How Clean Is Your Car?

[seefive]

Hi

 

I guess most people are aware of the "dry car cleaning" products sold on the shopping channels? The demo shows a dirty car being brought to a miraculous shiny finish with no water, just a spray of the wonder stuff (£20 pus p and p) and a wipe with a cloth.

 

Yeah I thought it was nonsense too, until I noticed the consistency of the stuff was suspiciously like the household cleaners you get in supermarkets (Mr Sheen, Pledge Multi Surface etc - £1 a tin)

I tried using Pledge on the car and - wow- it really works. If you read the can, it says it's good (and safe) for metal and glass. Using a Micro fibre cloth, I can clean (and effectively polish) the whole car in about 20 minutes . It will do the alloy wheels, but I prefer to use a kitchen degreaser - again, the same as alloy wheel cleaner, but substantially cheaper.

 

A £1 can lasts about 4 cleans. I'm still using the same cloth, which I wash under the tap when I've finished.

 

I've been using this for a year and a half now, and no ill effects on the paintwork. My car is Wicked Red, which comes up beautifully, courtesy of Johnson and Johnson! It seems to stay cleaner longer too. I believe high-end car rental companies use this method for cleaning their exotic cars, as water and detergeants do too much damage

 

Anyone want to buy a bucket and sponge??

[72dudes]

I'm still a water man myself! Hose down, wash with warm water and car wash/wax, hose again and leather dry. Wax polish 2 or 3 times a year.

 

I trained as a car valeter on new/used cars at a Jaguar/Rover/Triumph/BL dealership (showing my age!) over 5 years.

 

Sounds grand but it was a job I had in the school/university holidays.

 

I guess the Pledge idea would work as a quick spruce up, but I'd be worried about leaving tiny scratches in the paintwork/top coat lacquer over a prolonged period. For this reason, I have never used car washes.

 

Barbecue Cleaner works well on grimy alloys too (caustic based, so don't leave on for more than a couple of minutes).

 

Finish off with a good quality tyre dressing (not horrendous shiny sh*te much loved by dodgy used car dealers!)

[seefive]

I guess the Pledge idea would work as a quick spruce up, but I'd be worried about leaving tiny scratches in the paintwork/top coat lacquer over a prolonged period. For this reason, I have never used car washes.

 

Definitely doesn't scratch. The softness of the cloth and the slippery consistency of the polish means nothing damaging comes into contact with the paintwork. The polish encapsulates the dirt and transfers it to the cloth, whilst maintaining a barrier between cloth and car.

A sponge on water, which is a much thinner fluid, is far more damaging. It grinds the dirt particles against the paintwork, causing swirl patterns.

[wozza]

2 bucket method lambswool mitt and a miracle drier to patt it down with after wards. Followed by a a coat of glaze and wax. Looks great after it is done. Should do as well after I spent days on it 2 months ago machine polishing the bugger.

[old'uns]

what do you recommend for this then? oldish pic but you get the general idea

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/8852/02030001nd3.th.jpg

 

used to clean twice a year, MOT xmas & holiday june-ish but guess what happened one year ;)

[seefive]

what do you recommend for this then? oldish pic but you get the general idea

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/8852/02030001nd3.th.jpg

 

used to clean twice a year, MOT xmas & holiday june-ish

 

no problem.

 

http://www.miracledrywash.com/testimonials.htm

[TurboSlag]

The problem with these foam cleaners is that they lift the dirt from the bodywork and suspend it, and then the process of wiping the foam off rubs the dirt against the paints surface.

 

Furniture polish is quite popular for use on paint, especially in bodyshop circles. The chemical make up of modern automotive paint finishes is quite similar to the polurethane based finishes on modern furniture, so its quite well suited to it, though i couldn't vouch for how long the finish will last when compared to a conventional wax or sealer.

[Guest Colin Hunter]

Well they do say "Mr Sheen shines umpteen things clean" and I can vouch for it's efficacy on the car. I've used it in the past with good results. Doesn't last as long as a bespoke car polish of course.

 

Cheers. ;)

[techbod]

never really had a problem with this, an old friend hearse driver cough cleaned his with water and a chamois, he sprayed the dust/grit/dirt off then once in a while he use the McGuire's stuff and that's what I use