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

I want to protect the pristine paintwork on my 2021 Nissan Leaf. Currently I snowfoam it with AG Polar Blast then give it a proper wash with Supaguard wash neutral PH shampoo that came with the car and that's it apart from using AG Tar Remover when needed. With winter approaching fast and the nasty stuff they put on the roads here I want to go further and protect the car. As you guys have never let me down I am looking for some recommendations. I was thinking of a wax with added ceramic stuff such as this from AM Details. That seems a good deal as the wax by itself is £34.95 so £39.95 with a pair of sponge applicators and four decent microfibre cloths seems a bargain. Would that be enough to protect the car or do I need a sealant as well? I will be doing it all by hand as I don't have a DA. If there is a better product I could use feel free to suggest it. Many thanks in advance.
 
thanks.

i do have a budget :p

prob looking around £250

what about Ava? looking at the P50

Nilfisk is going to prob be the core150
Yeh Ava are apparently pretty good.

It's funny it seems like everyone uses Karcher and complains they never last whilst no one seems to recommend Nilfisk but they seem to be great.

Karcher Expert is the commercial grade one and you can get a 4/8 for under £200. An option anyway.
 
I want to protect the pristine paintwork on my 2021 Nissan Leaf. Currently I snowfoam it with AG Polar Blast then give it a proper wash with Supaguard wash neutral PH shampoo that came with the car and that's it apart from using AG Tar Remover when needed. With winter approaching fast and the nasty stuff they put on the roads here I want to go further and protect the car. As you guys have never let me down I am looking for some recommendations. I was thinking of a wax with added ceramic stuff such as this from AM Details. That seems a good deal as the wax by itself is £34.95 so £39.95 with a pair of sponge applicators and four decent microfibre cloths seems a bargain. Would that be enough to protect the car or do I need a sealant as well? I will be doing it all by hand as I don't have a DA. If there is a better product I could use feel free to suggest it. Many thanks in advance.

How do you define “protect”?
 
whats the reccomended pressure washer at the moment?

borrowed my dads k2.120 and it was quite pathetic.

I have no idea how the modern versions are but my Nilfisk E130 is still going strong and it is 13 years old now. Only things replaced was the hose with a better one and needed a new wand (lasted 12 years) last year as the old one worn out.
 
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My Karcher K4 Premium must be 10 years old by now. I have hated it's design from day 1 though. Far to easy to topple over. But alas, it has lasted all this time, so I guess I can't really complain.

When I change it though, I am unsure whether to go for an Ava Evolution machine, or just go the whole hog with a more permanent setup.
 
The old clubby was filthy. Took the opportunity to wash it in the rain saving me the slog of drying it. Dryed itself on the way into work. Fresh.

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Not sure how good it is but thought worth giving the heads up for anyone who fancy’s having a gamble on some Metal Polish.

Autofinesse have “Extreme” Metal Polish 300G Bottle for £3.88 - Free 5-7 Day Economy Delivery.


@kona786

Sorry, No Aqua Coat mega discount this time around :p
 
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@kona786

Sorry, No Aqua Coat mega discount this time around :p

Haha the Aqua coat is excellent stuff. It really is awesome, so easy to apply and excellent finish and longevity for what it is. And it coats absolutely all exterior trim and windows.

Thanks for recommending it!

Cheap here at cp4less... Get it delivered free to your local ecp.

 
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Finally managed to get a half decent clean on it. Hit it with my favourite quick detailer, that I will stick with over the winter months, and give it a good polish and ceramic next year.



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The QD I was using was a "recipe" from Pan The Organiser, 1 part Carpro Ech2o, 1 part Carpro Reload and 8 parts water. Car feels proper smooth, and the gloss is lovely. Lasts a few weeks too, which works great for me.
 
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Grr. I really wish dealerships wouldn't try and wash, coat, or polish cars. Just leave them alone. This is my dads new car, had it a week now and he gave it a wash today as the weather is half decent. We know this isn't from us as we use "proper" products. No chamois or sponges here! After the wash and dry, he calls me to take a look at what the sun has revealed. Hard to get the full effect in the pictures but you get the idea!

Guess I'll be cracking out the DA this weekend! :cry:

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I put a “do not wash” sign on my cars when they go in as I’ve been stung by that before. It’s not worth the headache


When I had my S5, I asked Audi to not wash it but asked if they could hoover it. Apparently that would have been confusing for the valeting team so they said they won’t touch it at all :P
 
Managed to get one side done. I'll do the other half tomorrow (maybes lol). Also managed to get a coat of fusso king of gloss on so that should last a few months. :) Came up trumps!

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Gave the inside a quick whip round again. Still not 100% though. I think it'll take a few goings over before I'm happy.

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Love the roof.

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Feeling better about it. Well, that is until I turn the car around tomorrow into the sun and see the other side. :cry:
 
Popped into Halfords as forgot to order some more Rapid Detailer - saw they also had Bumper and Trim Gel, so picked up one of those (was planning on getting the GTechniq but hadn't got round to ordering it)

Think I need to start going to AA meetings (AutoGlym Anonymous) :D

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Closest I'll get to a foam party with 2 dirty ladies :D

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Foamed, Washed, Dried and then Plastics done with the Bumper and Trim Gel - which has done a great job (and smells Great!)

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"Before" photo of plastics was here: https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/car-wash-valet-detailing-thread.18972817/post-37211585

Had to reapply trim gel today, so has lasted 2 months - not particularly long lasting, but dead easy to apply - about 10 minutes to do both cars today
 
Tried a polymer coating from Duel Autocare yesterday and so far very pleased.

Very easy to use for a novice. Spray on a wet car using the foam lance, wait 5 mins, rinse and dry.

As soon as I sprayed it on, all the water beaded up and ran off.

Supposed to last 8 weeks so will see how it holds up.



 
I need to re-find my enthusiasm for being a weekend warrior.... I had a 5 series that I owned and took total care over, was in superb condition when I sold it... I'm now two weeks into a 3 yr lease and haven't touched it. I just cannot get excited about cleaning the new car because it's not mine as such... Have other people found this ?
 
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