Home valet kit

Determined2save_2

As the title suggests I am looking for a shopping list of what I would need to keep my new to me 3 yr old black/aubergine car looking as shiny as possible!

In all honesty I have not a clue my old car was washed with a pressure washer and brushes that we use for our transport department at work. An occasionally taken to the local supermarket for a bit of a mini valet.

I went into halfords to be met with a massive range of everything I don't have days to spend detailing nor do I have a very big budget but if I could have recommendations of products, top tips and kit list I would be hugely appreciative.

Thanks in advance

Single woman who hasn't a clue!

motorguy

Determined2save wrote: »

As the title suggests I am looking for a shopping list of what I would need to keep my new to me 3 yr old black/aubergine car looking as shiny as possible!

In all honesty I have not a clue my old car was washed with a pressure washer and brushes that we use for our transport department at work. An occasionally taken to the local supermarket for a bit of a mini valet.

I went into halfords to be met with a massive range of everything I don't have days to spend detailing nor do I have a very big budget but if I could have recommendations of products, top tips and kit list I would be hugely appreciative.

Thanks in advance

Single woman who hasn't a clue!

You can get your car professionally valeted for £40-50.

If you're not in the habit of otherwise polishing your car, getting this done might work out only a little more expensive than buying all the gear and then having to put a half days effort in yourself.

Strider590

Determined2save wrote: »

As the title suggests I am looking for a shopping list of what I would need to keep my new to me 3 yr old black/aubergine car looking as shiny as possible!

To be honest, with a black car, you need to be washing it every single weekend..... By hand to avoid swirl marks and scratches.
Get some cheap tea towels for finger tip removal of dried on dead insects, sponges are too soft.

You want to bulk buy some car sponges (chuck em when they start to look dirty), a shammy (chamois) leather and some good quality lint free polishing cloths.

Any old shampoo will do, it can contain wax, but make sure it doesn't contain silicones, silicones build up and dull the paintwork over time and DO NOT USE washing up liquid!!

As for polish I used "Mer", because it's brilliant on gel coated fibreglass and I have bucket loads of it in my garage for use on my Kitcar
But otherwise the advantage of Mer is it goes on damp, so no need for drying the car before application, where as other products require a completely dry car and can literally turn your car washing into a 6 hour job. Keep polish away from unpainted plastic.

For the tyres use Autoglym tyre black, for leather use Autoglym leather care, for wheels use whatever wheel cleaner is going cheap.

For windows, don't use household window cleaning products, something spirit or alcohol based is what you need.

But...... Depressingly, for all that effort, some fish wife will let her kids slam a door into it, or an OAP will turn the side into the grand canyon whilst reversing out of a space at your local supermarket and mumble "it's only a car" before driving off. For me "pride and joy" is a weekend car, not something I drive to work or the shops.

Determined2save_2

motorguy wrote: »

You can get your car professionally valeted for £40-50.

If you're not in the habit of otherwise polishing your car, getting this done might work out only a little more expensive than buying all the gear and then having to put a half days effort in yourself.

Thank you but I can't afford to have it valeted on a regular enough basis to keep it looking good I am going to unfortunately roll up my sleeves and put in my own elbow grease!

Determined2save_2

Strider590 wrote: »

To be honest, with a black car, you need to be washing it every single weekend..... By hand to avoid swirl marks and scratches.
Get some cheap tea towels for finger tip removal of dried on dead insects, sponges are too soft.

You want to bulk buy some car sponges (chuck em when they start to look dirty), a shammy (chamois) leather and some good quality lint free polishing cloths.

Any old shampoo will do, it can contain wax, but make sure it doesn't contain silicones, silicones build up and dull the paintwork over time and DO NOT USE washing up liquid!!

As for polish I used "Mer", because it's brilliant on gel coated fibreglass and I have bucket loads of it in my garage for use on my Kitcar
But otherwise the advantage of Mer is it goes on damp, so no need for drying the car before application, where as other products require a completely dry car and can literally turn your car washing into a 6 hour job. Keep polish away from unpainted plastic.

For the tyres use Autoglym tyre black, for leather use Autoglym leather care, for wheels use whatever wheel cleaner is going cheap.

For windows, don't use household window cleaning products, something spirit or alcohol based is what you need.

