My arms have dropped off . . .

[liffy99]

After taking advantage of the unseasonable good weather this weekend. Thought it time for a spring clean, so after 11 hours of;

Jet wash
Snow foam
Rinse
Clay
Rinse
Dry
Polish
Wax
Condition leather







Come the autumn deep clean I'll buy a DA polisher - phew.
Still a couple of bits to sort round the front grill (so many crevices) but hey ho . . .

[HYFR]

Looks great. By tomorrow it will look crap again!

[S4WON]

Looks stunning . I need to learn (and get motivated!) to do all this stuff... Any tips / website links for beginners?

[jaygemson]

Looks great, nice work. Proper labour of love this cleaning business!

Tyre dressing would've finished it off nicely, but otherwise a real head turner

[Nickyboy]

Looks stunning . I need to learn (and get motivated!) to do all this stuff... Any tips / website links for beginners?

Detailing world or cleanyourcar forums are good.

Can make you obsessive though. I spent 5 hours on mine at the weekend and I didn't even clay it.

[S4WON]

Thanks Nicky

[Ian_C]

Top effort! As mentioned the other day, blacks a bitch, takes lots of dedication! Dads Sportback is Phantom it does look great waxed, stays clean for longer, has a good sheen.

Gave mine a good spring clean yesterday including a base layer. Didn't have time to add wax - was 7:15 ish by the time I finished (under garage and security light)

I don't use clay any more as I was led to believe that amateur diy efforts can do more harm than good. And I am most definitely an amateur! Did work well on my 205 though.

Currently finishing up a bottle of Dodo Juice Lime Prime Cleanser. Applied by hand works wonders - when I first used it 18-24 months ago I did the bonnet 'half and half' - running your fingers across one half was like sandpaper, the other half like glass. Will probably replace it with another bottle when it runs out. These two combined are what suits me right now

http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/dodo-juic ... rers_id=47
http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/dodo-juic ... p?cPath=66

[liffy99]

Oh, the shame of it - off to get some tyre dressing tomorrow

One thing that helps is soft water. I'm not so lucky here in Somerset so I use the hose / tap water to start with but then feed the jet washer from a rainwater butt (just a length oh hose with an old pair of tights over the end to filter any particles that may otherwise get into the pressure washer). It's amazing how much residue hard water leaves behind when it dries.

Like the sound of the lime prime - is it really an alternative to clay ? I've never had a problem with the latter, just keep it well lubricated.

[Ian_C]

Probably not an alternative to clay no. In an ideal world you should use both. But in reality we don't have 24 hours to wash our cars each time......

I do definitely agree there's no point in waxing or 'sealing' a dirty car, but I've been scared off using clay after people saying it can actually leave micro scratches if you aren't careful. So I personally play it safe with stuff like Lime Prime (and previously good old Autoglym Super Resin Polish) before putting the wax over the top

[Nickyboy]

Clay can leave marring in your paint also which is a pain to polish out unless you have all the gear I guess.

The key with clay is lots of lube, gentle application and the correct grade of clay.

Is the above statement going to send this thread off topic . . . .

[S4WON]

Would Any of you pros mind posting what products you use and when. Ive wash with xxx, , foam with XXX. A bit like OP but with products so I can shamelessly copy!

[liffy99]

Just using what I had in the garage . . .

Autobrite magifoam (snow foam)
Triplewax shampoo
Autoglym Super Resin Polish
Collinite wax
Autoglym leather balm (after using the hot chinese towel method to clean the seats)

Oh, and a couple of beers

[S4WON]

Thanks Liffy

[Spectre]

Would Any of you pros mind posting what products you use and when. Ive wash with xxx, , foam with XXX. A bit like OP but with products so I can shamelessly copy!

My routine goes something like this... (I do this maybe once a month, sometimes twice depending on the state of the car...)

