Washing your car

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Styria

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It's quite simple, isn't it ? Buy some expensive gold plated Mothers or whatever, water, big sponge and away you go. Nothing wrong with any of that, including hosing off all those lovely suds and then putting the synthetic chamois (povos like me) to good use. It's the hosing bit I want to talk about.

Right, what's the big deal, you ask ? Someone, many years ago suggested that rather than just hosing the car, the idea is to disconnect the nozzle and just run a very gentle stream all over the car, starting up on top. Doing it that way the SMOOTH flow of the water virtually mops up all the thousands of bubbles. I had forgotten about all that, until I remembered it the other day. The difference between the two methods ? Four times wringing out the chamois for the whole car, compared with about ten or twelve doing it the other way. Try it next time, it works. Regards Styria
 

Tony66_au

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Just a few suggestion Styria, From a bloke who has had to wash and keep his cars in showroom condition when they were being used as Limo's.

Sponge? No, Too easy to trap dirt between the sponge and your duco = scratches and swirls.

Nozzle off?

Sure, even better nozzle connected to car wash brush which guarantees you wont leave soap marks on the duco.

Followed with a Chamois from top down and you get a great result.

Real versus Synth Chamois?

Synthetic lasts longer and does a better job IMO, Enkafil is my preference but my wife bought me 10 meters of cheap Shammy (Sorry lol) and it seems to work almost as well as the Enka.

And for what its worth?

I never stopped washing my cars with water, stuff em.

:) Tony
 

Tony66_au

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Oh and using a good quality car wash brush cuts down on that awful build-up around chrome badgework.

And before i forget, Morning fresh lime with baking soda is EXCELLENT for washing cars.
 

260ebenz

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What about Microfibre towels or cloths are they not the preferred choice when washing and drying your car?

I am a fan of Meguairs car products both work wonderful on our two cars do others agree or disagree?

I refuse to take either of our cars through and automatic drive through carwash NO way!

Cheers.
 

Michel

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Oh and using a good quality car wash brush cuts down on that awful build-up around chrome badgework.

And before i forget, Morning fresh lime with baking soda is EXCELLENT for washing cars.

Morning Fresh lemon would not do? :p
 

SEL_69L

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Since all of my cars have polish or paint protection or what have you on them, I like to leave that intact. I water blast them with plain water only.

I never use a shampoo, unless the car has mud or road grime on it.

I blast any bug and bird crap and dust / dirt off the paint. I then trail a clean chamois over the paint and chamois out the door jambs.

What is much more important is to check the car for bug and bird crap every time before I drive it. There is a two litre bottle of water on my front porch, near the car, specifically for the removal of bug and bird crap. BOTH will damage the paint if left on the car.

My daily driver is normally out in the weather 24/7. Because of that, this car gets far more attention than the 6.9 does. My chamois is normally stored in a plastic bag, to keep it damp, in the centre console bin. If the front screen is fogged, out comes the chamois to wipe under the wipers, to remove accumulated dirt, before wiping the external glass of the car. Removal of the dirt from under the wipers prevents the windscreen from being scratched.

If I want to polish the car, which is 3 times a year, the paint gets clay blocked, using a liquid spray polish as a lubricant for the clay.

The paint protection I use is water based, and when dry goes rock hard. After it has cured, I finish of with my own brew of polish.

This brew consists of 10% canuba wax, 70% liquid spray polish 10% white spirits and 10% methylated spirits. This stuff could never be marketed commercially, because they like to de-mix, like oil and water. I continually shake the components and spray them, where they emulsify at the nozzle of the spray bottle. White spirits is an essential thinning agent of most polishes and the metho. helps with quick evaporation. This stuff can be sprayed onto the paint and wiped with a micro cloth almost immediately. I use it on all new cars before delivery.

To clean the exterior windows, I use steel wool, with shampoo as a lubricant. I finish off inside and out with a standard window cleaner.

The daily driver has a much protection with accessories as can fit:
Mud flaps, headlight and front bonnet stone guards, dash mat, rear parcel shelf mat, left and right weather shields, sheepskin seat covers, boot mat and double floor mats. Fortunately, I have been able to get all of these for free, off traded in cars.
 

