Status
Not open for further replies.
Associate
Joined
8 Jun 2008
Posts
650
Location
Stoke-On-Trent
Purchased some more "Sam's Detailing" drying towels. Not a bad towel from experience but great value today I thought @ £1.50 (unsure if a pricing error).

Quick wash tomorrow is desperately needed.
 
Soldato
Joined
11 Oct 2011
Posts
3,334
Location
UK
Purchased some more "Sam's Detailing" drying towels. Not a bad towel from experience but great value today I thought @ £1.50 (unsure if a pricing error).

Quick wash tomorrow is desperately needed.

Seems a bargain even if it is an average towel (not saying it is or isn't, I don't know)

Got a link please?
 
Soldato
Joined
12 Jul 2007
Posts
16,316
Location
South East
This weather is just not helpful for car cleaning in general. I've not washed mine since the week before Christmas, but that was a proper clay/polish/wax session so hopefully when I do get around to cleaning it again and it's not raining or below freezing, it'll be a relatively easy job.



Figured I'd give this hydrophobic version of Meg's QD a try, seems decent. Smells nice too.

http://robbiekhan.co.uk/root/temp/rps20170114_151444_379.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

This stuff is good for cleaning / producing a shine but in my experience it's quite brutal towards existing waxes. I'm not really a fan of the 'latest breed' of QDs that offer wonderful beading and whatnot - it's usually extremely temporary, and I'd rather use something which is easy to apply and just does the job of cleaning off water marks and such whilst complimenting and protecting the existing paint protection instead of compromising it.
 
Soldato
Joined
29 Jul 2013
Posts
8,565
Hi Guys,

I need to buy some more spray bottles, but not sure whether to order with a foaming trigger or normal trigger. I think I'll order through autobrite as I've managed to lose my foam lance bottle so I'll be ordering one of those any way. I think foaming might be quite useful for things like jaffa orange and G101. Thoughts?
 
Soldato
Joined
29 Jul 2013
Posts
8,565
I've been using another bottle I had but the thread seems to be getting chewed up and leaking ever so slightly, hence why I was after the original. Perhaps it's me being too heavy handed!
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Nov 2004
Posts
7,879
Location
UK
I've been using another bottle I had but the thread seems to be getting chewed up and leaking ever so slightly, hence why I was after the original. Perhaps it's me being too heavy handed!

Possibly, although they do tend to be a bit brittle, guess it is the abuse they get [well mine do anyway] Cleanyourcar usually have some good deals on them.

Cleaned mine yesterday, covering 400 miles a week in it makes it a bit of a pointless exercise but , I hate a dirty car!

 
Soldato
Joined
21 Aug 2006
Posts
7,507
It's been so long since I washed my cars they have built up a protective layer of dirt... :rolleyes: Got a day off in a couple of weeks so I'll do them both then. I need to do full decon, strip and wax on the X3 - not looking forward to waxing all that bodywork by hand but it certainly makes cleaning it next time easier.
 

mrk

mrk

Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
99,995
Location
South Coast
This weather is just not helpful for car cleaning in general. I've not washed mine since the week before Christmas, but that was a proper clay/polish/wax session so hopefully when I do get around to cleaning it again and it's not raining or below freezing, it'll be a relatively easy job.





This stuff is good for cleaning / producing a shine but in my experience it's quite brutal towards existing waxes. I'm not really a fan of the 'latest breed' of QDs that offer wonderful beading and whatnot - it's usually extremely temporary, and I'd rather use something which is easy to apply and just does the job of cleaning off water marks and such whilst complimenting and protecting the existing paint protection instead of compromising it.

It was more a case of it being cheap (free) than anything else at Halfords :p Normally QD is just to help the drying process (remove water marks).

I have ceramic protection for everything else, so that's all fine. Any hydrophobic properties of the QD will just sit on top of the paint protection.
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Aug 2013
Posts
6,597
Location
Shropshire
I haven't cleaned mine for ages - Had it detailed middle of last year and every time I clean it it looks just like it's come out of detailers so I won't risk scratching paint till roads get cleaner.

Shropshire is tractor heaven - they seem to come out of every gateway :rolleyes:
 
Soldato
Joined
30 Dec 2004
Posts
3,301
Location
London
Righto guys!

So, today was mild and the car was disgraceful, utterly disgraceful. So thought to take some snaps while cleaning.