1) Rinse with pressure washer to blow off the loose crud
2) Spray the lower half of the car with AF Citrus Power http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog ... power.html and leave to dwell while I ...
3) Hit all wheels with a liberal helping of VatelPro Bilberry Wheel cleaner http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/valet-pro ... d_499.html - again leave to dwell then agitate with a suitable soft brush.
4) Cup of tea....
5) Rinse the lot of with Karcher thingy...
6) Snowfoam all over, nice and thick so it clings well - I use this http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-a ... d_516.html through one of these -> http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog ... -cat2.html.
7) Once covered I go around all the cuts and shuts with a detailing brush to remove the grit that always finds its way into these places.
8 ) Cup of tea... then rinse again.
9) Then I go round the wheels again with a de-ironising product - I use http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/engine-an ... d_726.html - apply liberally and then leave it on for several minutes while the missus brings you out a sarnie... watch your wheels turn purple in the process... While this goes on, prepare your two buckets - one clean water with shampoo I use Megs - smells nice) and the other just clean water. Rinse your mitt (yes, ditch the sponges!!!) in the clean water after applying the soapy mix. This is called the 2 bucket method or 2BM and keeps you from putting the crap you've just wiped off back on to your car. Try not to do this in direct sunlight, especially on dark coloured cars or you will get annoying water marks everywhere.
10) Rinse.... again. But this time finish with an open hose pipe and not the pressure washer. If your car has any wax on it from previous treatment or via the shampoo, the open hose water will sheet off the surface making drying a cinch.
11) Finally dry it off with anice plush drying towel - make sure its a clean one...
12) ***OPTIONAL STAGE*** Claying... if you want to remove any other surface contaminants then claying is a tried and tested means of doing this. Use a mild clay to start with and LOADS of clay lube - you dont want the paint dry so the clay rubs against it - it needs to glide across the surface. The results can be felt best (rather than seen) by putting your hand in a thin poly bag and rubbing the surface. After claying the whole lot its time for another rinse - pressure wash and then open hose again. Then dry it... again...
13) Either wait for the car to drip dry or use a blower of some sort to get the water out of the annoying places where it seems to colect. Wing mirrors and lower window seals are usually the worst on my RS4. If you opt for the drip dry, you can drink more tea while you wait...
14) You now have a clean car with little or no surface contaminants but also no finishing polish or protection. I'm not going to go into machine polishing here since this was meant to be a quick post... I'll save that for the next guy to cover. There are several mthods (and LOADS of products) to put a shine on your pride and joy (applied by hand in this case) and then to protect that shine from the elements. Some people prefer a sealant, others prefer wax. I like and use both.
15) I have a black car so I like to use PB Black Hole to get the shine up (http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/glazes/po ... d_494.html) - I find it works great on dark colours and contains some 'fillers' that can help even out the rough finish often found on a daily runner like mine. This is applied using a throwaway applicator sponge (Evilbay is your friend here), left to cure a little and then buffed off with a clean microfibre. (Fold the MF twice, use one side to wipe off the stuff and then the other side to buff to a shine)
16) Once you are happy with the shine you need to seal it in with something. I like wax applied by hand but there are many alternatives like nano-sealants etc... all are designed to provide a tough hydrophobic layer over the shine so the car stays clean for longer and repels dirt and moisture. Sealants are insanely easy to apply - wipe on, wipe off generally. Wax is a little more time consuming and generally doesnt last as long however I feel it gives a deeper shine and brings out flake in metallic and pearl finished quite nicely. I have several waxes I use ranging from the fairly cheap Natty's Blue Paste Wax to the 'just within my moral limitations' AF Illusion http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog ... cat13.html. Although I must confess to having just bought some Zymol which was a bit of an indulgence... With the wax, either use a dedicated wax applicator sponge or literally apply by hand. The heat from your hand will melt the stuff and it slides on really nicely. With wax, the mantra is 'less is more' and you want an even thin coating. Often with a natural carnuba based wax, you dont need to wait for it to cure or dry, you can just wipe it straight off - same process as before with the folded microfibre. Trick is to just do two or three panels at a time - dont go mad and do the whole lot in one go or you might find the stuff is hard to get off by the time you have gotten all round the car. I also like to leave mine for a couple of hours and then wax it again to get more than one layer on it.
17) If you have any teabags left, make a brew and sit back and admire the view...

mak.

EDIT: I missed acouple of parts out - specifically using a de-tarring product to remove tar spots and also the final polish and seal of the wheels. I also like to polish the bare metal parts up like exhaust tips and use 0000 wire wool and then a good metal polish to do this.

[S4WON]

Would Any of you pros mind posting what products you use and when. Ive wash with xxx, , foam with XXX. A bit like OP but with products so I can shamelessly copy!

My routine goes something like this... (I do this maybe once a month, sometimes twice depending on the state of the car...)

