance at first and it was just running off. I assumed the +/- would be the amount of foam so had it turned all the way to the plus. However after a bit of messing i turned it all the way to the minus and got a decent thick foam.
I quite enjoyed it though so i think the next bank holiday i'll buy a few buckets and things and do the job properly.
at least you realised this. I also have my lance set all the way to the minus setting. That'll give you the best results. It is quite fun though. The best results are of course with a good sealant on the paint. I snow foamed my car (with wax on) and my wife's car (with no sealant) and the difference was night and day.I think this is why I am leaning toward Autoglym's three step procedure. It just kind of works for me and means I can put minimal effort in and still get the best result.
Soldato
pollen! sheesh does it stick to paintwork, both my cars are dark metallic and both look disgusting a day after washing.
do you lot QD them or go for a full rinse/wash ? :|
do you lot QD them or go for a full rinse/wash ? :|
Caporegime
It's going to rain for the next week, leave it for now.
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I know, it literally appears hours after washing - the main reason I can't be bothered with more than snow foam at the moment (which to be fair is enough to take the dust off this time of year).
Anyone here used Gyeon can coat? I've been trying to use this on the Mark X with varied success. It seems to flash off almost immediately after application, I mean you don't really even have 2 seconds to buff it off. As a result I'm finding it extremely difficult to get a good even coat on large panels like the bonnet. In fact it went so streaky and horrible that I had to mop it again to get the mess off and then used a carnuba wax on that panel.
The panels with successful application though and a totally different league in terms of the hydrophobic-ness and it makes the carnuba look pants.
I did have a hard time buffing the polish residue off the bonnet to begin with though, the clearcoat was in a bad way prior to machining it. Maybe the clearcoat has some kind of permanent sun damage?
The panels with successful application though and a totally different league in terms of the hydrophobic-ness and it makes the carnuba look pants.
I did have a hard time buffing the polish residue off the bonnet to begin with though, the clearcoat was in a bad way prior to machining it. Maybe the clearcoat has some kind of permanent sun damage?
Associate
Typically if the paint is fussy with application its best to dilute the product a bit with distilled water or similar.
Caporegime
Not sure you can (or should) with this one.
However the video shows they spray it on a cloth first.
Guys, my other half has has paint spots splashed down the side of her car by some pleb when he was painting the outside of a shop. 
Its only tiny spots and its white pain on a white car so not the end of the world, but still annoying. What's the recommended way to get the paint off without taking the actual paint off!? Its on the windows too which I can just pick off, but any recommendations for products etc would be good.
Its only tiny spots and its white pain on a white car so not the end of the world, but still annoying. What's the recommended way to get the paint off without taking the actual paint off!? Its on the windows too which I can just pick off, but any recommendations for products etc would be good.
Soldato
A clay bar will take it off, both on the paint and the windows. Or you can use white spirit on the windows.
Any clay bar will be fine
Any clay bar will be fine
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