*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***
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that's what I would do, anyway 
Wouldn't a rinse suffice?
On a side note I bought two of the £1.99 B&M drying towels. Sure they probably won't dry 2 cars like £10 jobbies but I can dry the whole of my Impreza with one.
I still use the blue CYC one I bought years ago. I know lots of people like to buy massive towels and just drape them on the paintwork for minimal risk of marring, but I just use one towel, keep it clean, and gently go over the paintwork mopping up the water. Seems to work, don't think the car needs to be bone dry.
I worked up the effort to go outside again and dry the car after all. Neighbours must think I'm mad. And I guess it will rain again now.
Probably. But I prefer to use something with cleaning agents to properly ensure the contamination is off the of the paint. With a waxed car, point a hose at it and see how much dirt it removes, a little but not a lot. Lets not forget once you've clayed there is absolutely no protection left on the car so the water isn't going to have any further help to removing the contamination from the surface.
It's probably over the top, but I get an enjoyment out of it all
Plus, the time it takes me to wash a car, majority of it is getting stuff out and putting it away 
Probably. But I prefer to use something with cleaning agents to properly ensure the contamination is off the of the paint. With a waxed car, point a hose at it and see how much dirt it removes, a little but not a lot. Lets not forget once you've clayed there is absolutely no protection left on the car so the water isn't going to have any further help to removing the contamination from the surface.
It's probably over the top, but I get an enjoyment out of it all
Enjoyment I can't knock. However from my knowledge the contaminants should be stuck within the clay hence why only a rinse should be need to get any that fall out from the clay and rest on/within whatever's been used as a lubricant.
Ahhh yes, a clay BAR will, a clay MITT won't - I'm not chemically minded but the clay mitt isn't very porous meaning it can be re-used. This means the contaminants aren't stuck into it but more simply in the suds of the lube.
Either way I still like to do a second wash, out of good practice perhaps
Hi Chaps, thanks for the responses, I have had a look at it this afternoon, checked the fuse which tested out fine, so plugged it back in and it seems to have come back to life. Not sure what happened really, I used it to rinse down one of the cars yesterday and then came back to use it after I washed a section of it then nothing. Today it has behaved perfectly fine without issue. Strange.
Thanks for your suggestions though!
could have been a heat cutout.
Yip. Glad it's fixed. Your old work-horse lives on!
Any recommendations for a wax for black cars ?
It rained all week and the Turtle wax black box didn't last
Bilt Hamber Double Speed Wax is quite cheap and lasts well, looks good on black. It's worth putting a coat of some polish under it, Bilt Hamber Cleanser Polish makes for a good base on black, then top it with the Double Speed Wax.
yup that is a pretty decent wax.. but one note, THIN application is key or you'll be struggling to buff it off.
also poor boys http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wax/poorboys-black-wax/prod_1664.html
Cleaned up the headlights on my S2000 at the weekend and really chuffed with the outcome
Before:
After:
What did you use to clean them up? Mine need doing really badly.
Also I'm sick of swirl marks. Best course of action to remove them? I'm going to be clashing my car at some point, have the clay just not the time ATM, so this will remove all my contaminants and wax.
Guessing I'd go my regular clean (magifoam soak then two bucket and mitt) clay the whole car, polish with a DA to get rid of swirl marks then wax?
Last time I waxed I done it by hand but I'm tempted to pick up a DA as polishing by hand looks to be a right PITA.
So a decent Da recommendation and pads for both polishing and waxing as well as a decent polish? It's for a black car too so a decent polish for black would be nice.
www.cleanyourcar.co.uk have good deals on DAS6 starter kits which include everything you need for around ~£120 I think.
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