The detailing and washing thread

[Thatman]

Anyone also use the buckets I have at work for our limos and sedans. It is a bucket that has at the bottom a lifted plastic piece for your microfiber mitt to lay on but the sediments will go through. That and using a second bucket for rinsing we keep scratches to a minimum. Not too sure why im throwing this in here now but maybe it help with something.

 

[Gil]

Ditto. Additionally, I live in a condo, so I couldn’t wash it myself even if I wanted to (which I desperately don’t).

I just send mine through a local touch-free car wash. Six bucks and five minutes FTW.

Exactly!! Add to the fact that it snows here and the amount of road sand and salt solution that gets put down a weekly wash is often not possible.

I also go thru the drive thru touchless wash. I will drop the extra 75 cents to vacuum the interiour every so often. But the guys at the oil change place do that as well. I won't have my oil changed at a place that doesn't vacuum.

One of the places I "splurge" is on window cleaner. I use one of better "streakless" cleaners. And I buy the absolute best windshield wipers I can find.

If I one day get a car that is worthy of "car infatuation" I may go back to weekend detailing during the spring, summer and fall. But until that time, I only require that the interior of my car is not gunked up with massive amounts of garbage and that there is room for all seats to be occupied if necessary.

 

[Moglet]

But one thing I've learned in my research in compounding/polishing/waxing is that paint is different. They differ from one manufacturer to another, differ from one country to another and from one era to another. Something that works on a 30 year old Mercedes with solvent based urethane or enamel paint may not work so well on a brand new Honda painted with the latest water based paint and clearcoat technology.

Detailing is truly one of those cases where YMMV.

That said, I avoid using products not specifically formulated for use on cars. Dish soap can be too aggressive and remove existing wax. The only time you WANT this to happen is if you are prepping you car to be polished and waxed ('sealed').

That's the main reason I wouldn't want to use household soaps on a car, it makes waxing pointless! That and it's not designed to lubricate the car ready for a pass with a wash mitt or sponge, whereas car shampoos are. I did a comedy video once about cleaning cars and used Fairy washing up liquid to clean my bonnet, it was an absolute nightmare to work with, it foamed up well but was a total pain to rinse off properly. I'm sticking to my Dodo Juice shampoos, and I've also got sample pots of their waxes to try.

As for paints, have you heard of those 'sticky paints'? I believe Infinitis are painted with a sticky clearcoat which makes machine polishing them an absolute nightmare, there are a few threads about it on the forums I visit at www.detailingworld.co.uk 👍

 

[eiriksmil]

Washing my car?

 

[///M-Spec]

That's the main reason I wouldn't want to use household soaps on a car, it makes waxing pointless! That and it's not designed to lubricate the car ready for a pass with a wash mitt or sponge, whereas car shampoos are. I did a comedy video once about cleaning cars and used Fairy washing up liquid to clean my bonnet, it was an absolute nightmare to work with, it foamed up well but was a total pain to rinse off properly. I'm sticking to my Dodo Juice shampoos, and I've also got sample pots of their waxes to try.

As for paints, have you heard of those 'sticky paints'? I believe Infinitis are painted with a sticky clearcoat which makes machine polishing them an absolute nightmare, there are a few threads about it on the forums I visit at www.detailingworld.co.uk 👍

I'd never heard of 'sticky paint' until I read the link you posted.

My wife's previous vehicle was a 2005 Nissan Murano, which I had no trouble waxing/polishing. At the time I was using Meguiar's polish/wax, Lake County polishing pads and a Porter Cable 7242 on it. No problems at all.


M

 

[Picc84]

Just interested in everyone's techniques on here when washing their cars. I'm into car detailing so I spend about 4 hours washing my car each week to keep it looking as good as possible. How about everyone else?

Here's how my wash goes, things in bold are weekly but the rest are when required;

-Rinse car with hosepipe
-Rinse wheel arches with hosepipe
-Spray 'Valet Pro Bilberry' wheel cleaner onto the wheels (It's a very mild leaner diluted to about 1:50) and leave to settle for 5 minutes
-Agitate the cleaner with a detailing brush
-Spray off the wheels
-Wash the car using a sheepskin wash mitt, Dodo Juice Sour Power Ph neutral shampoo, and two buckets (one for clean water one for dirty)
-Give the car another rinse
-Dry the car using an Autoglym Chamois leather
-Fully dry by patting down paintwork with Meguairs Water Magnet
-Clean all door shuts and boot lid with wash mitt and clean water
-Dry the shuts and inside the fuel filler cap
-Dry wheels & tyres
-Polish the glass using CarPlan Eco Glass Cleaner
-Remove all road tar from wheels and car with Autoglym Tar Remover
-Slam all doors and boot to remove excess water, then dry
-Apply a single layer of Finish Kare 1000 P Hi Temp sealant to all bodywork and wheels
-Apply tyre shine product to tyres
-Buff off sealant after 15 minutes of curing
-Apply Autoglym Bumper Care to black plastics and window rubbers
-Vacuum interior carpets
-Clean seats and carpets with Autoglym Interior Shampoo
-Wipe down dashboard with G|Techniq Nanotech C3 Copolymer Carnauba Quick Detailer
-Apply sealant to dashboard 'body' strip and buff off
-Apply Gliptone Liquid Leather cleaner to steering wheel, agitate and remove
-Place 3-4 drops of LTT Leather Fragrance to cotton swab in center console

It's a lot of work but I enjoy it and it leaves the car looking awesome and it's very well protected. Anyone else obsess over their cars?

