Winter detailing

[Vijay]

Looks great!
What tar remover does everyone recommend ?...

[Beedub]

i use autobrite tar and glue remover at work... its fantastic. All the AB stuff is great tbh, i use most of their products for my Decontamination stages.

[Smartbear]

Looks great!
What tar remover does everyone recommend ?...

I’ve been using Tardis for a while, it’s very effective
Rob

[idej_z4]

...that did actually brighten my day considerably. You think this is bad, you should try a post on detailingworld.co.uk! Being fairly pragmatic about it, in years gone by I used to just do the basic stuff much like yourself but the sponge thing was the one hard lesson I learned after literally wrecking the clear coat on my black Z3M after one winter. I didn't actually realise that sponges were so bad for swirls. Just changing that one thing made a world of difference.

Not all sponges....

https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/dodo-jui ... ash-sponge

I use this (as well as a mitt) as it foams up the soap so well.

[Beedub]

Autosmart as above is also great!

[BeeEmm]

What tar remover does everyone recommend

Autosmart Tardis.

[Angelus666]

Do you use this with a spray bottle or apply directly with microfibre cloth? Also, does this strip coatings and wax...?

[Nictrix]

...that did actually brighten my day considerably. You think this is bad, you should try a post on detailingworld.co.uk! Being fairly pragmatic about it, in years gone by I used to just do the basic stuff much like yourself but the sponge thing was the one hard lesson I learned after literally wrecking the clear coat on my black Z3M after one winter. I didn't actually realise that sponges were so bad for swirls. Just changing that one thing made a world of difference.

Not all sponges....

https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/dodo-jui ... ash-sponge

I use this (as well as a mitt) as it foams up the soap so well.

The problem I have with everybody saying that sponges are bad for your paint is that a lot of waxes and polish can be applied with a sponge applicator.
I use a sponge to wash the cars, I powerwash the cars first, the wheels get cleaned next with their own bucket, sponge, brushes etc. Then I use a different bucket with a different sponge for the rest of the car, starting at the top and working my way down. Then rinse and dry.
I replace the sponge fairly regularly and that becomes the new sponge for the wheels.
I have tried a few different wash mitts and just cant get on with them.
I have previously machine polished both cars and wouldn't say that they are covered in marks left by using a sponge.
Stand back and prepare for the insults

[ph001]

The problem I have with everybody saying that sponges are bad for your paint is that a lot of waxes and polish can be applied with a sponge applicator.

The critical difference is that the car is usually very clean at the point of applying waxes and lsp.

Powerwashing the car first makes a huge difference. The vast majority of the damage is a result of rubbing fine grit and road grime against the top coat as it really just doesn't really have anywhere else to go with a sponge (and I'm not talking about the specialised sponges highlighted above, I'm talking about the 99p Wilko ones). That's where something like a lambswool mitt has a big advantage.

The colour of the car is important too. I could wash my silver grey M3 with some 400 grit wet and dry and you would hardly notice a thing - you just can't see swirl marks on that colour. I can't even run a finger across my Monaco Blue Z4 without it showing up in the clear coat in reflected sunlight.

Sounds like you are doing a pretty good job with your current routine to be honest and taking a lot more care than your average Joe, but I really would look at alternatives to a basic sponge if you want a cheap and easy improvement to cleaning.

[patriot66]

...that did actually brighten my day considerably. You think this is bad, you should try a post on detailingworld.co.uk! Being fairly pragmatic about it, in years gone by I used to just do the basic stuff much like yourself but the sponge thing was the one hard lesson I learned after literally wrecking the clear coat on my black Z3M after one winter. I didn't actually realise that sponges were so bad for swirls. Just changing that one thing made a world of difference.

Not all sponges....

https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/dodo-jui ... ash-sponge

I use this (as well as a mitt) as it foams up the soap so well.

The problem I have with everybody saying that sponges are bad for your paint is that a lot of waxes and polish can be applied with a sponge applicator.
I use a sponge to wash the cars, I powerwash the cars first, the wheels get cleaned next with their own bucket, sponge, brushes etc. Then I use a different bucket with a different sponge for the rest of the car, starting at the top and working my way down. Then rinse and dry.
I replace the sponge fairly regularly and that becomes the new sponge for the wheels.
I have tried a few different wash mitts and just cant get on with them.
I have previously machine polished both cars and wouldn't say that they are covered in marks left by using a sponge.
Stand back and prepare for the insults

I don't like wash mitts either Have you tried a wash pad ? I bought an Adams Wash Pad a couple of years back and would highly recommend one. Soft, plush, durable, holds a lot of suds and is much easier to manipulate/work with than a mitt
https://www.prestigecarcareshop.com/pro ... r-wash-pad

[Gwest44]

Sorry to answer your question with a question but did you have the 224s finished yourself or were they on the car when you got it - thinking about that finish on mine rather than standard silver?