Anyway, this is my day to day method of cleaning now, it requires minimal time and effort, yet brings the car up to a very good level. I'm sure some will be horrified, others may think to try it. Over the years I've tried all the "popular" techniques and frankly, this is the one I have settled on.

Also discussed...

Does snow foam actually work?

Snow foam dwell time

Using fallout removers

Cloths vs sponges

Warning, very pic heavy

Before pictures, disgraceful but its been too cold or too wet to have a proper clean in a while...


15724669_10207962742813928_8917068846556286848_o.jpg


15774872_10207962742733926_319352433373710019_o.jpg


15732088_10207962744493970_2492176902933574298_o.jpg


15676003_10207962748614073_211787424946879857_o.jpg


15774874_10207962746254014_4428458310259650372_o.jpg


15676337_10207962747654049_3314798940096558193_o.jpg


15774765_10207962747934056_6435399047080441115_o.jpg


15732477_10207962745573997_4260179918889448952_o.jpg


15776661_10207962744013958_9031714715399547779_o.jpg


15731810_10207962754094210_2880799175530574751_o.jpg




So first up, foaming the car.

I use Autobrites Magifoam and foam lance, and have a handy jug which results in 250ml (to the bottom of the label on the foam bottle which is then diluted with warm water.

15675687_10207962754454219_8192623762639040217_o.jpg


15732365_10207962746414018_14057178812030929_o.jpg


15774849_10207962744733976_6269856570606878998_o.jpg


15731919_10207962750854129_3376645980879954422_o.jpg



Some people say I use too much but really, this amount equals about £1 a wash, so not going to lose sleep over it.

I then use the lance on the lowest setting (the setting on the lance relates to how much dilution is occurring, so lowest setting = thickest foam) which provides enough to foam the entire car and the wheel arches.


15723310_10207962756294265_3013882788280462906_o.jpg


15676305_10207962756494270_4402891493224542152_o.jpg


15732203_10207962756654274_6147756488823124085_o.jpg


15776942_10207962756934281_501125146703384011_o.jpg


15731757_10207962743293940_1823972660117408163_o.jpg


15675939_10207962743413943_4314290180715205921_o.jpg


15676445_10207962743573947_915553979605335032_o.jpg


15731871_10207962759934356_4322672418480727049_o.jpg


15732203_10207962744053959_3126424328879772376_o.jpg



Dwell times for snow foams are a hot topic, some say 5 minutes, others 10. My logic is simple, as long as it is safe to do so, the longer the better as the longer you leave water and surfactants to penetrate into the dirt and get to work the better it will be.

As an example I have some bilt hamber auto foam, this has a very low recommended dwell time, and yes while it will remove the glossy traffic film you get, in terms of shifting dirt in quantity, it simply doesn't work.

Anyway to prove this, after 5 minutes of dwell on the front plate I gently washed off the foam and went to have a cuppa.

15776968_10207962754734226_645778610580788633_o.jpg


15723655_10207962749294090_4049157702142810600_o.jpg



After 30 minutes returned to find the car looking like so:

15675991_10207962761894405_47762220799438192_o.jpg


15776971_10207962752334166_5977657281553121199_o.jpg


15732040_10207962753254189_2958733636071204314_o.jpg


15775105_10207962758774327_6510364033434383612_o.jpg



So a hot question is do foams provide enough benefit to warrant the use and cost. I think these pictures sum up that if left to do the job, yes they do. While you can only just about make out the color difference in the pictures, in person its quite obvious the foam has pulled off a good chunk of the dirt off the car.


15675726_10207962744893980_2258995332467921475_o.jpg


15723597_10207962742933931_3919282321922843830_o.jpg


15732532_10207962745453994_1281365107883997534_o.jpg


15675744_10207962748014058_1200558513756783944_o.jpg




A power hose off leaves the car looking like so, which, is passable as an acceptably clean car, and if I do need to do a "top up" clean for whatever reason I would leave it at that.


