BEST CAR CLEANING PRODUCTS

BEST CAR CLEANING PRODUCTS

Author
Discussion

FIESTA ST3 Owner

Original Poster:

40 posts

102 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
Got a black st and wanna give it a good clean and detail when it's better weather what products do you suggest

saaby93

32,038 posts

177 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
shout Elbow Grease

Title caps this time of the year smash
Welcome to 2017 smile

scorcher

3,982 posts

233 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
Fill yer boots........




http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/

MDMA .

8,849 posts

100 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
I'm using Poorboys at the moment. Good value and easy to apply/remove. Blackhole good for a DD dark car.

Alex_225

6,234 posts

200 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
scorcher said:
Fill yer boots........




http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/
And empty your wallet. Great site! smile

Raverbaby

896 posts

185 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
I use Autobrite stuff, pretty impressed, not an expert though.

http://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/car-care-products

dandam

225 posts

151 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
scorcher said:
Fill yer boots........




http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/
Be careful, you could soon find yourself with shelves full of stuff, especially if you want to reach the levels of perfection that Alex_225 manages with his Merc collection.

Having said that you can achieve 90%+ with a trip to Halfords and pick up some Autoglym SRP and HD wax, just depends how long you want to be committed to detailing

lordlee

3,137 posts

244 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
For the best results - clay with farecla clay mitt, followed by a good polish, Id go poorboys blackhole glaze next and finish it with Vics concours wax.
For easier results use an AIO like Autosmart topaz.

Ved

3,825 posts

174 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
Primo Amigo will help you a lot on that car and a good synthetic wax. Detailingworld will see you right. I had a black R32 and did this before spending a small fortune with CleanYourCar.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.p...

Tickle

4,880 posts

203 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
Dodo Juice, autofinesse, bilberry, poorboys, zaino and collinite for winter.

Detailing world is great for info.

Good washing technique is where I would start before spending on expensive products though.

Ninja59

3,691 posts

111 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
Ex member of dw....

Used all sorts, but primarily carpro, dodo juice these days mixed in with some meguiars here and there.

Spent far too much in 10 years of detailing, now in my 11th year. Top of the "tree" is my full scale tub of Zymol Vintage (£2500), do not get me wrong sealants and coatings have there place but wax still feels better from a hobby point of view, and i have played with a number of coatings across my later years.

For many prior to getting into polishing learn to execute your pre wash, 2bm properly but more so your drying technique as one bad wash can be curtains for your finish.

For me basic level for protection:
Wheels and brushes etc: carpro ironx to get clean, tar remove and seal with something like carpro dlux or easier spray on like reload
Pre wash with snow foam bilt hamber autofoam
Rinse
Re snow
2bm with dodo juice born to be mild
Rinse
Open hose rinse
Tar remove
Iron remove
Clay
Rinse
Open hose and dry
Polish or fill defects (i do like as said above amigo). If using polish then i use carpro eraser to remove polishing oils.
Wax or sealant
Clean glass and seal (gtechniq G range or carpro's)
Dress tyres
Clean and seal exhausts

The mx5 has been taken far further with arch liners removed polishing underneath suspension etc. And yes wears Vintage....

Machine polisher wise i love my flex pe14 rotary...had a go with a rupes and still not much of a DA fan.


Edited by Ninja59 on Sunday 1st January 15:16

Alex_225

6,234 posts

200 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
dandam said:
Be careful, you could soon find yourself with shelves full of stuff, especially if you want to reach the levels of perfection that Alex_225 manages with his Merc collection.

Having said that you can achieve 90%+ with a trip to Halfords and pick up some Autoglym SRP and HD wax, just depends how long you want to be committed to detailing
Thank you for the compliment mate. smile

I totally agree too, as with many things there's a lot of snobbery. Having a well cared for car doesn't need expensive products or poncy brands.

GTIAlex

1,935 posts

165 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
You want a snow foam lance, two bucket method using a shampoo of your choice (mines MERS) using a proper mitt and then dry with drying towel...not a leather.

I use cleanyourcar.co.uk for most of my gear but also use EZ detailing products as well as Autobrite.

Its all personal choice really but id recommend Poorboys Black Hole pre wax sealant before applying Poorboys natty black wax.






GTIAlex

1,935 posts

165 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
Although to be honest, Id buy one of these first.


richs2891

895 posts

252 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
Ex DW member as well,

hardest thing is finding products that work well with you and give results you are happy with. Collinite is great for winter use.
For dark coloured cars I especially like this range
http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/blackfire-...




Alex_225

6,234 posts

200 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
GTIAlex said:
You want a snow foam lance, two bucket method using a shampoo of your choice (mines MERS) using a proper mitt and then dry with drying towel...not a leather.
I know there are many fans of snow foam but I've never been convinced. I have a foam lance and Valet Pro PH Neutral foam but i never found it any more effective than a pressure washer on it own. I was recommended some Valet Pro Citrus Pe-Wash which I find eats into the road grime as I antiscipated foam would but never seemed to. All pretence though. smile

Definitely two buckets, mits and drying towels though. Far safer than sponges and a chamois.

J-Tuner

2,855 posts

242 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
I use all manner of cleaning/protection products of varying levels of value/poncyness. Whatever fits best. I have the Gyeon Q2 quartz sealant on my clio for extra protection as i don't get to wash it for 2-3 months at a time, however all the cars get the 2 buckets with a top quality wool wash mitt. What i do do however which has served me well is to get a 5L bulk bottle of a average wash wax shampoo like simoiniz (£11 odd) and stick a push pump in it, alongside mixing a normal 10l bucket up pump some on the the mitt each time it goes back onto the car. Might seem excessive but its an cheap way of reducing scratch risks beyond the normal 2 bucket wash, and works for me smile

I dry my car with microfibre towels and spraying on greased lightning onto the wet car as a drying aid and carnuba wax coat and multiple passes with clean towels to buff off. Massive time saver and comes up well. It wont last as long as a proper wax though i'll admit that.

Autoglym products are generally the best all round for those not wanting to go mad, but not a fan on their low foam shampoo. Meguiars tyre gel is good and stops any fling.

Just replaced my Karcher with a Nilfisk 120 bar - the one on wheels and with various jets and a chassis cleaner nozzle. Brilliant kit.

Edited by J-Tuner on Sunday 1st January 16:54

Ninja59

3,691 posts

111 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
Alex_225 said:
I know there are many fans of snow foam but I've never been convinced. I have a foam lance and Valet Pro PH Neutral foam but i never found it any more effective than a pressure washer on it own. I was recommended some Valet Pro Citrus Pe-Wash which I find eats into the road grime as I antiscipated foam would but never seemed to. All pretence though. smile

Definitely two buckets, mits and drying towels though. Far safer than sponges and a chamois.
It depends what see you the process of a pre wash being critically.

I agree the citrus wash is more effective for cleaning ability than snow foam, flipside under certain conditions it can be too aggressive (equally so can certain snow foams that are more on the alkali side than ph neutral (even those claiming to be incorrectly used will produce something that will damage the lsp)).

I see snow foam in a different light, a mere product to provide a softening effect on the dirt, and as an additonal layer of lubrication protection when doing a 2bm, more so when dealing with soft finishes exhibited by some clearcoats.

In regards to using any form of drying aids, yes they provide more lubrication but on a well protected finish open hose rinsing should remove a lot of water and then you can use the pat or fully spread drying MF techniques without. Drying aids on unprotected finishes though well worth it.


Edited by Ninja59 on Sunday 1st January 17:08

Matt UK

17,649 posts

199 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
I'll ask the guys at my local ex-petrol station car wash what products are being used - will report back.

Tickle

4,880 posts

203 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
Matt UK said:
I'll ask the guys at my local ex-petrol station car wash what products are being used - will report back.
Grit, sponge and fairy liquid