I was just wondering the best products and methods people use when they clean there cars.

At the moment i just give it a wash using some zip car shampoo and then shammy it down and then every month i polish it with autoglym.

However i want to properly maintain the pain work and i dont really know a lot about waxing etc

So what brands and products do you use and howwww

clean your car.com

www.detailingworld.com

What they said :)

turtle wax car shampoo, rinse and dry and then turtle wax polish :) Job done.

the tesco people while i shop

naahh i use auto glym ulta deep shine and some megs etc.

You don't half chat some shit dom! Haha

As if you clean your car at all....

Edited 24 July, 201016 yr by BrettG40

wheels with bilberry no acidic wheel cleaner

snowfoam though presher washer wait to dwell when wash of

2 bucket method with wash mit..one for soap and one plain water

dry with drying towel and micro fiber cloths

Ag SRP (super resin polish) for polish but it will only fill light swirls as it is a light cut polish

then good wax that will go with srp like AG EGP (extra gloss protection) or colonite use micro fiber cloths

that will give you a quick idea but look on www.detailingworld.com very good site

jamie

Some foreign migratory workers in an industrial estate near to you...

^^ lol wouldnt even consider them...last time i drove past one and they were all using thick hard bristled brooms dipped in buckets

guaranteed FAIL

I can certainly say I wouldn't trust my car with them, especially if i had something quick or special...

But back on Topic, has anyone used Clay Bars?

this is my cleaning/polishing/waxing routine..

1- rinse with hose pipe or pressure washer with plain water

2- snow foam and let it stand for 5 minutes, then rinse off (this is optional)

3- wash with dodo juice born to be mild/or sour power, using the two bucket method (with grit guards in both buckets) using a lambs wool mit,one or two panels at a time before rinsing the mit in the 'clean bucket', then rinse.

4- wash wheels with a separate bucket and mit. or if heavily soiled I use alto glym custom wheel cleaner with a brush, then rinse.

5- dry with dodo juice supernatural drying towell.

6- polish/clean glass- I use auto glym glass polish or auto glym fast glass.

7- tyre dressing- I use auto glym instant tyre dressing.

8- clay bar the whole car (only necessary once or twice a year).

9- polish with a DA (dual action polisher) with poor boys ssr1 if they're are any light imperfections ssr2 for minor scratches and ssr3 for deep scratches, with according cutting/polishing/finishing pads.

10- pre wax clean/glaze, I've found the best one to use is dodo juice lime prime, gets rid of any micro marring left by the compounds and leaves behind a nice glaze ready for waxing. best applied with a DA and a finishing/polishing pad.

11- waxing- I've got a black car so am currently using dodo juice purple haze pro edition, and I love it! I apply it with a Dodo Juice Supernatural Finger Mitt in thin layers, and buff off with a dodo juice Microfibre cloth.

12- polish the dish of my wheels if necessary (bare alloy) with meguiars N-X-T metal polish with a bit of old cotton t-shirt.

13- seal wheels with auto glym HD wax (I'm not a fan of it so I just use it on my wheels now lol) works very well! much better than poor boys wheel sealant which is just crap on polished rims.

14- maintain the wax with Dodo Juice Red Mist Tropical Detailer after each wash and dry (including wheels).

can you tell I love dodo juice :-D

Edited 25 July, 201016 yr by vw Jon

I've got (had) pretty much the same routine as you dude!

-Spray wheels, arches and sills with a concentrated mix of Meg's Shampoo Plus and warm water

-Snow foam car with Karscher / foam lance w/ Valet Pro PH Neutral Snow Foam and Meg's Shampoo Plus

-While foam is dwelling clean panels gaps, handles etc with a small brush, I use one designed for wheels, soft of course..

-Pressure wash wheels and arches then rinse off snow foam

-Wash the car with the 2 bucket method and a Eurow sheepskin wash mitt. One bucket Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild is hot water, the other bucket just luke-warm water, washing a panel at a time, going from top to bottom.

-Rinse with hose pipe then re-rinse with the nozzle removed to sheet the water off ('drying the car with water' technique)

-Spray any remaining water with Dodo Juice Time To Dry then wipe panels dry with extra large Microfibre drying towel

-(Once every 6 months or when required) Clay car with Sonus Clay and Dodo Juice Born Slippy.

