MSE Car Washing

greenmoneysaver_2

Hi all,

Have decided it is time to start washing my own car! Have been paying £4.50 a month to get it cleaned at the local hand wash but now have a smaller car that I can reach all parts by myself and want to save money!

Have seen the huge amounts of stuff on sale, and would like to know what do I really need??

I don't have a hose to hand, so

bucket
sponge
detergent stuff
wax?? (am worried I will mess this up and do damage to the car!)
chamois leather (my dad swears by these but is a perfectionist in this dept)

Is it worth paying more for the Turtle/T-cut stuff or does own brand do just as well?

Thanks in advance!

lilac_lady

Don't buy oven cleaner! (the ladies team on The Apprentice bought some when their task was to wash cars).

hewhoisnotintheknow

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/ have a look at that OCD Site!

steveo3002

i doubt they were waxing it for £4.50 a go

bucket and a watering can for rinsing
sponge or mitt
car shampoo (not fairey liquid)..the ecomony tescos car shampoo is fine
leather or drying towel

if you want to go further...

glass cleaner and cloths , micro fibre cloths are best

tyre shine

wax and more micro fibre cloths...just do a panel at a time and apply it super thin , keep it off any black trims and rubbers as it often stains white (something like autoglym super resin polish cleans gently and gives protection)

t cut is for restoring old faded paint

Hintza

steveo3002 wrote: »

sponge or mitt
car shampoo (not fairey liquid

I used to use fairy but the proper stuff does a much better job. But better fairy than nothing at all!

Pssst

I use a soft non scratch handbrush.

(a) bucket of water,wash off loose dirt and dust by dipping brush(or sponge) in water and wiping on car .

(b) warm water in bucket,add car wash or car wash & wax combined,repeate procedure above. Leave weels until last as they will be dirtiest.

(c) use plastic watering can,fill with water and use to rinse off car.

job done.

Hoses and jet washers are no good for this job. water on its own just isnt very wet and using a hose/jet washer just glides the water off the car leaving the dirt behind.

BargainGalore

I use triplewax cash wash (its cheap and very good)
Place car wash in a orange builders bucket (get from B&Q cheap)

Make sure water is warm but not to hot

I use a large car sponge and a car brush for wheels. You can get small brushes for alloy wheels too

I find washing on a damp day best as car doesn't dry quickly or even if its slightly raining then you dont have to dry the car

I dry car with a very large microfibre cloth (got from Boyes store for £3, Boyes is good for cheap car stuff sells auto gym very cheap)

I hose down but I have used water from a garden hose before now and its better than throwing cold water from a bucket as you dont waste as much water

I then use microfibre to dry off. I tried chamois leather but I find they get very dry and you get bits from them. I been told that you keep them very moist to stop them doing that and leave in a plastic bag, but they stink when you do that. Found the best solution this large micro fibre cloth

Once a year I apply car wax and dry with a soft micro fibre cloth only used for waxing

I clean windows not all time with degreaser/window cleaner and use a soft dry cloth to dry off, dont forget to clean wipers with cleaner or use meths to do that stops them streaking

steveo3002

Hintza wrote: »

I used to use fairy but the proper stuff does a much better job. But better fairy than nothing at all!

fairy is probably worse than nothing , its a degreaser and contains salt

shampoo can got for 75p a litre if you shop around so its cheaper than wasting fairy anyhoo

vikingaero

I wash my car at my parents house because we have a water meter and they don't.

AdrianHi

Washing up liquid is sometimes used by pro-detailers as a substitue for expensive cleansers to strip off all previous layers of wax / sealants before they clay, polish and re-seal the paint work, so you probably don't want to be doing this for your regular wash

Modern paints are getting harder and more susceptible to picking up micro scratches. To minimise this there are steps you can take to minimise the amount of grit and dirt you rub back into your paint work while washing. Many people charging for car washing don't even do the following.
1. Jet wash to get off as much loose dirt as possible, avoid parking sensors, mirrors, wiper blades etc.with the jet.
2. Fill two buckets, one with fresh water the other with water and car shampoo (I like Duragloss 901, not expensive)
3. Wash mit in soapy bucket, gently wash a panel
4. Rinse the mit in the fresh water getting off as much dirt and grit as possible
5. Soap up the mit again and repeat round the car
EDIT: 5a. Jetwash all the soapy water off (forgot that)
6. Drying: Use chamois leather only on glass, on paint it rubs any left behind dirt into the paint making micro-scratches that you can see in sunlight, use micro fibre cloths (Tescos had soem really cheap and decent ones a while back) for drying. For a bit of shine a spray on quick detailer or Aquawax is good, (I like Duragloss Aquawax, again not expensive)
7. Wheel cleaning last, use a different sponge, brush or older wash mitt you won't use on paintwork again.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

The most important part of washing a car is polishing/waxing it when done. It protects the paintwork, makes the car look pretty in the rain, and makes it much easier to clean the next time.

Wash it thoroughly with shampoo/sponge, dry it off, and polish it. Then, the next time you wash it, only use a tiny amount of shampoo so the polish isn't removed - you won't need to polish it again for a while.

While you're cleaning the car, its a good idea to open the bonnet, boot, and fuel filler cap, and clean out any drains. This helps prevent rust.