car cleaning products
Discussion
Hi guys
Used to clean the tvr with meguiars products, sold the tvr last year and just bought a tidy honda.
I liked the meguiars products but it was a bit of a pain putting on the three products then taking them off.
What would you guys recommend that is a good product that gets good results but without all the balls ache. is there anything out there or is it you need to put in the work to get the results?
Just one other question, I have had the car a week and its really dirty already, seems to attract the dirt, what is the best way to start washing a car that is soo dirty and is there a product I can put on that will help keep it clean?
Cheers guys
Andy
Used to clean the tvr with meguiars products, sold the tvr last year and just bought a tidy honda.
I liked the meguiars products but it was a bit of a pain putting on the three products then taking them off.
What would you guys recommend that is a good product that gets good results but without all the balls ache. is there anything out there or is it you need to put in the work to get the results?
Just one other question, I have had the car a week and its really dirty already, seems to attract the dirt, what is the best way to start washing a car that is soo dirty and is there a product I can put on that will help keep it clean?
Cheers guys
Andy
90% of the end result is in the prep.
For the initial dirt removal, snowfoam is made for the job. If you don't have a pressure washer & snowfoam lance then a trip to your local jetwash station will do a reasonable job. Spray the panels with a dilute bodywork shampoo mix, let it dwell whilst you pay for the jetwash and then spray off. Failing that, a similar spray and rinse off with the hose.
Ideally you'd then want to decontaminate the bodywork as a once or twice a year job. This really does make all the difference. Wash, de tar, iron-x, rinse, clay, wash.
If you simply want a single product to add some shine and fill swirls then Bilt Hamber's cleanser-polish is ideal. It won the Practical Classics polish test with a score of 15 out of 15 for a good reason. You also get an applicator pad and microfibre cloth with the bottle.
Failing that then Autoglym SRP does a similar job. SRP gets a bad rap sometimes for being dusty and hard to remove, but you need to work it in properly until it turns waxy. After that it's a piece of cake to buff with no dust. Both cleanse and have a mild cutting action to help remove light swirls, with fillers to hide the remainder, and offer some protection to the paintwork. If you wanted something without the cut then a glaze would suit to clean and fill.
You could then leave it at that, but adding some last stage protection (LSP) over the top will improve the longevity. Wax is often used, but sealants have come on in leaps and bounds and are particularly suited to light coloured cars. Much easier to apply in the cold weather too. For ease of use I don't think you can beat the Werkstat Acrylic Jett. A light spray on, gently buff until it dries. Leave 30 minutes between layers. Each layer should last about a month, so the more you can do the longer they'll last.
After that it's just a case of washing and a spritz with some quick detailer if you're feeling exuberant - it adds a little extra shine and helps maintain the LSP.
For the initial dirt removal, snowfoam is made for the job. If you don't have a pressure washer & snowfoam lance then a trip to your local jetwash station will do a reasonable job. Spray the panels with a dilute bodywork shampoo mix, let it dwell whilst you pay for the jetwash and then spray off. Failing that, a similar spray and rinse off with the hose.
Ideally you'd then want to decontaminate the bodywork as a once or twice a year job. This really does make all the difference. Wash, de tar, iron-x, rinse, clay, wash.
If you simply want a single product to add some shine and fill swirls then Bilt Hamber's cleanser-polish is ideal. It won the Practical Classics polish test with a score of 15 out of 15 for a good reason. You also get an applicator pad and microfibre cloth with the bottle.
Failing that then Autoglym SRP does a similar job. SRP gets a bad rap sometimes for being dusty and hard to remove, but you need to work it in properly until it turns waxy. After that it's a piece of cake to buff with no dust. Both cleanse and have a mild cutting action to help remove light swirls, with fillers to hide the remainder, and offer some protection to the paintwork. If you wanted something without the cut then a glaze would suit to clean and fill.
You could then leave it at that, but adding some last stage protection (LSP) over the top will improve the longevity. Wax is often used, but sealants have come on in leaps and bounds and are particularly suited to light coloured cars. Much easier to apply in the cold weather too. For ease of use I don't think you can beat the Werkstat Acrylic Jett. A light spray on, gently buff until it dries. Leave 30 minutes between layers. Each layer should last about a month, so the more you can do the longer they'll last.
After that it's just a case of washing and a spritz with some quick detailer if you're feeling exuberant - it adds a little extra shine and helps maintain the LSP.
Hi Guys
thanks for the info.
I am about to order the following:
Bilt Hamber Cleanser Polish Gloss Enhancing Paint Refiner
Bilt Hamber Hydra Wax
Bilt Hamber Auto Foam 5 Litres
My thoughts are to use the auto foam to do a pre wash (Snow foam) then wash with the cleanser then wax.
I do have some Meguiars clay i may have a go with, although i may wait untill the weather is a little better for that!!.
Any other recomendations would be good befor i place the order.
Cheers
Andy
thanks for the info.
I am about to order the following:
Bilt Hamber Cleanser Polish Gloss Enhancing Paint Refiner
Bilt Hamber Hydra Wax
Bilt Hamber Auto Foam 5 Litres
My thoughts are to use the auto foam to do a pre wash (Snow foam) then wash with the cleanser then wax.
I do have some Meguiars clay i may have a go with, although i may wait untill the weather is a little better for that!!.
Any other recomendations would be good befor i place the order.
Cheers
Andy
Yep, that's the ticket 
Worth giving it a clay anyway - if it's never been done before they'll be plenty to come off, and it'll be less work for the cleanser-polish to do so should make it easier to apply.
Oh and follow up pics too please
NB the BH auto foam doesn't foam up quite as much as other brands because there's no benefit in doing so, but the surfactants are vastly superior to most. It'll be doing the work without the dramatic effect - can catch people out. Like all BH products it just gets on with the job without drama.
Worth giving it a clay anyway - if it's never been done before they'll be plenty to come off, and it'll be less work for the cleanser-polish to do so should make it easier to apply.
Oh and follow up pics too please
NB the BH auto foam doesn't foam up quite as much as other brands because there's no benefit in doing so, but the surfactants are vastly superior to most. It'll be doing the work without the dramatic effect - can catch people out. Like all BH products it just gets on with the job without drama.
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