BenzBoy

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Morning Fresh lemon would not do? :p
'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
 

260ebenz

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I posted a thread a couple of weeks ago about the top 10 car cleaning tips it was an article in the MB Enthusiast magazine if you ask me good advice in the article from someone who knows what they are doing.

It's called practice and experience.
 

260ebenz

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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.

2. Pre wash the car before you start to shampoo the bodywork.

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.

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.

5. With wax, the cheapest is never the best. Buy the best rated wax/polish according to your budget.

6. Don't wax your car in direct sunlight and do one panel at a time.

7. Pre wax oil is a must when detailing a classic car to increase the depth of the wax glaze.

8. High grade microfibre cloths are worth the investment, but don't wash them with fabric conditioner.

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.

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.
:D
 

BenzBoy

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Thanks Tim!!!
I agree with all of that. My only variation is to use 3 buckets and 3 wash mitts - starting at the top and moving down.
Sound like you need a good cuppa after the marthon typing...
Regards,
Brian
 

260ebenz

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That's okay Brian glad to help and hope all of us here on the TK site find the tips useful.

Time for that cuppa!

Cheers.
 

E200K

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----- The paint protection I use is water based, and when dry goes rock hard. After it has cured, I finish of with my own brew of polish.

This brew consists of 10% canuba wax, 70% liquid spray polish 10% white spirits and 10% methylated spirits. -----.

SEL 69L,

I'm a bit curious as to why you would polish after using paint protection (a sealant?). Isn't that the wrong way round?

Also, how do you get your 'brew' loaded up with 10% Carnuaba?

Cheers,
 

SEL_69L

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The paint sealant I use is not what I would regard as a polish, although it leaves a fairly good appearance as a polish, certinly good enough for new car delivery. I just think that I can improve on that.

If the customer does not want paint sealant, I will give his car a quick polish anyway. We have a good reputation amongst our peers across the dealerships with consistently in top 10% in customer satisfaction for car presentation.

There is canuba wax in the standard creme polish that we use. I have figured out that when I mix the creme polish with the liquid polish, the canuba wax works out at about 10%.

The brew was invented from experience by our best detailer. He has had 20+ years at the game, and is dammed good. I wouldn't have figured out that mix! It can be sprayed on, and wiped off with a microcloth almost immediately. The whole reason such a brew was developed is to cut down on polishing time, without loosing any quality in the finish.
 
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Tony66_au

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Morning Fresh lemon would not do? :p

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.
:D


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
 

E200K

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Oh and using a good quality car wash brush cuts down on that awful build-up around chrome badgework.

And before i forget, Morning fresh lime with baking soda is EXCELLENT for washing cars.


The thing to remember about washing-up liquids, apart from the fact they are too harsh for regular use, is that they will strip off any wax. Not good if you've spent the previous weekend waxing your car.
 

Tony66_au

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Ok tested my usual wash mix of Morning fresh and warm rainwater.

Ph is 8.1 on my digi Ph tester and the water tested at 7.4 so slightly alkaline to begin with.

So slightly above neutral to the alkaline side.
 

E200K

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Washing-up liquids are a fairly strong surfactant and are abrasive due to the fact they contain salt. Not good for your paint.
 

SEL_69L

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Most detergents / soaps are slightly alkaline. That is quite deliberate. The only ones that I know of that are not, are the pH balanced hair shampoos, and highly fatted baby soaps.

Soaps and detergents are made by reacting an alkaline substance with an oil or grease Caustic soda (NaOH) is what is used commercially with palm oil to make soap. Inorganic oils and greases are also reacted with caustic soda to make detergents.

Soaps organic, detergents inorganic.

The slightly alkaline domestic soaps and detergents are made that way to have a redidual effect to dissolve grease.

Basically, a soap or detergent is bipolar, with one end of the molecule dissolving in a grease or oil and the other end of the molecule dissolves in water. That is how a soap or detergent is able to get oils and greases into suspension in water.
 
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