Lockdown Detail - How do I go about it?

[omniflow]

It's looking like the weather this week will be more suitable for giving the car a good detail, but I am a little uncertain of the correct sequence.

I have a bunch of products that I bought to maintain the finish on a previous car, and I'd like to use them again. I think it goes without saying that I have a LOT more time available to me at the moment, so I think I can do a proper job spread out over a number of days. The car is a metallic black. At this point I don't think I'm ready to go down the DA polisher route, so I'd like to do as good a job as possible without that.

The products I have are:

Blackfire Wet Diamond All finish paint protection
Blackfire Gloss enhancing polish
Blackfire midnight sun wax

My understanding is that I first wash the car, then working on one panel at a time, I decontaminate with a clay bar, then use the gloss enhancing polish, then all finish paint protection and then finally the wax. Do I have this sequence correct?

Finally, I suspect that the process outlined above is a bit "last decade" and that it's all about Ceramic Coating these days. I might try that in the future, but I want to use the products that I have first.

[TimmyMallett]

I think that sounds about right. I just use what I have (I have allsorts of stuff I've bought over the years but the law of diminishing returns is subjective to all of our budgets)

Ref the DA, you really can't do any damage unless you drop it on the car. It's so much more effective than by hand, and it's really simple and satisfying to polish a car, then watch water just sluice off it. It wont generate enough heat unless you went off to have lunch.

[gweaver]

omniflow said:

My understanding is that I first wash the car, then working on one panel at a time, I decontaminate with a clay bar, then use the gloss enhancing polish, then all finish paint protection and then finally the wax. Do I have this sequence correct?

Best to use tar remover and iron fallout remover before claying, so you don't contaminate the clay bar or mar (scratch) the paint unnecessarily. If you've got rid of the tar and iron, you may not need to clay. The consensus now is not to clay unless you need to, and only if you are planning to polish afterwards.

[richs2891]

I would wash after the de tar / de iron or claying process
Then apply the blackfire products. They are great, used them many times or dark coloured cars

[Pommy]

1. Snow Foam
2. Wash.
3. Tar/Iron.
4. Wash.
5. Clay.
6. Polish.
7. Wax/Sealant.

[bobski1]

Pommy said:

1. Snow Foam
2. Wash.
3. Tar/Iron.
4. Wash.
5. Clay.
6. Polish.
7. Wax/Sealant.

As a total novice without a jet wash, what would be the bare essentials I'd need to be able to do something similar? i don't have any products or cleaned external cars before.

[Pommy]

bobski1 said:

Pommy said:

1. Snow Foam
2. Wash.
3. Tar/Iron.
4. Wash.
5. Clay.
6. Polish.
7. Wax/Sealant.

As a total novice without a jet wash, what would be the bare essentials I'd need to be able to do something similar? i don't have any products or cleaned external cars before.

You could do the snow foam with a pressure pump bottle but bugger that. Just leave this step out.

2 buckets.
Microfiber glove to clean with.
Good microfiber cloths to do the odd wipe and clean
Good waffle weave cloth to dry.
Good car wash liquid.
Good clay kit
Good polish
Good wax or sealant.
Maybe tar remover or iron remover.

Step 1. Ignore if no pressure washer

Step 2. Fill bucket 1 with clean plain water. This is your rinse bucket. Fill bucket 2 with warm water and wash liquid. This is your wash bucket. In bucket 2 first, wash, then rinse washglove in bucket 1. Then back in 2 to wash and so on. Use waffle to dry car before water does. Do wheels first. Then body work. Use Different cleaning on wheels than body obviously. Change water between washing wheels and body.

Step 3. Apply Iron X/Tar remover as directed.

Step 4. Repeat step 2.

Step 5. Use clay kit that should come with a quick detailer spray. spray detailer spray on an area, then run clay over then buff off with microfibre cloth. Keep going to whole car is done. If you drop the clay throwaway - its useless.

