*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***

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Wash with soapy water. Obviously warm water, as soap doesn't work as smoothly in cold water.
 
AndyCr15 said:
Is there anything to know about washing large drying towels? Cold wash? Don't spin dry? Or wash like any other towel?

One has a tag, looks like 40oC no spin dry. Other, more fibrous doesn't.
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Microfibre based?

Non-bio liquid & a dash of white vinegar in the conditioner tray.
 
Can't wait for Car Pro Essence to be released -

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...sence-reviewed-6-months-testing-ocdetail.html

1 - What is CarPro Essence?

CarPro Essence is a semi-permanent sio2 extreme gloss enhancer, finishing polish, primer, and coat in one.

2 - Do I have to use Eraser between Essence and CQuartz?

No

3 - How long does CarPro Essence last?

We expect 1 year on its own BUT we recommend applying reload or CQuartz over top for the much better hydrophobics and dirt resistance. This will provide 115+ Degree contact angle instead of 90 deg contact angle (not so good) with Essence alone.

4 - So, I can use Essence with CQuartz?

Yes, any CQuartz coating and any of our CarPro Nano sealants like Reload it will work great.

5 - How does it work if you use it between the paint and CQuartz?

It bonds to the paint, the CQuartz bonds to it and merges.

6 - So, if this has Sio2 quartz protection inside it why are you guys telling me to top it with Reload or CQuartz?

Great question! The protection is there as we stated BUT the contact angle of the water beads and the dirt repellency is not on par with Reload or CQuartz.

7 - Is CarPro Essence super easy to use?

Yes, usually extremely easy! It is but there are always other variables. As always there can be a little learning curve on some paints. IF you run into a paint where it seems to stick a bit then you need to change your pad type and or your machine speed, arm speed, or pressure.

On very soft paints especially (because it sticks to soft paint easier) consider the following method:
Use a microfiber pad
Spread super fast on speed 1
Raise speed to about 3-4 depending on machine
Using minimal pressure (about a pound) use slow arm movement across the section and go only one single pass. DONE!

Finally for some paints, consider faster arm movement with half bites into the section, backing up, and then moving forward to avoid any sticking of product.

8 - What if I leave a spot that seems like the Essence stuck to it?

Simply apply a dot of Essence on the area, run over it with fast arm speed, and immediately wipe off the residue. It may simply wipe off with a suede and a dot of Essence as well.

9 - When should I wipe off the residue?

On some paints you could actually leave it there an hour or more and it is still super easy to wipe off. On soft or porous paints we recommend wiping off immediately after each section.

10 - What about my pads… Do I need to clean them after use to avoid them becoming “crispy” with Sio2?

Yes, clean your pads very well with APC after use. During use it doesn’t harden due to the repeated application of more Essence on the pad.

11 - What about my microfiber wiping towels?

Yes, wash your towels well or soak them after use if you can’t place them in the washer soon after.

12 - So what are the biggest benefits to using CarPro Essence?

There are a LOT of applications and benefits where Essence excels and evolves beyond anything previously available.
Gloss on another level
4-6 hours of time saved per vehicle for premium package details
Ease of finishing even the most difficult paints
Thickening of the coating (Essence builds a glossy and reflective quartz coat) which bonds with the paint and merges with CQuartz or Reload if we apply it after Essence.
PPF… We all know its not the best looking means of protection… so this was a really cool find… ppf and clear bras LOVE CarPro Essence!!! The clarity and gloss of ppf is VERY visibly enhanced when Essence is used on top.

13 - How much cut is in Essence? How large are the abrasives?

Essence uses the same abrasives from Reflect but less of them. However, due to the viscosity and balance of a number of other ingredients we do see an unexpected amount of cut on some paints (especially when paired with a Megs microfiber cutting pad)

14 - How does this work? Is this some kind of marketing nonsense?

No, thanks for your patience as we launched this! Answers to any questions will be answered in this thread. Feel free to post any others you have!


15 - Can I use CarPro Essence without compounding first?

That depends… Certainly you can and certainly it will produce excellent gloss. As for durability this would be theoretically ill-advised. On many paints it will also cut FAR more than you can imagine in concert with a Meguiars microfiber cutting pad. As far as how durable it will be and what your goal is you should compound first to remove oxidation.

In other words if the paint is not in good condition or is oxidized and you want to have long term protection then you SHOULD compound first.
As for the finish and deeper swirls… that is what test sections are for – when choosing if Essence provides the cut you desire.

