How do you clean your car?

[Mat]

Just cleaned the car for the first time in a couple of weeks, and also gave it a wax for the first time this summer!

Anyway, just wondered if people have a routine and also what do they use?

I'll start, here's mine:

Rinse car
Clean alloys with wheels brush
Rinse car all over
wipe over with sponge A (no soap)
rinse again
wash all over with Sponge B (loads of Autoglym shampoo) Startin with roof, then windscree, bonnet, rear window and other windoes
rinse again,
wash all over
rinse again
wash panel by panel (washin and immediately rinsing)
rinse all over
Squeegee dry
Chamois Dry
Wax* (happens once a month or depending of time of year - winter too cold - also depeneds how hot it is and if i can be arsed )

Thats the outside done!

Open doors and boot
clean sills with jug of warm water
dry with chamois

Interior Now:

Hover thoroughly
jug of warm water, clean pedal and whole foot well area (maybe passenger side to if muddy)
febreeze all fabric
spray air freshener (usually Oust)
polish dash (Mr Sheen), then centre console, then doors, then rear panels
clean windows (starting on outside, then inside)

*Waxin is sometime left until very end, after interior is done, depends on mood and time

Take pics

Refreshing pint

Usually takes me about 3hours (5 is longest i've ever spent!!!)

Here are my pics from today:

 

[Aimez]

similar, but i use turtle wax wheel cleaner then polish then protecter spray. Use some T-cut on the stuck on tar and bugs too. I use a wax thats clear so no white bits showing up all the stone chips

 

[Mat]

what kind of wax?

 

[Adam R]

get rid of your sponge and use your lambs woll wash mits. and grit under a sponge will make your paint. nice finish though

 

[lard44]

Right here goes...

Rinse car.
Wash with turtle wax shampoo and lambswool mitten
Rinse
Towel dry
Megs CLAY BAR! and loads of quik detail spray
Another rinse and wash.

Autoglym Paint Renovator and Scratch X as required on worst bits
Autoglym Super Resin Polish
Turtle Wax Sealant
Turtle Wax black wax
Megs Gold Class Wax

Exterior glass gets Autoglym Fast Glass, then Glass Polish

The wheels get washed, then tougher bits with Megs Hot Wheels, then proofed with some Autoglym alloy wheel sealant.

Interior is dusted, hoovered then Autoglym trim cleaner (I forget what it's called) - brings up the colour without being too shiny.

Stick all the microfibre cloths and towels in the washing machine and kiss goodbye to pretty much an entire day. Which might sound sad but, when you get 6 weeks off in the summer and a half term every other 6 weeks, you tend to make time...

I haven't had the time to go through this routine with my new LCR yet - the weather's been shocking and I'm not on holiday yet, so usually a wash consists of a wash, dry, quik detail - give the wheels a quick scrub but that's about it. No pics yet...

 

[Mat]

get rid of your sponge and use your lambs woll wash mits. and grit under a sponge will make your paint. nice finish though

my sponge NEVER touches the floor!

 

[lard44]

After a quick wash - about an hour.

Looks good from a distance but washing it only makes me realise how desperately she needs a good claying!

 

[olaf]

Get rid of the sponges, squeege and chamois.

And get some wash mitts, and some Sonus Drying Towels! Sponge can cause damage just with the dirt that it picks up from the car - a nightmare on a black car.

You know it makes sense

 

[DanGB]

Hose Car (using gun attachment) to blast off any mud.
Wash car with car shampoo of some kind. Currently using Turtle wax something. Use microfibre spone thing (not a sponge though). This is using two buckets. clean bucket, and rinse bucket.
Rinse car with hose again.
Dry with microfibre cloth.
Wash wheels/calipers. with hose, cloth and alloy wheel cleaner.
Use tyre blackener.

-If doing a proper clean...
clean door shuts etc.
Clean exhaust.
Wax car using meguirs liquid nxt stuff.
Apply trim blackener (to areas of black trim ive put wax on)
Hoover and wipe over all surfaces in car.

Thats about it.

 

[Reg]

my sponge NEVER touches the floor!

It doesn't have to - the sponge just rubs the grit & dirt thats on the car between itself and the paintwork.

May I ask, why on earth do you put the sponge over the car with no suds? The soap is there for two reasons. Firstly, to help soften/dissolve the crud, and secondly to help hold it in suspension away from the paint.

Like is true in so many things, you don't go at it without the right amount of lubrication

 

[Mat]

just go over sith no soap to get a lot of the mess off

 

[Sisson]

swirl and scratch city.....guaranteed!

 

[InfernalBadger]

Washed my car for the first time ever on Saturday.

Bought some Megs gold class shampoo, a lambswool mitt and a 2nd bucket from halfords (wanted to buy more, clay kit and some wax, but the gf wouldn't let me, boo).

Unfortunately it was baking hot and the only place I could wash it was in direct sunlight. So out with the hose and rinse the whole car off. Then attack the car panel by panel with the mitt, washing it out in a second bucket off clean water. Of course, after not too long I realised I was getting stupid amounts of water marks because of the sun

So I did the side that was in the shade, that worked fine. Then as the sun disappeared behind I cloud I quickly did the sun facing side. (Yes I know I could have turned the car around, but that wouldn't have helped much with the bonnet/roof ). I didn't have anything to dry it with so I just tried to run all the water off with the hose.

Lastly I destroyed a kitchen cloth (probably not the best thing to use, or the best time to do it ) getting most of the brake dust off the alloys. Will definitely get some proper alloy cleaner next time.

Car definitely looks a lot better now (was filthy before) and actually shines. But from close up it has lots of obvious marks

Will hopefully get some clay, wax, drying towel and wheel cleaner + brush for next time so the car will actually have some protection. Noticed how swirled it was as well, so it'll have to go to a detailer some time to get those sorted (probably you Reg when I have the money ). I'm sure having it properly details will make it a lot easier to clean after as well

Anyway, no pics because my camera sucks, but I assure you it's an improvement

 

[Reg]

Just shout mate, I'll sort you out. Black details best, without any doubt.

 

[InfernalBadger]

I should try and persuade the GF that me buying all of the stuff and doing a **** job will cost loads anyway so I might as well spend a little more and get a pro to do it

I don't think she realises quite what a difference it'll make. Maybe I need to show her some of the threads on here.

 

[az_mk]

swirl and scratch city.....guaranteed!

Ill second that! i think you might need to do some homework becuase your routine sounds disasterous to me! esp about the rinsing and then using a dry sponge bit! cleanyourcar dot co dot uk forums have some really good guides on there, give it a whirl you might just get addicted!

 

[Reg]

No need to look anywhere other than the sticky at the top of this section Iain Brown very kindly took the trouble to write an excellent guide to keeping your car looking good.

 

[Mat]

cheers for tips regarding mitts etc

wheers best place for the mitts and various cloths and how much?

also this claying business. where can i get said "clay". and how much is it? My ex shown me a thread (from barry boys) about this bloke who bought an Astra and proper got it shining. the wax cost like 7k (refilled for life mind)

i'll find the link

 

[az_mk]

or you could look at the sticky! lol

 

[olaf]

Yeh I've seen that Astra link.

Clean Your Car is a good site for buying stuff, quickly delivery. And I believe its Tim that comes on here sometimes from there.