Cleaning regime

I am a cheapskate but I like a clean car so:
One bucket of clean warm water and a sponge first if the car is quite dirty. I omit this stage if it's not bad.
One bucket of warm water, with a capful of the cheapest (screwfix) wash and wax detergent. I use a sponge to wash the car from roof to sills. Then do the outside of the wheels last with the remaining water. Every second or third wash I remove the wheels and wash the insides with the same water. Then clean the brake calipers with a damp microfibre cloth and dry with a separate cloth.

Second (or third) bucket of clean water and wipe over whole car, roof first, with a damp microfibre cloth, rinsing the cloth regularly. After doing one panel, I polish it dry with a clean 'drying cloth' (a large textile soft cloth). Same on all panels, windows and wheels.

Only uses a maximum of three gallons of water and my cars come up as if they have been professionally waxed.

I never use a hose and would not dream of using my pressure washer on any car. I will not pay the local 'Taliban car wash' either. :)

I use carnuaba wax once in a while just to keep the cars looking nice and shiny.
 
Many petrol stations have self-serve jetwashes and space for you to park and spend a bit of time.

I bring to the jetwash the following:

- Two buckets
- Spray bottle with APC (all-purpose cleaner)
- Bottle of waterless wash (e.g. Optimum No Rinse)
- 6x2 litres used plastic drink bottles filled with water
- Wheel mitt, wash mitt, various brushes, drying towels

1. Use APC and wheel mitt to clean the wheels (much easier of course if they are coated/sealed). Put 4 litres of water in Bucket #1 and use to rinse wheel mitt.

2. Use APC and brushes to clean door jambs, fuel filler door, edges, plastics, arches etc. Use Bucket #1 to rinse brushes.

3. Use the jetwash to get the loose grime off. Don't use the jetwash brush on your paintwork (it's ok for glass, wheels and undercarriage).

4. Put the remaining 8 litres of water in Bucket No.2 and add waterless wash product.

5. Wash bodywork using wash mitt and Bucket No.2 (a grit guard is a good idea).

6. Dry bodywork and wheels with drying towels.

The above method is easy, can be done anywhere, is faster and easier and gets the car 99% as clean compared to a full routine with pressure washer. If there is access to a tap at the location you don't need to bring any water with you.
 
yeah i have the same feelings towards jet washing, not a fan. Seems to be mixed on if you should use a jet wash or not.
 
I have the Hydroshot pressure washer but rarely use it now. I just run a hose and for the snow foam attach a bottle and lance to the hose, it does 80% of the same job i.e. remove debris and loose dirt so its not dragged over the paintwork. If you are going to jet wash keep it back at a safe distance and just be aware regular jet washing is going to degrade the quality of your LSP.

Oh and if you like shiny, the shine comes from the polish process, not the wax. The wax will add a little bit of shine, but the majority of it comes from the polish process (hence the name!)
 
Weirdly the quality comes up pretty bad on YT. But yes that was about 4-5 hours worth. And within a couple of days it looked like crap thanks to wet weather and london driving lol
 
Its not so much the shine but keeping the car clean and not having stuff sitting on it for weeks. Its a bit demoralising aesthetically but good to know that you are keeping it in as good condition as you can.
 
yes very true. Thats a long time to spend cleaning, i just dont get that much spare time. Football (watching and coaching) or grandchild uses a lot of my weekends.
 
Busterboo said:
Silverstar said:
a] nice glossy shine
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I wish I'd not had my E89 treated with Autoglym polish, because driving due West at sunset, especially in winter, is terrible. :cry:
The reflections from the bonnet are blinding.

Don't you find this?
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Nope! No problems with reflections and I am in a country where it’s sunny 320 days a year!
 
Silverstar said:
Busterboo said:
I wish I'd not had my E89 treated with Autoglym polish, because driving due West at sunset, especially in winter, is terrible. :cry:
The reflections from the bonnet are blinding.
Don't you find this?
Click to expand...
Nope! No problems with reflections and I am in a country where it’s sunny 320 days a year!
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This is quite a problem for me sometimes. So, for example, I know that this coming Friday afternoon I'll be driving 30 miles due west on countryside A & B roads. If it's not cloudy or raining, the setting sun will be straight in my face and the glare off the bonnet will be bad enough to be a hazard.

My E89 is Melbourne Red, on 18" wheels and I'm 5' 10" (so not peeking over the steering wheel nor banging my head on the roof and am looking through more or less the vertical centre of the windscreen). The only polish on the bonnet is from the original factory lacquer and the aforementioned Autoglym, applied a couple of years ago.

Does nobody else suffer from glare like this?
 
Autoglym applied 2 years ago will be long gone, the effects of it were probably gone within a few weeks so its not the problem at all.
I honestly have never heard of this, are you sure the glare you are seeing is purely off the bonnet? If the sun is in your face how can you tell the difference? And A and B roads arent generally straight roads you will be pointing in all different directions, just a few degrees change in direction and the sun glare will go away.
 
coldel said:
Autoglym applied 2 years ago will be long gone, the effects of it were probably gone within a few weeks so its not the problem at all.
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I didn't know that. Thank you.
I honestly have never heard of this
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Perhaps it didn't happen.
are you sure the glare you are seeing is purely off the bonnet? If the sun is in your face how can you tell the difference?
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A good point. I'm not sure.
And A and B roads arent generally straight roads you will be pointing in all different directions, just a few degrees change in direction and the sun glare will go away.
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How many degrees do you suggest, please?
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Yes polishes etc. just polish, wax/lsp seals but these products are not permanent and if it was a polish the effects would have been gone in no time at all. I really don't know what to offer up about your glare problem. Sunglasses?!
 
Gave the car a good clean today. So impressed with Mothers Ceramic Shampoo, its a little bit of an initial outlay but its really good stuff. I also tried Gyeon WetCoat for the first time today, and have to say I am mightily impressed. You literally wash the car, rinse, then spray on and rinse off, the easiest LSP you will ever work with.

Anyway a final (noise interrupted!) walk around
https://youtu.be/HauHIpBH2mY

Comparison of WetCoat on panels, appreciate the rear panel isnt the same shape as the door but the difference is pretty clear
https://youtube.com/shorts/hDVNnUcmNOw?feature=share

And the bonnet run off
https://youtube.com/shorts/HlJZQ1iEscM?feature=share
 
It took me years to figure out that a polish and a wax are completely different animals.......now l always protect my Polish with a good quality wax.
Never use any turtle wax products as they are pants imop
 
Might just do a complete brain dump at some point on here, just everything Ive tried. Not saying I am a guru but I have spent a lot of money on stuff and if any of it can help people then thats all good!
 
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