BEST CAR CLEANING PRODUCTS
Discussion
ChrisRS6 said:
Il await all the "abbreviations" and "in the know knowledge" in this thread.
I love a clean car but come on...absolutely nothing wrong with the likes of Autoglym etc...just as good in the "real world".
This. Unless the car is a garage queen required to be kept concourse, you're never going to get the emotional or financial payback by taking 14 hours 'detailing' your 318d every week.I love a clean car but come on...absolutely nothing wrong with the likes of Autoglym etc...just as good in the "real world".
J-Tuner said:
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 
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.
I assume your talking about showroom shine? If so I have yet to find anything else as easy, cheap, effective etc. 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 said:
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.
I guess for me it's about removing as much dirt as possible prior to making any kind of contact with the car. From that angle I never found foam any more beneficial than a pressure washer alone. I was recommended the Citrus Pre-Wash by a detailer who uses it on each wash, he gave me some to try and I was won over. 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.
I agree though mate, as an addition to lubrication the paintwork when washing a thick foam that clings definitely has it's advantages on that front.
I've tried quite a few things over the past year as I'm new to the whole detailing thing. I found Valet Pro snow foam to be great IF mixed properly.
The PH Neutral Snow Foam is a waste of time but the Advanced version is MUCH better. I usually use 200ml sf to 800ml of water. You then twist the dials on the lance so it's thick, but not shaving foam thick, usually sticks on for about 3 or 4 minutes then you rinse. It's fantastic stuff and definitely makes a difference.
I won't go into tons of detail but this is my usual wash routine:
Pre-wash with Valet Pro Advanced Neutral Snow Foam
Wheels get a 1 Bucket wash with Gtechniq G Wash, Wheel Woolies & a Wo-Wo microfibre wheel mitt
2 Bucket wash with Gtechniq G Wash & Wo-Wo lambswool wash mitt
Dry the car with a couple Gtechniq drying towels
Engine bay I use Meguairs Engine Degreaser & Dressing and a microfibre cloth
Glass gets cleaned with the shampoo and wash mitt then followed up with Gtechniq G6 perfect glass and a Wo-Wo Glass Cloth
Interior I use Gtechniq Citrus APC.
Tyre Dressing - Gyeon Q2 Tire or Achem HiShine
The car is coated every 3 months with Gyeon Can Coat on the paint, 2 coats of Gyeon Q2M Rim on the wheels and the chrome exhaust. I've also got 2 coats of Gtechniq G1 on the glass. Interior wise I've got Gyeon Q2 Fabriccoat on the fabric bits and Gyeon Q2 Leathercoat on the leather bits.
When it comes to polishes and polish machines I'm still relatively clueless but I've had excellent results on my car with Menzerna polishes and Chemical Guys Hex-Logic pads used on a Meguiars DA. Mostly to tidy up light marks that were present on delivery/dealer inflicted.
The gloss and reflections from the proper wash, lack of scratches and swirls and the coatings are really nice. I'm no expert at detailing but I'm happy with the quality of paint on my car! Yes, it's a daily driver and yes it takes quite a bit of time and patience to wash it properly but I like having a properly clean well kept car. People may laugh and joke about it but do what makes you happy.
If you hate cleaning wheelsand even it's the only thing you take away from this post - get some Gyeon Q2M Rim. It's insane on alloys. You can jet wash to 95% clean and then for the final 5% use some basic car shampoo. Special wheel cleaners are just not required and the sealant makes tackling the wheels super easy.
The PH Neutral Snow Foam is a waste of time but the Advanced version is MUCH better. I usually use 200ml sf to 800ml of water. You then twist the dials on the lance so it's thick, but not shaving foam thick, usually sticks on for about 3 or 4 minutes then you rinse. It's fantastic stuff and definitely makes a difference.
I won't go into tons of detail but this is my usual wash routine:
Pre-wash with Valet Pro Advanced Neutral Snow Foam
Wheels get a 1 Bucket wash with Gtechniq G Wash, Wheel Woolies & a Wo-Wo microfibre wheel mitt
2 Bucket wash with Gtechniq G Wash & Wo-Wo lambswool wash mitt
Dry the car with a couple Gtechniq drying towels
Engine bay I use Meguairs Engine Degreaser & Dressing and a microfibre cloth
Glass gets cleaned with the shampoo and wash mitt then followed up with Gtechniq G6 perfect glass and a Wo-Wo Glass Cloth
Interior I use Gtechniq Citrus APC.
