How do you wash your car?

Grey_Critic

Back in the 1960s I recall a similar question - one answer given was.

When you get the car give it a polish with a good quality wax polish (put plenty on) but do not buff off Keep the glass clear, use a hose to clear mud/grit and nothing more. When you come to sell it then is the time to wash with a quality shampoo and poliish to a sign.

It was claimed doing so would give you an as new finish.

It is not quite as daft as you may think - when cars used to come from the factory to the dealer they had a thick coat of wax sprayed on them - they would sit in compounds for months subject to all kinds of weather until sold when they would be cleaned off.

coffeehound

Out of interest does anyone still apply waxoyl (sp?) to the underside nooks and crannies to prevent rust?

grandadgolfer

[Deleted User] said:

neilmcl said:

sevenhills said:

The_Fat_Controller said:

Use a decent car shampoo, washing up liquid is for dishes not car paintwork.

In 2016, research by car cleaning company Simoniz found that 43 per cent of UK drivers prefer to wash their own vehicles rather than going to a car wash. Their survey also found that 41% of those who wash their own are doing so with washing up liquid.

Perhaps you are wasting your money?

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1267690/car-wash-can-you-wash-car-with-washing-up-liquid

Just because a large proportion of people do something doesn't mean it's correct. All it shows is that there's a lot of people uneducated regarding the damage stuff like washing up liquid can do to the paintwork of their cars, either that or they simply couldn't care less. If you're part of this group of car owners then I'm not sure the point of this thread.

Is there any evidence for this, apart from sources like Simoniz? (Who co-incidentally sell car shampoo.)

See also 6-monthly dental check-ups, as recommended by dentists. And replacing your mattress every few years, as recommended by bedding sellers. And so on ...

Well as decent car shampoo is relatively cheap I'll stay off the fairy liquid

Catplan

I use the two bucket method, stay away from sponge, I have today for the first time tried the snow foam method thanks to a Christmas gift, not sure if it will continue.

bin the sponge 🧽 and get a couple of those microfibres wash mitts. 

facade

I gently waft mine with snowfoam (Blit-Hambler, not the Simoniz rubbish) and allow it to soak in.

Then I gently wash it off with the hosepipe, then caress the paint with a super soft sponge, and rinse again.

Then I dry it with the finest quality chamois leather.

And within a week it looks exactly the same as it did before, so I forget about it for 6 months, or until I get dirty opening the door or putting petrol in.

Car_54

Grey_Critic said:

Back in the 1960s I recall a similar question - one answer given was.

When you get the car give it a polish with a good quality wax polish (put plenty on) but do not buff off Keep the glass clear, use a hose to clear mud/grit and nothing more. When you come to sell it then is the time to wash with a quality shampoo and poliish to a sign.

It was claimed doing so would give you an as new finish.

It is not quite as daft as you may think - when cars used to come from the factory to the dealer they had a thick coat of wax sprayed on them - they would sit in compounds for months subject to all kinds of weather until sold when they would be cleaned off.

And back in the 60s they then proceeded to rust away to nothing within a year or two …

born_again

coffeehound said:

Out of interest does anyone still apply waxoyl (sp?) to the underside nooks and crannies to prevent rust?

Ah you mean to seal any rust & moisture under it so it can work away to it's hearts content. While you think it's OK as you can not see the damage being done...

Grey_Critic

***And back in the 60s they then proceeded to rust away to nothing within a year or two***

Yes but with the method quoted the combination of wax and good honest muck it kept its shape for longer.

grandadgolfer

[Deleted User] said:

Grey_Critic said:

Back in the 1960s I recall a similar question - one answer given was.

When you get the car give it a polish with a good quality wax polish (put plenty on) but do not buff off Keep the glass clear, use a hose to clear mud/grit and nothing more. When you come to sell it then is the time to wash with a quality shampoo and poliish to a sign.

It was claimed doing so would give you an as new finish.

It is not quite as daft as you may think - when cars used to come from the factory to the dealer they had a thick coat of wax sprayed on them - they would sit in compounds for months subject to all kinds of weather until sold when they would be cleaned off.

And back in the 60s they then proceeded to rust away to nothing within a year or two …

Crazy to think my dad used to repair holes in front wing of a 3 year old ford Cortina with with piece of steel/rivets/body filler/paint after cutting the rust section/hole out as well as repairing a hole in exhaust with a baked bean tin/wire/gum gum.
More unscrupulous people would just use cardboard and filler to just bodge it for a quick sale hence the need to take a magnet with you when looking at a second hand car. Although my brother thought he'd thoroughly checked a second hand Vauxhall VIva he bought but a year later when involved in a front on accident he found out most of both wings and front end was filler

oldagetraveller1

Or even from the Cowley factory!