*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***

[Dis86]

Let's assume 4 washes per year at £7.00 plus fuel to drive there, say £32.00 a year.

My car shampoo (maguiars gold class 500ml) has lasted me 3 years. Cost - £6.00
Washmitt, well I've gone through 2 of those in 3 years (but I got it on sale as buy 1 get 1 free!) - £15.00
Buckets - 3 x £1.00

So the things required there for a basic wash we're looking at about £12.00 for a year.

As for space - they all fit within the bucket!

Now you can get more fancy and start adding wheel brushes in for your alloys, add another £10.00 for that but again they'll last. Chuck in grit guards (not needed but some people swear by them) and that's another £10. Towels £5.00 each.

That gives you the equipment to last you multiple years for the cost of a years worth of washing - and you can wash more frequently should you desire without any real added cost (other than more shampoo!). It'll also mean that you're in control of the washing, can do it when you need/want to and don't have to sit in a queue at the car wash. Don't have to have some guy use a rag that has been dropped on the floor only god knows how many times aaaaand don't use a drying blade (they're the devil).

 

[Blackhawk47]

If it is sat outside doing nothing for long lengths of time. Then a car cover might be worth it if you really want to keep it clean and if its not used daily it won't be too inconvenient.

Leaving the car outside, even if it is sat still then it will collect all sorts of dust/dirt. Sometimes I think it collects more dust parked for days on end then if you drive the car on a daily basis.

 

[roman59]

Whatever you decide to do don't do what my next door neighbour does, he cleans his car with wetwipes and it takes him forever

Cheers all

 

[Telecaster]

I live on the second floor with minimal/no spare storage space, buying car washing stuff for occasional use doesn't seem to make much sense for me.

What I'm after is the middle ground between OCD levels of detailing and washing it with a dirty pair of socks.

 

[dacads]

Whatever you decide to do don't do what my next door neighbour does, he cleans his car with wetwipes and it takes him forever

Cheers all

Is your neighbour for real?

Please ask him next time

 

[roman59]

Is your neighbour for real?

Please ask him next time

Totally clueless with no common sense at all to be honest with you

When I saw him using the wet wipe method for the cleaning his car I could not believe it, he used to use washing up liquid on his previous car as well.

His wife took the mick out of my wash mitt when I was cleaning my car last weekend, and my reply was "right tool for the job".

Clayed my windscreen this afternoon, good job they didn't spot me doing that hate to think what stupid comment I would have got for doing that.

They are the type that hang over the fence when you are trying to do something and want to talk etc.

Cheers all

 

[dacads]

His wife took the mick out of my wash mitt when I was cleaning my car last weekend, and my reply was "right tool for the job".

Clayed my windscreen this afternoon, good job they didn't spot me doing that hate to think what stupid comment I would have got for doing that.

They are the type that hang over the fence when you are trying to do something and want to talk etc.

Cheers all

Ha , There's a pun in there somewhere?

Nothing wrong with talking if they are willing to listen

 

[thezappa]

Ok, so I gave the old girl a once over at the self service pressure wash place and its still pretty filthy. It's mostly on the front bumper but other bits around door seals and the like. For proper ingrained stuff is the advice just to go at it with a pressure wash & snow foam application, mitt and regular shampoo, clay and seal? (i don't own any of this stuff just eyeing up purchases).
Any recommendations for something to get the ingrained stuff off or will snow foam, mitt etc be sufficient?

 

[Dis86]

Ok, so I gave the old girl a once over at the self service pressure wash place and its still pretty filthy. It's mostly on the front bumper but other bits around door seals and the like. For proper ingrained stuff is the advice just to go at it with a pressure wash & snow foam application, mitt and regular shampoo, clay and seal? (i don't own any of this stuff just eyeing up purchases).
Any recommendations for something to get the ingrained stuff off or will snow foam, mitt etc be sufficient?

Snow foam won't touch anything that's stuck on like that. Quite often even a mitt won't touch it unless it has a slightly firmer side. Clay however will.

You might just need some bug/tar remover however.

 

[thezappa]

Snow foam won't touch anything that's stuck on like that. Quite often even a mitt won't touch it unless it has a slightly firmer side. Clay however will.

You might just need some bug/tar remover however.

Yup, tar remove is on the list, thanks. Ideas/suggestions on products?
Considering a regular Bilt Hamber bar, hoping that will do it. Any danger in going for a harder compound?

 

[Dis86]

Yup, tar remove is on the list, thanks. Ideas/suggestions on products?
Considering a regular Bilt Hamber bar, hoping that will do it. Any danger in going for a harder compound?

I use the BH bar and find it excellent. The farcla mitt also served me well. As for tar remover I use the autoglym stuff and never had a problem. Have a white car too so it needs help from time to time!

 

[Havana_UK]

Personally I would go for the softer BH clay bar. I find the regular hard to work and it's quite aggressive

 

[robj20]

Any one tried Bouncers Bead Juice. Want something that you just spray on and jetwash off to add some extra on top of wax and sealants.

 

[wigster]

I use to have all the car cleaning stuff but since i moved into a flat last year i have been taking it to Tesco car wash I use to use Poorboys shampoo with a wookie's fist.

 

[Dis86]

Personally I would go for the softer BH clay bar. I find the regular hard to work and it's quite aggressive

You see I thought that as you're right, it starts off stiff as anything but working it softens it up nicely.

 

[Havana_UK]

You see I thought that as you're right, it starts off stiff as anything but working it softens it up nicely.

It does, but it isn't half hard to soften it up IMO. It also managed to remove the small stone chip touch-ups in my paint work that I'd previously not noticed!

 

[Dis86]

It does, but it isn't half hard to soften it up IMO. It also managed to remove the small stone chip touch-ups in my paint work that I'd previously not noticed!

Lol same issue here too! Haha. I may give the softer one a try.

 

[timmeh]

I spent about an hour washing my car on Sunday evening. The car was out of the garage yesterday for less than 2hrs and a bird has taken a huge **** on it. :| Typical.

Walmart have started stocking some Chemical Guys stuff so I got their Citrus wash. I used it in my foam cannon on both of our cars and then used it in the bucket on my wife's. It comes out of the foam cannon like wallpaper paste, it's beautiful. The bucket results were slightly underwhelming, Megs Ultimate Wash and Wax is better for that IMO, and cheaper.

Wife's car is covered in tar. I've never seen so much tar on a car before, it'll be getting a clay when I can be bothered (the garage isn't too nice when it's 35c outside )

 

[Noakesy85]

I currently have 7 items in my basket over a CYC... total of £92... whoever thought that basic car cleaning kit can get so expensive

 

[Temujin]

I spent about an hour washing my car on Sunday evening. The car was out of the garage yesterday for less than 2hrs and a bird has taken a huge **** on it. :| Typical.

This happens almost every night without fail, if it isn't a full crap it's spattering from the filthy gets. For some reason the pigeons love to fly between our house and the ones opposite so mine and the partners cars are generally crap free for less than 5-10 hours after a fresh wash. Rather demoralising but still i detail it when/where i can!