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That's right. 2 bucket washers.
I've got a new (to me) car and have decided to take care of it this time. Getting slightly obsessed with keeping it shiny and looking nice. Mainly bought the whole range of meguiars as it was on the sale in Halfords. I've also tried Poorboy's natty paste blue which seems wierd to apply but good.
Any recommendations for techniques or products that you use that you've found good. I'm all ears.
I know there is better things to do with my time but I find it enjoyable at the moment and therapeutic
I'm sure your description of car washing enthusiasts in the thread title ensure responses flood in.
I use one bucket with a splash of washing up liquid.
Back in my Escort RS Turbo days i used to clean the outside of my car every two weeks with the two bucket method, then once a month do all the door/tailgate shuts, under bonnet etc... every 4 or so months it also got a go over with a claybar
Autoglym used to be my favourite shampoo, polish, wax, wheel cleaner etc.. as it was always on offer as a kit along with polishing cloths/mitts and a good quality leather chamois
Now with my Audi A4 Avant Special Edition its lucky to get a bucket of water with the cheapest car shampoo available chucked over it once every six months, think i last polished it 3 years ago, haven't got the time or interest in working on or cleaning cars these days but im too tight to pay £5 for it to be cleaned at the local car wash facility
Dunno. OH chucks a bucket of water over it about once a month, maybe a bit more often in winter because of the salt on the road.
Two buckets always, washmit instead of a sponge, decent microfibre cloth instead of a chamois, lots and lots nice cloths for applying and removing products.
Prep is key for wax; wash, dry, clay bar, polish, glaze then two coats of a good wax lasts me a good few months. I usually do two big cleans a year with a top up coat of wax in between.
I’ve started using Angelwax products which I quite like. Always got on with Dodo Juice and Auto Finesse too. Quick detailer is good for a bit of interim shine too.
I’ll even admit that I enjoy doing it. My neighbours thought I was mental picking up my M140 this summer and then spending the next day cleaning a new car.
2 buckets here too 🙂
Every summer I spend full day on car.
Wash
Tar-iron deposit remover
Clay bar
Zaino all in one polish
Zaino z2 to finish
Very therapeutic and the results are stunning
I too like washing my car!
Though it's an 07 octavia, I like to keep the alloys shiny and the paint nice...
Will try the 2 bucket version!
DrP
I wouldn’t bother asking that question here OP, you’ll only get the responses of “it’s only a car, it gets washed at its service/never”
Go to www.detailingworld.co.uk and you’ll have a sympathetic audience and loads of informations. Be warned though, it’s a rabbit hole you’re going down and you’ll now never be happy with how your car looks 🙂
Kinda gave up on the cars due to the futility with having 3 kids. I do try to keep on top of the motorbikes though. Would be interested to hear about anyone experiences using the iron remover stuff. Nothing too esoteric in the garage, Meguiars gold class used between polish and wax and Meguiars soft gel if I'm doing the polish and wax. Going to try the Bilt Hamber stuff soon.
I favour the no bucket method...
... Look at car think "christ thats manky" then continue doing some useful with my day.
Kinda gave up on the cars due to the futility with having 3 kids. I do try to keep on top of the motorbikes though. Would be interested to hear about anyone experiences using the iron remover stuff. Nothing too esoteric in the garage, Meguiars gold class used between polish and wax and Meguiars soft gel if I’m doing the polish and wax. Going to try the Bilt Hamber stuff soo
I’m a big fan of Car Pro Iron X. Does a great job.
Was into detailing for a couple of years when i wasnt doing much bike riding , eventually got bored of wasting the considerable amount of time spent doing it , though i do realise many get alot of pleasure and satisfaction from it.
The only bit i still enjoy is applying water repellent sealant on the windows so i can watch the rain roll off from the air flow.
Gtechniq G5 is a great product for this.
I like a clean car but don't really enjoy doing it.
I get ours done properly every 6 months or so and I do a quickish wash about once a month or so.
Infact there's a man coming to do mine on Friday 🙂
I used to but life seems to have gotten in the way.
Years ago the was a thread somewhere in a detailing forum where some one detailed their Dyson. Disassembled and polished everything!
I started off with the megairs soap you put directly on the sponge but then you can't use it after you've waxed it as it strips the wax off. So I've moved over to their brand snowfoam which seems good and smells lovely.
