*** The Car Cleaning Thread ***

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ShiWarrior said:
its been said to not use water as a clay lube
www.torquedetail.com

Clay Bar Lube: Everything You’ve Wanted To Know & More

One of the critical steps to a high-quality detailing procedure is surface decontamination. That’s the process of removing embedded dirt, chemical residue, mineral deposits, and other foreign elements from the paint of your vehicle. Many owners think that washing their car with soap and a...
www.torquedetail.com www.torquedetail.com
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Again it's like the audiophile world - everyone has a different opinion; the article you linked says not to use plain water (which Bilt Hamber say is fine), but that car soap is fine - however from the Chemical Guys Clay Block link it says not to use car soap :D

CAN YOU USE SOAP AS A LUBRICANT?
No! Lubricants are formulated to work with the clay bar and will not impact the integrity and cleaning ability of a clay bar. Shampoos and car wash soaps may damage the clay bar leading to deterioration, which in turn will limit its cleaning ability and shorten its lifespan. Specially formulated clay lubricants are formulated with uniquely engineered surface lubricants to allow for superior gliding of the clay bar and provide a slippery protective layer that clay bars can safely glide across.
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Armageus said:
Again it's like the audiophile world - everyone has a different opinion; the article you linked says not to use plain water (which Bilt Hamber say is fine), but that car soap is fine - however from the Chemical Guys Clay Block link it says not to use car soap :D
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You also have to remember that they actually want to sell you another product, wheel soap comes to mind. I think the car detailing world can be easily sucked in with marketing tactics.
 
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When using a clay bar I have always used a dedicated lube, in the past I have used plain water and a WQ but prefer a dedicated lube. Specially after watching this video comparing which method is best.

best.
 
photoshop said:
Manalive....I came here for advice and now I'm more confused :D
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Bilt Hamber Touchless (pre wash) , warning its a hi PH so will strip ceramic coatings

Bilt Hamber Autowash (Main wash)

Autoglm Super Resing Polish (Polish)

Fusco Soft 99 (Wax) 12 month protection

Bilt Hamber Clay bar or Chemical Guys Clay Bok (Decon) and id recommend "Clay lube" as its a careful stage
 
The thing is if you ask 10 different people you’ll get 10 different answers.

Pre wash I’m using Autobrite Magifoam.

Shampoo my favourite is Chemical Guy’s Citrus Wash & Gloss.

Don’t tend to really use “polish” although I do use a bit of Poorboy’s White Diamond Glaze.

And for Wax I bought a tin of Collinite 476s back in 2014 and still have over half a tin left. I’ve yet to find the need to use something else. That being said I have shelves of different products for different purposes, far more than I need or will likely actually use.
 
@Mekrel
How are you getting on with your greenworks portable pressure washer ?

reason i ask,


Sold my worx hydroshot (i never used it really)

I have a hand pump foamer and a battery foamer/Sprayer

I really want to make sure i do a good routine

the hand foamer is good, quite "cingly" but i cant be bothered pumping it a million times for 1 car

so i was thinking about getting the new Worx Nitro but its 56bar which is just under what you need really

don't want anything too big as as the moment it needs to store in my bedroom

Looked at a markita as that's 80 bar but 50L storage tank its far too big

Greenworks may work
 
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ShiWarrior said:
Bilt Hamber Touchless (pre wash) , warning its a hi PH so will strip ceramic coatings
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It won’t. It’s non caustic.

PH alone doesn’t determine if a wash product can strip your coating :-)



Bear in mind Bilt Hamber also sell many waxes and coatings - given how good their products are, I’m 100% confident they do appropriate testing with them to ensure they don’t cause degradation with sealants/coatings.
 
Hey, some questions/recommendations please!

- When hoovering some of my cars carpets, bits of grit/dirt get stuck under the pile and the hoover doesn't get them (I normally try brush attachment and the straight nozzle). Is there another way to get these stubborn bits? Have seen some sort of a bush attachment on a drill in a video in the past, is this what I need? If so can you link me to a recommended one please?

