Around £100 to spend on car cleaning products. Autoglym?

[Marf]

I've just received about £100's worth of Halfords vouchers for my birthday and am looking to stock up on a load of car cleaning bits for my MR2. Its been a bit neglected over the winter so I want to treat it to a decent wash, clay, polish and wax

I'm looking at the Autoglym range and these bits are tweaking my interest

Autoglym Valeting Collection Car Wash Kit

Autoglym Clay Surface Detailing Clay Kit

Autoglym High Definition Wax

Is this little lot a good basis for a decent clean, clay, polish and wax or should I be looking at anything else in their range, bearing in mind I'm only looking to buy from Halfrauds.

Cheers

Sam

[belleair302]

What about some products from the Meguiars range in Halfords?

[Marf]

What would you reccomend?

[belleair302]

What 'tools of the trade' do you currently have...ie buckets, grit guards, wash mitts, wheel brushes, microfibres etc? Are you looking at products or tools?

[Marf]

I have two buckets, a wash mit, a wheel brush and a couple of microfibre cloths, but to be honest the cloths are probably past their best.

[belleair302]

Your choices are quite simple.

If Auto Glym is our producty of choice and some people knock their products because it is are retail (AutoGlym make 5* products) I would buy the following.

You will need two buckets and grit guards along with a decent lambs wool mitt or two (Meguiars ones are OK).

Shampoo : Bodywork shampoo

Wheels : Custom Wheel Cleaner

Drying : Hi Tech Drying Towel

Polish : Super Resin Polish

Seal the car with Extra Gloss Protection

Wax : High definition Wax, or Aqua wax if feeling less energetic or for quicker washes later.

Glass : Autoglym Car Glass Polish

Bodywork : Intensive tar remover

Tyres : Vinyl & rubber care.

Autosol is great for shining up alloys and tail pipes.

However you will also need the following.

A number of sponge applicators, some microfibre cloths and pop over to he supermarket to buy a toilet brush, a dish brush and some All Purpose Cleaner along with a cheap spray bottle. These will be used to clean your wheel arches, tyre sidewalls and door shuts etc.

If you go with Meguiars the choice is...

Shampoo : Gold Class

Lambswool Wash Mitt

Smooth Surface Clay kit plus extra Quick detailer as lubricant.

Deep Paint Cleaner

Deep Crystal Polish

Deep Crystal Carnuba Wax

I would stick to the Autoglym products for glass and rubber dressings.

With £100 quid you have room to mix and match so enjoy the task which lies ahead.

Hope this helps.

Edited by belleair302 on Thursday 18th March 13:24

[Marf]

Thanks for your advice belleair

I just got back from Halfords with this little lot:-



Just need to pick up a couple of grit guards and I'm good to go.

Edited by Marf on Saturday 3rd April 15:14

[airsafari87]

And a whole bunch of microfibre cloths!!

If you've got a Costo card or access to one they do packs of 35 i think it is for around £17. 35 might sound excessive but trust me it's well worth having them.

If not try your local `Screwfix' for some or even the likes of Asda or Tesco if you dont have one local to you.

[E21_Ross]

good selection of stuff there. the aqua wax is so easy to apply since the car doesn't have to be thoroughly dried before using. it's downside is it only seems to last a month or so. people knock the autoglym stuff but i've been using it for the last 2-3 years and it's great. i'm only going to start moving to dodo juice etc for next winter.

[PJ S]

Marf said:

Thanks for your advice belleair

I just got back from Halfords with this little lot:-



Just need to pick up a couple of grit guards and I'm good to go.

Okay, now, assuming you've not yet used any of it, return the following....
TW Ice mitt - noodle mf wash mitts look funky, but they're not that benign.
Equally the Meg's GC buff cloth, and the Halfords wheel/grill brush (and the mesh bug thingy, by the looks of it, underneath the brush).

In their place, get a good wool wash mitt - something from the Dodo Juice stable, or the one Ben @ www.carnaubawaxshop.co.uk sells.
Brush wise, the Vikan ones aren't too bad, but in the present absence of the ones I'm trying to get reintroduced, the EZ Detail bush is the next best thing.

[belleair302]

I would say that from Halfords that is not a bad selection. Obviously the online retailers have more choice, but with the vouchers you have that is a pretty good way to start your collection.

Let us know what works, and good luck with getting your car back to how you want it to look.

As time passes and products get used up, do try soem online retailers to help grow your collection, but don't go mad, only buy as things run out!

[Cotty]

belleair302 said:

Autosol is great for shining up alloys and tail pipes.

Thats an abracive isn't it? Not to be used on lacured wheels,

[JB!]

Megs' Gold Class is amazing!

[belleair302]

Cotty said:

belleair302 said:

Autosol is great for shining up alloys and tail pipes.

Thats an abracive isn't it? Not to be used on lacured wheels,

I use it on tail pipes and other metal surfaces, but with care. Would not use on laquered alloys.