I used a compound, then glaze then liquid wax. Now I've tried the natty wax which seems to leave it feeling lovely and looks really nice.
I've compounded the glass then used rain Rx to try and get it to bead nicely. Seems to be the hardest part of the cleaning is the inside of the windscreen.
Any tips to do wheels with out using a strong wheel acid on them?
And how do you get all the dust off it? We have road works by work so it's getting covered in crap every day
If you get the wheels clean and protected you don't need a strong wheel cleaned, although if they are bad in the first place you might. A fallout remover will get the majority of the brake dust off but you may need to do a number of passes with it to get them really clean.
Once they are clean though I just use Bilberry wheel cleaner to keep them looking good as that's all that's needed. They key is protecting them once cleaned.
In the past I've used planet polish wheel seal and shine which is cheap and works really well.
This year I've gone for G-techniq C5 wheel armour which is more tricky to apply but is supposed to last a long time and to be fair it is still good now, applied in December to summer wheels.
The other Gtechniq products I've used have been great too.
Valet pro citrus degreaser is a great start for cleaning the car - I don't bother with snow foam as it seems to be a bit of a gimmick to me, I use the citrus degreaser in the same way although it doesn't foam up but get's the vast majority of the dirt off before I get a mit on the car. It also can be used for other cleaning too.
This year I’ve gone for G-techniq C5 wheel armour which is more tricky to apply but is supposed to last a long time and to be fair it is still good now, applied in December to summer wheels.
The other Gtechniq products I’ve used have been great too.
I’ve used this for the first time in my 140 and it’s brilliant. Expensive but my wheels clean up really well every time.
Never heard of gtechniq before. I'll have to try and find a stockist near me
Highly recommend Optimum No Rinse (ONR). Saves a tonne of water and effort compared to getting out the power washer etc.
You can dilute it (IIRC 25:1) and wash your car with it. It's a great time saver compared to 2BM, because all you have to do is use a single bucket then mix it up and chuck a load of microfibres in the bucket to soak. You clean a panel at a time using each side of a single microfibre then discard the microfibre and dry the panel with a towel. That way there's no chance of reintroducing grit from another panel and the water stays clean. Then you just wash the microfibres and you can keep and reuse the remaining ONR mix since it's got no dirt in it.
It makes the best claybar lube there is at a stronger mix (10 to 1 I think).
It can also be used at a much weaker mix to wash the dashboard etc. Great stuff.
Why would you only use one bucket? Why would you deliberately grind grit into your bodywork? May as well save yourself the bother and get the £5 handwash chaps to have a go at it. Do you seriously wash your wheels and bopdywork with one bucket and the same sponge? Yeesh. Doesn't actually take any longer to do it properly.
Sorry, I'm like a bear with a sore head today.
In all seriousness, for a time saver wash I find Aquawax really good: no need to dry/chamois car off after the rinse, just wax and polish in one go.
Big thumbs up for 2 bucket method, use a micro-fibre or lambs wool mit (definitely not sponge) and to save time finish off with Autoglym Polar Seal - gives a waxed look without the hard work.
Anyone tried a ceramic coating? Planning on trying one but unsure which would be the easiest to apply on the driveway.
Have a look on Ultimate finish for Gtechniq products.
I've used them quite a lot and are great to deal with and often have offers on and free delivery on a certain spend, which is not hard to reach with the cost of some products!
It's a slippery slope - beware...
I've not tried a ceramic but have read that Gyeon (forget which one (cancoat?)) was a pretty good and reliable coating for home use - i.e. not professionally applied
anotherdeadhero
Member
Why would you only use one bucket? Why would you deliberately grind grit into your bodywork? May as well save yourself the bother and get the £5 handwash chaps to have a go at it. Do you seriously wash your wheels and bopdywork with one bucket and the same sponge? Yeesh. Doesn’t actually take any longer to do it properly.
Sorry, I’m like a bear with a sore head today.
Was that to me? The cloths are used once then discarded (well put in a pile to go in the washing machine) thus no dirt ever goes into the bucket 👍. My car is swirl free and I clean it this way regularly.
