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i posted this in the bodywork/detailing section but didnt get any coverage:

I know nothing about cleaning cars, I wash my car every week, i give it a quick spray with the jet wash, then use a bucket of hot fairy liquid with your average sponge and scrub it down, i use another bucket to rinse the sponge off in, wash it all dwn with the jet wash again, then dry with a towel and your average shammy. I basically want a better method with better results lol. Can anyone run me thru a good method of wash i can practise every week? (also with what products to use, i have a black car), and then what i can further do on the odd occassion to really make it shine?

Thanks alot!!!

I'd suggest as a starter using a Car Shampoo from Meguiar's - I use thier Gold Class stuff, and my brother has used the NXT version, up to you which to go for. I'd also suggest getting a Wash Mitt which are less abrasive to the car's surface that a boggo sponge. Also I'd say use 2 buckets, 1 - with your Car Shampoo/Hot Water solution, and 2 - Just Hot Water. The 2nd you'd use to clean the sponge into, before putting it back in the bucket with solution to then put back onto the car to continue washing - this should mean you put less rubbish into the bucket that will then get applied to the car. If you're jet washing don't be too gung ho about it or you'll probably lift lacquer, etc. Only consider it a way of wetting the car initially and then removing the wash solution after.
1st wet the car, then wash upper sections (roof down to window line), then wet car, and clear off solution from roof, 2nd wash bonnet and panels down to bumper/door protector line, again clear the solution off and wet car again, 3rd do the bumper and beneath the door protector line, and wash off and wet, 4th do wheels, and possibly arches, and underneath of car (careful, not to go too far under, otherwise you'll start cleaning underbody sealant off), then spray off again.
The main part is to work in stages to avoid allowing the car to dry off, and also to make sure that the Wash Mitt is cleaning the cleanest sections first, and moving toward the dirtier bits which tend to be further down, this avoids you swirling dirt into the upper panels and scratching them.
After washing use a Chamois Leather to dry (not one of those Squegee Strip things - they tend to scratch the car), this should leave you a streak free finish (this is the reason for wetting the car through out it will mean there are no water marks left over because nowhere has just dried off).
If you want to do anything further than this consider waxing the car, or looking into Clays and Detailer.
If you want to their are websites dedicated to this sort of thing (I don't use them, but have come across them) such as www.detailingworld.com. Also Meguiars has some stuff on their site www.meguiars.co.uk
Hope all this helps

I take the much more traditional method and it works for me, although I can see how the 2 bucket idea helps alot!

1. Rinse with water loosening the dirt etc..Clean out bucket & sponge when finished at each stage
2. Autoglym shampoo, sponge on starting at the roof and working way down
3. Rinse the car
4. shammy off water to dry cleaning it in water after every few soaks
5. Attack wheels with fairy liquid, wheel brush sponge & toothbrush
6. Rinse wheels
7. Turtle wax / autoglym super resin polish on a car panel, then take off
8. Autoglym All metal polish on the rims

Throw away that horrible old sponge then read this: http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/guides.html

Really useful guides, all you need to know

yea the polished bliss guide is a good'un.

i use meguiars hyperwash, couldn't recommend it enough - great stuff

Shampoo Plus is just as good and I think you get more washes out of it. I used to use Megs NXT car wash and went to Shampoo Plus and it was a big improvement, lots of lubricity!

na shampoo plus isn't as good as hyperwash, shampoo plus is the cheaper one. Hyperwash dilutes at 400:1

i was going through shampoo like nothing on earth but this stuff is lasting far better

Tim_GTi wrote:i posted this in the bodywork/detailing section but didnt get any coverage:

I know nothing about cleaning cars, I wash my car every week, i give it a quick spray with the jet wash, then use a bucket of hot fairy liquid with your average sponge and scrub it down, i use another bucket to rinse the sponge off in, wash it all dwn with the jet wash again, then dry with a towel and your average shammy. I basically want a better method with better results lol. Can anyone run me thru a good method of wash i can practise every week? (also with what products to use, i have a black car), and then what i can further do on the odd occassion to really make it shine?

Thanks alot!!!

Never ever use fairy liquid for the body work!! This will mess up the paint work. I never let the fairy liquid go any near my car. Use car shampoo instead!!

Agreed, and the same should go for your alloys if you care about them

womble68 wrote:Agreed, and the same should go for your alloys if you care about them

Exactly. Nothing but AG shampoo/bodywork conditioner for my RMs! Acid-based wheel cleaners, obviously, are a huge no-no so don't even think about it

cheers for the reponses guys, thers alot of useful info there! gunna get sum products soon as and try em out. In response to your guys about alloys, don't worry no fairy liquid goes near them!!! i clean them every other day with a dry cloth and thats all they need!! that way its only dust on them, grime Never builds! thanks again

yeah me too????? never had any issues! i always rinse dry and then polish after and havent had any sort of blemishing on the polished lips?!?!

Fair enough, but to be honest. The fairy liquid is not good for the alloys really. I would use the wonderwheel thing and brush them on my alloys if they all got really dirty. But other than that I always use car shampoo for cleaning the alloys. Bear in mind, those Polo GTI with the polished rim are unable to use this 'wonderwheel', cos they aren't good for the alloys. Only for those standard alloys, if you know what I mean

Just got a Meguiar's hand mitt, shammy and AG shampoo conditioner, will give them a go when its good weather next and tell you how i get on! Oh and i got a wiperblade (like a flimsy plastic strip with a handle) to wipe excess water off the car before drying it with a shammy, are these any good? or do they damage the paint work?