To wash or not to wash.....

[The return of Marty Wild]

Washing the car properly in 30 mins, wow, that member must have 8 arms!

Wish I did have 8 arms sometimes.

Had the car ceramic coated when it was new. This greatly speeds up the process, as nothing, including the stickiest tar or caked on brake dust, takes any effort to remove - they literally just slide off. Topping up with C2 just adds further protection and makes the next wash just as easy/quick. :lol:

Fair play, even after Ive detailed my cars, stills take me longer than that, but I baby the paintwork in the extreme.

 

[FRP]

When I use my OPC, I tell them not to NEVER wash it BUT hoover inside with great detail please !!!!

My method (i love washing my car...sad but true)

GET THE CAR OUT OF MY TIGHT GARAGE!
access how dirty the car actually is, have a coffee
Rinse with jet wash
apply snow foam, have another coffee while i wait
rinse again
use 2 bucket method with autyglym shampoo
top half of the car first and rinse
bottom half of car and rinse
do wheels and inner arches, calipers etc as the final bit of shampooing and then change all liquids as required
dry entire car working downwards and methodically
Do all the shuts and rubbers
Glass
dry off wheels and remove any remaining dirt from all areas of the wheel wells
pop frunk and bonnet, dry off plastics and any ingress into the engine bay
repeat some detail to the shuts, panel; gaps etc, get some cotton buds out where needed
then onto any specific areas that i feel i want to pay more attention to !!!

Try out a new product or two if i have any on the shelf

Check tyre pressures and wheel bolt torques

If i get some spart time, i might give a panel or 2 a polish and wax or treat the seats to some attention, feed or similar, exhaust tips, etc. Oh and have another coffee

Takes me more that a few hours, but i do a lot of pottering and listen to some tunes !

 

[jotaking]

I made a school boy error a few years back..

Whilst parking my new X5 in a multi story; the resident car valeter collared me and gave me some serious flannel (no pun intended) about this latest nano cleaning tech that required no water?

He offered a special discount and said the parking charges would be included.

When I returned the car looked amazing, super clean with the water beading off the bonnet like a 'soul glo' Afro.

When I got home and looked in the daylight, close up and across the panels the swirls were off the scale!

Lesson learn't!

I use a young lad near me for any proper detailing. He has just completed a full 2 stage machine polish and wax along with CAB roof sealer. He spent all day on it and charged £150!
Car looks factory fresh.

:thumb:

 

[blackram]

Where in the UK are you located Jotaking? Photos after his detailing?

 

[Phil 997]

When I use my OPC, I tell them not to NEVER wash it BUT hoover inside with great detail please !!!!

My method (i love washing my car...sad but true)

GET THE CAR OUT OF MY TIGHT GARAGE!
access how dirty the car actually is, have a coffee
Rinse with jet wash
apply snow foam, have another coffee while i wait
rinse again
use 2 bucket method with autyglym shampoo
top half of the car first and rinse
bottom half of car and rinse
do wheels and inner arches, calipers etc as the final bit of shampooing and then change all liquids as required
dry entire car working downwards and methodically
Do all the shuts and rubbers
Glass
dry off wheels and remove any remaining dirt from all areas of the wheel wells
pop frunk and bonnet, dry off plastics and any ingress into the engine bay
repeat some detail to the shuts, panel; gaps etc, get some cotton buds out where needed
then onto any specific areas that i feel i want to pay more attention to !!!

Try out a new product or two if i have any on the shelf

Check tyre pressures and wheel bolt torques

If i get some spart time, i might give a panel or 2 a polish and wax or treat the seats to some attention, feed or similar, exhaust tips, etc. Oh and have another coffee

Takes me more that a few hours, but i do a lot of pottering and listen to some tunes !

I am concerened that you only have 2 coffes listed in that process otherwise it sound good :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[peterzoom]

When I use my OPC, I tell them not to NEVER wash it BUT hoover inside with great detail please !!!!

My method (i love washing my car...sad but true)

GET THE CAR OUT OF MY TIGHT GARAGE!
access how dirty the car actually is, have a coffee
Rinse with jet wash
apply snow foam, have another coffee while i wait
rinse again
use 2 bucket method with autyglym shampoo
top half of the car first and rinse
bottom half of car and rinse
do wheels and inner arches, calipers etc as the final bit of shampooing and then change all liquids as required
dry entire car working downwards and methodically
Do all the shuts and rubbers
Glass
dry off wheels and remove any remaining dirt from all areas of the wheel wells
pop frunk and bonnet, dry off plastics and any ingress into the engine bay
repeat some detail to the shuts, panel; gaps etc, get some cotton buds out where needed
then onto any specific areas that i feel i want to pay more attention to !!!

