Detailing Stages

[nlel1975]

Ok so my car is dirty again around the lower part of the door. What is the best way to deal with this...



Should I rinse it down with water first then wash it with shampoo, or should I clay it first before washing, then polish or compound if needed and then shampoo again and finally wax or do I wax before shampooing.

 

[dave28]

i use snow foam and then pressure wash, usually gets near everything off and if not i use a mitt with some concentrated car shampoo to try to get it off.

clay i found got me scratches and marks even though i followed instructions and was careful but maybe you have a different experience of it

 

[Dis86]

NEVER clay before washing.

 

[2004typer]

NEVER clay before washing.

This definitely, get the area as clean as you can before even considering putting a clay bar anywhere near it, and remember when you clay use a lot of lubrication.

 

[leoncuprar]

Have a watch of this

https://youtu.be/7-MWigeFUl8

 

[ShiWarrior]

you can always try a basic clean

hose down
wash it
rinse off

if not then the next time you clean it

Pre Wash
Hose down
Wash it
rinse off

if it doesent look ok, Polish and then wax

 

[Kenai]

do I wax before shampooing.

This thread is a wind up surely?

 

[nlel1975]

This thread is a wind up surely?

I can assure you it’s not and I’m very grateful for the advice.

 

[gc123]

This thread is a wind up surely?

i thought that...

whatever happened to the good old days of just hosing it down and then getting some warm soapy water in a big bucket , with a clean sponge and washing it then rinsing it off with clean water??

if you have a pressure washer then foam, lets it soak and then wash off. dry it then wax it.

sometimes with all these new products i think people overthink the problems...

 

[Duke]

whatever happened to the good old days of just hosing it down and then getting some warm soapy water in a big bucket , with a clean sponge and washing it then rinsing it off with clean water??

if you have a pressure washer then foam, lets it soak and then wash off. dry it then wax it.

sometimes with all these new products i think people overthink the problems...

Going by the car cleaning thread if you've not spent £1000 on the on-trend products you're not doing it right

 

[xb8browney]

NEVER clay before washing.

This

 

[Haze]

Try using a search engine and look for car cleaning guides..... Loads of vids out there

 

[nlel1975]

So without looking at any videos it’s...

Rince > Wash > Clay > Polish or Compound > Wash > Wax > Buff and Dry

 

[MatsyLR]

Damp micro-fibre, flip to dry side, dry it and leave it alone.

 

[ShiWarrior]

So without looking at any videos it’s...

Rince > Wash > Clay > Polish or Compound > Wash > Wax > Buff and Dry

Pre Wash > Rinse > Wash > Rinse > Dry > Clay > Polish > Sealant / Wax (or ceramic)

 

[nlel1975]

Pre Wash > Rinse > Wash > Rinse > Dry > Clay > Polish > Sealant / Wax (or ceramic)

Ah right, I need some pre wash. However I don’t have a pressure washer. All I have is a worx hydroshot which gets its water supply from a separate bucket which I fill with water before rinsing.

Would it work if I bought some pre wash and put that into the bucket instead of plain water, then after ran plain water through it to clear it of pre wash.

 

[RussZS]

Go and grab something like Auto Finesse Citrus Power or Meguiars APC from Halfords and spray that on the area first, and use the hydroshot after the dirt has been safely broken down by a product like this.

Once it's clean, if you still have some bonded black spots, they will be tar deposits - be careful with these and don't use clay to remove. Buy a dedicated tar remover - spray on, leave to work for a few mins (follow the instructions on the bottle) and wipe away and rinse again to ensure any excess tar remover is removed.

If you spot any small orange deposits, repeat the tar step, but use a fallout remover (Auto Finesse Iron Out, Auto Glym Magma etc) and they will also be safely removed.

 

[nlel1975]

I’ve just realized my Worx hydroshot came with this soap bottle attachment which I can fill with pre wash...

https://tinyurl.com/be7vmuep

It was in the box. So I’ve ordered some Autoglym Polar Blast Pre-wash and some Meguiars liquid wax.

 

[Haze]

I’ve just realized my Worx hydroshot came with this soap bottle attachment which I can fill with pre wash...

https://tinyurl.com/be7vmuep

It was in the box. So I’ve ordered some Autoglym Polar Blast Pre-wash and some Meguiars liquid wax.

Do you not have any hands? Try using them instead of the hyroshot

 

[Rroff]

Pressure wash, let dry, Showroom Shine (yeah I know it is supposed to save water) with a microfibre cloth or brush. Clean off thoroughly from windows/glass and follow up on windows/mirrors with RainX.