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Hi guys.

As Andy Beats told me a while back, I'm probably going to open up a can of worms with this topic but here goes.

Can anyone recommend some car cleaning products & accessories? Looking at giving the car a good wash/dry/polish and would like to clean the alloys as well. There are so many different methods of car cleaning online, would anyone be able to recommend a good method for a beginner?

The only thing I have is a power washer so need a lot of stuff I'm guessing.

Any help would be really appreciated.

Hi,

Definitely a can of worms as you will get a million recommendations for products and end up confused and a shelf full of stuff you don’t need!

My advice is ditch the sponge and chamois leather, buy two buckets with guards - one for wash and one for rinse, invest in a good quality wash mitt and drying cloth and as you have a pressure washer buy snow foam and a dispenser. Wheels can be a pain so buy a cleaning brush and non acid cleaning solution. Make sure you use a different wash mitt and drying cloth for the wheels and try a few rim waxes as that makes cleaning next time much easier.

There are car cleaning guides online, so have a read of these as they go through the steps you should follow.


Good luck.

So many products out there that I don't feel comfortable recommending any particular ones as I don't have a tonne of experience.

What I do recommend is that you always wash with lots of lubrication (water) and use a two bucket method (wash and rinse bucket) with grit guards. This is to cut way down on the chances of swirl marks and scratches when washing. I would also recommend in a foam cannon for your power washer and a good snow foam soap to prewash the car before touching the paint with hand washing. The snow foam will carry away big debris along with loosening up dirt.

So many detailers on youtube that recommend methods and products. Check a few out and maybe give products a try and find what works best for you.

Top advice from Aube there

I have bought samples from this website to find ones I like without spending a fortune, he sells drying towels, mitts, cloths, snowfoam lances, you name it he sells it or will find it for you. And he is a mine of information and advice, a genuine bloke with a love for detailing cars. He's on Instagram too where he posts pictures and videos testing the products he sells

https://cleanyourride.co.uk/

PS - A couple of personal favourites of mine are Sonax - Brilliant Shine Detailer (aka BSD) which is well priced, highly recommended and give great protection. Also Krystal Kleen Detail - ReGloss, fantastic at masking any slight swirls you might accumulate over time and leaves the paint really slick to touch.

Thank you guys appreciate your comments.

Watching some videos on YouTube and just starting off with some basic ones, think I have a good grasp of it! Seeing a lot of mention about Bug & grime removers, are these worth getting?

Also any products that are better suited for Diamond Cut alloys or will any alloy cleaner be okay?

S_94 wrote: Fri May 31, 2019 9:52 pm Thank you guys appreciate your comments.

Watching some videos on YouTube and just starting off with some basic ones, think I have a good grasp of it! Seeing a lot of mention about Bug & grime removers, are these worth getting?

Also any products that are better suited for Diamond Cut alloys or will any alloy cleaner be okay?

I find snowfoam usually does a good enough job of loosening bugs etc, as for alloy cleaner I just use an old wash mitt I have and car shampoo, anything stubborn I have used BrakeAway which is also Krystal Kleen Detail product, it dilutes down a lot so you won't use much, CYR up there does a sample that will make about a litre or more

MilgeS wrote: Fri May 31, 2019 9:56 pm

S_94 wrote: Fri May 31, 2019 9:52 pm Thank you guys appreciate your comments.

Watching some videos on YouTube and just starting off with some basic ones, think I have a good grasp of it! Seeing a lot of mention about Bug & grime removers, are these worth getting?

Also any products that are better suited for Diamond Cut alloys or will any alloy cleaner be okay?

I find snowfoam usually does a good enough job of loosening bugs etc, as for alloy cleaner I just use an old wash mitt I have and car shampoo, anything stubborn I have used BrakeAway which is also Krystal Kleen Detail product, it dilutes down a lot so you won't use much, CYR up there does a sample that will make about a litre or more

Thanks mate really helps!

Thanks mate really helps!
[/quote]No worries, it's a minefield of cleaning as others have said, but samples are a relatively inexpensive way of finding what works for you, the Klin Korea towels are awesome too!

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/

Wow thanks for the writeup SRGTD, really appreciate that. Will definitely look at those products.

I've never actually waxed a car before so need to watch some tutorials but hopefully it won't be too tricky. So would you use the Collinite 845 first and then apply the Fusso 12 Months Wax?

S_94 wrote: Fri May 31, 2019 11:02 pm Wow thanks for the writeup SRGTD, really appreciate that. Will definitely look at those products.

I've never actually waxed a car before so need to watch some tutorials but hopefully it won't be too tricky. So would you use the Collinite 845 first and then apply the Fusso 12 Months Wax?

You’re welcome.

I only apply both products to my wheels to give them a bit of added protection, especially during the winter months. I apply the sealant first, then the wax. With the car bodywork, I either use a sealant or a wax, depending on how I’m feeling and my preference at the time.

If you do decide to wax your car, avoid doing it on a sunny day in direct sunlight (a dull overcast day is better) and don’t be tempted to apply the wax too thickly. There’s no benefit in applying a thick layer of wax, and depending on the wax you’re using, it can be quite difficult to buff off a thick layer. Much better to apply a thin coat and buff off (follow the manufacturers instructions on how long to leave it on before buffing off), and then apply a second thin coat. That way, if you miss any sections of the bodywork the first time, you’re unlikely to miss them with the second coat. There are lots of videos on YouTube showing how to apply wax or sealant, so it’s worth watching a few if you’ve not used these products before.

For wax or sealant application I find it best to use a foam applicator pad - like these https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/foam-wax-applicator - and a microfibre cloth for buffing off. If either the pad or cloth become too clogged with wax or sealant, I switch to fresh clean ones.

With all my car drying / polishing / waxing towels and cloths, I ensure they’re washed and tumble dried after every use. They go into the washing machine on a cool wash - normal washing powder / detergent but no fabric conditioner, as fabric conditioner adversely affects their absorbency. My lambs wool wash mitts aren’t machine washed - they’re just washed out in clean water, gently wrung out and then left to air dry). Lots of drying towels are dark coloured (mine are red, black and blue) and the colour can come out during the first few washes, so don’t put them in a wash with other items!

Quick question regarding drying towels / cleaning mitts / microfibre clothes.

For a brand new product do you guys was them before you use them? If yes how do you wash them?

After use is it okay to wash them wish something like Fairy Non Bio or just a cold wash?

Cheers

I won't add much to this, apart from definitely go lambswool mitt for washing and microfibre cloths for drying.
Ditch the chamois.

Cheers Andy

Oh, don't get cheap microfibre cloths either.
The thicker the better.
As a minimum I use the KENT brand, as they're cheap, but you tend to need a few of them in your hand to do the same as 1 x thicker Meguiars brand one.