16 - What about Essence topped with CarPro Hydro2? Or Hydrofoam?!

Yes, in this case I would advise that you wait until the vehicles next visit or anytime after 5 days to apply Hydro2 or wash with Hydrofoam. In my experience using Essence and then maintaining with CarPro Hydrofoam = Magic

17 - How long until it can get wet?

1 hour before you should allow release into water. BUT remember we are applying Reload or CQuartz over the top so if CQuartz is the choice for topping then CQuartz will still need its cure time to avoid water spots.

18 - If my car already is in good condition... recent decon, polishing, and now has wax on it can I simply use Essence? Or do I need to strip the existing protection first?

This I'm not sure... A little too many variables - with some wax, sealants, and the right pad and pad cleaning etc it would be fine BUT I wouldn't risk it. I would kill the wax off well with strong iron X Snow soap cleaning, then proceed. We may update this after we have enough field testing to prove otherwise.
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just bought an 11 year old volvo sofa barge

best product to restore the seats ?

not looking forward to giving it a clay and polish either. huge !:p
 
AndyCr15 said:
Is there anything to know about washing large drying towels? Cold wash? Don't spin dry? Or wash like any other towel?

One has a tag, looks like 40oC no spin dry. Other, more fibrous doesn't.
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FYI, I took a chance (being lazy) and slung them in the machine at 30oC. Seems to have worked very well. Air drying now.
 
I wash my microfibres on 60 degree wash with el cheapo liquid detergent then air dry. They come out nice and clean every time and always work well afterwards.
 
Milkybk said:
Buy some microfibre wash e.g. Chemical guys. 30 degree wash and then tumble dry, don't use a radiator. Never use a bio detergent and never use washing powder, always a liquid.
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Sounds like snake oil to me. Have washed mine with normal washing powder/liquid for years with no ill effect.
 
Extra faff for the sake of faff surely.

I just wash my cloths in the shower with a bar of soap. Clean myself, clean my MF cloths - 2 birds, 1 stone :cool:
 
I bought myself a DA the other day, from "clean your car" I was a bit reluctant to plunge into the world of DA and all the associated products and reading I would need to do but my swirls just got the better of me. So after much reading and watching of youtube videos I bought a basic "kit" for £110 ish. Finally built up the courage to try it out, started with the soft pad and the final finishing polish, lightest cut possible as my swirls are minor and im a scaredy cat. Results are good! 1 pass on my boot lid and swirls were halved, after the 2nd pass just about gone! amazing really. Takes a bit of practise to keep the pad flat but im sure i'll be pro level by the time I have done the whole car. Its a slow process, the whole car is going to take me some time!
 
Building Candy said:
I bought myself a DA the other day, from "clean your car" I was a bit reluctant to plunge into the world of DA and all the associated products and reading I would need to do but my swirls just got the better of me. So after much reading and watching of youtube videos I bought a basic "kit" for £110 ish. Finally built up the courage to try it out, started with the soft pad and the final finishing polish, lightest cut possible as my swirls are minor and im a scaredy cat. Results are good! 1 pass on my boot lid and swirls were halved, after the 2nd pass just about gone! amazing really. Takes a bit of practise to keep the pad flat but im sure i'll be pro level by the time I have done the whole car. Its a slow process, the whole car is going to take me some time!
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What pads & polish are you using? What's the car?

As long as you don't mash the backing plate in the car or similar, a DA is relatively safe. Have to do something fairly spectacular to screw it up.
 
Amos91 said:
What pads & polish are you using? What's the car?

As long as you don't mash the backing plate in the car or similar, a DA is relatively safe. Have to do something fairly spectacular to screw it up.
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I know but the first time I fired it up I thought "hmm, is this a good idea"

Using a hexlogic finishing pad with menzerna 4500, renamed to 3800 recently I think. Using it on my Skyline, paint must be quite soft as it takes the light swirls out nicely. Im sure i'll need a bit more cut when I have a go at my missus Aygo, my god that thing is a state.
 
Japanese clear coat is notoriously soft so the finishing pad and polish will probably do for the majority of both cars!

I do like the Menz & Hexlogic combo too, although as you have experienced, Menz range can be confusing as I swear they always change the names!
 
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Whats a good car wash/Polish kit for a white car?

My mum got a ford b_max and I was going to get her (and wash) her new car for Christmas.

Similarly, is it worth doing anything for a silver car? I was just going to use a standard wash, Polish doesn't seem to come out much on a silver motor?
 
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