Tyre Dressing - Gyeon Q2 Tire or Achem HiShine
The car is coated every 3 months with Gyeon Can Coat on the paint, 2 coats of Gyeon Q2M Rim on the wheels and the chrome exhaust. I've also got 2 coats of Gtechniq G1 on the glass. Interior wise I've got Gyeon Q2 Fabriccoat on the fabric bits and Gyeon Q2 Leathercoat on the leather bits.
When it comes to polishes and polish machines I'm still relatively clueless but I've had excellent results on my car with Menzerna polishes and Chemical Guys Hex-Logic pads used on a Meguiars DA. Mostly to tidy up light marks that were present on delivery/dealer inflicted.
The gloss and reflections from the proper wash, lack of scratches and swirls and the coatings are really nice. I'm no expert at detailing but I'm happy with the quality of paint on my car! Yes, it's a daily driver and yes it takes quite a bit of time and patience to wash it properly but I like having a properly clean well kept car. People may laugh and joke about it but do what makes you happy.
If you hate cleaning wheelsand even it's the only thing you take away from this post - get some Gyeon Q2M Rim. It's insane on alloys. You can jet wash to 95% clean and then for the final 5% use some basic car shampoo. Special wheel cleaners are just not required and the sealant makes tackling the wheels super easy.
Edited by ashleyman on Sunday 1st January 23:05
finlo said:
I assume your talking about showroom shine? If so I have yet to find anything else as easy, cheap, effective etc.
Thats the one. Supposedly you can use it as a waterless cleaning product if you have a base coat on but i'd never do that. As a drying aid and fast wax application using microfibre towels it works a treat for those who can't spend hours on it.Raverbaby said:
I use Autobrite stuff, pretty impressed, not an expert though.
http://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/car-care-products
I also use Autobrite stuff. Highly recommended.http://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/car-care-products
OP, if you're literally starting from scratch, may I make a personal recommendation on products you should arm yourself with.
2x buckets (£10ish)
1x grit guard for your rinse bucket (sub £10)
2x microfibre wash mitts (£20)
2-3 microfibre drying towels (£10-15 unbranded)
Autoglym shampoo (£10)
Autoglym Super Resin Polish (£10)
Collinite 845 wax (£20)
The grit guard, Collinite and drying towels you'll get from eBay, the rest you can pick up in Halfords.
There's lots of other process and products you can go for but from personal experience you'll get a better than average finish if you use some Super Resin and a layer of long lasting wax.
2x buckets (£10ish)
1x grit guard for your rinse bucket (sub £10)
2x microfibre wash mitts (£20)
2-3 microfibre drying towels (£10-15 unbranded)
Autoglym shampoo (£10)
Autoglym Super Resin Polish (£10)
Collinite 845 wax (£20)
The grit guard, Collinite and drying towels you'll get from eBay, the rest you can pick up in Halfords.
There's lots of other process and products you can go for but from personal experience you'll get a better than average finish if you use some Super Resin and a layer of long lasting wax.
Alex_225 said:
There's lots of other process and products you can go for but from personal experience you'll get a better than average finish if you use some Super Resin and a layer of long lasting wax.
Autoglym products aren't all that, there are certainly better shampoos (for less money) and the resin polish is full of fillers. If you've got a good finish you'll be much better off with a wax. Everyone has their favourite but I like the Bilt Hamber Finis wax.I use Autoglanz Products and cannot fault any of them.
https://auto-glanz.co.uk/
Also, I received an email from them this morning with the code JAN20 for 20% off, you get free stickers using that code as well
https://auto-glanz.co.uk/
Also, I received an email from them this morning with the code JAN20 for 20% off, you get free stickers using that code as well
trickywoo said:
Autoglym products aren't all that, there are certainly better shampoos (for less money) and the resin polish is full of fillers. If you've got a good finish you'll be much better off with a wax. Everyone has their favourite but I like the Bilt Hamber Finis wax.
It depends entirely on what you're hoping to achieve. There are a handful of their products that I always have available for various bits and pieces, others I'm less keen on. They're a solid, no frills brand that for someone just starting out serve a good purpose. Super Resin Polish as you say contains a lot of fillers but leaves a good finish which is all most people want, that can then be topped up with a long lasting wax. Super Resin followed by something like Collinite or Finishkare wax will leave a good shine and good protection.
I recently detailed my E Class - clayed, Menzerna polish by DA, Poorboys Wet Mirror Finish applied, sealed with Britemax Extreme Elements and then a layer of Collinite 845 for good measure. This was the result.
Fact is though if someone asks me what products to buy when looking to start out, a load of weird and wonderful brands can be overwhelming. Solid brands like Autoglym or Meguiars serve a purpose and can still give a car the cosmetic edge over the average mum tank scraped to death at the car wash! haha
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