Cleaning your car on road trips - how?

[moveover]

To all you enthusiasts who go galavanting across Europe or further afield: what do you do when your car needs a wash? Assuming most of you have OCD syndrome when cleaning it at home, what's the best way to satisfy that urge whilst en route?

Just interested as planning a trip myself and, yes I admit, also suffer from obsessive cleaning disorder.

[Tony V12V]

moveover said:

To all you enthusiasts who go galavanting across Europe or further afield: what do you do when your car needs a wash? Assuming most of you have OCD syndrome when cleaning it at home, what's the best way to satisfy that urge whilst en route?

Just interested as planning a trip myself and, yes I admit, also suffer from obsessive cleaning disorder.

I believe its illegal on Euro road trips to wash yer mota but I'm sure Molly, Yeti, Mikey et all will confirm.

[peterr96]

Yeti
Tell em all you know!

[v8woollie]

moveover said:

To all you enthusiasts who go galavanting across Europe or further afield: what do you do when your car needs a wash? Assuming most of you have OCD syndrome when cleaning it at home, what's the best way to satisfy that urge whilst en route?

Just interested as planning a trip myself and, yes I admit, also suffer from obsessive cleaning disorder.

I will be making mine wait until it gets home for a wash and brush up. I do not inetnd to spend valuable wine tasting time washing the car. I may bring a sponge with a net side for getting bugs off the windscreen and a small chamois to dry the screen but that is it.

[yeti]

Wear the dirt like a badge of honour! Proudly show the brake dust as the mark of someone who drives fast and brakes late! Why the hell would you clean it, unless you are going to show it at your destination?

The only thing I clean is the windscreen and the mirrors

[peterr96]

yeti said:

Wear the dirt like a badge of honour! Proudly show the brake dust as the mark of someone who drives fast and brakes late! Why the hell would you clean it, unless you are going to show it at your destination?

The only thing I clean is the windscreen and the mirrors

With Cockernee driving, Nick will also have to add pants to that list.

[yeti]

peterr96 said:

With Cockernee driving, Nick will also have to add pants to that list.

I think the only thing cleaned out on that trip will be any hotel safes

[Cockernee]

peterr96 said:

yeti said:

Wear the dirt like a badge of honour! Proudly show the brake dust as the mark of someone who drives fast and brakes late! Why the hell would you clean it, unless you are going to show it at your destination?

The only thing I clean is the windscreen and the mirrors

With Cockernee driving, Nick will also have to add pants to that list.

[jonby]

no brake dust with ceramics yeti :-)

[v8woollie]

jonby said:

no brake dust with ceramics yeti :-)

Having clean wheels after a long drive is a bit like wearing new trainers - just doesn't look right

[Cockernee]

jonby said:

no brake dust with ceramics yeti :-)

Let me drive it then Trust me you can

[paddy328]

As much as I always tell people they need to clean and look after their cars, I wouldn't wash it at all. It would be cool to have it looking really dirty after a long trip. Just make sure it's protected before you go.

If you want to wash the bugs off your screen, get some of this stuff:

http://www.shinearama.co.uk/bilt-hamber-surfex-hd-...

Spray it on, let it dwell for a bit, agitate with a damp microfiber towel or bug sponge and use either a bottle of water or the washer jets and wipers to remove.

Hope that helps.

[Tony V12V]

Cockernee said:

jonby said:

no brake dust with ceramics yeti :-)

Let me drive it then Trust me you can

I get dust (or a form of)...maybe I'm using them too much

[jonby]

Cockernee said:

jonby said:

no brake dust with ceramics yeti :-)

Let me drive it then Trust me you can

I've obviously not been driving it hard enough yet :-)

[Little Donkey]

moveover said:

To all you enthusiasts who go galavanting across Europe or further afield: what do you do when your car needs a wash? Assuming most of you have OCD syndrome when cleaning it at home, what's the best way to satisfy that urge whilst en route?

Just interested as planning a trip myself and, yes I admit, also suffer from obsessive cleaning disorder.

I keep a bottle of this http://www.autobright.co.uk/product_p/xc-750.htm is the boot, just in case a little mid outing spruce up is in order. Having a couple of decent microfibre cloth is a must, though.

[v8woollie]

Little Donkey said:

I keep a bottle of this http://www.autobright.co.uk/product_p/xc-750.htm is the boot, just in case a little mid outing spruce up is in order. Having a couple of decent microfibre cloth is a must, though.

Francis is going to have a heart attack when he sees that!

[paddy328]

Haha, waterless wash systems are not for cars that have covered x thousand miles across Europe. To be honest, I would just not use them full stop. Bare in mind that some Aston paint colours are quite soft and easy to marr the paintwork using a big fluffy towel on a clean car, god knows what it would do on a filthy salt and grit covered one!!!

[mikey k]

Tony V12V said:

I believe its illegal on Euro road trips to wash yer mota but I'm sure Molly, Yeti, Mikey et all will confirm.

I never clean mine until I get back
You will do more harm than good smearing it all around trying to remove it
All I take is a mesh covered sponge and a microfibre for the glass

Seeing it build up is another momento of the trip


Eurohoon 2011 02 to end 049 by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr

[MollyGTi]

mikey k said:

Tony V12V said:

I believe its illegal on Euro road trips to wash yer mota but I'm sure Molly, Yeti, Mikey et all will confirm.

I never clean mine until I get back
You will do more harm than good smearing it all around trying to remove it
All I take is a mesh covered sponge and a microfibre for the glass

Seeing it build up is another momento of the trip

Cleaning anything other than glass areas is simply not allowed on Petrolhead Nirvana's tours

[AMDBSNick]

Cockernee said:

We'll see