Cleaning Advice
Discussion
I'm sure this seems like a ridiculous question, but does anybody have some tips on washing their Tuscan?
I want to make sure not to cause any further confusion for my poor doors and windows (and any other piece of electronics that could throw a fit if unintentionally doused!) Only had her for 8 days and the 1000 miles covered has put a real film on her, and I'd rather go out and drive dirty than have to wait a day or two for my windows to get through the trauma!
I want to make sure not to cause any further confusion for my poor doors and windows (and any other piece of electronics that could throw a fit if unintentionally doused!) Only had her for 8 days and the 1000 miles covered has put a real film on her, and I'd rather go out and drive dirty than have to wait a day or two for my windows to get through the trauma!
Handwash, low pressure hose, try not to spray into the engine bay (easily done with that bonnet) or directly onto door seals, roof seals and rear window seals.
I used the above and had no issues related to water ingress. I tended to wash the car after every use (I am like that with my toys, not with the everyday car which is worth more though
)
I used the above and had no issues related to water ingress. I tended to wash the car after every use (I am like that with my toys, not with the everyday car which is worth more though
)I bucket wash (2 buckets, both with grit guards) and microfibre mit. Dry with microfibre towel. If not too dirty, waterless detailer as has been said. I never use a hose and forget a pressure washer! Of course Mine never sees rain or a dirty road so its usually just dust and dead flies anyway.
There's a whole world of 'detailing' that you could spend a lot of time and money on but, in short, what you are trying to do is take the dirt off the car while at the same time introducing as few new microscopic scratches to the surface as possible.
Soak car to soften dirt. Can just use a hose.
Use a good quality shampoo and a sheepskin wash mitt and start at the top and work down. Use 2 buckets - one to rinse the mitt and the other to hold the clean shampoo. Think about using another mitt for the lower sections of the car. Wheels - a soft brush.
Rinse and then PAT dry with a large microfible made for the job. Do not use a shammy leather or anything else to RUB the paint dry.
Soak car to soften dirt. Can just use a hose.
Use a good quality shampoo and a sheepskin wash mitt and start at the top and work down. Use 2 buckets - one to rinse the mitt and the other to hold the clean shampoo. Think about using another mitt for the lower sections of the car. Wheels - a soft brush.
Rinse and then PAT dry with a large microfible made for the job. Do not use a shammy leather or anything else to RUB the paint dry.
I had water ingress problems with my Tuscan in the passenger footwell. Alarm, immobiliser, door controller all filled with water at some point or another and it turned out to be the dashboard trim wasn't trimmed off properly around the bottom of the windscreen when it was built! so was acting like a siphon when the windscreen was wet.
Fortunately the windscreen was chipped and need to be replaced that's when it was spotted.
So now I try not to use too much water and stick to just the buckets and no hose pipe. I also use the quick wash stuff which is ok if the car is just dusty.
Fortunately the windscreen was chipped and need to be replaced that's when it was spotted.
So now I try not to use too much water and stick to just the buckets and no hose pipe. I also use the quick wash stuff which is ok if the car is just dusty.
blueg33 said:
gutu12 said:
A waterless wash would solve the dilemma..
Indeed, but how do they avoid scratching the car especially when its covered in winter type road film? Genuinely interested to knowI wasn't convinced but someone reasonably well known in the TVR polishing world convinced me it was OK to use, what a mess, scratches everywhere, which I had to removes with copius amounts of elbow grease and Dodo Juice Lime prime polish. I've never used it again apart from cleaning the lightest of dust coverings on the lower surfaces of the car.
V8 GRF said:
You can't avoid scratching the car with the waterless stuff if the car needs a proper clean, regardless of what they claim.
I wasn't convinced but someone reasonably well known in the TVR polishing world convinced me it was OK to use, what a mess, scratches everywhere, which I had to removes with copius amounts of elbow grease and Dodo Juice Lime prime polish. I've never used it again apart from cleaning the lightest of dust coverings on the lower surfaces of the car.
This is what I have thought. With a hose pipe you can wash off the loosely adhered particles with no,contact, with the waterless stuff I reckon there is more change of dragging some across the surface purely because with a pre rinse with a hose they would be removed, but with waterless they are still thereI wasn't convinced but someone reasonably well known in the TVR polishing world convinced me it was OK to use, what a mess, scratches everywhere, which I had to removes with copius amounts of elbow grease and Dodo Juice Lime prime polish. I've never used it again apart from cleaning the lightest of dust coverings on the lower surfaces of the car.
Never had this problem with the chemical guys stuff. Are you using enough of it?
Will it safely remove tar, caked on mud? Of course not but you're liable to leave some light scratching trying to remove these even with the two bucket method, without the appropriate products.
If your car is heavy with dirt then snow foam it and rinse first. (I always snow foam first) then use the waterless. The key thing of course is to build up protection overtime on top of your clear coat with (insert product here).
Anyway I was just offering a possible alternative to the full on jet wash.
Really it's whatever products and methods that suit you.
Will it safely remove tar, caked on mud? Of course not but you're liable to leave some light scratching trying to remove these even with the two bucket method, without the appropriate products.
If your car is heavy with dirt then snow foam it and rinse first. (I always snow foam first) then use the waterless. The key thing of course is to build up protection overtime on top of your clear coat with (insert product here).
Anyway I was just offering a possible alternative to the full on jet wash.
Really it's whatever products and methods that suit you.
After having swirls and scratches removed ( paint correction) by a very reputable professional , I asked how best to avoid inducing further damage to the paint with future washes. The advice was that simply rinsing the carwith a low pressure water hose prior to wash didn't remove/loosen as much of the surface crud and gritty deposits as I thought, the answer was a snow foamer. I took the advice and bought a snow foam attachment for a pressure washer together with ph neutral snow foam fluid, apply foam. ........... leave for ten minutes and then rinse off with pressure washer ( not on full pressure and avoiding the sensitive areas mentioned earlier in this post), then wash with ph neutral shampoo using two bucket method. I have had the Tuscan for 7 years and this is the best advice I have had regarding washing it! , I have always as most owners been fastidious when it comes to washing and waxing etc, quite honestly the snow foam prewash has made a huge difference in both the cleaning process and swirl, scratch free results. It was not outrageously expensive ( trawl the web) and in my opinion well worth while, it really works and lifts off the damaging dirt prior to the shampoo ( hand contact and pressure) .
Waterless washing is a no no. Look at this video of just a dusty car being cleaned with a waterless product. Imagine the carnage on a car with road dirt on it rather than just surface dust.
http://youtu.be/BDevg-0x0jI
http://youtu.be/BDevg-0x0jI
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