*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***

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You mean like... RainX? :p

Although IMO you're just wasting your money. But it's your money.... And what do I know :D
 
mrk said:
You mean like... RainX? :p

Although IMO you're just wasting your money. But it's your money.... And what do I know :D
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Well yes but I've heard there is better available, hence the question. If there's nothing worth getting on the high street I won't bother :p
 
[TW]Fox;29377448 said:
I never seem to have an issue with wheels - brake dust always just wipes off with a sponge no problem?
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Depends on a few factors such as what brake pads you have and how hard you drive the car. From my experience some of the higher performing aftermarket brake pads tend to bake onto the wheels really badly particularly if you drive the car hard and everything is running hotter more frequently.

I find that I have to do my wheels with fallout remover at least once a month to keep them looking right.
 
Kenai said:
What's the best rainx type glass product that I'm likely to be able to pick up at Halfords tomorrow? I'm looking for the water repelling qualities really.
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RainX glass cleaner. Not quite as effective as the little bottle, but loads easier to apply, much less eventual smearing and also cleans the glass :)

shauncr91 said:
Depends on a few factors such as what brake pads you have and how hard you drive the car. From my experience some of the higher performing aftermarket brake pads tend to bake onto the wheels really badly particularly if you drive the car hard and everything is running hotter more frequently.
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You just need a better sealant if this is the case...or wash them more often. I have never found it difficult to remove brake dust after even the hardest of drives.
 
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Howard said:
Same. Never use anything other than a sponge, a little soft brush for the little nooks, and soapy water. Wheels are literally spotless every time.

I do wash my wheels (and car) regularly though. I guess if you leave it months between wheel washes then you'll have a sod of a time removing all the grime but IMHO if you wash your car often (like I'm sure most people in this thread do), you shouldn't need anything other than whatever regular washing product you use for cleaning wheels.
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It also depends what is in your calipers and how many miles you do. I have two cars with white wheels and they need a good T-Cut twice a year to remove all the rubbish on them. Silver most likely hides this better.
 
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It's first clean for goodness knows how long, possibly over a year!

HigXxcR.jpg


Doesn't look bad for a 15 year old Golf I don't think, though it could really do with a proper machine polish if you look at it up close.
 
Hi guys, first post in here - I didn't realise we had a detailing thread! I'm looking for some windscreen cleaning tips (inside and out) as I'm constantly plagued with smearing which causes glare in direct sunlight. I've tried Invisible Glass and Autoglym FastGlass but can't seem to get a decent clear finish with either (although Invisible Glass was definitely better). I've been spraying on and then buffing off with a microfiber cloth. Any recommendations welcome.
 
Fast Glass is good. You don't want to use too much - 2 or 3 sprays per 'half' of the windscreen, then wipe thoroughly with a MF, then turn the MF over to the dry side and buff it thoroughly again. Then do the other half. That should stop it streaking.
 
The inside or outside? Both as easy as pie.

Wipe clean with a damp mf first, then spray on some glass cleaner (nothing special necessary) then wipe off with a glass cleaning cloth. A standard microfiber will leave streaks most of the time that you will see in sunlight.

There's no point complicating glass cleaning with extra products at expense.
 
When I washed my cars at the weekend, I just gave them a quick wipe with the MF cloth I had already used for buffing my wax - didn't require any buffing, just a quick wipe and they were streak free and super shiny.
 
Howard said:
And yet you suggest a special cloth? :D

I don't find an mf leaves any streaks if you buff thoroughly.
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Most MF cloths will leave fine streaks visible in front of sunlight in my experience. A glass cleaning cloth designed to not leave any doesn't cost any more than a normal one. In fact the £1 shops sell a 3 pack consisting of an mf, glass cloth and polishing cloth for £1.

You know how picky I am with little details.
 
mrk said:
Most MF cloths will leave fine streaks visible in front of sunlight in my experience. A glass cleaning cloth designed to not leave any doesn't cost any more than a normal one. In fact the £1 shops sell a 3 pack consisting of an mf, glass cloth and polishing cloth for £1.

You know how picky I am with little details.
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You and I are pickier than most :p I've just not noticed any issues using mf cloths that's all lol. I think the worst thing to do is use too much product and not buff it enough.
 
Well an afternoon well spent cleaning both cars. The Mazda was new last week and was treated with Gen-3 glass coat so didn't need anything other than a shampoo and a quick buff with a detailer wax spray. The Fiesta was the first time I've clayed a car (well used the G3 Mitt) - and then I've used G3 super gloss paste wax which I think has come up really good. It was covered in scratches as well and I've used the G3 scratch removal stuff on it - amazing stuff for little effort.

Untitled by grahamjenks, on Flickr

Untitled by grahamjenks, on Flickr

Untitled by grahamjenks, on Flickr
 
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mrk said:
Most MF cloths will leave fine streaks visible in front of sunlight in my experience. A glass cleaning cloth designed to not leave any doesn't cost any more than a normal one. In fact the £1 shops sell a 3 pack consisting of an mf, glass cloth and polishing cloth for £1.

You know how picky I am with little details.
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I'm yet to find a MF cloth the leaves a better finish on glass than a decent paper towel :)
 
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