If you don't get what you paid for for that car when you sell it, I'll buy it... lol! Man you are dedicated, That takes time man.. Thats great! Great job!

As per me? How about I buy a car first?

 

[GT Pro]

The job you do is very thorough Moglet. Would you be able to post a step-by-step slideshow of your process. I love seeing the before-and-after effect of such detailed washes. 👍

 

[Thatman]

Washing my car?

Two words: Pressure Washer

 

[Moglet]

The job you do is very thorough Moglet. Would you be able to post a step-by-step slideshow of your process. I love seeing the before-and-after effect of such detailed washes. 👍

I'd love to do a step by step photo show at some point, but maybe when the weather gets better. I've got a similar thing in the form of a detail report I did a while back on my grandparents' car;

I washed and polished this one by hand, before protecting it. Here's a 50/50 on the door;

And on the wing;

Afterwards it looked like this;

And some before and afters;

----------------------


As for my car, I got a new product today, Zaino Z8 Grand Finale Spray Seal, it's highly concentrated so 15ml does an entire car, and gives the car a nice glossy finish;

Bring on the show season....

 

[Prosthetic]

2nd to last shot it awesome.

 

[McLaren]

Hey Moglet, what would you recommend for washing the engine bay besides just a pressure wash? I've been looking for a way to thoroughly clean out all the dirt & crap that sets in.

 

[Beerz]

Awesome work, Moglet. you're getting very good at it. 👍

I wish I didn't live in an apartment with my car parking on the public road outside, because'd really like to keep it clean and detail it myself given the right conditions.
I only get to do that when I go to my parents' country house and there I can "work" in peace on my car

Great shots, btw. Last 2 are pure sex.

 

[Moglet]

Hey Moglet, what would you recommend for washing the engine bay besides just a pressure wash? I've been looking for a way to thoroughly clean out all the dirt & crap that sets in.

There are specialist products available for this sort of thing, I use Autoglym Engine and Machine Cleaner as it's designed to be safe on plastics, rubber, paintwork and metal but also cuts through grease. I spray it on, agitate the mixture with a brush and then rinse off before drying with a plush towel and then dressing the plastics with a general plastic trim dressing (Again, I use Autoglym). The best thing for dressing an engine would be 303 Aerospace Protectant. I would avoid using your pressure washer within the engine bay though, have you not got just a hose you can use?

BTW I'm not entirely sure of any stockists for these products outside the UK but I'm sure someone would ship to most countries. My favourite online stores are UK stores;

www.seriousperformance.co.uk
www.cleanyourcar.co.uk
www.elitecarcare.co.uk
www.polishedbliss.co.uk

 

[McLaren]

There are specialist products available for this sort of thing, I use Autoglym Engine and Machine Cleaner as it's designed to be safe on plastics, rubber, paintwork and metal but also cuts through grease. I spray it on, agitate the mixture with a brush and then rinse off before drying with a plush towel and then dressing the plastics with a general plastic trim dressing (Again, I use Autoglym). The best thing for dressing an engine would be 303 Aerospace Protectant. I would avoid using your pressure washer within the engine bay though, have you not got just a hose you can use?

BTW I'm not entirely sure of any stockists for these products outside the UK but I'm sure someone would ship to most countries. My favourite online stores are UK stores;

www.seriousperformance.co.uk
www.cleanyourcar.co.uk
www.elitecarcare.co.uk
www.polishedbliss.co.uk

I've never pressured washed it. My friends I have asked just end up suggesting it and wrapping the vital parts in something. Too much of a risk, imo. But thanks, I'll gladly take a look at those products. 👍

 

[Moglet]

I've never pressured washed it. My friends I have asked just end up suggesting it and wrapping the vital parts in something. Too much of a risk, imo. But thanks, I'll gladly take a look at those products. 👍

Yeah, some people do wrap up the electrical components and then pressure wash the engine bay, but using a decent degreaser spray should eliminate the need for a pressure washer completely. You'll save a fair bit of time that would otherwise be spent carefully wrapping up engine portions. 👍

Luckily my engine only takes about 20 minutes to clean totally anyway since it's the size of a matchbox.

 

[Philly]

Very good work Moglet! 👍

I am currently in the process of polishing up the GTI. I doubt it'll look quite as good as the Vauxhall up there, but it is looking quite a bit better than it did before.

