*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***
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With the dust, I would suggest to carefully rinse it off as best you can before washing. A pre-wash foam would be ideal after the rinse. Don't use a pressure washer and don't use a detailing spray after only rinsing. Not all the deposits will be removed and you will be effectively rubbing around tiny sharp particles on the lacquer creating very fine swirls.
If you aren't so precious, stick to one bucket, a sponge and fairy liquid.
If you aren't so precious, stick to one bucket, a sponge and fairy liquid.
Soldato
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Fairy liquid? No m8.
Be careful. Use a spray wax and wipe with very small amount of pressure with a microfibre towel.
Be careful. Use a spray wax and wipe with very small amount of pressure with a microfibre towel.
Yes just detail spraying it will cause minor amounts of swirling/trailing. Continue this behaviour and it will develop into heavier swirling.
Soldato
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I SAID rinse it off as best you can. If he wants to wash the whole car then go ahead.
Any rogue contaminant on the bodywork, which on a black car in particular is air itself
Dust like the above can be annoying. Although it will only likely create the very fine light swirls that are easy to correct even with basic light cutting polishes on an orbital, it can quickly make a black/dark coloured car look a mess when removed incorrectly as it tends to produce lots of marks as opposed to less condensed more random marks from larger contaminants. It's lots of marks from small contaminants like the dust that can make a cars bodywork look dull and flat quite quickly. You will never see a car at an event or show or the like whereby its paint looks perfect with lots of these finer swirls - possibly if they have used a cheat heavy filler polish which won't last. You will however regularly see a car at an event or show whereby it's paint looks perfect, yet if you look a little closer, you will see some deeper less condensed swirls and the odd random mark in the lacquer. The latter detracts far less and is harder/more time consuming to correct (and in some cases ridiculously time consuming to correct properly as the polishes & pads needed to correct the marks are aggressive enough to leave their own set of lighter marks when in use which then need to be removed again by something less agressive).
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Underboss
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sand has peed me off to, especially when ive just spent 2 days cleaning it 
it was immaculate until that hit, what should I do to get it off ?
should I get the hose out and then microfiber drying towel it ?
it was immaculate until that hit, what should I do to get it off ?
should I get the hose out and then microfiber drying towel it ?
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sand has peed me off to, especially when ive just spent 2 days cleaning it
it was immaculate until that hit, what should I do to get it off ?
should I get the hose out and then microfiber drying towel it ?
In this heat (assuming you're in a sunny area like I am today!) then best wait until dusk or early morning tomorrow, else it will dry so quick you will leave some trail/swirl marks!
Anyhoo, sand marks sorted this morning, a job ell done. Also Gliptone cleaned and applied feed to my seats last night so it could work its way in through the night without the sun beating down on them.
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There's no point in just rinsing off the sand, you won't shift it without washing. And definitely don't just rinse it or use a detailing spray and then wipe it off, not unless you want your paintwork to resemble brushed aluminium 
The best way as said is a "proper" wash with bucket and wash mitt, and a decent dose of your preferred shampoo to get it nice and lathery and to lubricate the wash mitt as much as possible, then just glide it over the surface to remove the dust. If you keep on top of your waxing and whatnot, it won't be a chore. I've just done it for the second time in a week
No more rain forecast for at least a week though so that's something 
I find washing during the day in warmer weather often quite beneficial as it's easier to dry! I always use a detailing spray to get rid of watermarks and water trails anyway - looks crap if you don't, and you live in a hard water area.
The best way as said is a "proper" wash with bucket and wash mitt, and a decent dose of your preferred shampoo to get it nice and lathery and to lubricate the wash mitt as much as possible, then just glide it over the surface to remove the dust. If you keep on top of your waxing and whatnot, it won't be a chore. I've just done it for the second time in a week
No more rain forecast for at least a week though so that's something I find washing during the day in warmer weather often quite beneficial as it's easier to dry! I always use a detailing spray to get rid of watermarks and water trails anyway - looks crap if you don't, and you live in a hard water area.
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Underboss
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thanks Howard, will I need to re polish and wax as well ?
Nope. Gentle frequent washing is the best way to keep on top of things in general anyway.
As an aside, I can't believe how durable Collinite 476 is. Mine's still sheeting nicely after about 5.5 months. I'm sure the Dodo Juice I used to use on my old car was knackered in half that time.
Car has been neglected for the last few months, can't remember the last time I bothered cleaning it. But then I've hardly driven it either, so it wasn't exactly filthy. Covered in bird excrement and brake dust.
Before
After I used 2 bucket method, Megs paint cleaner, equivalent of Autoglym SRP (can't remember where I got it) Then a coat of Petes 53. Sealed the wheels up too.
Before
After I used 2 bucket method, Megs paint cleaner, equivalent of Autoglym SRP (can't remember where I got it) Then a coat of Petes 53. Sealed the wheels up too.
Soldato
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I have always maintained on this forum that 476s is the longest lasting wax I have ever used and as such have been using it for almost the entire time I have been driving
Down here it last me almost a solid 12 months.
I've got a coat of Autoglym HD wax at the moment and it is a couple of months since I applied it. Seems to be holding up for now but will have to give 476s a go next.
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