Valeting / Detailing / two bucket wronguns

[RoadworkUK]

I washed my cars a fortnight ago, using a single bucket (!!!!) but two (count 'em) sponges - one for crud removal, one for actual cleaning. Fluids used are a motley selection of bits and bobs harvested (stolen) during my car sales career, including a diamondbrite 'care' pack that does a good job.

 

Had the Audi and the Rover looking absolutely glinting and lovely, but Saharan dust and the Essex vultures put paid to my efforts within a few days.

 

Also, although I'm not altogether against the concept, I can't stand the word detailing when applied to cleaning. I know that's what it's called, but it's a horrible Americanism that should never have been allowed to stick. It's just cleaning properly.

[Split_Pin]

Also, although I'm not altogether against the concept, I can't stand the word detailing when applied to cleaning. I know that's what it's called, but it's a horrible Americanism that should never have been allowed to stick. It's just cleaning properly.

Agreed.

 

I have this weird thing where I don't mind if the Duster gets messy inside but the other cars are kind of my space and need to be clean.

[320touring]

I feel dirty.

 

Although, technically only one bucket (and a basin)

 

She's off to a car show tomorrow, so thought I better do some washing..

[pompei]

I bought a new-to-me Merc last month. (2007 V6 diesel but that's not what I'm on about ...)

It had been given a "mini valet" before I got it and it still stinks like a tart's boudoir. It's all leather inside.  Any suggestions on how to clean off the stinky products which smell vile?

 

Thanks.

[vulgalour]

Check for hidden air fresheners, they sometimes get stuffed under the seats and down the back of the rear seat where the two halves meet.  The only way I've beaten smells like that in a leather interior is to have the windows open as much as possible and dose the leather up with hide feed after a really good clean.  Sometimes, if the previous owner/passengers wore a lot of perfume all the time it soaks into the leather, it can be a real nuisance to shift.

[dave j]

Reading this thread again has given me some ideas! I have a black car now and when cleaned It looks great...but not for long! Might try some of that black hole stuff

[Lord Sterling]

During the weekend I gave the BMW a good wash and the Micra a good wipe over so it doesn't look neglected. I usually give both cars the Kosovan hand car-wash treatment. However, when finances are tight and I can't afford to treat the cars, I'll wash them myself on a budget (of £0) and usually get them looking pretty good...

 

During the good times, I'll have bought all the car cleaning potions and lotions so they'll last for years. I sometimes collected them from jobs I've had in the past. I don't go overboard like some here. A wash with warm water/foam cold water rinse down, water leather/bladed off and a polish is about as much as far as I'll go, I'd love to have the patience to do more but I just don't.

 

Car cleaning with a budget of £0...

It starts with me struggling a couple of hundred yards down the road to where the cars are parked carrying a bucket of hot water, a watering can of cold water and a plastic bag containing car cleaning potions, leather drying cloths, micro fibre cloths, other rags and some sponges. Once I get to the car(s) I'll start by splashing some Simoniz wash 'n' wax or some Sonax* car shampoo into the hot water bucket of hot water. The car will get covered with shampoo foam from top to bottom, rubbed down and rinsed with cold water, the water will then be leathered/bladed off and then a couple of micro fibre cloths to clean off any water marks. I may go even crazier and polish the car. It gets a serious polish once a year. If there is any water left, and there usually is, another car I have/am looking after will get washed, leathered and a micro-fibered wipe down.

 

Here they are looking a bit cleaner. Lanos also got a clean (at a Kosovan car wash in Birmingham) during the short period it was here with me:

 

Cleaning in hot weather...

During the hot weather we had here on the recent bank holiday weekend, I made the mistake of cleaning the cars during the hot weather in direct sunlight, so the water dried up so quickly, literally after I applied the water it dried, so one panel at a times done, leathering off the water to leave water marks didn't bother me too much as water marks got taken off by the all wonderous micro-fibre cloths. The windows had a good dose of micro-fibre action too.

 

I also always do the door shuts, boot shut, slam panel and whatever else I can find needs doing.

 

Interior cleaning without a hoover...