 

[Sniffs]

this is why i love Vaux's colour selections. gorgeous colour on that Corsa, and BOY did that polish up.
I see you guys finally got a new design for your reg plates. the red pinstriping on the front plate is a nice touch. no more white front/yellow rear.

the only thing we'd use that kind of heavy detail cleaning supplies is for collectable cars that need to be in showroom fresh concours condition.
I had to do a bit of cleaning in the engine bay of my Blazer (the one in my Icon) because I was pulling through axle deep mud, and ended up with mud all over the UNDERSIDE of the hood. unfortunately, I destroyed my battery hosing it off! there should be an american equivelant arond here somewhere that doesn't cost 30 bucks a bottle.

 

[TheBook]

I am in the process of doing what I'll call a really good cleaning on my Blazer.

Took it to the local coin-op car wash last night and got it cleaned up for the most part. It looks a lot better now.
Stopped at the parts store and picked up some tire shine (Eagle One), cleaning wipes (Armor All), and carpet/seat cleaner (Blue Coral). Forgot to pick up a bottle of Color Back, though; unfortunately, that's what I really needed.

No pics after washing, although I'm halfway through the interior right now. Pics to (maybe) come later.

 

[Philly]

Some after pics from my polish job can be found in my sig. I took it out on the freeway in the rain last night, so it isn't all that clean anymore.

 

[homeforsummer]

Tomorrow... my cleaning of my car's interior starts. I'll post pics up here, should it all go to plan! I need a bucket first however, so a morning trip to Halfords is in order...

 

[Moglet]

I see you guys finally got a new design for your reg plates. the red pinstriping on the front plate is a nice touch. no more white front/yellow rear.

The plates are still white on the front and yellow at the rear, but the design isn't always the same. The red pinstriping was something my garage decided to use, IIRC, and I'm glad they did as it suits the car. The rear is yellow and has a black pinstripe in the same style. 👍

 

[Steele_obsidion]

for me, washing the car usually consists of a trip to the high pressure gun. i wash off all teh stuck on gunk (i have to park under a crab apple tree.) and then if it doesnt need the crab apples blown off by high pressure water, i will use some of teh turtle wax/car wash and i will use a mit, wash every inch of my baby, towel dry, and then after that i hop inside with teh windex for the windows, then i wipe the dust off teh dash and doors then add a coat of Armorall usually hit every inch. ill vacuum everything (i have a mini car vac).

I have a small car so it never takes me to long. if im washing the truck it takes MUCH longer considering we have a dog, and theres dog hair ALL OVER the truck.

 

[Beerz]

What's the best (affordable) product to use to dry the car after a wash?
Or the best is to let it dry in the shade?

 

[Philly]

That depends. You can just let it dry itself, but then the water will leave dirt marks when it dries. I just use old bathroom towels to dry my car usually.

 

[Slicks]

I'd use a synthetic chamois or microfibre towels. NEVER use a waterblade - If you've left anything on the paintwork, it'll drag it across and scratch it.

Rev, you were looking for a detailing supplier as well - I just ordered from eshine.ca - They've got good selection and competitive prices (Well, awesome prices thanks to the exchange rate for you), and free shipping over $150.

I just filled an order for $280 worth of supplies from eshine. Most of it was Chemical Guys products (Silk Shine, M-Seal, Bare Bones Undercarriage Spray, Maxi-Suds, and Pete's 53 Black wax), some Poorboy's APC, some 303 fabric cleaner, clay lube, buffing towels, a tin of P21S Concours, and a foam gun.

Why two waxes? Pete's 53 is made for black or dark colored cars, and I'll be using P21S for light colored cars. I'll make the use of sealant optional for customers' cars (though I imagine that most people would jump at 4-6 months of paint protection for a good price).

I need to revamp my polishing pad and backing system, but I can do that locally for a decent price.

Mog, I think you should rename the thread - 'The Detailing Thread'.

I'll hopefully get to put all my products to use fairly soon - I've been asked to do a quick wash and vacuum on an Infiniti M35 this week (if it ever stops raining), followed by a full workup on the same M35, plus a Landie LR3 and BMW Z3 at the end of the month.

 

[homeforsummer]

Made a start to cleaning my interior today... spot the seat that's been cleaned:

More here

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Made a start to cleaning my interior today... spot the seat that's been cleaned:

I was going to say driver's seat, but then I remembered that you guys like to sit on the wrong side of the car.

pretend I didn't see the steering wheel

 

[homeforsummer]

I wondered how long it would take someone to forget which seat is which...

 

[Prosthetic]

You have a lot of trash you need to get rid of...

 

[Moglet]

Made a start to cleaning my interior today... spot the seat that's been cleaned:

Looking good! Did you use the all purpose cleaner method? It usually works really really well. I washed my car again today (Only a quick wash, not the works) and then applied Zaino Z8 again. The tyre dressing is still shiny from last Wednesday so that's still looking good.

The sun was shining and the chrome was blinging today when I went and bought myself a new suit from the local shopping center and I got a lot of admiring looks and people pointing at the car while driving round looking for a space! It all pays off when you see people doing that