1) Rinse with pressure washer to blow off the loose crud
2) Spray the lower half of the car with AF Citrus Power http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog ... power.html and leave to dwell while I ...
3) Hit all wheels with a liberal helping of VatelPro Bilberry Wheel cleaner http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/valet-pro ... d_499.html - again leave to dwell then agitate with a suitable soft brush.
4) Cup of tea....
5) Rinse the lot of with Karcher thingy...
6) Snowfoam all over, nice and thick so it clings well - I use this http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-a ... d_516.html through one of these -> http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog ... -cat2.html.
7) Once covered I go around all the cuts and shuts with a detailing brush to remove the grit that always finds its way into these places.
Cup of tea... then rinse again.
9) Then I go round the wheels again with a de-ironising product - I use http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/engine-an ... d_726.html - apply liberally and then leave it on for several minutes while the missus brings you out a sarnie... watch your wheels turn purple in the process... While this goes on, prepare your two buckets - one clean water with shampoo I use Megs - smells nice) and the other just clean water. Rinse your mitt (yes, ditch the sponges!!!) in the clean water after applying the soapy mix. This is called the 2 bucket method or 2BM and keeps you from putting the crap you've just wiped off back on to your car. Try not to do this in direct sunlight, especially on dark coloured cars or you will get annoying water marks everywhere.
10) Rinse.... again. But this time finish with an open hose pipe and not the pressure washer. If your car has any wax on it from previous treatment or via the shampoo, the open hose water will sheet off the surface making drying a cinch.
11) Finally dry it off with anice plush drying towel - make sure its a clean one...
12) ***OPTIONAL STAGE*** Claying... if you want to remove any other surface contaminants then claying is a tried and tested means of doing this. Use a mild clay to start with and LOADS of clay lube - you dont want the paint dry so the clay rubs against it - it needs to glide across the surface. The results can be felt best (rather than seen) by putting your hand in a thin poly bag and rubbing the surface. After claying the whole lot its time for another rinse - pressure wash and then open hose again. Then dry it... again...
13) Either wait for the car to drip dry or use a blower of some sort to get the water out of the annoying places where it seems to colect. Wing mirrors and lower window seals are usually the worst on my RS4. If you opt for the drip dry, you can drink more tea while you wait...
14) You now have a clean car with little or no surface contaminants but also no finishing polish or protection. I'm not going to go into machine polishing here since this was meant to be a quick post... I'll save that for the next guy to cover. There are several mthods (and LOADS of products) to put a shine on your pride and joy (applied by hand in this cae) and then to protect that shine from the elements. Some people prefer a sealant, others prefer wax. I like and use both.
15) I have a black car so I like to use PB Black Hole to get the shine up (http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/glazes/po ... d_494.html) - I find it works great on dark colours and contains some 'fillers' that can help even out the rough finish often found on a daily runner like mine. This is applied using a throwaway applicator sponge (Evilbay is your friend here), left to cure a little and then buffed off with a clean microfibre. (Fold the MF twice, use one side to wipe off the stuff and then the other side to buff to a shine)
16) Once you are happy with the shine you need to seal it in with something. I like wax applied by hand but there are many alternatives like nano-sealants etc... all are designed to provide a tough hydrophobic layer over the shine so the car stays clean for longer and repels dirt and moisture. Sealants are insanely easy to apply - wipe on, wipe off generally. Wax is a little more time consuming and generally doesnt last as long however I feel it gives a deeper shine and brings out flake in metallic and pearl finished quite nicely. I have several waxes I use ranging from the fairly cheap Natty's Blue Paste Wax to the 'just within my moral limitations' AF Illusion http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog ... cat13.html. Although I must confess to having just bought some Zymol which was a bit of an indulgence... With the wax, either use a dedicated wax applicator sponge or literally apply by hand. The heat from your hand will melt the stuff and it slides on really nicely. With wax, the mantra is 'less is more' and you want an even thin coating. Often with a natural carnuba based wax, you dont need to wait for it to cure or dry, you can just wipe it straight off - same process as before with the folded microfibre. Trick is to just do two or three panels at a time - dont go mad and do the whole lot in one go or you might find the stuff is hard to get off by the time you have gotten all round the car. I also like to leave mine for a couple of hours and then wax it again to get more than one layer on it.
17) If you have any teabags left, make a brew and sit back and admire the view...

mak.

WWWOOOAAAHH!!!

loads of info there Mak. exactly what i'm looking for.

next question, are you for hire and/or do you have any "friends" spaces left in the essex area?
(I will supply the tea!)