Morning Fresh lemon would not do?
Wadayathink this is? A Renault forum?
I used to wash my R10 with the Lemon stuff.
'Fraid not as it is alkaline....
Most dish washing liquids have a very high salt content which is OK so long as you hose it all off and hose it out of cavities like the air vents etc.
Baking soda is good for bugs but will bleach nitro-cellulose paints if left too long.
Regards,
Brian
True Brian, it is a mild alkaline.
But I dont put very much into the buckets (2 soap, 1 clean rainwater) and I do rinse to anal proportions from the top down plus I used to turtle wax all my cars twice a year and check the water beading when I wash for thin spots in the wax so I can re apply.
Interesting point re paint fade though and I'll take it on board, Ta.
Details from the MB Enthusiast magazine Feb 2011 pages 90-94.
Top 10 tips
Paul Beagle's expert advice on car detailing.
1. Don't use a pressure washer on a classic car as it could damage it.
True and I dont
2. Pre wash the car before you start to shampoo the bodywork.
I always hose the car off first to blow off any dust and dirt
3. Always clean the heavily soiled areas first (doors, boot shuts, wheelarches) with a seperate sponge or cloth and spare bucket to reduce the chance of swirl marks on the paintwork.
I do the turret and glass first, then door jambs, infront of the plenum and the boot sills, I also check the rubber for damage and give it a wet wipe with a flannel nappy
4. Clay bars are the best way to remove road tar and all other types of fallout. This also removes old wax and leaves the paintwork as a fresh canvas.
Sure but when I did this daily they didnt exist
5. With wax, the cheapest is never the best. Buy the best rated wax/polish according to your budget.
True with some things taking into account "Fad" products
6. Don't wax your car in direct sunlight and do one panel at a time.
Common sense
7. Pre wax oil is a must when detailing a classic car to increase the depth of the wax glaze.
Okie dokie
8. High grade microfibre cloths are worth the investment, but don't wash them with fabric conditioner.
LOL or they stop working as intended
9. Leather interiors can be cleaned with products bought on the high street, but if it is badly stained or marked call in a professional valet service- you could damage it more than it is already.
Joseph Liddy saddle soap, bee's wax and I used to use Moran leather furnitures "Leafood" for softening and initial cleaning
10.Take your time, never rush cleaning your car and enjoy the results!
My arms are about to fall off after typing all that info!
But really good advice from Paul Beagle.
Cheers Tim.
Just a few things to bear in mind when buying the latest and greatest, remember you have no clearcoat on old Benz paint and the composition of the paint is radically different to todays paints.
I usually garage all my cars once they have been detailed by me and after the first wax, not so much for the rain but more against the sunshine.
A good friend had been using the clay for a few years now on his Beemer and has noticed a few thin spots in the clearcoat.
I believe that it is used as a super light cut? and to knock the oxidised paint off the car.
As such ive pretty much left it alone although i was very impressed by Foto's job on his 500 and was tempted to have a play with it on the brown SE.
What I use is 3 buckets, a microfibre mit for glass and another for paint grunge and road grime.
I also have 2 car wash brushes, One with natural hair and the other an acrylic fibre and the acrylic does the first wash with the first bucket, the camel hair does the second on glass and chrome.
then the micro fibre Enyo on chrome and glass.
I then rinse quickly with flowing water and do a follow up wash with the hair brush connected to the hose which removes all possible dry soap.
Then chamois and chamois again.
If the wheels need a tub I prefer to remove them so I can wash inside and out.
Sadly both 450's have damaged and far from perfect paint so they get the hose and bucket with a chamois dry.
Id also like to add that I have 40'000 lt's of rainwater and a further 10'000 in the pool should i need more so im probably a real wastrel with water and with the flow at 25 lt per min from the tap I reckon id use near on 1000 lt per wash.
My prep or detail is usually fairly simple, a hand cut and polish using a good quality compound followed by a wash and chamois.
The polish I used to use was turtle brand but there are better carnuba wax's about these days so a name brand carnuba is what I use.
Im also not so sure that all the royal purple/meguires etc is really necessary on a 30 year old car.
Cheers,
Tony