Advice on car cleaning products.

princesspoppypop

Ive finally got myself a lovely car and Im so proud of it.

The car is super shiny inside and out and I want to keep it that way.

Can anyone help me out on how to clean it so it stays perfect.
Obv I know how to clean a car, but I would love to know what are the best products to use and also how often to wax it etc.

Hope someone can help!

steveo3002

use a car shampoo not washing up liquid

wax anywhere between once a month and 3 months depending on how picky you are

clay bar and polish once a year

www.detailingworld.co.uk has all the tips and info you ever want

saintjanet

Maguires and Autoglym products are excellent,i would not be without the Autoglym chamois leather, its great and lasts ages,though its a bit expensive but only when compared to inferior ones.

geo555

Check out
https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk
They have good info for keeping your car looking great.
Fantastic service too.

jonfev

Autoglym products are superb. Their interior shampoo has removed every stain my family and careless mechanics have ever thrown at it. This includes biro and oil that found their way onto my seats. Use on old toothbrush to scrub more difficult stains especially in carpets. I use it around the house as well and it dries really quickly which is important if you don't want a damp behind after cleaning a seat. A toothbrush is also useful for cleaning alloy wheels. Mer is an excellent polish but like autoglym it is pricey.

When cleaning the interior use a vacumn cleaner and a soft paintbrush to get dust out of difficult places like the air vents. If the gaiter around your gearstick starts get worn use an indelible ink pen to 'colour' it in and then finish off with a cleaner like Back to Black.

Don't forget to clean the inside of the windscreen with a slightly damp but very clean wash leather and finish off with kitchen roll. You won't believe how much clearer your view ahead will be if this has been neglected previously.

Try to avoid using anything that shines up the top of your dash as this will cause horrible reflections in your windscreen, again a damp wash leather usually does the trick.

Cleaning and polishing the windows makes a huge difference to the look of a car but don't ever put polish on your windscreen because you won't see a thing when it next rains and you turn on your wipers.

As mentioned previously don't use washing up liquid as it has salt in it. Salt and water are not great for car bodywork.

vansboy

Glad you want to keep your new car looking good, Princess - always a shame when people let their pride n joy loose that showroom shine!!

The links above are pretty good, to check out.

The Autoglym reputation is still OK, but after using sooooooo many products, both brands we all know & plenty of trade stuff too, I'm now a convert to
www.meguiars.co.uk the'r site is a li'l bit American ish, but I've been truly impressed to such an extent that when Mrs V got her new Mx5, it's only EVER had the Meguiars touch!!

& as a second choice, certainly for older vehicles it has to be www.merproducts.co.uk especially the polish itself!

Both of these are available in Halfords, but do check the local car parts store, as they can sometimes do a discount, 'cos there is quite a lot of profit on premium car cleaning ranges!!

Now you'll be finding out why we have Sunday mornings!!

VB

MrsE_2

Buy a 4 wheel drive, they look better dirty :-)

maniac886

For the outside of my car I have started using a new product called Poorboys ONE waterless wash and wax and I have to say its the dogs wotsits! The best thing is that it leaves no swirl marks on the car at all!

Read more about the product here In the detailing world forums!

princesspoppypop

Thanks so much for everyones help and advice... Im off to halfords tommorrow to have a look, and get some products and a chamois leather.

We have loads of cleaning stuff for OH`s car but he isnt that bothered about keeping his car immaculate as he does a lot of miles in it. I want to get the best stuff for my car.

Im so proud of my new car that Im totally obsessive over it!

michellefromessex

Never have your car cleaned by one of those supermaket carpark services, they use truck wash (diluted down) and they dont exactly take pride in keeping their cloths grit free either.

LandyAndy

I can second the recommendations for Autoglym products. I find their 'Motorcycle Cleaner' is excellent for cleaning brake dust off alloy wheels. Spay on, agitate with a toothbrush if REALLY dirty and then sponge off.