Also another tip: if microfibres go rough after being washed, brush them with a (new/clean obviously)
If I'm doing it properly then,
Snow foam,
Clean wheels,
2 bucket wash,
A bit of paint prep if necessary (clay bar / tar remover and then polish any obvious defects)
Sealant / Wax: Gtechniq C2v3 is excellent, its basically replaced paste wax for me. Really quick and easy to use,
Clean windows,
Hoover inside and wipe interior trim,
Dress tyres.
Takes about 90 minutes
A maintenance wash is:
Snow foam,
Rinse,
Snow Foam,
Wipe with a wash mitt,
Rinse,
Aquawax.
Takes about 20 minutes
Was that to me?
No no, not directed at you. Just all the one bucket slappers up there ^^
anotherdeadhero
Member
Was that to me?
No no, not directed at you. Just all the one bucket slappers up there ^^
Ah no worries.
Just noticed I missed the critical bit off the end of my post...
"Also another tip: if microfibres go rough after being washed, brush them with a (new/clean obviously) " soft shoe polishing brush
It's completely bizarre to me but a lot of people love it (and get obsessive about it!) A chap I know has recently quit his job & gone full time (proper shop and everything) with his detailing supplies business that he started part time from his garage only a couple of years ago.
One bucket here, but car is washed weekly, lower panels twice weekly in winter.
Top to bottom though. Roof, windows and panels, then sills, bumpers and wheels.
I'd use two if the car was filthy, but it never get's that bad. Quick rinse with the hose, or power washer for underneath, then towel off. Done.
Autoglym super resin every 3 months, with the deep gloss protection every 6.
The job of cleaning a car gets a whole lot harder if you don't do it often. It's a quick job if done on a regular basis. Wheels are a nightmare if you don't keep on top of them.
The car is 17 years old now (had it 16 of them) so my method works fine.
2 bucket method?
Use 2 buckets to clean your car. One with soapy bubble and the other with just water. Dip mitt in soapy bucket, wipe over car and rinse in clean bucket water. Idea being you are not introducing any contamination to the soapy clean bucket.
Oh and a grit guard in each bucket 🙂
I had my car ceramic coated when it was new by a professional detailer. It cost about £400 and he needed the car for a few days so that the coating could cure properly.
Well worth it in my opinion as the paint still looks in great condition after 2 years and makes cleaning it so much easier. Most of the time all it needs is a snow foam coating then blast with the pressure washer to get it looking good, wheels usually need a bit of extra attention with a cleaning mitt.
When I do give it a proper clean I use the 2 bucket method and use 2 wash mitts at the same time to half the cleaning time.
Maybe someone on here can help - I put a coat of Simoniz wax on my car about a year ago (the original paste wax in the gold tin). Obviously I've washed the car since, but not rewaxed. It's now looking really patchy and ratty, but I'm damned if I can get the stuff off. Help...?
finbar
Member
Maybe someone on here can help – I put a coat of Simoniz wax on my car about a year ago (the original paste wax in the gold tin). Obviously I’ve washed the car since, but not rewaxed. It’s now looking really patchy and ratty, but I’m damned if I can get the stuff off. Help…?
Diluted IPA or a dedicated panel wipe, GTechniq make one that does the job.
Diluted IPA or a dedicated panel wipe,
I'm sure I could find a better use for Indian Pale Ale 🤤
I’m sure I could find a better use for Indian Pale Ale 🤤
😉
2 bucket method?
Fill bucket with water. Slosh over car. Get another bucket of water. Slosh over car.
I've read about halfway,and realised that this thread is not for me.
Thanks @retro83, I think I'll give that GTechniq panel wipe a go - I've read some scare stories about using IPA on paint and the panel wipe means I won't mess the dilution up.
Is that cleanmycar website a good place to order from? I've no idea what the detailing equivalent of CRC/Wiggle is...
Welcome.
Yeah cleanyourcar is fine, not especially cheap but had no problems. If you're a detailingworld.co.uk member you can get 5% off using the code DW05.
Slims Detailing is pretty good. You get points for spending money there which can be redeemed as money off next time around.
Beware though, it is a very slippery slope! Not sure why people get funny about it.
Two bucket method, was using Simoniz coconut smelling soap but am now using the Meguair yellow stuff. Auto Finesse Iron remover for the alloys works well but mine are so far gone they’ll need refinishing soon as Mrs M uses them as the final part of stopping on the kerb (sigh).
Claybar with a Meguair soft clay twice a year and then a coat of carlack 68 and collinite915 wax (not as durable as 476 but has more “pop”)
Yay, I’m not alone among (some) STWers.