Step 6 & 7. Use microfiber cloths to apply any polish, wax etc and 2nd to remove. Polish first and then once applied and wiped off (dont let dry/powder. Wipe on, wipe off) then apply wax and then wipe off.

Step 8. Apply wheel shine if you want.

[gweaver]

For technique and product recommendations, Forensic Detailing channel on Youtube is quite useful. He shares some good info, even if it is long winded at times.

I'd suggest, if you haven't got them already, get:

• Chenille (noodle) wash mitts - they're cheap and safe on paint
• Tri-Foam/German applicator pad, if you're going to be hand polishing - I find these great for spot correction
• Decent foam (for paste or liquid) and/or microfibre (for spray) applicator pads for wax/sealant
• A small selection of decent quality microfibre buffing cloths

I'd recommend CarPro, in2detailing and Klin for quality microfibres. If your budget is tighter, lots of detailing companies re-sell Paragon Microfibres, which are cheap (especially direct from Paragon) and better quality than most high street ones. Use stockinette or cheap soft cloths if applying tar remover by hand - the cloths may be ruined.

You probably also want:

• A strong wax free shampoo (such as Bilt Hamber AutoWash), if you haven't got some already. BH also do AutoFoam, Surfex HD and Korrosol, which are very well regarded
• Strong tar remover (Halfords/Simoniz Bug & Tar won't cut it)
• Some form of panel/IPA wipe

If you're going to hand polish the whole car (after claying), you'll also need time, patience and elbow grease! I've found GTechniq P1 to be really effective by hand, and Meguiars Ultimate Compound is also well regarded.

HTH!

[bobski1]

Okay so I've found a good pressure washer: https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1577941 & https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7850459 (good deal?)

For the products below, do you have particular brands/products you would recommend?

Pommy said:

Snow Foam
Microfiber glove
Microfiber cloths - Paragon
Waffle weave cloth to dry - is this instead of a leather chamois?
Car wash liquid - is this what you mixed in the detergent bottle?
Clay kit
Polish
Wax/Sealant
Iron remover.

Iron remover - for removing brake dust, is this applied all over the car? Again what brand/product?
I have some Autoglym tar & adhesive remover - what is this used for?

[R1gtr]

I spent ages looking on here for recommendations and at the Forensic Detailing YouTube channel before buying a pile of new kit.
I went with a refurbished Nilfisk power washer and then set about choosing products which I have now tried and am very happy with. cost was a big factor for me so in some cases buying 5litres was actually more economical than buying 1litre.

Snow foam- Bilt Hamber 5L with an upgraded snow foam lance.
Degreaser- BIlt Hamber Surfex HD 5L.
Iron Remover - Bilt Hamber Korrosol
Wheels- Bilt Hamber Wheels.
Shampoo- Bilt Hamber Auto Wash (only 5ml per wash, use a measuring syringe)
Tar Removal I actually use Autoglym and find it decent, make sure to wash it all off.

You may not need to clay the car after a tar Removal and Iron fallout clean. Once you have done the wash and the above then gently run figures along lower parts of door and behind the arches, if it's not completely smooth then a clay may be beneficial to remove the little bits of dirt and oxidation that are left.

As mentioned, 2 buckets and a decent mitt/sponge. I got one of these as they are highly recommended and it's superb, better than any sponge or mitt I have used befor.
https://www.slimsdetailing.co.uk/microfiber-madnes...

I got most of my bits from the above company and service and price was spot on.

A decent drying towel and a pile of microfibre towels and you are good to go.

Afterwards polish and wax, so many different types and products here. I have a Black car so use Poor Boys Black hole as a polish/filler then a coat of Bilt Hamber Double Speed Wax on top.

For dressing trims and tyres I went for CarPro Perl and it's great.

[Dr Nookie]

R1gtr said:

I
Shampoo- Bilt Hamber Auto Wash (only 5ml per wash, use a measuring syringe)

.

I've just got myself some of this and was looking at dilution. It does say 5mil per bucket (10ltr) but the 2 buckets set I got from some detailing place or other are 20ltr so I'm assuming that really should be using 10ml of product.