what happened to using a bucket and a sponge?
Discussion
PH User said:
Froomee said:
Careful, you might end up in the bad parking thread
InitialDave said:
Pommy said:
Do you still wipe your arse with the tracing paper stuff in the old school days? If not, why not.
My ring involuntarily clenched reading that! How long did it hang around for? I'm not even 40, and I remember the hateful stuff. My gran insisted on using it, too.I learned the old builders trick of taking lengths of it, and scrunching it up tightly into little balls whilst waiting for the poo chute to do its work. When they were unscrunched they would `just' about do the job, expected of a piece of toilet paper.
Edited by Pan Pan Pan on Tuesday 30th March 11:20
Edited by Pan Pan Pan on Tuesday 30th March 11:21
Ninja59 said:
stuttgartmetal said:
There’s a lot to be said for using a good leaf blower.
my choice of drying tool!Chris Type R said:
TarquinMX5 said:
Do all of you posters on here live in the same area? I hardly ever see anybody washing their cars these days; a couple of people in my neighbourhood oocasionally have a valeter in to clean the cars, one chap occasionally powerhoses his cars but otger that, it's a rare sight.
Of course, the old hand-wash sites used to have massive queues, not so much recently.
It's made me try and remember when I last saw somebody checking their car, bonnet open etc?
I find washing/polishing the car rather cathartic - albeit something I rarely have an opportunity to engage in anymore.Of course, the old hand-wash sites used to have massive queues, not so much recently.
It's made me try and remember when I last saw somebody checking their car, bonnet open etc?
We live in an area of relatively high pedestrian throughput - judging by the stares I get I must be in the minority that still do wash cars on the driveway.
Chris Type R said:
Ninja59 said:
stuttgartmetal said:
There’s a lot to be said for using a good leaf blower.
my choice of drying tool!I'm not OCD about car cleaning... though I do have the occasional spare hour or two where I'll make a reasonable attempt to clean the finger prints off, hoover up enough sand to refill a good sized beach and attempt to make the plastics look less knackered.
However, I can't remember the last time I used a sponge... a mitt is just so much easier and better to use. That said I can't remember the last time I used a mitt either. I just snowfoam them (Bilt Hamber autofoam or Surfex HD) then pressure rinse... gets them reasonably clean / washes off the muck and takes minutes. Quite therapeutic too.
I have watched a neighbour drag out the old kitchen bucket and a caravan brush thing and go straight as his year old black 308 or whatever it is which makes me wince a bit. Granted I've never felt the urge to machine polish mine but the swirls when the sun hits his are biblical. A wee bit care can make a big difference.
As for cleaning the house... I've done it. Used Surfex HD in the snowfoam lance and soaked the gutters and sofets then realised how much muck came off so fired it at the walls, rinsed and the difference was remarkable. Also done my garage door, windows and the wheely bins too. Spray on, wait 5 minutes, rinse off. Used to do the conservatory in a similar manner, much to my neighbours surprise.
Ideally I'd like to get the cars cleaned, properly decontaminated then machine polished and some sort of good wax on... if only to make the subsequent spray, wait, rinse half arsed process even easier in future but then I remind myself that I have no time and a family who treat them worse than those abused donkeys we used to hear about.
However, I can't remember the last time I used a sponge... a mitt is just so much easier and better to use. That said I can't remember the last time I used a mitt either. I just snowfoam them (Bilt Hamber autofoam or Surfex HD) then pressure rinse... gets them reasonably clean / washes off the muck and takes minutes. Quite therapeutic too.
I have watched a neighbour drag out the old kitchen bucket and a caravan brush thing and go straight as his year old black 308 or whatever it is which makes me wince a bit. Granted I've never felt the urge to machine polish mine but the swirls when the sun hits his are biblical. A wee bit care can make a big difference.
As for cleaning the house... I've done it. Used Surfex HD in the snowfoam lance and soaked the gutters and sofets then realised how much muck came off so fired it at the walls, rinsed and the difference was remarkable. Also done my garage door, windows and the wheely bins too. Spray on, wait 5 minutes, rinse off. Used to do the conservatory in a similar manner, much to my neighbours surprise.