Kept my car properly clean until kids happened. Slowly finding time to get back into it and used my DA polisher at the weekend for the first time in 6+ years. Bought an older car in Dec last year and it’s taken til now to justify spending a few hours correcting the 15+ yrs of previous owner neglect. Find it much easier/quicker keeping it looking good once properly prepped.
Normal wash takes 30mins inc tidying stuff away afterwards. Big (ideally) annual clean takes a ‘bit longer’ and involves detar, clay, glaze, wax x 2. And the Autoglym Aqua Wax stuff has been a revelation for me for a quick top up when I can't be bothered.
That ONR stuff sounds interesting and I’ll be looking at that. Also curious about DIY-apply ceramic coatings.
And the DW Dyson thread is a classic! Think the pics were lost in the photobucket debacle though.
Love a good bit of water beading:
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What's the aqua wax a11y ? Any recommendations for wheel sealants? Just to make them easier to clean.
And if anyone has a good technique for cleaning the inside of the windscreen I'm all ears
@big yim:
Autoglym Aqua Wax: wash car, no need to dry, spray aqua wax over paintwork (and glass exc windscreen), buff it off with cloth. Takes a bit of time/effort to buff it off but nothing extreme. Surprisingly good stuff.
Everyone has their own preferences, mine are:
Wheel sealant: Race Glaze Nano Wheel Sealant because I'm lazy and it's not silly expensive Works best if starting with really clean wheels. Spray it on, rub it in to ensure total coverage, wait 5 mins then buff off. I do 2 layers. Makes wheels much easier to clean afterwards. G Techniq G5 is same idea, apparently even better, but expensive and takes effort to apply correctly .
Autosmart red 7 to wash wheels - spray it on, wait a few mins, then blast with pressure washer and majority of grim/brake dust comes off (assuming wheels are sealed). Again, think it's great because its less effort!
Windscreen inside: normal Windolene and kitchen roll for me. Cheaper alternatives from Mr Muscle etc are crap and smeary in comparison.
What snowfoam and applicator is recommended, I have a Karcher one and its pretty poor, foam comes out really watery.
Many moons before marriage & sprogs I had a clean car. Used Meguirs stuff mainly. Two bucket wash. Mind you, also had a reasonably tidy house. That was when I was time rich and cash poor. Now I'm time poor and cash poor.
These days, usually throw £5 at the local magic washing machine wash every month or so, sometimes with the kids in the back because they like watching the robot car washer.
Although I did go over both cars with two buckets the other day, did the wheels, hoovered the interior, did the windows, shone the dash. Should probably write that down in the calendar, it won't happen again for a while.
The surf bus. I've got a karcher gun but use a meguiars snow foam and it seems pretty good. Smells lovely too
Cheers bigyim
Don't worry about the amount of foam, worry if it actually cleans!
Bilt Hamber Autofoam is pretty watery but cleans really well.
I only get a spare day to clean my car (06 golf - go me!!) once in a while - - but find time cleaning it to be quite therapeutic.
Wet car down
Angelwax revenge to remove dead flies
Snow foam
Wash down
Angelwax shampoo
Two bucket wash, meguirs mitt / bucket guards
Microfibre cloth to dry
Angelwax to wax then buff
It's not the worlds best practice, but the car looks ok after it.
It's traditional for the weather / roads to be ******* filthy the following day, hiding any effort made.
it's an hour or so, outside, waiting for the on-call pager to go off. Works for me
What snowfoam and applicator is recommended, I have a Karcher one and its pretty poor, foam comes out really watery.
AutoBrite Lance and currently using Bilt Hamber snow foam too as it was recommended but as I haven't used the AB one yet that came with the lance so I might try that soon to compare.
Bear in mind it might take a while to work out the correct mix percentage.
https://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/exterior-cleaning/hd-foam-lance-and-snow-foams
Autoglym aqua wax is good but there are better quick sealants/detailers/ drying aids now. Sonax brilliant shine detailer for a start.
I need to get my yearly full detail done.... Struggling to find the time with 4yo and 2yo. Sonax to maintain the protection works. Ok I garage my car, but with it outside last week while I was on holiday I could see it was beading pretty well still and it's something like 15 months since the last full Decon, wax and seal.