There are some very good ‘how to’ guides over on the Detailing World forum - reading through the first two posts in this discussion thread is a good place to start;
https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/ ... php?t=4637
As a priority, ditch the sponge and wash leather unless you like swirly paintwork, and invest in a good basic washing kit;
- two buckets and ideally a couple of grit guards (the detailing world linked above explains the two bucket wash method)
- a good quality lambswool mitt
- a supply of microfibres drying towels (I’d suggest a minimum of two to start with).
A safe wash technique is essential to keep paintwork swirls at bay. Other essentials to minimise your paintwork becoming swirled; never let the dealer wash your car when it’s back at the dealership for servicing or repairs, don’t use automatic car washes, and stay away from the many £5 hand wash car washing outfits.
As you have a pressure washer, it’d be worth investing in a snow foam lance and some snow foam. The key to safe washing is to remove as much dirt as possible before making contact with the paintwork. A pre-wash stage using snow foam will get rid of most of the dirt, so you’re then minimising the risk of rubbing dirt and grit particles into the paintwork while carrying out the next stage; the actual washing of the car.
S_94 wrote: Fri May 31, 2019 9:52 pm
Also any products that are better suited for Diamond Cut alloys or will any alloy cleaner be okay?
Never, ever use an acid based wheel cleaner on diamond cut alloys as it’ll destroy the lacquer / clear coat and you’ll get early onset of the inevitable white worm corrosion. If you must use a wheel cleaner then use one that’s ph neutral. However, if you keep your wheels protected and clean your car every couple of weeks (or more frequently), then IMO you shouldn’t really ever need to use a dedicated wheel cleaner - normal washing with a good quality ph neutral car shampoo should be more than adequate at removing dirt, dust and brake dust deposits.
As far as products are concerned - everyone will have their favourites. I like to try different products and I’m currently using;
- Valet pro ph neutral snow foam (ph neutral won’t strip off any wax or sealant that you may have on your paintwork
- shampoo; Autobrite Purple Velvet
- Wax; Collinite 845 Insulator Wax; it’s liquid wax, so easy to apply and buff off. It’s a very good value wax and very durable (I find it gives around six months protection).
- Sealant; Fusso 12 Months Wax - in spite of the name, it’s a sealant - highly hydrophobic and water just beads up and runs off the paintwork. I’ve not managed 12 months protection, but it does give a good six months protection before its necessary to reapply. Another good value product.
- Glass cleaner; Autoglym Fast Glass
- Tyre dressing; Finishkare 108AS Top Kote Tire Dressing.
I personally don’t bother with dedicated wheel sealants. I find that Fusso, topped off with Colinite 845 gives good protection.
I use the following on line sites to buy the majority of my cleaning products , although I also use eBay if the products I want are cheaper than I can get at my usual on line sites;
https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/ Discount code DW05 will give you a 5% discount.
https://wo-wo.co.uk/ Discount code GTIFORUM20 will give you a 20% discount. I particularly like their small twin layer drying towels; highly absorbent and because they’re small, minimal risk of them dragging on the ground and picking up dirt when drying the lower sections of the car.
https://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/
