How do you clean yours?

[bossjohnc]

As I've been cleaning a lot today, I just wondered in what order other people do things, probably hoping to learn a few tricks here! This is my order:

1) Clean wheels - got a wheel scrubber which is essentially a thin scouring pad on a stick - makes cleaning the inside of the bathursts a bit easier. Then I go round the inside of the spokes with a cloth, then the outside, and finally a toothbrush with a bristly bit on the end to get in to the nooks and crannies of the wheels, plus scrub up the calipers a bit. Usually clean the front arches with a fairly soft brush. Then rinse the wheels with a splash of water (make sure you'll be driving it soon to avoit pitting on the discs).

2) Wash body down - first remove excess dirt with a hose if it's filthy (not usually necessary in my opinion), then use shampoo and a sponge (being very careful not to use a circular motion and lift any grit off in a straight line lifting the sponge gradually at one end as you go). At this time of year the front needs particular attention, as long as you don't leave bug splat to rot, it'll usually come off with a little elbow grease and a sponge. I clean the honeycomb with a fairly soft brush. Usually I open up the engine bay at this point and wipe off any dirt. (Opening the doors and the boot is also part of this process!!) Also give the exhaust a wipe over.

3) Rinse the body - car is usually mainly dry by the time I've got to this point (not ideal - but the car needs to be wet for the next bit). I use a soft cloth to distribute the water, and then soak up the excess.

4) Use a damp chamois (a proper one!!) to soak up the water and leave the car totally streak free.

5) Dry the wheels with a cloth.

6) Dress the tyres.

7) (optional) Use a glass cleaner inside/out

8) Vac the inside, wipe the dash with a damp cloth (not in to any of that dash shine stuff really)

I don't polish the car as I use a hard wax that'll last me 6 months to a year. Before I put another layer of this on, I'm going to clay the car first. Gonna take bloody ages but will be worth it I think.

Rear arches are a pain - don't usually bother unless the wheels are off - wheels are too close to the body (even as standard). The rear arches are lined with some kind of dirt magnet fabric to make things worse!!

So... how do you wash yours??

[twisty b-road]

Get the hose out, get a sponge

Get the car wet, wipe down with sponge

Going somewhere special? Chamois it

Wipe wheels down

God I love Supaguard and minimal wheels style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

Black tyres once a month ish

Hoover once a month ish

[bossjohnc]

The wheels are the worst - pita!!

[beer monsta]

Pretty much same as you for washing, then once a year:

1. Swissol paint cleaner, removes all cr@p off the car - if you think your car is clean, you need to try this stuff and buff it off with a white towel - the results will shock you.

2. Swissol Wax, full coating of wax, buff off with terry towling cloths and let stand in sunshine for 3hrs minimum.

Otherwise I just wash and wax it one a fortnight. Make sure I have plenty wax on the front and exposed areas liek the Wingmirrors - dead bugs usually fall off witht he pressue from the hose.

[gargoil]

pretty much same as twisty!

[bossjohnc]

Hows the wax going Will?

[RobinA3]

drive to shell

give the lady £5

take a token off her

hop in the car

drive into a big thing with a big brushes on it

wait a few mins

drive out of the other side

and the car is clean for some reason

odd! style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":lol:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

[gargoil]

Used to do that but had damage done to a car so would never venture near one again!

@bossjohn...Wax is good, only thing is it looks crap if you leave bobbles sitting on the car when it is really sunny so have to make sure is dried properly, usually flick water off with old wiper blade and then use the chamois!!

[AndyW]

Agreed, I haven't used the drive through one on my Lupo yet as on my Punto it seemed to do nasty things to the paint finish, always looked very tired after going in a car wash.

Will occasionally use the jet sprays that you do yourself, but generally only to get surface crap off, the brushes on those are just as bad.

I have two different cleaning types, theres the fairly mundane, pressure wash, soap and sponge and spray again, then theres the intensive dry and wax that I used to do on my punto, have yet to do it on this car, haven't got any of the kit at the moment.

[Red Lup Gti]

superguard is the boom!! style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

usually give it proper attention every other month!!

[BigMon]

1) Hose the car down

2) Wash the car top down with Zymol car shampoo

3) Clean the wheels with toothbrush and shampoo

4) Hose again

5) Chamois

Every two or three months:

6) Apply Zymol cleaner wax

7) Apply Turtlewax alloy wheel wax.

