Your Z4 washing routine?

T

theLOLkid

Member
Hi,

I'm interested to know:
* The steps involved in your regular wash / detail wash
* How often you wash your Z4
* Any specific products used
* Any other tips

Here's mine. Every week:
* Hose car down with cold water
* I fill two buckets of hot water - adding generic car shampoo into one bucket. The other bucket is my rinse bucket.
* I use a microfibre wash mitt and clean one panel at a time (starting at the roof and working down) - rinsing the cloth in the non-shampoo water bucket between each panel
* Hose car down with cold water

Every second week I also:
* Use a close to wipe all of the dirt off the alloys - getting my hand inside the the alloy and cleaning down the inside
* Use a generic non-colour specific wax on each of the panels after the car has dried

I basically do this because I don't have the time to do the wheels and a polish every week. I realise that my routine isn't optimal and there's probably better dedicated cleaning products to do a better job, so I'm interested to know what you all do.

Cheers.

Edit: Sorry, I've actually just noticed for the first time that this forum has a "Detailing + bodywork" forum (I rarely leave the E89 discussion). Could a mod move this, please?
 
I see you have 296's like me. They have got to be the worst designed alloys ever, especially for cleaning. What idiot came up with a wheel with a non draining grove that fills with water and dirt. Centrifugal force keeps it all in too. I use a small scrubbing pad, soft side, to fit inside the spokes and go around the grove in the wheel. Then every couple of months I remove them completely and clean and wax from the inside. They do look good though :D

As for washing I use a snow foam and jet wash to get off most of the muck then I actually re-snow foam it and use I microfibre mit to wash with a clean water bucket to rinse. I know this is lazy but it works well and saves on a bucket :roll:
 
Jonny essex said:
Rinse very well with cold water, then use one bucket to clean with lambs wool mit on body work, then use a reg mit to wash alloys tyen tyres then lastly the arches never goin to bottom of bucket and have a big bucket to minimal chance of grit transfer, then use a brush to clean my red brake callipers, then use a micro fibre cloth to dry including all seals, then use mags gel on tyres and C4 gtech on all plastics, then go over with scratch X to look for minor scratchs and use were needed, then mags polish then collinite wax, this is done all in one go everytime i wash her once a week, takes 2 hours and i hoover and polish and use a tooth brush on the vents and grooves on the inside, use gliptone on all leather, put up a new car scent air freshner, clean the mats and this takes 45 mins and do this every other week, i deep clean engine bay every 3 months and spray fabric roof weather protector every 3 months too.....some say i have OCD :D
Click to expand...

Using only one bucket, and no grit guard :poke:


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Weekly - a quick ONR wash or snowfoam and rinse... follow up with a quick detailer.

Monthly - "bigger" clean, and re wax.

yearly - detail like this: http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=50951&p=740111#p740111

:thumbsup:
 
get out low power jet washer give it a good watering then get bored and go back indoors
think swmbo must take it to the local hand wash and practice her polish cause it looks clean when she comes back
 
Jonny essex said:
Rinse very well with cold water, then use one bucket to clean with lambs wool mit on body work, then use a reg mit to wash alloys tyen tyres then lastly the arches never goin to bottom of bucket and have a big bucket to minimal chance of grit transfer, then use a brush to clean my red brake callipers, then use a micro fibre cloth to dry including all seals, then use mags gel on tyres and C4 gtech on all plastics, then go over with scratch X to look for minor scratchs and use were needed, then mags polish then collinite wax, this is done all in one go everytime i wash her once a week, takes 2 hours and i hoover and polish and use a tooth brush on the vents and grooves on the inside, use gliptone on all leather, put up a new car scent air freshner, clean the mats and this takes 45 mins and do this every other week, i deep clean engine bay every 3 months and spray fabric roof weather protector every 3 months too.....some say i have OCD :D
Click to expand...
You have too much time on your hands. Lol.
 
