Alternative to CarPlan T-Cut
Discussion
Folks,
I have a set of 18" alloys on my car that I haven't had the chance to wash since probably November, mostly due to the weather. They were given a good few coats of wheelwax (the pink stuff in the small tub - poorboys?) when they went onto the car last spring but all the washing over the course of the year has eroded the wax protection.
Now, due to the amount of gritting and the lack of washing, my wheels are a mess. I gave them a really good hot soapy wash this morning and managed to get two back to as-new condition using T-Cut before the rain came on.
I have read on various forums over the past couple of years that CarPlan's T-Cut is pretty crap so my question is this - what alternative is there for general purpose cleaning?
I don't have a rotary polisher (and don't intend to buy one) so I am looking for something to remove the odd very shallow scratch, tar spots, yellowing on wheels etc.
I know the T-Cut produces swirls when used on paintwork but is there another product that will be abrasive enough to remove what I need it to remove without creating swirls?
Cheers
Andy
I have a set of 18" alloys on my car that I haven't had the chance to wash since probably November, mostly due to the weather. They were given a good few coats of wheelwax (the pink stuff in the small tub - poorboys?) when they went onto the car last spring but all the washing over the course of the year has eroded the wax protection.
Now, due to the amount of gritting and the lack of washing, my wheels are a mess. I gave them a really good hot soapy wash this morning and managed to get two back to as-new condition using T-Cut before the rain came on.
I have read on various forums over the past couple of years that CarPlan's T-Cut is pretty crap so my question is this - what alternative is there for general purpose cleaning?
I don't have a rotary polisher (and don't intend to buy one) so I am looking for something to remove the odd very shallow scratch, tar spots, yellowing on wheels etc.
I know the T-Cut produces swirls when used on paintwork but is there another product that will be abrasive enough to remove what I need it to remove without creating swirls?
Cheers
Andy
What are you looking to clean, your alloy wheels or you paintwork?
For wheels a product like Bilberry Wheel Cleaner which when diluted with water will remove after a few minutes most of the debris on your wheels, then protect them with a decent wheel wax...not regular car wax.
To clean your paint the options are simple.
Wash the car with a decent shampoo, use the two bucket method, use either a decent sheepskin mitt or a natural sea sponge....not an orgnge cellulose one found on the high street.
Dry the car with a good quality drying towel, a waffle weave design is excellent.
Then invest in some decent clay (Bilt Hamber) and clay your paintowrk. Why Bilt Hamber well it is easy to use, requires only water as a lubricant and is not over aggressive.
Wash and dry the car again.
Now polish the paintwork using a decent polish. There are many available but for most people Autoglym Super Resin Polish is adequate. This will renourish your paintwork and is filler heavy so will fill in many of your swirlmarks. I could list dozens of other products but have no idea about your budget, time constraints, your car etc.
Finally protect your paintwork with a good quality sealant and top off with two coats of wax. Waxing in today's weather is not so easy because a good quality wax needs to be warm, not +5c onto a cold car.
If you can supply us with more information we can I am sure advise you upon technique, products, materials and how to return your paintwork to its former glory.
How aware are you of the vast range of products out there and how much time do you have to keep your car looking good?
For wheels a product like Bilberry Wheel Cleaner which when diluted with water will remove after a few minutes most of the debris on your wheels, then protect them with a decent wheel wax...not regular car wax.
To clean your paint the options are simple.
Wash the car with a decent shampoo, use the two bucket method, use either a decent sheepskin mitt or a natural sea sponge....not an orgnge cellulose one found on the high street.
Dry the car with a good quality drying towel, a waffle weave design is excellent.
Then invest in some decent clay (Bilt Hamber) and clay your paintowrk. Why Bilt Hamber well it is easy to use, requires only water as a lubricant and is not over aggressive.
Wash and dry the car again.
Now polish the paintwork using a decent polish. There are many available but for most people Autoglym Super Resin Polish is adequate. This will renourish your paintwork and is filler heavy so will fill in many of your swirlmarks. I could list dozens of other products but have no idea about your budget, time constraints, your car etc.
Finally protect your paintwork with a good quality sealant and top off with two coats of wax. Waxing in today's weather is not so easy because a good quality wax needs to be warm, not +5c onto a cold car.
If you can supply us with more information we can I am sure advise you upon technique, products, materials and how to return your paintwork to its former glory.
How aware are you of the vast range of products out there and how much time do you have to keep your car looking good?
Hi Ally, spotted you at the side of your van when I was on my way back from Livi earlier today - was almost past before I spotted you though.
belleair302 - I've got a fair idea of decent products to use and how to apply/remove them. I use a lambswool mit, 2 bucket method, and dodo juice shampoo. The actual cleaning/polishing/waxing is not really an issue - I think I manage okay on that side of things & produce what I consider to be a decent result.
It's just my use of T-Cut that I was wondering about. I use it to remove the odd minor scratch from the bodywork, tar spots too and and marks left by bird poo that I haven't cleaned off quickly enough. I also use it to remove the yellowing caused by brake dust on my alloys when I haven't been washing them often enough. It's just as I said in the original post - i've heard T-Cut getting a bad name over the last couple of years on various car forums and wondered if there was a better product out there that could do all of the above (scratches, tar, bird poo, alloys) that didn't require 2 or 3 separate bottles and/or didn't require a whole lot more elbow-grease than T-Cut does!
belleair302 - I've got a fair idea of decent products to use and how to apply/remove them. I use a lambswool mit, 2 bucket method, and dodo juice shampoo. The actual cleaning/polishing/waxing is not really an issue - I think I manage okay on that side of things & produce what I consider to be a decent result.
It's just my use of T-Cut that I was wondering about. I use it to remove the odd minor scratch from the bodywork, tar spots too and and marks left by bird poo that I haven't cleaned off quickly enough. I also use it to remove the yellowing caused by brake dust on my alloys when I haven't been washing them often enough. It's just as I said in the original post - i've heard T-Cut getting a bad name over the last couple of years on various car forums and wondered if there was a better product out there that could do all of the above (scratches, tar, bird poo, alloys) that didn't require 2 or 3 separate bottles and/or didn't require a whole lot more elbow-grease than T-Cut does!
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