*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***

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I've done something to my PA Foam Lance :(.

Put it away after using it fine and then the next time I came to use it it seems broken... It doesn't foam up properly and just sends three sharp jets of foamy water out (one to the left, straight ahead, and one to the right).

Ideas anyone?


glitch said:
Hello chaps.

I need a recommendation for a new pressure washer as I've finally killed off my old Karcher today. I understand that Nilfisk are the weapon of choice for the discerning cleaning enthusiast, but I've a little baffled by all the choices - any advice would be appreciated - let's say the budget's around £100 but can be stretched a little further if necessary.

Oh, and will I need a new nozzle for my PA Foam Lance? And would that be a Kew/Alto one?
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Nilfisk C120 3-6 is what I use. My first and only pressure washer though so I've got nothing to compare it to!

And yep the Kew/Alto one is the right fitting :).
 
Washed the BMW for the first time in a while today. It was too cold to give it anything other than a snow lance, 2 x wash, pressure rinse and dry. Looking forward to April for the big DAS-6 polish and wax session :)







Currently buying some new kit for the next wash, namely:

- Leather cleaner and conditioner - Gliptone sounds pretty good and £12 for both cleaner/conditioner delivered can't be bad.
- Detailing brush
- 2 x Lambswool mitts - We probably managed 15 washes out of our current mitts and they started to fall to pieces.
- Wheel cleaner - Bilberry stuff wasn't really that good

Quick question for other Snow lance users - how long does your snowfoam stay on the car? Mine goes from being completely covered (with thick foam) to completely run off the paintwork in a matter of 2-3 minutes. I thought it was meant to take 15 minutes to work! Plus I'm not overly impressed with how little dirt it removes. Both my mate and I have found the same, whereas some example I've seen show the car being showroom clean after just the snowfoam! Could it be the cheapy snowfoam that I purchased with it?
 
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4 hour clean today after not touching the paintwork since I left for Thailand in June. My arms ache from removing sealant :D Worth it to get the mirror finish back though.

Better not rain overnight/tomorrow, would like to try get a wax coat on it.
 
Mucky_Pup said:
There's better stuff to use other than AG stuff.
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I'm sure there is, it's still decent though and it's all commonly available from every halfords, the same can't be said for other more diverse products. I was just giving an example of what products to use and what I do.
 
Nothing wrong with AG products, I've been using them for years and my bodywork is buttery and mint although it is protected with 476s all year round :p

I don't use fastglass or anything like that, no point when standard Windowlean or equiv does virtually the same job at a fraction of the cost.

Use old newspapers to clean exterior glass too, cleans streak free and it's available in abundance leaving your MF cloths for the bodywork and interior glass and trim.
 
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Mucky_Pup said:
It's worked great for me, one of the best wheel cleaners I have used. What's up when you're using it?
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I think it works best on a wheel that has been properly cleaned and waxed before.

If the dirt isn't shifting with Bilberry then there might be no choice but to strip it with something harsh like WonderWheels, wash it down properly and wax it with something like Poorboy's Wheel Sealant and then the next time you come to wash the car Bilberry should do the job nicely.

I could have course be talking out of my behind but the above is what I'm going to do on the Corsa soon and those wheels have never been cleaned!
 
I need to take mine off to do them properly soon, I used the biliberry the other day, but I have tar spots on the wheel, so it shifted all the grime, muck, brake dust and crud, but left the tar, so soon I'll likely get them off wash them, get some tardis on them, then polish and seal it with the poor boys, I need a refurb on them ideally, but I haven't got the money for that yet.
 
This weather is ****.
I'm still waiting for it to not rain and be warm enough for me to tolerate being outside for 10 hours.

Anyone want £150 worth of unused Megs stuff? :p
 
I've gone a little bit nuts ordering stuff for my planned 'big clean' of the Corsa and the E60.

Most of it has arrived, I just need PB to get more Blackfires stuff in stock. They are expecting early March so I think I'll do the Corsa and use up the last of my Megs Step 1-3 then use the Blackfire kit on the E60.

I'll take photos of all the new toys tonight.
 
[TW]Fox;18538455 said:
Put the Corsa through a car wash and spend the extra time on the E60.
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Usually I would agree with you that the Corsa isn't worth the time or effort.

However, I'm going to use it to practice my rotary polishing skills before attacking the E60 :p Also, it hasn't been properly cleaned since my girlfriend bought it 5 years ago. :eek: so it could do with a bit of TLC.
 
I have a question, I am looking to give my car a proper going over in the next few weeks ready for summer. At my disposal, I have the following:

Pressure washer and foam lance
Meguiars Hyper wash (to use with foam lance, and separately as a shampoo)
AG Super Resin Polish
AG Extra Gloss Protection
AG HD Wax
AG Surfacing Detailing Kit (I went for this as I just want a simple intro to claying)
Various other bits and bobs for tyres, etc etc.

So, I'm thinking this will be my process:

1 - Pressure wash
2 - Snow foam
3 - Pressure wash
4 - Shampoo wash, rinse, and dry
5 - Clay, with lubricant
6 - Quick shampoo wash, rinse, and dry
7 - AG SRP polish
8 - AG HD Wax, possibly two layers

Is that the right order, and should the AG Extra Gloss Protection go in there somewhere? I've got some left over so I figure I may as well use it if it's worth it.

Thanks
 
ScarySquirrel said:
I have a question, I am looking to give my car a proper going over in the next few weeks ready for summer. At my disposal, I have the following:

Pressure washer and foam lance
Meguiars Hyper wash (to use with foam lance, and separately as a shampoo)
AG Super Resin Polish
AG Extra Gloss Protection
AG HD Wax
AG Surfacing Detailing Kit (I went for this as I just want a simple intro to claying)
Various other bits and bobs for tyres, etc etc.

So, I'm thinking this will be my process:

1 - Pressure wash
2 - Snow foam
3 - Pressure wash
4 - Shampoo wash, rinse, and dry
5 - Clay, with lubricant
6 - Quick shampoo wash, rinse, and dry
7 - AG SRP polish
8 - AG HD Wax, possibly two layers

Is that the right order, and should the AG Extra Gloss Protection go in there somewhere? I've got some left over so I figure I may as well use it if it's worth it.

Thanks
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1 - Snow foam
2 - Rinse
3 - Shampoo wash, rinse, and dry
4 - Clay, with lubricant
5 - Quick shampoo wash, rinse, and dry (Can wash it again but I normally wipe down the surface with Megs Last Touch which removes any clay spots.
6 - AG SRP polish
7 - AG HD Wax, possibly two layers
 
No cos the foam will just slide off and not have any effect. The surface needs to be dry so it can stick to the car.

I don't use Autoglym stuff. I would assume the Gloss Protection just gives it a bit of a shine. Someone might come along to correct me on that though.
 
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