Ideally I'd like to get the cars cleaned, properly decontaminated then machine polished and some sort of good wax on... if only to make the subsequent spray, wait, rinse half arsed process even easier in future but then I remind myself that I have no time and a family who treat them worse than those abused donkeys we used to hear about.
PH does it again, I’ve just spent almost 50 quid on two drying towels to replace the one I bought in 2013. However they have definitely changed what a “drying towel” should be as my old one is similar in design to a small bath towel whereas these new ones look like supercharged Microfibre cloths 
Davie said:
I have watched a neighbour drag out the old kitchen bucket and a caravan brush thing and go straight as his year old black 308 or whatever it is which makes me wince a bit. Granted I've never felt the urge to machine polish mine but the swirls when the sun hits his are biblical. A wee bit care can make a big difference.
Perhaps for the majority of people a 'cleaned' car is simply one that has had the majority of the dirt removed, and seeing swirls in paintwork is the gold standard for a clean car?The detailing scene appears to have a different aim - for paintwork to be glass-like (though still not the kind of glass that people generally see/see through).
Car manufacturers don't seem to be aiming for the latter so presumably are satisfied with a shiny colour finish as well?
Maybe there are no right or wrong, just differing viewpoints.
AC43 said:
I did it - or at least had a brick expert do it. I's always wondered why some developed houses looked better than others.
I ended up having all the original brickwork acid-cleaned to take out 90 years of London grime so it matched the new bricks in the infills & extension.
Then had the whole lot groove pointed to tie it all together.
While he was at it got the remaining old sections of roof tiles done too.
Detailed house. Massive improvement LOL.
We did too. Covered what was a sad looking ugly house in new render and it made a world of difference world of difference. If you are going to live somewhere it may as well look nice. I clean our windows with the pressure washer and fusso glasso once a year too. Pressure wash the cat prints off the walls once a month too. House is the most expensive thing I’ve ever bought so might as well keep it nice. Same applies to the cars but I’m not that obsessive. I ended up having all the original brickwork acid-cleaned to take out 90 years of London grime so it matched the new bricks in the infills & extension.
Then had the whole lot groove pointed to tie it all together.
While he was at it got the remaining old sections of roof tiles done too.
Detailed house. Massive improvement LOL.
Prohibiting said:
PH does it again, I’ve just spent almost 50 quid on two drying towels to replace the one I bought in 2013. However they have definitely changed what a “drying towel” should be as my old one is similar in design to a small bath towel whereas these new ones look like supercharged Microfibre cloths
I’ve been impressed with these:https://www.in2detailing.co.uk/products/korean-mic...
My car is black and unfortunately it lives outside-usually only driven on weekends,but it’s so hard to keep clean-it gets one or two proper sessions a year where I clay bar it and use some expensive wax(and it looks brilliant-for a couple of days).I really can’t spare the time to do this every weekend !!
Just washed one of our cars today. 3 hours. Snow foam, jet wash, 2 bucket wash, clay, glaze and wax. A bit over the top maybe but I bought the car used in January and for various reasons haven't had a chance to wash it since and it was properly disgusting. Absolutely covered in winter grime and general countryside! It really could use a polish but that is a serious commitment for another time.
I enjoy it and find it quite satisfying though I would say it's hard to rationalise. I recognise that I'm in the odd camp rather than the righteous! The only thing I would say is that I do take care to do things that should help prolong the life of the car. Cleaning the underside and inside the arches and leaves out of bulkhead etc. The crud that comes out of there is eye watering and if left there is a rot trap. That side of things seems more valuable than having glossy paintwork though the latter is much more satisfying.
I enjoy it and find it quite satisfying though I would say it's hard to rationalise. I recognise that I'm in the odd camp rather than the righteous! The only thing I would say is that I do take care to do things that should help prolong the life of the car. Cleaning the underside and inside the arches and leaves out of bulkhead etc. The crud that comes out of there is eye watering and if left there is a rot trap. That side of things seems more valuable than having glossy paintwork though the latter is much more satisfying.
Twig62 said:
I just wished that I could get the windows sparkling clean. I've tried so many different products and technics and always think that I have done a great job until I am driving into the sun and can suddenly see all the blotches on the inside of the windscreen !
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