Very basic car washing help please.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
If money permits or beg, borrow a leaf blower. They can be as cheap or as expensive as you like but try and get one of a manageable size so that once you`ve given your motor a good wash, instead of dry toweling or chamioing it use the blower as it makes easy work of drying. It also gets all the remaining water out from the nooks and cranies that spoil things when you drive off and have water marks all down the sides.
 
Wow I just wanted to add my thanks for the info too. Have never owned a sports car, and always been lazy about cleaning the car - my idea of a good wash was either a good heavy rain on Sunday morning (when I'm sleeping) or going to local £6 "american" hand wash place.

Not sure how I'll do all the washing living in a flat though :?
 
I must admit i'm def an 'amateur' when it comes to cleaning a car, i have only ever done a normal wash and rinse :(

However after reading some of the above tips/advise earlier I had the urge to go and get some tidy cleaning products, so went for a little trip to halfords.. ready for a good clean tomorrow..

We'll see what the results are like tomorrow.. my wheels need to cleaning badly.. plus i need to take some photo's

Thanks for all the good tips :D
 
ksher said:
Tired said:
Previously I owned a Clio. My idea of cleaning it would be fairy liquid into a bucket of warm water, wash with sponge, spray with hose. Leave for 4-6 months to dry. Repeat process.
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Fairy liquid??? :o Never use washing up liquid to wash cars.
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My logic was, fairy liquid cleans everything! Surely it would be ideal for a dirty car!!

Thanks again everyone for your help. I cleaned the car for the second time in 2 weeks today. (if my dad heard that he'd think i was on something!) The waxing was hard work though... Are you suppsoe to leave the wax to really dry completely before buffing? I think I started buffing too early as I was there for hours trying to get the smears out.

I've also noticed condensation in a headlight so expect a thread being revived for that problem! - I'm sure its happened to others before.

Thanks everyone :thumbsup:
 
Wash the top half of the car first as that area will be less dirty. Though if your using the 2 bucket method it won't make much of a difference.
Wash rims with a seperate wash mit.

Yeah if you were getting smears from buffing you probably didn't let it dry long enough. There is no magic time to let wax/polish dry before buffing, it all depends on the temperature of the body panels, humidity, ambient air temperature, etc. I think one of the better ways to tell when it's ready is to run your finger lightly over an area you think is dry. If your finger leaves a clean trail through the wax then it's ready.
 
I'm gonna give my car a first proper wash on sat after reading this post. Never cleaned a car myself (well, unless those taxi washers count) so its a bit of an uncharted territory.

So have I got this bit right?

I should spread the wax with soft foam applicator pads (or bare hands??) and buff them up with microfibre?
and
I should clean the wheels at the beggining, and consider wheel wax at the end?

:? :? :?
 
Drive to the local supermarket. Practice the polish for "clean my car please" Go and have a cup of coffee. Drive away. Get home and find it is covered in crap again. Repeat following week
 
Just had a go at full washing waxing thing at a mates. Very tiring but rewarding at the end. Nice shiny car car with reflections and smoother then James Bond with martini now. I was amazed with Meguires glass cleaner the most - I could even see the wiper blade tracks when it was sprayed on :thumbsup:

Just very upset now I've noticed all the stone chips, minute scrutch marks and swirl marks though.
 
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