Interior valeting can be a bit of a bastard if you have no money spare, no driveway and not long enough cable to stretch your hoover down to the car. A good tip then is to use a dustpan brush and collect all of the debris from the carpet and seats you get at. Collect them into one area where you can then brush them into the dustpan easily and get it all out.

 

I hate these greasy products you get for dash cleaner. A good wipe down with a damp cloth and dry with a micro fibre cloth is really all you need.

 

Tyres - To shine or not to shine...

Tyres are something that is important in making a car look good after a clean. There is no point in cleaning your car and wheels if your tyres are still brown/have road staining on after cleaning. Tyre shine can and does complement a nicely cleaned car. I always have tyre shine from the Kosovan car wash places but failing that; Black shoe polish and a very soft application brush can make your tyres look nice and fresh without looking too shiny.

[Split_Pin]

I find that the foam tyre dressing, as long as its half decent stuff, makes the tyres black but not shiny. Simoniz was good stuff.

 

Once I have fed the leather seats with Gluptone Liquid leather, I use the closest shade of liquid shoe polish I can find to dye the scuffs and crazing in leather restoring a uniform colour.

 

My 2 cars which go to shows are polished and waxed twice a year but the workhorses do with just a weekly wash. I will do the 75 though because I think Wedgewood Blue will come out nice.

 

If I am polishing it, Ill wash the car, blade off the water, dry it, Autoglym Super Resin polish, buff off, Meguairs Carnauba wax, buff off, detail spray to hide my mistakes and then black trim shined up with whatever is handy.

 

I bought some chrome polish for the 75 from Tesco for 2 quid so will try that soon.

[Andyrew]

I love to clean up a filthy neglected car it's always satisfying and therapeutic if find

 

But my cars are all ways full of shite.

They get used for everything, but I try to keep it reasonably clean.

 

The disco I've got at the moment is a light green colour it's scuffed swirled and dented so I just use AUTOSMART TANGO which is an odd product but I use it on the whole car, outside and inside and the windows like a hoseless wash and it the occasional two bucket if I fancy.

 

On a nice car id only use thr tango as a drying aid and wax top up. But on a p plate disco with 190k on the clock I'm fine with any additional scratches that may be inflicted. It makes it shine and look good for an old beater.

[Split_Pin]

Can anyone HIT ME UP on how to use a rotary polisher? One so called valeter used one on my Corsa years a go and appeared to 'burn' the paint so I want to find out how to avoid that.

 

I plan to give it a go on the 75 tomorrow night.

[Slartibartfast]

I agree. Probably a joke that came over wrong, but I've removed the comment.

[petermchugh79]

Given in jest!

 

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

[oldcars]

Given in jest!

 

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

I am sure it was, but to far imo 

[clayts450]

Streetwise got the full on exterior treatment yesterday - as Andyrew says above, I do find a proper car washing and waxing extremely therapeutic. It's sort of like grooming a pet !

 

Shame about the mild lacquer peel on the bonnet and roof, and a couple of blebbages, but other than that it looked bob on after I'd done. Give it one day of parking in the shit public car park and it'll be fucked by the time I get home tonight

[Junkman]

Surprising amount of intolerance in this thread.

 

Nice job Slarti_etc, looks grand.

 

Detailing spray is really good for getting water streaks out, Simoniz stuff for about a fiver is good as it the t cut brand.

 

 

I find T cut shit. That stuff might have been good 30 years ago, but we've moved on a bit since.

[Junkman]

Can anyone HIT ME UP on how to use a rotary polisher? One so called valeter used one on my Corsa years a go and appeared to 'burn' the paint so I want to find out how to avoid that.

 

I plan to give it a go on the 75 tomorrow night.

 

More water.

[Split_Pin]

I find T cut shit. That stuff might have been good 30 years ago, but we've moved on a bit since.

T cut detailing spray, not the abrasive compound, which is very outdated indeed.

[oldcars]

I have a DA polisher but have used a rotary at the paintshop when polishing out colour sanding marks. Mask up trim, and keep away from edges as you can strike through the paint easily here, and the ridge of the bonnet up the middle. Start with the least abrasive polish and work up if needed. From memory on the colour sanding marks we got these out with farcela G6.

 

As junkman says polish has come on along way from T cut. What polish are you planing on using?

