*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***

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Sam said:
Im after one of those fancy buckets with the grit guard, and some new rags to clean the M135i when it arrives, im going to have to say good bye to my polish friends :cry:

Sam
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My Autoglym shampoo has ran out (2 years!), i am going to get some Megs Gold Class next, I hear those are good.

In terms of grit guard. Go to your local DIY store and get 2 nice and big buckets and then go on eBay/Amazon and search for Grit Guard, you can get ones with adjustable size. I think you will save money this way. You can go all posh and get those buckets that are on wheels, makes it easier to push it around as you wash the car :p

As for wax, I prefer longivity over that show room shine. Unless you clean your car every weekend, after a drive or two it is going to be dusty anyway. Collinite 476 or FK1000 are the 2 I would go for. You can use FK1000 on the alloys too. If you want to be quick then I like Spray wax, Autoglym Aqua wax is lovely, I have tried one of Megs' liquid wax but prefer Autoglym's more. The finish seemed nicer and it also smells nicer too!

As for best price, Halfords sometimes do 3 for 2 deals which isn't bad. But Cleanyourcar.co.uk's prices are ususally competitive.

You will need a lot of micro fibres though. Never have enough microfibres !
 
Shampoo has never been something to get in terms of specific type/brand for me. They all seem to do the same thing, just some smell nicer than others and come in pretty packaging. I use Triple Wax but am still going through the Muc-Off pink stuff that I got in the big set offer that was posted here absolutely ages ago.
 
mrk said:
Shampoo has never been something to get in terms of specific type/brand for me. They all seem to do the same thing, just some smell nicer than others and come in pretty packaging. I use Triple Wax but am still going through the Muc-Off pink stuff that I got in the big set offer that was posted here absolutely ages ago.
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Meguiars gold class promotes beading.
 
Beading/Sheeting has never been something that has been lacking on my car. To me it's all marketing blurb for shampoo. Polish and Wax/Seal is where it counts.
 
I want to stay clear of shampoos with waxes in them, and I'm not a huge fan of synthetic shampoos that aren't necessarily pH neutral.

This is why I always come back to the Zymol. Nothing else (natural) seems to come close for the amount of foaming it does, nor the way it seems to remove more tar than most shampoos.
 
I've used the Zymol shampoo before but didn't really find it gave results that made it worth double the cost. Perhaps it's because different paint qualities work accordingly with different shampoos. Plus, the 476s wax is on my car year round anyway.
 
Sam said:
Im after one of those fancy buckets with the grit guard, and some new rags to clean the M135i when it arrives, im going to have to say good bye to my polish friends :cry:

Sam
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I got a couple of buckets from B&Q, they are brilliant because they are bright orange :).

Try and avoid black buckets, as you'll never see the fine grit left in the bottom when you clean them out at the end.
 
Raymond Lin said:
My Autoglym shampoo has ran out (2 years!), i am going to get some Megs Gold Class next, I hear those are...
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I have actually been using this recently and think I actually prefer it to Autoglym (megs is slightly more expensive though). It's got a different smell and I find there are a lot more suds than I get from the autoglym shampoo. Car seems a bit easier to dry off but that might just be me. :p
 
Any tips for removing tar and road grime from my car?

I just washed it like this: Rinse, Snow Foam with Meguiars Hyper Wash, Rinse, Two Bucket with Meguiars Shampoo Plus, Rinse with 4 TDS RO water (no di resin) and then Dry with a big Dojo Juice towel (normally I would leave it to air dry after RO but I wanted to put some polish on).

After this the paint was feeling slightly rough to the touch and on closer inspection it appears to be covered with tiny bits of black tar or grime. So I opened a blue block of clay to have a go with, which I have never done before. Used plenty of the quick detailer to lube it up and in seconds the clay is filthy and black. To do the full car like this would take me hours!

So, is there something good I can spray on that will get the worst of it off but won't damage my paint (GTR clear coat is soft as butter) or melt/discolour the clear bra film that I have on the front end.

Thanks and sorry to be such a noob at car cleaning!
 
If clay bar won't remove it then try some Tardis or Oblitarate or other tar remover.

Btw, I clay the whole car when I do it, once or twice a year. You really need to allocate the whole day to it.
 
Raymond Lin said:
If clay bar won't remove it then try some Tardis or Oblitarate or other tar remover.

Btw, I clay the whole car when I do it, once or twice a year. You really need to allocate the whole day to it.
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Its not that the clay won't remove it, its just how long it will take me. I guess a whole day is right!

MORE SPEED said:
Used this on a car which has done 100k miles without ever being clayed and the tar spots came off easily

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/engine-and-exterior/autoglym-intensive-tar-remover/prod_749.html
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Thanks I will check it out.

Edit:

OK just watched the youtube video, if that is as good as it looks I think it will be perfect!

I really don't have anything on the car other than tar I think so claying the whole thing could be a bit extreme.
 
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Halfords have 3 for 2 offer on again, if you are getting some supplies then may be worth looking in there and save some postage.

Clay bar remove more than tar, it removes surface grit that washing won't shift. The paint should be smooth like butter, clay bar is the best way to remove everything. I don't think clay bar the whole car is extreme, it would be everyweek but once a year is fine.
 
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I think nature has a personal vendetta against me.

Over the long winter, the only cleaning my car has had is a visit to the jetwash every now and then. Yesterday being a nice day, I gave the car a wash in the morning - didn't bother to wax or polish or anything, it still has a coat of Collonite from just before winter. Just wanted to give it a wash to get the worst of the winter grime and salt off it.

Within an hour of finishing, it started raining. Annoying, but not totally unexpected. At least the car is clean, somewhat.

However, the icing on the cake? I have not had a single bird poo on the car in MONTHS. I literally cant remember the last time it happened. We went out in Saturday evening and the car was parked on the street for a few hours while we were at dinner. When we came back, the mother of all bird droppings was on the drivers door, windows and door handle.

Seriously, nature? Nothing all winter, then within hours of cleaning, you **** on my car?

Words cannot express my rage :mad:
 
Raymond Lin said:
Halfords have 3 for 2 offer on again, if you are getting some supplies then may be worth looking in there and save some postage.

Clay bar remove more than tar, it removes surface grit that washing won't shift. The paint should be smooth like butter, clay bar is the best way to remove everything. I don't think clay bar the whole car is extreme, it would be everyweek but once a year is fine.
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OK Thanks, I will try the tar remover first to get the worst stuff off and then claying should be easier to remove the grit.

acemastr said:
Tar remover scares me, the rag always tends to end up the colour of the car
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That is a bit of a worry, I will test a bit in a door jamb first!


Conscript: I had a bird crap mark my paint slightly but I cleaned it with some white vinegar and it has vanished! I now keep Autoglym Bird Dropping Wipes in my car for emergencies and I am pretty sure they are just soaked in vinegar.
 
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Zymol shampoo smells great, lathers up well too but it does cost a bit! I've been using Astonish stuff for ages now, works well :)
 
Leather - specifically side bolster wear..... what would you guys suggest I can use to spruce up some slight scuffing, and also protect.

Cheers!!!!
 
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