Mines washed weekly without fail, whether dirty or not lol.

Interior hoovered and dash, vents etc tickled over with a Megs sable brush.

Snow foam first with Valet Pro. Rinse off with hose. 2 bucket shampoo, one for the alloys and one for the bodywork, 1 clean water bucket for rinsing the sponge. I use Zaino non silicone sponges as I think their a bit better than wash mits, one for the alloys and one for the bodywork. Rinse off. Depending on the weather dry bodywork either with Pittards leather or Zaino towel. Dress tyres with Car Plan tyre slik. Dress all exterior trims and engine with Autoglym vinyl and rubber care. Glass cleaned with Wilkos vehicle glass cleaner lol using microfibre cloths. Every 2 weeks go over with showroom shine after a wash.

Tim.
 
If car dirty = true

While not clean
Rinse with hose
Wash using bucket of zaino wash, grit guard and megs wash mit.
Rinse with hose
Dry with waffle cloth
Drive
End


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My car only gets driven occasionally, so if its not been out, I leave it in the garage.

Washing routine (regular):
Pressure wash to get loose dirt off
Two bucket wash with microfiber mit and either AG or Meg's shampoo, wheels get done with separate mit and brush
Rinse with pressure washer
Towel dry
Poorboy's Quick detail - once over
Poorboys Natty Paste wax (every other wash)
Hoover inside

Twice a year I do all of the above but also after towel dry:
Clay bar - Megs, with PB quick detailer
Rinse
Auto Glym Super Resin Polish - 2/3 hits
Poorboys Black Hole - 2/3 hits
Nattys Past Wax - 1 hit
Then Hoover etc

AG SRP is a massively underrated product. The reviews on DetailingWorld, particularly for swirl removal, are great.



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dont really have a routine as i cant figure it out and not been doing it that long.

i tend to

rinse with jet wash
snow foam (still cant decide if its worth it)
rinse
spray wheels with bilberry
2 bucket using autoglym shampoo and mit
rinse
do wheels with the 2 buckets using brush/mit
dry with microfiber cloth

then it depends on time,
no time = megs ultimate QD if recently done. ran out of this so trying poorboys next
if more time ill do more but still not sure on the right combo and frequency needed for things like blackhole, exp sealant, natty blue wax (although when i did all 3 it was super smooth and shiney)

wha ti would liek to do more often is use the megs balck wheel stuff
and clean windows

as for the interior, its needed a deep clean so ive been trying to do bits when i do. carpets are next and seats. so i just hoover and try dust a bit
 
Every week.
1. Rinse with jet wash.
2. Snow foam.
3 2 bucket with grit guard. Washed with Yeti merino wash mitt.
4. Rinse
5. Dry with MF drying cloth.
6. Finish with quick detailer.




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My washing routine this morning involved putting it in the garage to dry it when the heavens opened. I love having a garage 8)
 
Well...

Spray each wheel arch with a mix of apc and water (50/50) and clean each wheel individually and then the tyres and arches.

Give the car a good hose with clean water.

2 bucket method for a wash.

Dry the car by folding the towel (never wipe)

Use a magic sponge on the plastics.

Use a magic sponge with autosol to clean the tail pipez.

Polish

Wax properly twice a year and any other wash use a spray on wax.

I then sit down and feel very, very old.
 
Using a magic sponge on plastics - what does this do, bring it back to black ? And does it work on rubber ?
 
Bing said:
Using a magic sponge on plastics - what does this do, bring it back to black ? And does it work on rubber ?
Click to expand...

I use a bit of sponge sprayed with autoglym plastic and rubber care. It really makes a difference.

The wifes motor lives outside and the platic was really discoloured. Did the sponge trick a few times and its back to black.

Makes a lovely squeak too!

Never tried on rubber. I think its just abrasive enough to strip the top layer of cack off the trim.

Even better on the tail pipes though. I used to use brasso wadding but autosol and sponge is better
 
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