Car washing....

[vestax32]

As summer is nearly hear (although doesn't look like it today!), I would like some advice on a 'proper' car washing routine, and which products are best to use. I don't want to go totally mad with it, but want a better solution than using a yellow sponge and carplan shampoo if you know what I mean. So can you guys recommend some products and the various stages for a proper wash?

[kmpowell]

As summer is nearly hear

Pardon?

[vestax32]

Haha, *here

[S4WON]

I use bilt hamber stuff

If you have a powerwasher and foam lance

Quick wash
Powerwash the muck off
Use bilt snow foam
Wash off
Dry with micro fibre cloths

More time?

Add in a shampoo with a decent mitt after snowfoam

Loads of time?

Use a clay bar after first powerwash
Use bh double speed wax after its dry


I tend to wax every 3 months and clay bar once a year

[MikeFish]

We had a discussion on here previously about whether you should snow foam when the car is dry or blast the dirt off first. There's seems to be a difference of opinion of which way is best.

[doodlebug]

Foam on a dry car.....then power wash, then mitt wash with two buckets if required.

[feeltheburn]

There are lots of car detailing forums, all with good advice for the dedicated to the obsessive!

Never wash in bright sunshine- use all products sparingly!

My equipment:
Pressure washer with proper foam lance attachment
1 Wash bucket with grit guard
1 "Rinse" bucket with grit guard
2 wash mitts- 1 for the top panels and one for the lower panels
1 wash mit for the wheels
Microfibre cloths

My Consumables:
Every Wash:
Autoglym car shampoo (the green stuff with wax)
Autoglym Aqua Wax- spray container

Every 4-6months:
Autoglym Clay
Autglym High Definition Wax
Tar remover (for inners of wheels)

My Method:
Using 12:1 mix of auto gym wax shampoo to water - foam up the car with the pressure washer using the foam lance. [autoglym foam is quite wet so drips off the car pulling/lifting a lot of the crud as it drips off]. There are fantastically thick foams out there but I prefer to use diluted Autoglym as I know it is compatible with the other products I use (ph). [For my van I use a traffic film remover- foams like hell, cleans like hell, but strips the wax off quicker]

Using the pressure washer, methodically remove the foam working round the car from top to bottom with overlap strokes- paying particular attention to the lower section of the car. Takes me about 30 mins to go around the car

Foam up the car again- gives a good slippy base to prevent dragging of the mitts (this is my opinion- feels less draggy to me!)

Using the 2 bucket method (one with Autoglym shampoo the other plain water) wash the car starting on the roof and working my way around and down. I always keep the mitt soaking wet and rinse it in the rinse bucket prior to putting it back into the wash bucket. I work my way around and then down as far as the door swage line (about 1/4 of the way from the bottom) using my sheepskin mitt. Then i work my way around and down the rest using the second microfibre mitt again using the rinse/wash buckets as I go.

I then wash the wheels- out side bits first of all 4 wheels- with another microfibre mitt and then clean the inner parts of the wheels. Tooth brush to gently clean the nooks and crannies of the calipers.

I then use the pressure washer to remove all of the soap. I then use the hose without a spray end to "dry the car with water" the smoother your paint the better the effect. I then replenish the rinse bucket with fresh water and soak a microfibre cloth in it. I the use Autoglym aqua wax sparingly with the damp microfibre cloth then go over the entire car, from top to bottom- windows trim the lot [not the windscreen] frequently rising the microfibre cloth. Once done I gently go over with a dry microfibre cloth.

I then clean the windscreen with FastGlass.

Probably takes me about 2.5 hours to do the car but it is worth it when finished. My paint is nearly 20 months old now and there are very few "swirl" lines in the paint- i'll probably get it professionally detailed at 24 months but I know that it won't need to be a deep polish or colour correction as it is in good condition.

Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w09r6m6sRCA

I found him very informative and quiet entertaining- I found his videos less of an advert for companies products (I appreciate I mentioned Autoglym about a hundred times above but have nothing to do with them!)

I am sure there are many other techniques- but this is how I do it- each to their own!

[vestax32]

All very informative thanks. I will order a few bits up tomorrow. I don't currently have a pressure washer, recommendations for a reasonably priced one that will do the job? Presume will need to buy foam lance separately?

[vestax32]

Also any recommendations for wash mitts?

[doodlebug]

Preferably something with a metal and not plastic pump. Plenty to choose from. Avoid the cheap Karcher kit.

Yes, lance and connection for washer will be required.

[MikeFish]

Iron-x is good for the wheels. My detailer recently used it on an RS3s bodywork too but I've not tried this yet.

[vestax32]

Would this be up to the job, or too cheap? Says metal pump;

http://www.argos.co.uk/m/static/Product ... 928631.htm

[doodlebug]

Yep, I've got a bigger Nilfisk jobby. I think they're better put together than the cheaper Karcher stuff.

[kmpowell]

Yep, I've got a bigger Nilfisk jobby. I think they're better put together than the cheaper Karcher stuff.

I agree. Nilfisk is leagues ahead of Karcher.

This is the Nilfisk package I have...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AGD5IFI/ ... qxb3C06X3A

[vestax32]

Excellent, will get one ordered up. Can use it on the patio too. It says it has a foam bottle, is this same as foam lance, or still need to order foam lance separately?