But...... Depressingly, for all that effort, some fish wife will let her kids slam a door into it, or an OAP will turn the side into the grand canyon whilst reversing out of a space at your local supermarket and mumble "it's only a car" before driving off. For me "pride and joy" is a weekend car, not something I drive to work or the shops.

Thank you for your advise. I am happy to wash it each week as I do want to look after it as it will be the chariot that will ferry my children between the stables and a rugby pitch, school and if I get chance somewhere I would like to go. My last car was a banger and think the muck held it together!

It is my only car and far from "only a car"(blinking rude oap's) and i have found I park it a million miles away from anyone else in the supermarket car park well any car park I can to be honest!

facade

Don't be taken in by the adverts for "magic polish".
I've spent 30 years buying "magic polishes" of one type or another, searching for the holy grail of wafting a few squirts of fluid over the car, and then a quick wipe with a damp cloth to remove all scratches and leave the car gleaming for 12 months.

Not one of them works.

There is no substitute for paying through the nose/ordering your serf to polish away the scratches with super fine clay, and then put on layer after layer of quality carnuba wax.
Then every day they need to wash with a gentle shampoo, rinse with distilled water, leather off the water drops, and polish a bit more.

For ordinary mortals, a products made by Mer and Autoglym are good,as Strider suggests.

When I get a "new" car, in the glow of new ownership I give it a good clean, then polish with Autoglym resin polish, and finish off with the Autoglym polymer sealer. (This is the point where I find all those dents and scratches that I missed when I bought it. I always vow to offer to polish the next car I'm interested in before I buy it)

Then I don't bother washing it again from April to November, until it starts to leave dirty marks on my clothes, or I can't see out of the windows.

When there is salt on the ground I wash underneath every couple of weeks, and give the topside a quick blast with the hose at the same time.

OddballJamie

I find microfibre mitts are a better option than sponges. Asda generally have them for about £1 a mitt.

Screwfix had some decent products on offer recently, I haven't used mine yet, but supposedly it's fairly decent.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/muc-off-bershine-car-shampoo-500ml/43382

This is the polish I use, was £8ish when I ordered it.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Autoglym-Super-Resin-Polish-FORMULA/dp/B006X0S2UQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1377095369&sr=8-3&keywords=autoglym+super+resin+polish

I've also got a Mer clay bar kit that I will have a go when I get a free day.

Determined2save_2

facade wrote: »

Don't be taken in by the adverts for "magic polish".
I've spent 30 years buying "magic polishes" of one type or another, searching for the holy grail of wafting a few squirts of fluid over the car, and then a quick wipe with a damp cloth to remove all scratches and leave the car gleaming for 12 months.

Not one of them works.

There is no substitute for paying through the nose/ordering your serf to polish away the scratches with super fine clay, and then put on layer after layer of quality carnuba wax.
Then every day they need to wash with a gentle shampoo, rinse with distilled water, leather off the water drops, and polish a bit more.

For ordinary mortals, a products made by Mer and Autoglym are good,as Strider suggests.

When I get a "new" car, in the glow of new ownership I give it a good clean, then polish with Autoglym resin polish, and finish off with the Autoglym polymer sealer. (This is the point where I find all those dents and scratches that I missed when I bought it. I always vow to offer to polish the next car I'm interested in before I buy it)

Then I don't bother washing it again from April to November, until it starts to leave dirty marks on my clothes, or I can't see out of the windows.

When there is salt on the ground I wash underneath every couple of weeks, and give the topside a quick blast with the hose at the same time.

I shall be looking up the products. Thank you

facade

One other option is snow foam.

This looks absolutely brilliant, you buy a really really really expensive snow foam gun for the pressure washer, and a couple of gallons of snowfoam concentrate, then you waft it over the car, and rinse off, removing all the dirt to leave a gleaming shine (that lasts 12 months :cool:)

I'm getting one :happyhear:happyhear:happyhear

Strider590

I forgot possibly the most important factor in washing your car.......

Sponge, bucket and hose (with trigger grip).... Wash one panel at a time and start from the roof. Rinsing after doing the whole car, will just leave streaks

Determined2save_2

Wow!!!! That sounds good but not sure I could get away with attaching it to the works pressure washer .it is going to Be a case of bucket and cloths at home after a quick blast of the works pressure washer!