15731765_10207962759214338_7610877968885543479_o.jpg


15675987_10207962753734201_7366150701257324471_o.jpg


15675634_10207962748374067_3483585424258811215_o.jpg


15676111_10207962760214363_3590823221201280204_o.jpg



How about the 5 vs 30 minute times on the foam? Well heres the plate, I think its pretty obvious the extra dwell time has had a positive effect:


15675933_10207962754534221_1562350444064644238_o.jpg


15723454_10207962748774077_7225675752428659374_o.jpg


15777076_10207962748974082_6889409052903953675_o.jpg


15776902_10207962760414368_3370507841923717717_o.jpg


15774832_10207962749174087_3921529774411056317_o.jpg


15774992_10207962760814378_5884418698117692701_o.jpg


15776750_10207962757134286_6568522555110534787_o.jpg


15590837_10207962761534396_3982877687018715665_o.jpg


15776866_10207962755094235_1850411254502745606_o.jpg



Onto the wheels.

At this point the wheels have had the same treatment as the rest of the car, some snow foam and a power wash off. The reason for this is simple, if you use any color changing wheel cleaner you don't want to be putting it directly on dirty wheels. All reactive cleaners which turn to this dark red color use a chemical called thioglycolic acid, and it works by reacting with the iron to dissolve or shrink the particles stuck in your paint/alloys so they become lose enough to be removed. The dark red you see is the compound left called ferric thioglycolate which is the deep red you see.

So why don't you want to spray it onto the dirty wheels? Well the thioglycolic acid is only in the cleaner in limited quantities, so if you spray it directly onto dirty wheel it will react with all the iron in the easy to remove dirt, simply wasting it. So you want to get the majority of that easy to remove dirt out the way first, a simple power wash or snow foam will do the job.

Once you have the worst of it off, spray it on liberally. I use a paint sprayer as it lets me get in easily.

15776793_10207962754894230_565073369321709939_o.jpg


15732429_10207962757894305_3753134107693233557_o.jpg


15676408_10207962762014408_8001615151829130492_o.jpg


15723673_10207962764174462_2276023102440138090_o.jpg


15675744_10207962752974182_1591880317791666854_o.jpg


15731832_10207962746894030_3607318531616834231_o.jpg


15675693_10207962762254414_8041883211293022505_o.jpg


15732541_10207962747294040_6512810459768041663_o.jpg



After spraying that on, I go make my bucket up.

Use simple autoglym shampoo and conditioner. Fill half a bucket with microfibres and then add the shampoo and warm water.


15732251_10207962755774252_6815090768869566813_o.jpg


15675726_10207962763054434_3269227415832224867_o.jpg



Come back and pressure wash the wheels off. Nice and clean!

15675791_10207962765094485_263754362391540032_o.jpg


15723396_10207962765814503_1516504274914862586_o.jpg



So at this point, people ask "don't you use a sponge?" well no. I have found this method to be much kinder of the paint and doesn't require constant 2 bucket dipping and generally quicker. Simply grab a microfibre fold it in half, wash a panel, flip it over, wash another panel and discard.

Eventually you'll have a clean car and a tub of dirty cloths to wash!

The advantages being you can clean under the sills, and do the wheels as you'll chuck them in the washing machine and they'll be completely clean and safe to use again.

15676348_10207962775214738_1321874205153372974_o.jpg



At this point, the car was given a power wash off and the result being nice and clean:

15676101_10207962766414518_1632869335223297035_o.jpg


15585251_10207962772854679_952286192456872809_o.jpg


15731816_10207962773294690_3407298802880397696_o.jpg


15676099_10207962771134636_167665072088337929_o.jpg


15732536_10207962766734526_2541555829447374522_o.jpg



Due to all the time snapping photos it was starting to get cold, so go for a quick drive to clean off the oxidation off the brake disks. Check out the steam pouring out!

15724911_10207962761054384_7842485658716913200_o.jpg


15777073_10207962761214388_1336957858699313497_o.jpg


15777081_10207962775454744_6675968884754302539_o.jpg



At this point it was too dark to carry on with the dressings and finishings, but they can wait until tomorrow. Likewise it was so cold at this point condensation was forming on the car faster than I could wipe it off, so called it a day.

On a normal day this would take me ~45 minutes. With 30 minutes of that having a cuppa. So exactly what I like, quick, easy and with good results :)


But as a before and after:

before:

15724669_10207962742813928_8917068846556286848_o.jpg


after:

15775082_10207962775774752_7804180804956376798_o.jpg

Thanks for this!

Just wanted to know, how can I full decontaminate the car and 'start from scratch' so to speak?

I'd like to remove all wax etc and then clay and re-wax.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom