*** Car Wash / Valet / Detailing Thread ***
- Thread starter ShiWarrior
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R222! Works really well, a tiny bit goes a long way.
Soldato
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Thanks both. mjt, I ordered the one on the Amazon link. I have two very dirty cars, including salt/mud that need cleaning so will give it a go over the coming days, just want it to be a couple of degrees warmer as I’m a wuss.
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I've just ordered the Pollo one as it looks like it might sit a little lower. Before I did though, I happened to Google it, and found an eBay link selling it even cheaper....23.99 and then there was a discount code (SAVVY15) dor another 15% off. Free delivery so £20.39 in total, and ETA Tuesday...but like you, Ill probably be too much of a pussy to go out and use it straight away
Good stuff. The wheels are probably better on the one @Conscript bought, and the connections are a bit wobbly. It's not a problem per se, but I suspect the one with the big round wheels will be more stable.
Top tip: Careful when you get close to the edge of the undercarriage - you'll get lots of spray and mud in your face if you're not careful
Top tip: Careful when you get close to the edge of the undercarriage - you'll get lots of spray and mud in your face if you're not careful
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beyond the wheel arches - how do you know where you can legitimately spray it ? - ie.not into electrical connectors (pad/abs) grommets , not in front of bulkhead ..Top tip: Careful when you get close to the edge of the undercarriage - you'll get lots of spray and mud in your face if you're not careful
use a karcher one
I just spray the entire underbody. Pretty sure car washes are indiscriminate as well.beyond the wheel arches - how do you know where you can legitimately spray it ? - ie.not into electrical connectors (pad/abs) grommets , not in front of bulkhead ..
use a karcher one
Think about when you're driving in heavy rain on the motorway. I doubt there's anything important exposed on a modern car. All the grime needs washing away, especially when there's salt on the roads.
The nice thing about the above attachments is that you can work your way methodically up and down the car knowing you haven't missed anything.
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Associate
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Can anyone recommend a good interior vacuum cleaner and maybe something that will help clean interior mats etc.
Soldato
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The Screwfix Titan is decent on a budget, and has the ability to use as a blower in addition to suction
For carpet cleaning, you’ll want a decent detergent and a spot cleaner. You could use the vacuum but it can be frustrating switching between wet and dry functions.
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Associate
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Any recomendation on products? It has been a while since I looked at any interior cleaning so a bit out of the loop
Soldato
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Where are you looking to purchase from? If you just want to pick something up from Halfords, the autoglym isn’t poor but does leave a bit of a residue if you don’t wash it off sufficiently.
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I was going to put an order in at CleanYourCar (or alternative) as I've got a few other things I need to get too.
providing you have checked power of jets are not too great - say pushing water upwards less than a foot ?
if I put karcher lance under the the engine compartment with a k7 , I'd be soaking the engine compartment in seconds - not sure if the alternator, in particular, is well protected.
If I had a set of ramps to back the car onto so you could see what you are doing I think that would be best (despite the neighbours opinions)
Soldato
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Probably go for Koch Chemie Pol Star. Have found it to be quite good and residue free
Not heavily scented either. Needs diluting - would recommend an IK Multi Sprayer (not the 360 as I’ve heard some people mentioning leaks)
Yeah fair enough. It's nowhere near there power of a normal lance. TBH it's not something I'd ever thought
I don't think it's too much of an issue. Lots of people clean their engine bays, then rinse them down from the top with liberal amounts of water from a hose, and sometimes even a pressure washer. Granted you'd wrap the alternator and maybe battery terminals, but I'm not too worried spraying from underneath as my car has a pretty substantial undertray which will block most of the spray.
I thought about one of those under chassis devices, but in the end I purchased
www.kaercher.com
with an extension
www.kaercher.com
I also bought a 1/4 quick release adapter for it. I find it really useful as I can control how powerful the jet is so it does the under chassis and I do door jams etc when it's on the lowest setting. Plus it's really good for cleaning the inside edge of the wheel wells.
It's not quite as convenient as you do have to get on your hands and knees.
Kärcher Mini VP160 Vario Power Jet
The Kärcher Mini Vario Power Jet comes with infinite pressure regulation and an adjustable 360° joint, ideal for cleaning difficult to reach areas. For use with K2 - K7 pressure washers.
with an extension
Kärcher Single Lance Extension
Extends spray lance by 0.5 m. For effective cleaning of difficult to reach areas. Suitable for all Kärcher accessories.
I also bought a 1/4 quick release adapter for it. I find it really useful as I can control how powerful the jet is so it does the under chassis and I do door jams etc when it's on the lowest setting. Plus it's really good for cleaning the inside edge of the wheel wells.
It's not quite as convenient as you do have to get on your hands and knees.
^ Interesting - I see karcher used to sell a specific undecarriage cleaner with inbuilt detergent tank too ... but with any of these could use the detergent tank on the pressure washer itself,
touchless seems to work fine from a garden sprayer when there is no real foam, & just a saturating the surface (also did that on my cycle) so the pw detergent tank would do the same.
( this too Karcher VJ 24 Handheld Angle Joint )
Wheel arch liners on audi are some kind of textured plastic(almost felt like - reducing sound? ) which does not clean very easily even with lance, can't run a cloth around like previous smooth/robust ones on 3 series,
... modern technology.
touchless seems to work fine from a garden sprayer when there is no real foam, & just a saturating the surface (also did that on my cycle) so the pw detergent tank would do the same.
( this too Karcher VJ 24 Handheld Angle Joint )
Wheel arch liners on audi are some kind of textured plastic(almost felt like - reducing sound? ) which does not clean very easily even with lance, can't run a cloth around like previous smooth/robust ones on 3 series,
... modern technology.
Soldato
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If the pressure washer came with a patio cleaner like one of these, couldn’t you just turn it upside down and do the underside of the car that way?
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i was hoping IK did a 9L Battery operated sprayer, but they don't, only in a 12L which is too big for me really
any alternatives guys ?
any alternatives guys ?