Try out a new product or two if i have any on the shelf

Check tyre pressures and wheel bolt torques

If i get some spart time, i might give a panel or 2 a polish and wax or treat the seats to some attention, feed or similar, exhaust tips, etc. Oh and have another coffee

Takes me more that a few hours, but i do a lot of pottering and listen to some tunes !

I am concerened that you only have 2 coffes listed in that process otherwise it sound good :grin: :grin: :grin:

Totally agree with only 2 coffees :thumbs: and it all sounds very much like my own ritual except I always do the wheels/callipers after the prewash routine and before starting on any coachwork. My thinking is to get all the really dirty work out of the way before settling into the main event. I feel that this way there is no chance of any dirt being carried over onto the paint.

 

[jotaking]

Where in the UK are you located Jotaking? Photos after his detailing?

I'm in Cheadle, Cheshire.

I didn't get any pics as the car went back into storage.

Cheers

 

[FZP]

Where in the UK are you located Jotaking? Photos after his detailing?

I'm in Cheadle, Cheshire.

I didn't get any pics as the car went back into storage.

Cheers

Excellent....another local to drag along to coffee meet up in Alderley Edge on the Sat 3rd. Details below if you're free
http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=125080&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=20

 

[Robertb]

Sadly I think it's true those places offering car washing for a tenner probably are doing more harm than good. Picture of my car after it's detailing yesterday. Moving forward I shall be washing it myself offcause after taking on board some of the pointers some of you have shared with me.

Looks great, lovely car.

My car cleaning OCD is unhinged by the exhaust tips- give them a polish! Surprised the detailer did not...

Always wash the car myself.

I remember I had my last 4S paint-corrected and detailed, it was very dirty when I dropped it off at an indy for service. When I picked it up he said "oh and I had a bit of time so I gave it a wash for you'. Seemingly with a bucket of grit! :sad:

 

[Stubbsy996]

Wouldn't let anyone else near mine to wash it. Especially some of these modern day slave outfits that do a full wash & valet for a tenner, etc.

Me neither - I wash and polish it myself :thumbs:

 

[paul987]

As a remainer I always use the local Albanians... The Polish I find give a lovely shine but.. As a lefty I don't agree with the way they make their women dance in bars...
As a northerner I use whatever Aldi has a special on to polish it in between.... :grin:

 

[Frenchmeister]

Albertpark, Northerner, East Midlands ? M6 Junction 32 onwards is north, and Leeds onwards on the A1.
Sir you are masquerading as a Northerner.
Did you learn to swim in the docks or the river and have chip scrapings as a kid, play rugby league ?
:hand:

 

[rhino-man]

When I use my OPC, I tell them not to NEVER wash it BUT hoover inside with great detail please !!!!

My method (i love washing my car...sad but true)

GET THE CAR OUT OF MY TIGHT GARAGE!
access how dirty the car actually is, have a coffee
Rinse with jet wash
apply snow foam, have another coffee while i wait
rinse again
use 2 bucket method with autyglym shampoo
top half of the car first and rinse
bottom half of car and rinse
do wheels and inner arches, calipers etc as the final bit of shampooing and then change all liquids as required
dry entire car working downwards and methodically
Do all the shuts and rubbers
Glass
dry off wheels and remove any remaining dirt from all areas of the wheel wells
pop frunk and bonnet, dry off plastics and any ingress into the engine bay
repeat some detail to the shuts, panel; gaps etc, get some cotton buds out where needed
then onto any specific areas that i feel i want to pay more attention to !!!

Try out a new product or two if i have any on the shelf

Check tyre pressures and wheel bolt torques

If i get some spart time, i might give a panel or 2 a polish and wax or treat the seats to some attention, feed or similar, exhaust tips, etc. Oh and have another coffee

Takes me more that a few hours, but i do a lot of pottering and listen to some tunes !

I am concerened that you only have 2 coffes listed in that process otherwise it sound good :grin: :grin: :grin:

Quite partial to a beer or two as the day passes.....

 

[rhino-man]

I like a third bucket just for the wheels, all are on dollies with the wash and rinse linked together, far easier to kick round the car than picking up and moving.

Final rinse with a DI vessel, saves drying, especially this time of year when the clean car last about three seconds, but also in the summer if you are fighting the sunlight with a dark car.

 

[FZP]

I know slot of people are against the chamois, but my technique of rinsing it out in a clean bucket of water. So I only wipe along the body in straight lines. After each pass I dunk the chamois in a clean bucket of water and agitate much in the same way your washing machine does. Then wring it out onto the grass, keeping the water as clean as possible
3 years since the last paint correction and still ok