Yeah, got these done a couple of years back now at Premier Body Shop in Ware with a custom paint mix to try and contrast the Ruby Black paint. TBH they were great for the first year, but haven't held up as well as the wheels on my TTRS, which I had powder coated, and I would go that way when doing them again.

Interesting thanks for that - thinking of having my wheels done and coincidentally my Z4MC s Ruby Black as well.

Interested to hear how you approach the detailing process but to be honest I have to admit to being a complete novice so was hoping you could answer the following:

Strip wash - what’s that initial jet wash stage?
Clay - would you do this after the above or after snow foam stage?
Wax - again when would you do this after the clay process?
APC - what’s this?
Snow foam - do you just apply this, leave for a bit then rinse off?
Korrosol - what’s this do?
Sonax BSD - how do you apply this and remove it?

Sorry for so many questions feel - just tell me to do one if you prefer

[idej_z4]

Sorry to answer your question with a question but did you have the 224s finished yourself or were they on the car when you got it - thinking about that finish on mine rather than standard silver?

Yeah, got these done a couple of years back now at Premier Body Shop in Ware with a custom paint mix to try and contrast the Ruby Black paint. TBH they were great for the first year, but haven't held up as well as the wheels on my TTRS, which I had powder coated, and I would go that way when doing them again.

Interesting thanks for that - thinking of having my wheels done and coincidentally my Z4MC s Ruby Black as well.

Interested to hear how you approach the detailing process but to be honest I have to admit to being a complete novice so was hoping you could answer the following:

Strip wash - what’s that initial jet wash stage?
Clay - would you do this after the above or after snow foam stage?
Wax - again when would you do this after the clay process?
APC - what’s this?
Snow foam - do you just apply this, leave for a bit then rinse off?
Korrosol - what’s this do?
Sonax BSD - how do you apply this and remove it?

Sorry for so many questions feel - just tell me to do one if you prefer

Strip wash for me is a rinse for about 10-15 Mins. I clay bar after all decontamination is complete. The steps I follow are not too dissimilar to those use by White Details.

If you're interested, here is the full treatment I give mine twice a year. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=107219

[Nictrix]

Not all sponges....

https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/dodo-jui ... ash-sponge

I use this (as well as a mitt) as it foams up the soap so well.

The problem I have with everybody saying that sponges are bad for your paint is that a lot of waxes and polish can be applied with a sponge applicator.
I use a sponge to wash the cars, I powerwash the cars first, the wheels get cleaned next with their own bucket, sponge, brushes etc. Then I use a different bucket with a different sponge for the rest of the car, starting at the top and working my way down. Then rinse and dry.
I replace the sponge fairly regularly and that becomes the new sponge for the wheels.
I have tried a few different wash mitts and just cant get on with them.
I have previously machine polished both cars and wouldn't say that they are covered in marks left by using a sponge.
Stand back and prepare for the insults

I don't like wash mitts either Have you tried a wash pad ? I bought an Adams Wash Pad a couple of years back and would highly recommend one. Soft, plush, durable, holds a lot of suds and is much easier to manipulate/work with than a mitt
https://www.prestigecarcareshop.com/pro ... r-wash-pad

Might be an idea

[Nictrix]

The problem I have with everybody saying that sponges are bad for your paint is that a lot of waxes and polish can be applied with a sponge applicator.

The critical difference is that the car is usually very clean at the point of applying waxes and lsp.

Powerwashing the car first makes a huge difference. The vast majority of the damage is a result of rubbing fine grit and road grime against the top coat as it really just doesn't really have anywhere else to go with a sponge (and I'm not talking about the specialised sponges highlighted above, I'm talking about the 99p Wilko ones). That's where something like a lambswool mitt has a big advantage.

The colour of the car is important too. I could wash my silver grey M3 with some 400 grit wet and dry and you would hardly notice a thing - you just can't see swirl marks on that colour. I can't even run a finger across my Monaco Blue Z4 without it showing up in the clear coat in reflected sunlight.

Sounds like you are doing a pretty good job with your current routine to be honest and taking a lot more care than your average Joe, but I really would look at alternatives to a basic sponge if you want a cheap and easy improvement to cleaning.

Both cars are black, one sapphire black and one azurite black. I know what you mean about marks showing up.
We have had the Z for 5 1/2 years and the X6 for 2 1/2 years and apart from stone chips on the fronts the paintwork is better on both of them than when we got them, both in daily use also.

[BeeEmm]

Do you use this with a spray bottle or apply directly with microfibre cloth? Also, does this strip coatings and wax...?

If you mean Tardis, yes it should be applied from a spray bottle and left for about 8 minutes. You can rub gently with a microfibre as long as the car is grit free. Make sure you hose of every last drop. It can be applied to specific areas by dabbing with a microfibre. I use it on every part of the exterior, including wheels. It is ideal for stripping old wax.