How do you keep your car gleaming?

[maha]

Hi All,

Could I get I ask what products and ways you use to clean your car. Does anybody use a pressure washer, I was scared to use one because i thought it might damage a car.

What shampoo, wax and polish do you all use. Also was looking at MEGUIARS CRATCHX SCRATCH REMOVER POLISH to get scratches out. Has anybody used a good scratch product.

Grateful for advice. Sorry if this needs to go in the bodywork part of the forum was not sure.

 

[MancMike]

I wash it regularly.

Seriously, whenever a layer of dust builds, taking the shine off, I just either whip out my pressure washer or nip to the local one and give it a going over.

I wash it properly every weekend. So it gets washed fully once per week, and a quick wash either once or twice in between.

Of course you can use a pressure washer. Karcher wouldn't sell any pressure washers if they couldn't be used on cars. Every manned car wash I've ever been to uses them too. Just don't use the little spinny nozzle which is very high pressure as that'll get into scratches and lift the lacquer, also don't blast right into the grille as you'll flatten the radiator vanes, blocking it.

 

[BTB 500]

You need to be careful with parking sensors too, if you use a pressure washer.

 

[Lit91]

You need to be careful with parking sensors too, if you use a pressure washer.

Seen many popped out I guess you just have to avoid at blasting them with full pressure - there shouldn't be any need for it.

I wash my car on weekly basis, I also polish and wax it too, but that isn't on weekly basis.

 

[Lit91]

Sorry missed the questions...

Washed with dodo juice shampoo's, best I've ever used....

Polished with Autoglym polish / for swirl marks etc I use megs compounds.

Always topped up by dodo juice wax, never tried anything else - because this never fails to satisfy me.

 

[Mike Walker]

OP - do a search for posts by R2D2. All will be revealed..........

 

[b1g1an]

Just leave it dirty and then when you do finally get around to cleaning it you'll get that new car feeling all over again.

 

[stumpy1]

Ed at Divine detail does all of mine and doesn't use a pressure washer. A decent pre-wash and hosepipe with sprinkler attachment does the job.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I just buy silver cars, stay relatively shiny between washes.

 

[tec]

I just buy silver cars, stay relatively shiny between washes.

I knew there was a reason I bought a silver Merc.

My last car was only ever washed when it went for a service,
where they have a contract with one of those hand car wash valet places that are springing up everywhere there is a bit of empty land.

 

[pstock]

My Schedule
Snow foam ( A/F Avalanche)
Badges, window rubbers, fuel cap, body rubbers (A/ F Citrus Power + A/F hog hair detail brush)
Rinse pressure washer
Tar spot removal (A/F Oblitarate)
Two bucket method for actual wash ( A/F lather) sheepskin mit.
Rinse pressure washer
wheels separate wheel bucket and sheepskin mit.
Drying with A/F aqua drying towel.
wax body A/F passion. Wheels A/F Mint rims
tyres A/F satin.
one drive up town and it needs doing again !!
But I use it as a therapy session.
A/F = Auto Finesse

 

[developer]

Gtechniq.

A quick wash and it's gleaming again.

Polish and wax - what are they

 

[Lit91]

My Schedule
Snow foam ( A/F Avalanche)
Badges, window rubbers, fuel cap, body rubbers (A/ F Citrus Power + A/F hog hair detail brush)
Rinse pressure washer
Tar spot removal (A/F Oblitarate)
Two bucket method for actual wash ( A/F lather) sheepskin mit.
Rinse pressure washer
wheels separate wheel bucket and sheepskin mit.
Drying with A/F aqua drying towel.
wax body A/F passion. Wheels A/F Mint rims
tyres A/F satin.
one drive up town and it needs doing again !!
But I use it as a therapy session.
A/F = Auto Finesse

Do you find that the Aqua deluxe towel is leaving lots of fibres behind?

 

[Howard]

I pay Borat to wash it on a Saturday morning.

Sometimes Bogdan if Borat is away.

 

[pstock]

Litcan91
Yes I did the first time I used it, however I washed and tumble dried it several times and now it's fantastic.
On the boot, roof and bonnet I pat the surface dry, sides I fold into a quarter and dab the car this has the desired outcome and minimizes scratching,
For washing the towels and microfiber cloths
I use chemical guys microfiber wash as it contains no artificial soaps or conditioners rinse' s out completely and removes all traces of polish and wax from the items.

HTH

 

[merc85]

My last effort was a
Rinse
Shampoo /Two bucket Method wash pad
Rinse
Snow Foam
Rinse/dry With drying towel
Iron Fall out remover
Rinse/dry towel
Clay
Paint cleanser
Machine Polish
Shampoo Two Bucket method wash pad
Dry
Wax to seal

Use what ever brands suits you

Just a Shampoo / polish /wax etc to keep on top of it untill i feel it could with doing all of the above again.

 

[jazzyglobe]

I pay Borat to wash it on a Saturday morning.

Sometimes Bogdan if Borat is away.

Free swirl marks included every visit toofail:fail

 

[Howard]

Free swirl marks included every visit toofail:fail

Got no time in my life to spend days washing the car.

Nice if you have.

Not worried about swirl marks to be honest , I prefer to enjoy driving the car than enjoy looking at it.

 

[Lit91]

Litcan91
Yes I did the first time I used it, however I washed and tumble dried it several times and now it's fantastic.
On the boot, roof and bonnet I pat the surface dry, sides I fold into a quarter and dab the car this has the desired outcome and minimizes scratching,
For washing the towels and microfiber cloths
I use chemical guys microfiber wash as it contains no artificial soaps or conditioners rinse' s out completely and removes all traces of polish and wax from the items.

HTH

I don't seem to get on with it, even after a good number of wash & dry cycles it's still leaving stuff all over the car - I do drag it though, the patting method doesn't seem to do it for me with mega hard water around here...

Never had these problems with the dodo juice double touch or the ubersexual drying towel.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

I wash n wax using a large sponge , then a quick 70 mph trip down the road and back to dry it off , then I use autoglym super resin polish - jobs a good n .