- Need a recommendation for interior plastics cleaner please... My previous ones left plastics a bit tacky and over glossy which I didn't like...

- Thinking of getting a carpet/upholstery cleaner machine to do the cars and maybe the house.... Is there a particular one that's good for this or that detailers use? Am I better off getting a separate one for the car interior carpets/seats to inside the house?

- Need a recommendation for some good wheel cleaners that wont damage paint on wheels. Recently got some refurbished wheels and want to try and look after the pain on them. Suspect my previous Meguiars Hot Wheels was a bit too strong/acidic and affected the paint... ?

- Need a recommendation for a Nilfisk short hand attachment for rinsing the car off.. Currently use the long/standard lance(?) for hosting off, but a shorter gun like would probably be better

Thanks!
 
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Matt-Page said:
Hey, some questions/recommendations please!

- When hoovering some of my cars carpets, bits of grit/dirt get stuck under the pile and the hoover doesn't get them (I normally try brush attachment and the straight nozzle). Is there another way to get these stubborn bits? Have seen some sort of a bush attachment on a drill in a video in the past, is this what I need? If so can you link me to a recommended one please?

- Need a recommendation for interior plastics cleaner please... My previous ones left plastics a bit tacky and over glossy which I didn't like...

- Thinking of getting a carpet/upholstery cleaner machine to do the cars and maybe the house.... Is there a particular one that's good for this or that detailers use? Am I better off getting a separate one for the car interior carpets/seats to inside the house?

- Need a recommendation for some good wheel cleaners that wont damage paint on wheels. Recently got some refurbished wheels and want to try and look after the pain on them. Suspect my previous Meguiars Hot Wheels was a bit too strong/acidic and affected the paint... ?

- Need a recommendation for a Nilfisk short hand attachment for rinsing the car off.. Currently use the long/standard lance(?) for hosting off, but a shorter gun like would probably be better

Thanks!
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Couple of years ago I bought a Vax - Spotwash which has served me well, easy to use and easy to clean, what stood out to me is the self cleaning hose function compared to the rest.

Honestly, not sure if there is something better specifically for car interior jobs but this does the job for me and was fairly inexpensive.

It would be nice to have a longer hose (Not that it is specifically too short) but in some scenario’s I did need to lift the machine directly into the car.

It’s mind blowing how much dirt can be drawn out of fabrics which to the eye look relatively clean.

Below is what I managed to achieve with my car mats which before were light, brown and dirty even after a good vacuum the dark black colour was not restored until extracting the embedded dirt (Apologies for no before pictures)

Once I ran out of the Vax Solution I picked up some cheap Carpet101 from The Range etc or use Auto Finesse Verso which is far more economical than most manufactures overpriced cleaning liquids.




Stubby Gun - Direct Hoses (I was previously recommended on here) Stock a Short Trigger Gun with fittings for most familiar brands of pressure washes.

It felt reasonable quality, I nipped down yesterday for a hose and noticed it on display.

www.directhoses.net

Nilfisk 'C' 'D' & 'E' series Quick fit Short Trigger with Quick fit No

Nilfisk 'C' , 'D' & 'E' series Quick fit Gun & Quick fit nozzles. 4000 psi Industrial grade trigger gun with brass valve supplied with 1 x 15 degree Yellow Nozzle 1 x 25 degree Green Nozzle 1 x 40 degree White Nozzle PLUS FREE VARIO NOZZLE WORTH £9.99 Also in the kit a snow foam lance...
www.directhoses.net
 
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dLockers said:
My only guidance...............anal car washing isn't about buying a tonne of gear.
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Completely again, look at the amount different products available for cleaning wheels and tyres. All you need is a good APC, bucket of water with chosen shampoo and a couple brushes. More than even get they clean.

One of the guys I worked with was getting through a bottle of auto wheel really quick and was moaning about how expensive it was. When I explained how I clean them and I only give the wheels a misting of auto wheel. He changed his method and saved himself a few quid.
 
inflames said:
Completely again, look at the amount different products available for cleaning wheels and tyres. All you need is a good APC, bucket of water with chosen shampoo and a couple brushes. More than even get they clean.

One of the guys I worked with was getting through a bottle of auto wheel really quick and was moaning about how expensive it was. When I explained how I clean them and I only give the wheels a misting of auto wheel. He changed his method and saved himself a few quid.
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Agreed it can get out of hand, I tend to but a fair amount of products as car cleanings a small hobby for me.

But recently have tried to stick to one brand and usually by in 5L form and since most of the products I choose are dilatable they turn out to be fairly economical to use.

In terms of Wheel Cleaning - I don’t often use a iron fall out remover based cleaner as for general maintenance it’s just not necessary.

I have since realised that for maximum effectiveness I tend to clean the wheel normally first and apply on a clean wheel which I’ve found penetrates iron particulars much more effectively and reduces the amount of product needed.
 
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ShiWarrior said:
@Mekrel
How are you getting on with your greenworks portable pressure washer ?

reason i ask,


Sold my worx hydroshot (i never used it really)

I have a hand pump foamer and a battery foamer/Sprayer

I really want to make sure i do a good routine

the hand foamer is good, quite "cingly" but i cant be bothered pumping it a million times for 1 car

so i was thinking about getting the new Worx Nitro but its 56bar which is just under what you need really

don't want anything too big as as the moment it needs to store in my bedroom

Looked at a markita as that's 80 bar but 50L storage tank its far too big

Greenworks may work
Click to expand...

The initial one I bought was second hand, and it ended up kind of breaking where it would run the pump every few seconds when not in use to almost prime itself. When I first bought it, I would do this, but only every few minutes. Since buying a brand new one, the machine doesn't try and prime itself except from first setup so I can only assume the initial second hand one was on its way out anyway.

It's a chunky unit though, you can place the green base unit into the black bucket but it requires unscrewing the M22 hose to do so. The hose is very hard to screw onto the output though, and it's a complaint I've read about these where people have ruined the threads on the output because of how difficult the hose is to remove.
 
Matt-Page said:
Hey, some questions/recommendations please!

- When hoovering some of my cars carpets, bits of grit/dirt get stuck under the pile and the hoover doesn't get them (I normally try brush attachment and the straight nozzle). Is there another way to get these stubborn bits? Have seen some sort of a bush attachment on a drill in a video in the past, is this what I need? If so can you link me to a recommended one please?

- Need a recommendation for interior plastics cleaner please... My previous ones left plastics a bit tacky and over glossy which I didn't like...

- Thinking of getting a carpet/upholstery cleaner machine to do the cars and maybe the house.... Is there a particular one that's good for this or that detailers use? Am I better off getting a separate one for the car interior carpets/seats to inside the house?

- Need a recommendation for some good wheel cleaners that wont damage paint on wheels. Recently got some refurbished wheels and want to try and look after the pain on them. Suspect my previous Meguiars Hot Wheels was a bit too strong/acidic and affected the paint... ?

- Need a recommendation for a Nilfisk short hand attachment for rinsing the car off.. Currently use the long/standard lance(?) for hosting off, but a shorter gun like would probably be better

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The drill brushes are usually used to work cleaner into fabric, rather than to just dislodge debris. You can use stiff brush to work debris out of the fibers whilst following the vacuum close to the brush to suck up the loosened debris. Or there's the fur-eel vacuum attachment.

Wheels, you can go one of two directions. There's Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel which is not acidic, and is a surfactant with fall out remover built in. Or you can buy a wheel shampoo such as Garage Therapy One Wheel Shampoo for regular cleaning, and use a separate fall out remover afterwards every now and then for a deeper clean. Garage Therapy's iron oxide would be good for this because it also includes the surfactant cleaners from their decon shampoo.
 
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