[dollywobbler]

Apparently a dual action mop is what you want. The rotary ones are very good at burning through the paint if you're a newbie.

 

I'm not into detailing, because I really can't be arsed. I live in the countryside, so spending an entire day getting a car spotless is just entirely pointless. By the time I've nipped out for a bottle of milk, the car is f*cked again. I admire those who do, to a certain extent. Using cotton buds to pick the dirt out of your tyres, or trailering your car to an event because it might get dirty is going too far. 

 

But, I am slowly being won over by taking a little more effort - especially when it saves effort. Last year was the first time I actually waxed a car, and it then made washing it a much more simple business. Wax easily topped up by Rapid Aqua Wax. I can cope with that.

[Junkman]

T cut detailing spray, not the abrasive compound, which is very outdated indeed.

 

Ah, ok. Will give it a try.

See, I would have never bought anything with a T cut badge on it just because their T cut is so shit.

[alcyonecorporation]

Surprising amount of intolerance in this thread.

 

Nice job Slarti_etc, looks grand.

 

Detailing spray is really good for getting water streaks out, Simoniz stuff for about a fiver is good as it the t cut brand.

 

 

I tend not to react well to people who, on first acquaintance - unprompted and unprovoked, like detailing man - decide the best form of defence is attack. 

 

"Why has he gone home?"

 

I drive my cars. I don't spend hours cleaning them. Their habits, to me, are deeply weird but I say nothing. I expect them to do the same. It's a form of [obsessive] preservation at the end of the day, so it is, in itself, not all bad. 

 

Another case of 'separate car from person/scene/issue/event (delete where applicable)'. 

[fordperv]

Ah, ok. Will give it a try.

See, I would have never bought anything with a T cut badge on it just because their T cut is so shit.

I like t cut colourfast thats not so bad

[Andyrew]

Whilst browsing in wilko today a load of cleaning stuff had been reduced so I picked up some of the waterless wash to try out this no bucket wrong'un product.

 

I found it quite good for £2.50. Did the disco in about 25mins. Using 3 or so cloths.

 

 

It's a relatively clean car anyway but was covered in that dusty shite that's about at the moment and bird shit.

 

I went round after with some spray on demon shine which I also got cheap to try

And think it came up great. Beads up nicely

[purplebargeken]

I like the Demon Shine to be honest, it doesn't do a bad job.

 

I have turned into a bit of a valeting product slut. I have loads of stuff and can't resist trying something to see how it fares.

 

The Poorboys Bird Sh#t Remover is ace and it smells minty.

[oldcars]

I like the Demon Shine to be honest, it doesn't do a bad job.

 

I have turned into a bit of a valeting product slut. I have loads of stuff and can't resist trying something to see how it fares.

 

The Poorboys Bird Sh#t Remover is ace and it smells minty.

Get some Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer, Stuff is brilliant. Beading it great.

I mostly used Autosmart stuff. Mirrior image polish, Topaz Polish, G101 cleaner, and Fusion for trim and tyres.

[face]

I clean wheels with some purple shit which is great.

 

Demon snow foam it.

 

Power wash (£40 washer) off

 

2 buckets, microfibre wash in Halfords own wash and wax

 

Dry with two old clean bath towels

 

Quick wax with Halfords own cheap stuff - wheels too

 

Some pound shop tyre black stuff

 

 

 

I got a £100 pre paid card from BT and bought everything I needed - £99.20

[Guest VicN]

I got a £100 pre paid card from BT and bought everything I needed - £99.20

What is this pre paid card, please?

[Parky]

Did you just get a BT Mobile or TV package?

 

I got my phones moved to BT and sacked Sky off for BT TV as well and ended up with £200 worth of Amazon vouchers in different tranches. Paid for Sons watch at Christmas anyway!

 

https://www.productsandservices.bt.com/broadband/deals/

 

Some of their offers on Broadband at the moment. I should say that BT Mobile is cheap, but utter shit. Once the contract is finished I am back to Tesco

[Split_Pin]

Some of my work in 2018 with my new dual action machine polisher. I think its great, quick and much more thorough than doing it by hand. I was surprised at how much dirt an Instagram filter picked up on the 75 wing.

[oldcars]

They look great. Hard to get a good shine on silver but yours its great.