-Quick re-wash and dry

-(If required) Polish paintwork with Kestral DAS-6 dual action polisher, using Mequiars #83 Cleaner/Polish, #80 Speed Glaze and Menzerna PO85RD Final Finish, with Meguiars Cutting, Polishing and Buffing pads

-Rinse polishing dust off car and dry and wipe door and boot shuts with mircofibre

-Apply Poorboys Black Hole glaze by foam applicator pad and buff with microfibre

-Apply Dodo Juice Purple Haze by hand and leave to cure

-Polish windows inside and out and lights with Autoglym Glass Polish and microfibre

-Hoover carpet and floor mats, polish plastics with Mr Sheen (cheaper and more effective than car specific products)

-Clean seats with Autoglym Leather Cleaner then treat with Autoglym Leather Care Cream

(If required) Polish wheels with Autosol, then Mequiars All Metal Polish, then apply Poorboys Wheel Sealant and leave to cure

-Wipe engine parts with rag and dress with WD40

-Dress Openair roof with Autoglym Vinyl & Rubber Care

-Buff wax off panels then off wheels

-Dress tyres with Meguiars High Gloss Tyre Gel

-Dress external plastics such as wipers / window seals with Autoglym Vinyl & Rubber Care

-Apply Dodo Juice Red Mist Tropical to paintwork as final detail and buff with microfibre

-Stand back and admire 6 hours of my life spent cleaning a Volkwagen Polo :p

I've got (had) pretty much the same routine as you dude!

-Spray wheels, arches and sills with a concentrated mix of Meg's Shampoo Plus and warm water

-Snow foam car with Karscher / foam lance w/ Valet Pro PH Neutral Snow Foam and Meg's Shampoo Plus

-While foam is dwelling clean panels gaps, handles etc with a small brush, I use one designed for wheels, soft of course..

-Pressure wash wheels and arches then rinse off snow foam

-Wash the car with the 2 bucket method and a Eurow sheepskin wash mitt. One bucket Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild is hot water, the other bucket just luke-warm water, washing a panel at a time, going from top to bottom.

-Rinse with hose pipe then re-rinse with the nozzle removed to sheet the water off ('drying the car with water' technique)

-Spray any remaining water with Dodo Juice Time To Dry then wipe panels dry with extra large Microfibre drying towel

-(Once every 6 months or when required) Clay car with Sonus Clay and Dodo Juice Born Slippy.

-Quick re-wash and dry

-(If required) Polish paintwork with Kestral DAS-6 dual action polisher, using Mequiars #83 Cleaner/Polish, #80 Speed Glaze and Menzerna PO85RD Final Finish, with Meguiars Cutting, Polishing and Buffing pads

-Rinse polishing dust off car and dry and wipe door and boot shuts with mircofibre

-Apply Poorboys Black Hole glaze by foam applicator pad and buff with microfibre

-Apply Dodo Juice Purple Haze by hand and leave to cure

-Polish windows inside and out and lights with Autoglym Glass Polish and microfibre

-Hoover carpet and floor mats, polish plastics with Mr Sheen (cheaper and more effective than car specific products)

-Clean seats with Autoglym Leather Cleaner then treat with Autoglym Leather Care Cream

(If required) Polish wheels with Autosol, then Mequiars All Metal Polish, then apply Poorboys Wheel Sealant and leave to cure

-Wipe engine parts with rag and dress with WD40

-Dress Openair roof with Autoglym Vinyl & Rubber Care

-Buff wax off panels then off wheels

-Dress tyres with Meguiars High Gloss Tyre Gel

-Dress external plastics such as wipers / window seals with Autoglym Vinyl & Rubber Care

-Apply Dodo Juice Red Mist Tropical to paintwork as final detail and buff with microfibre

-Stand back and admire 6 hours of my life spent cleaning a Volkwagen Polo :p

Shiiiiiit. That is ridiculous, i just wash it with autoglym bodywork shampoo, then shammy, then hand polish it with some Autoglym ultra deep shine.

I bet the outcome is well worth it though?

I don't rate Meguiars at all, although it probably doesn't work well with certain types of water (like yorkshire water)

I have a clay bar but no idea how to use it, doesn't work for me!

I don't rate Meguiars at all, although it probably doesn't work well with certain types of water (like yorkshire water)

I have a clay bar but no idea how to use it, doesn't work for me!

My clay bar has bits of cloth and dirt wedged in to it haha

My clay bar has bits of cloth and dirt wedged in to it haha

bin it then

I've got (had) pretty much the same routine as you dude!

-Spray wheels, arches and sills with a concentrated mix of Meg's Shampoo Plus and warm water

-Snow foam car with Karscher / foam lance w/ Valet Pro PH Neutral Snow Foam and Meg's Shampoo Plus

-While foam is dwelling clean panels gaps, handles etc with a small brush, I use one designed for wheels, soft of course..

-Pressure wash wheels and arches then rinse off snow foam

-Wash the car with the 2 bucket method and a Eurow sheepskin wash mitt. One bucket Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild is hot water, the other bucket just luke-warm water, washing a panel at a time, going from top to bottom.

-Rinse with hose pipe then re-rinse with the nozzle removed to sheet the water off ('drying the car with water' technique)

-Spray any remaining water with Dodo Juice Time To Dry then wipe panels dry with extra large Microfibre drying towel

-(Once every 6 months or when required) Clay car with Sonus Clay and Dodo Juice Born Slippy.

-Quick re-wash and dry

-(If required) Polish paintwork with Kestral DAS-6 dual action polisher, using Mequiars #83 Cleaner/Polish, #80 Speed Glaze and Menzerna PO85RD Final Finish, with Meguiars Cutting, Polishing and Buffing pads

-Rinse polishing dust off car and dry and wipe door and boot shuts with mircofibre

-Apply Poorboys Black Hole glaze by foam applicator pad and buff with microfibre

-Apply Dodo Juice Purple Haze by hand and leave to cure

-Polish windows inside and out and lights with Autoglym Glass Polish and microfibre

-Hoover carpet and floor mats, polish plastics with Mr Sheen (cheaper and more effective than car specific products)

-Clean seats with Autoglym Leather Cleaner then treat with Autoglym Leather Care Cream

(If required) Polish wheels with Autosol, then Mequiars All Metal Polish, then apply Poorboys Wheel Sealant and leave to cure

-Wipe engine parts with rag and dress with WD40

-Dress Openair roof with Autoglym Vinyl & Rubber Care

-Buff wax off panels then off wheels

-Dress tyres with Meguiars High Gloss Tyre Gel

-Dress external plastics such as wipers / window seals with Autoglym Vinyl & Rubber Care

-Apply Dodo Juice Red Mist Tropical to paintwork as final detail and buff with microfibre

-Stand back and admire 6 hours of my life spent cleaning a Volkwagen Polo :p

Shiiiiiit. That is ridiculous, i just wash it with autoglym bodywork shampoo, then shammy, then hand polish it with some Autoglym ultra deep shine.

I bet the outcome is well worth it though?

Same here although i may polish the odd panel twice to make sure I've got all the imperfections off it.

I can certainly say I wouldn't trust my car with them, especially if i had something quick or special...

But back on Topic, has anyone used Clay Bars?

Clay bars are really good, you can feel the difference, wash the car, run some polythene off a fag packer on a panel, use the clay, then run the polythene again and feel the difference

Shiiiiiit. That is ridiculous, i just wash it with autoglym bodywork shampoo, then shammy, then hand polish it with some Autoglym ultra deep shine.

I bet the outcome is well worth it though?

Pretty much, I mean it depends how far you're willing to go.. I actually love detailing cars, I did my uncles Ford Cougar that he paid like a grand for, took me 3 full days (it needed it) but it came out looking like a new car..

Did my neighbour's daughter's burgundy KA, took a full day, most of it time spent getting those stupid bumpers back to black..

Now I've got a waiting list of that same neighbour's Volvo S60 saloon, my other neighbour's Jewish Racing Gold Suzuki Liana, my mate's dad's Citroen Picasso, our Fiat Grande Punto... I should pull my finger out and do them to be fair, considering they're all paying me for it...

But I spent say, 12 hours doing my Polo, and that lasted all summer.. I could just come home from work if I finished at midday and rinse the car off, it was already waxed and sealed anyway..