How do you clean your car. Whats a waste of time and whats essential !!

[boba fett]

There is a lot of bumf around washing your car correctly and detailing.

Whats your thoughts on what's Bollox and what's not !!

 

[Senna11]

Merino wool mitt is a must for your alloys lol.
Wheel woollies are a great tool to clean wheels, barrels, arches.
Gtechnic c5 is ok but will try something else as it doesn’t seem to last long.

 

[MrMcG]

By no means a pro but this is my process when cleaning

jet wash car
clean engine bay
clean wheels
snow foam car
use a brush to clean the badges and other small areas including fuel cap
jet wash
snow foam again if still large clumps of dirt
put some shampoo into snow foam lance and spray on car
clean with the 3 bucket method
towel dry
clean the glass
wax
admire

ill be ordering some ceramic coating soon but shopping around to see what is recommended

As I say I’m not a pro but I have achieved very good results with the above

 

[Senna11]

By no means a pro but this is my process when cleaning

jet wash car
clean engine bay
clean wheels
snow foam car
use a brush to clean the badges and other small areas including fuel cap
jet wash
snow foam again if still large clumps of dirt
put some shampoo into snow foam lance and spray on car
clean with the 3 bucket method
towel dry
clean the glass
wax
admire

ill be ordering some ceramic coating soon but shopping around to see what is recommended

As I say I’m not a pro but I have achieved very good results with the above

That is super thorough!

 

[Senna11]

Spray car with APC
Jet wash
Snow foam then go round with soft brushes
Jet wash rinse
Clean wheels use Pro valet Billberry diluted
2 bucket method wash
Jet wash rinse
Atom mac on brake discs
DI vessel final rinse
Detailer spray and then towel dry
Tyre dressing
Hot air into crevices to remove water
Engine and interior on separate days

 

[MrMcG]

That is super thorough!

I was always told and taught if you are going to do something do it properly, those words have stuck with me 😂😂

 

[Senna11]

I was always told and taught if you are going to do something do it properly, those words have stuck with me 😂😂

Anal springs to mind

 

[MrMcG]

Anal springs to mind

OCD can get the better of me that’s for sure

 

[moonstone]

Mine totally varies depending on the mood I’m in, how thorough I want to be and what products I’ve got.

As a minimum my process (and current products I’m using):

• Snow Foam (Bilt Hamber)
• Rinse
• Wheels (Bilt Hamber or Valet Pro Bilberry)
• Wash (Gtechnic Gwash. Was using Carpro Reset for a good while but it’s not “sudsy” enough for my taste)
• Rinse
• Dry using Carpro Reload or Gyeon QD as a drying aid
• Tyres (Gyeon Tyre or Meguiars Endurance Tyre Gel)

 

[M4rkM]

I never touch dry a car, use a blo GT instead, in the winter if I’m doing a quick wash I’ll rinse with a DI vessel to stop water marks.

 

[MrMcG]

I never touch dry a car, use a blo GT instead, in the winter if I’m doing a quick wash I’ll rinse with a DI vessel to stop water marks.

Any particular model?

 

[M4rkM]

Any particular model?

I use this dryer

BLO AIR-GT Car Dryer

Blo Car Dryer AIR-GT Blo Car Dryer AIR-GT is one of the most powerful Car Dryers on the market, feating twin motors that offer 8HP. This car blower will shoot water away effortlessly, and provide much faster and safer drying method to prevent any risk of marring your paint surface during the dryi

www.cleanyourcar.co.uk

And this vessel, really saves a lot of hassle in winter, just rinse through it and no water spots

Refillable 0ppm Water Filter (7 litre) RG-Filter-7L

 

[moonstone]

I bought a DI vessel but couldnt be bothered with the hassle to be honest. So stopped using it. I like the idea of the blowers but much like the DI vessel I doubt I could be arsed wheeling it out of the shed in practise.

 

[M4rkM]

I bought a DI vessel but couldnt be bothered with the hassle to be honest. So stopped using it. I like the idea of the blowers but much like the DI vessel I doubt I could be arsed wheeling it out of the shed in practise.

I have mine set up beside my washer etc, water, power, at the garage door, no hassle at all,
Last time I touch dried a car was about 4 years ago, really cuts down in swirls/marring

 

[moonstone]

I have mine set up beside my washer etc, water, power, at the garage door, no hassle at all,
Last time I touch dried a car was about 4 years ago, really cuts down in swirls/marring

I don’t have that luxury after converting my garage 😂

 

[Senna11]

I use this dryer

BLO AIR-GT Car Dryer

Blo Car Dryer AIR-GT Blo Car Dryer AIR-GT is one of the most powerful Car Dryers on the market, feating twin motors that offer 8HP. This car blower will shoot water away effortlessly, and provide much faster and safer drying method to prevent any risk of marring your paint surface during the dryi

www.cleanyourcar.co.uk

And this vessel, really saves a lot of hassle in winter, just rinse through it and no water spots

Refillable 0ppm Water Filter (7 litre) RG-Filter-7L

I have a pet dryer and will get a leaf blower to use.

 

[Senna11]

I have mine set up beside my washer etc, water, power, at the garage door, no hassle at all,
Last time I touch dried a car was about 4 years ago, really cuts down in swirls/marring

Will bring my car to yours for a clean!

 

[Techno]

I've gone as far as;
Snow foam, Jet off, Two bucket wash with wash mitt, scratch guards etc, rinse off, Iron X on alloys, wash alloys & callipers with shampoo mix using wheel woolies, jet off, dry then wax polish & tyre black. Thats a maintenance 'wash' in Summer when the times available and weather is with you.

Last Winter I dropped back to as little as Snow foam, jet off, walk away. Nowhere near as effective, but when the paintwork will be minging again within minutes of driving, I can live with it, as it can be completed in as little as fifteen minutes from opening the garage door. But I might be doing that twice or three times in a week.

 

[boba fett]

I find a lot of things a faff, and some of the recommendations I have tried, tend to turn out to be a bit over the top and unnecessary. Snow foam for one. Good fun, but nothing a good pre-jet wash will do.

So:

A clay bar is important, but only when you first buy the car if needed.

Just a wash:

A good pre-Jet wash
Bucket of water with a good wax in it (don't press to hard)
Jet wash down
A good blow job (I use my LXT battery Makita leaf blower) really good at getting all the drips out the mirrors, vents, shuts and grills !
A quick wax polish (find Maguirs Platinum or whatever its called)

Every now and then, or when I first buy the car:

A good pre-Jet wash
Bucket of water with a good wax in it.
Clay bar
Bucket of water with a good wax in it
Jet wash down
A good blow job (I use my LXT battery Makita leaf blower)
A quick wax polish (find Maguirs Platinum or whatever its called)
A proper machine polish
A good wax (colour dependent)
A good sealant (find Dodo Juice Supernatural Hybrid quite good and long lasting)

 

[T5Pilot]

I feel guilty now. Having a black car, between about October to March, it gets a jet wash, foam & rinse. That’s it. Cos regardless, by the time I’ve driven out of my village it’s filthy again.
I've just accepted it. It gets a bit of TLC in the drier months, don’t get me wrong. But I’m not fanatical by any means. I have to try hard to be this way, otherwise I know I’d get hooked on the detailing road.