I've also found using the Turtlewax Extreme Wash n'Wax occasionally between waxes gives very good results.

I clean out the interior and do the windows occasionally, but have never blacked my tyres.

[arosa2000]

If you have any respect for your car you wouldn't take it through an automatic carwash. The synthetic brushes are like little whips on your paint, Then after time it creates 'sun scratches' (those circular scratches you see when you look at the paint from an angle)

Also they are full of sand and grit from the last 4x4 off roader that was in before you!!!

Plus it has been known for them to pull off wing mirrors and such.

Jet sprays are ok - But dont go too close or they damage the laquor. And the brush lance, forget about it. Good for wheels only.

The voice of experiance after cleaning cars for 2 years style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

[Crusoe]

Take car to pressure washer can use hot spray to remove any surface dirt

Shampoo with autoglym and soft natural sponge washing wheels but leaving roof dry.

Chamois off any excess moisture and leave bodywork to dry completely.

Vacuum soft top with mini vac and also hoover inside.

Clean hood with Autoglym convertable hood cleaner and hard sponge applicator.

Apply Autoglym hood sealant and leave to dry for 24hrs while get on with the rest of the car.

Apply leather cream to all interior leather

Use autoglym rubber and vinyl cleaner on other trim.

Apply seaman to all rubbers (seaman silicon gel that is, stuff divers use)

Two coats of wax for the bodywork and wheels (nowet, autoglym, turtlewax or combination depending on how much effort I want to put in)

Use nill glass to clean all the classwork

Apply antifog to the interior and rainex to the exterior glass and lights.

Only takes about a day and can’t drive it for at least 8hrs to let it all dry and set so can only do it all on consistently dry (not too sunny) days which we don’t get that many of.

[arosa2000]

QUOTE(Crusoe)

Apply seaman to all rubbers (seaman silicon gel that is, stuff divers use)  

Haha Lol - Thanks for clarifying that!

[Crusoe]

SEEMAN SUB SILICONE GREASE best thing fro rubber, makes all the seals air tight. "A HIGH QUALITY SILICONE GREASE WITH A VAREITY OF USES" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":lol:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

http://www.divingdirectshop.co.uk/acatalog.../ADHESIVES.html

[M1 Lupo]

Give it the full Zymol treatment and treat the car with the Destiny Glaze.

http://forum.clublupo.co.uk/viewtopic.php?...t=3254&start=30

See the incredibly shiny car pics at the bottom of the page..

[paulbin]

how much do u people pay for the supaguard???? Ive heard its expensive style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

[BReal]

I can recommend a good hand job for a fiver, otherwise I wash and use those autoglym blade wipers to remove excess water (got this idea from tigz) they are quick and the results are good, pricey at 12 quid though.

Glass and interior I only do for special, getting black spots on my chrome rims already anyone know how to remove?

[Weeman]

I usually do the car properly once every 2mths.

1/ Rinse car with hot water.

2/ Using natural sponge and a bucket of pipeing hot water and about 5 capfulls of tar&glue remover i give the car a once over not appling any pressure apart from the natural pull down of the sponge, then concentrate on the heavy deposit points with abit of pressure and a wee bit neat tar&glue ie just off from wheel archs, bottom of doors/sills front and back bumper and bonnet and then the wing mirrors.

2/ Rinse down twice with hot water.

3/ Wash with autoglym gear then rinse, then wash again then rinse.

4/ whilst car is drying polish all inside windows, then using nielson vinyl cleaner wipe and polish up all interior plastics then hoover out then polish all inner door sills.

5/ once car is completly dry car polish using either autoglym or neilson (nielson being my favorite) leave for an hour or 2 then polish again.

5/ polish alloys using autoglym polish and elbow grease, pour some turtle wax tyre spray in to pot add some tar&glue remover in stir around then apply using a good quality paint brush.

6/ Apply nielson rubber gel to all plastics (exterior) making sure to go over any polish thats managed to jump on to the plastic.

And thats about it.

Just bought some zymol wash and cleaner wax (although its actually a polish) so if weather holds up im gonna see what its like, love the smell of it style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

[bossjohnc]

I can highly reccomend meguires detailing clay, gets everything off the paint (including any waxes or polishes too).

Do the car bit by bit with this, and make sure you have some polish/wax to hand for each panel as you go.

Took me a week on and off to do the whole car!

[Tigz™]

I basiclly set fire to my car, and pick up a black car all nice and shiney.

Easy style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />