Lowride
Registered User
I`m a car valeter so if anybody has any queries about anything feel free to ask me, I`ll help if possible
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Valeting
- Thread starter Lowride
- Start date
JimmyTheSaint
Registered User
What do you use to remove polish stains from rubber/plastic trim?
Or are you too much the consumate professional to allow excess polish to find it's way anywhere near a non-painted surface? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Or are you too much the consumate professional to allow excess polish to find it's way anywhere near a non-painted surface? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Lowride
Registered User
It does happen occassionally! I would try to remove them with the sponge nxt time your washing the car, they can`t be on to hard. If that does`nt work try some interior cleaner and a cloth.
Getting polish on the plastic is very easily done. I`ve seen it on cars before but its never been a problem to remove. Let me know if it won`t budge though!
Getting polish on the plastic is very easily done. I`ve seen it on cars before but its never been a problem to remove. Let me know if it won`t budge though!
ive just had my two year old black car power buffed to revive the paint. the previuos owner used a car wash on a regular basis......
the power buff has certainly made the paint glossy and shiny again, but im a little unsure on my after care.....
i got it home, and on recomendation of the buffer guy, i hand polished it with auto glymm ultra deep shine polish.... then i thought id finish the job off with some maguiars wax....
i went to the shop and was slightly confused.... initially, i was gonna buy some more auto glymm super resin and also the finishing sealer (cant remember its name.. its the stuff you cover the car with then take off about an hour later....) , however, when i got to the shop, i noticed they had started to stock maguiars gear...... ive heard this stuff is the bizz so i got some.
the thing is, i got maguiars carnuba wax and i also got maguiars gold class clear coat wax, thinking this would be the same stages of treatment as the autoglymm products......
but, im not really sure if theres a difference between the carnuba wax and the clear coat wax. ???
or if there is, which order i should put them on ???
also, how long does the wax last, should i remove it before applying a new coat?? can you over wax?
i just dont know ??? will the wax hold or emmbed more road grime into the surface ???/
just give me your best advice mate. black cars are a bitch to keep looking good... almost impossible id say.
the buff job has also left some swirls which are visible in direct sunlight.... the buff man says this is unavoidable ??
i know one thing, ill never but another black car.
cheers. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif
the power buff has certainly made the paint glossy and shiny again, but im a little unsure on my after care.....
i got it home, and on recomendation of the buffer guy, i hand polished it with auto glymm ultra deep shine polish.... then i thought id finish the job off with some maguiars wax....
i went to the shop and was slightly confused.... initially, i was gonna buy some more auto glymm super resin and also the finishing sealer (cant remember its name.. its the stuff you cover the car with then take off about an hour later....) , however, when i got to the shop, i noticed they had started to stock maguiars gear...... ive heard this stuff is the bizz so i got some.
the thing is, i got maguiars carnuba wax and i also got maguiars gold class clear coat wax, thinking this would be the same stages of treatment as the autoglymm products......
but, im not really sure if theres a difference between the carnuba wax and the clear coat wax. ???
or if there is, which order i should put them on ???
also, how long does the wax last, should i remove it before applying a new coat?? can you over wax?
i just dont know ??? will the wax hold or emmbed more road grime into the surface ???/
just give me your best advice mate. black cars are a bitch to keep looking good... almost impossible id say.
the buff job has also left some swirls which are visible in direct sunlight.... the buff man says this is unavoidable ??
i know one thing, ill never but another black car.
cheers. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif
Lowride
Registered User
Hi mate,
We sometimes have cars in that have been through a car wash on a regular basis. If they are black or dark blue etc. you can see how much damage has been done to the paint, they are totally scratched to pieces, sometimes really deep.
When you say that you had your Audi power buffed I`m not sure if you mean that you had it polished but with a high speed hand polisher or if you mean you actually had the car mopped? You probably mean polished
Mopping a car can take out or at least visibly reduce scratches in the laquer caused by a carwash. It would also be able to get rid of swirl marks. I`ve seen Lister`s own Smart Repair guy`s leave massive swirl marks in cars before, we usually mop them out. You need some fine grade cutting polish
I have never used any of the Meguiars range, we use AutoGlym so I`m not quite sure of the differences. Every time you wash your car you will be removing the protective coat the polish put on the paint work. I wash my own Audi once a wk and I polish it once every 3/4 wks. I enjoy spending time on my car, polishing does`nt take very long really. There is no such thing as 'over' polishing, it can`t cause damage! I always say that its best to have a good layer of polish on your car incase you get bird muck etc. on the paint and don`t notice/remove it straight away. The polish/wax will slow it right down and stop it eating through the laquer.
I would leave the polish on for a minimum of half an hr, the longer the better though. Sorry I could`nt offer advice on the carnuba wax and gold class but I`ve never used them. If I remember I`ll find out about them at work. I have a black car, my last car was black as well! I know what you mean though, they get dirty twice as fast as most other colours but, no other colour looks as good once cleaned and polished, my nxt car will most probably be black as well!!
We sometimes have cars in that have been through a car wash on a regular basis. If they are black or dark blue etc. you can see how much damage has been done to the paint, they are totally scratched to pieces, sometimes really deep.
When you say that you had your Audi power buffed I`m not sure if you mean that you had it polished but with a high speed hand polisher or if you mean you actually had the car mopped? You probably mean polished
Mopping a car can take out or at least visibly reduce scratches in the laquer caused by a carwash. It would also be able to get rid of swirl marks. I`ve seen Lister`s own Smart Repair guy`s leave massive swirl marks in cars before, we usually mop them out. You need some fine grade cutting polish
I have never used any of the Meguiars range, we use AutoGlym so I`m not quite sure of the differences. Every time you wash your car you will be removing the protective coat the polish put on the paint work. I wash my own Audi once a wk and I polish it once every 3/4 wks. I enjoy spending time on my car, polishing does`nt take very long really. There is no such thing as 'over' polishing, it can`t cause damage! I always say that its best to have a good layer of polish on your car incase you get bird muck etc. on the paint and don`t notice/remove it straight away. The polish/wax will slow it right down and stop it eating through the laquer.
I would leave the polish on for a minimum of half an hr, the longer the better though. Sorry I could`nt offer advice on the carnuba wax and gold class but I`ve never used them. If I remember I`ll find out about them at work. I have a black car, my last car was black as well! I know what you mean though, they get dirty twice as fast as most other colours but, no other colour looks as good once cleaned and polished, my nxt car will most probably be black as well!!
Can you assist regarding interior cleaning. I recently purchased an S3 but have noticed that the previous owner may have been a smoker due to the smell in the car. I think it may be in the plastic trim if that makes sense. Any ideas how best to clean it?
Thanks
Thanks
JamS3
Registered User
Matt116 thats exactly my problem at the minute with my new one!
It's either on the plastic trim on seeped into the leather interior..I cleaned the leather with warm water and a cloth then used autoglym leather care cream but the smell is still there! Help
It's either on the plastic trim on seeped into the leather interior..I cleaned the leather with warm water and a cloth then used autoglym leather care cream but the smell is still there! Help
JamS3, just tried Autoglym interior shampoo, spray on all plastic inclduing roof lining and just wipe off with a damp cloth, seems to be okay this morning but I shall keep using it everytime I wash the car until I am happy but you don't get the horrible shiny dash look which I hate and just remeber to keep washing the cloth out every time you do a section. Give it a go.
Lowride
Registered User
If your cars smell of smoke I would guess that its most probably in the headlining. Cleaning them can be very awkward
The products that I would use to clean the headlining are`nt available in the shops but I would recommend Autoglym interior shampoo like Matt said, not only is it pretty good, it smells nice too. If your still struggling to get rid of the smell consider mixing some scented spray with interior cleaner
If you still have the smoke smell a few days later you could try a small canister which you set off in the car and leave to go for a couple of minutes, it smells very strong. Again I don`t know if this is available in shops, let me know if u want to give it a try and I`ll find out
My Dad recently bought a Mk4 Golf Turbo, I instantly noticed that it smelt of 'dog' the most disgusting smell in the world! I just put a few magic trees in the car and now the smell has totally gone.
I don`t think plastic can absorb a scent, I`d just concentrate on any fabrics and give them a really good scrub!
The products that I would use to clean the headlining are`nt available in the shops but I would recommend Autoglym interior shampoo like Matt said, not only is it pretty good, it smells nice too. If your still struggling to get rid of the smell consider mixing some scented spray with interior cleaner
If you still have the smoke smell a few days later you could try a small canister which you set off in the car and leave to go for a couple of minutes, it smells very strong. Again I don`t know if this is available in shops, let me know if u want to give it a try and I`ll find out
My Dad recently bought a Mk4 Golf Turbo, I instantly noticed that it smelt of 'dog' the most disgusting smell in the world! I just put a few magic trees in the car and now the smell has totally gone.
I don`t think plastic can absorb a scent, I`d just concentrate on any fabrics and give them a really good scrub!
agree with lowride, the headlining will have absorbed a lot of nicotine and tar.
dont forget to clean insides of the windows too and along the rubbers, with a strong cleaner too, the smoke hits the windows and leaves more tar deposits there too. You'll need something pretty strong to get the tar off.
i can't stand the smell of smoke in a car.. i was a smoker for a fair bit, and could never bring myself to smoke in the car.
p.s. dont forget the sunroof glass and sun-visors too...
if all else fails, you could try the salesman technique of filling the ashtray with copper coins /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
dont forget to clean insides of the windows too and along the rubbers, with a strong cleaner too, the smoke hits the windows and leaves more tar deposits there too. You'll need something pretty strong to get the tar off.
i can't stand the smell of smoke in a car.. i was a smoker for a fair bit, and could never bring myself to smoke in the car.
p.s. dont forget the sunroof glass and sun-visors too...
if all else fails, you could try the salesman technique of filling the ashtray with copper coins /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
[ QUOTE ]
i can't stand the smell of smoke in a car.. i was a smoker for a fair bit, and could never bring myself to smoke in the car.
[/ QUOTE ]
Me neither. I was a smoker till I was 33, but never smoked in the car, and apart from my very first banger, never bought a car that had been smoked in. It's the hardest smell to get out, & really sh!ts the car up.
I wish you luck.
i can't stand the smell of smoke in a car.. i was a smoker for a fair bit, and could never bring myself to smoke in the car.
[/ QUOTE ]
Me neither. I was a smoker till I was 33, but never smoked in the car, and apart from my very first banger, never bought a car that had been smoked in. It's the hardest smell to get out, & really sh!ts the car up.
I wish you luck.
so can we get a list of a good all round cleaning pack and silly q i know but what car washes are we to avoid?
i use the guys who use the jet washers etc but not the petrol station styel - im guessing both are as bad as each other
i use the guys who use the jet washers etc but not the petrol station styel - im guessing both are as bad as each other
best is if u ever see them hand car washes run by a load of eastern european guys, they are everywhere in london and leicester, they do a wicked job, take an amazing amount of pride, won't let ur car go until its spotless, and its normally £10 for inside and out
yeh those are the ones i use but im not entirely sure that the products they use are just for an initial clean look cos my car gets dirty very quickly
maybe i need to give it a polish after they have washed it which was the plan but what polish to i invest in for my black ess?
maybe i need to give it a polish after they have washed it which was the plan but what polish to i invest in for my black ess?
sorry i know u aint askin me, but when i went to one of them hand wash places, after the clean they did a proper hand wax/polish on the car, kept it on for like 45 minutes (make sure u got some fags to pass the time), and after it looked blingin. i didn't even have to WASH my car for months, nevermind wax it again, cost about £35 tho, but its worth it. most of them do it, they just don't advertise it much cos most people just go for the £10 basic clean, which is good enough cos u can just get it done every 2 or 3 weeks if u want,, aint exactly expensive, but next time ur there ask them if they do a hand wax
i don't go to london one, i got to one in leicester as thats where i am. but they are all the same i have found, as long as you go to the ones that are run by the eastern european guys (albanians i think?) they all do a pretty similar good job, like i said just ask them if they do a hand wax, most of them do it.
those canisters you are on about, yes you can get them in the shops, they are antibacterial and you can use them to remove the smell from the aircon system too. about a tenner if i remember correctly.
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those canisters you are on about, yes you can get them in the shops, they are antibacterial and you can use them to remove the smell from the aircon system too. about a tenner if i remember correctly.
[/ QUOTE ]
They're made by Comma, sold in Hellfords.
those canisters you are on about, yes you can get them in the shops, they are antibacterial and you can use them to remove the smell from the aircon system too. about a tenner if i remember correctly.
[/ QUOTE ]
They're made by Comma, sold in Hellfords.
Hi Lowride,
I've got a similar problem to myzeneye in that I've got a black car with loads of swirl marks/dull paint from the previous owner using a car wash.
I live in Milton Keynes but dont know of any decent companies in this area. You sound like you know what you're doing. What sort of money are we looking at for a full valet/mop and full interior clean inc carpet shampoo etc?
Thanks!
Asif
I've got a similar problem to myzeneye in that I've got a black car with loads of swirl marks/dull paint from the previous owner using a car wash.
I live in Milton Keynes but dont know of any decent companies in this area. You sound like you know what you're doing. What sort of money are we looking at for a full valet/mop and full interior clean inc carpet shampoo etc?
Thanks!
Asif
Lowride
Registered User
I`m sure if u look around you`ll be able to get a decent quote mate.
I would question any valet that is less than £40, that would be a full valet i.e interior and exterior. I would tell them to leave under the bonnet though, all that water and steam could cause problems
As for the mop, I really have no idea. That could take 3hrs alone. If you have ure Audi serviced at the main dealer they will have their own valeters. You could ask one if they`ll do it on the side, give them £30? Don`t go thru the dealership!
There must be a decent valeting company in MK, most should be able to mop a car I would have thought. If ure still struggling PM me...
I would question any valet that is less than £40, that would be a full valet i.e interior and exterior. I would tell them to leave under the bonnet though, all that water and steam could cause problems
As for the mop, I really have no idea. That could take 3hrs alone. If you have ure Audi serviced at the main dealer they will have their own valeters. You could ask one if they`ll do it on the side, give them £30? Don`t go thru the dealership!
There must be a decent valeting company in MK, most should be able to mop a car I would have thought. If ure still struggling PM me...
Lowride
Registered User
This is the most expensive car I`ve valeted so far, Terry Lister`s of Lister`s fame Bentley Arnage at a massive £170k
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Hi there Lowride, on the subject of valeting, have you any way to get rid of black marks made by shoes and trainers on the patterned interior plastics, usually protecting the sliders for the front seats. - thanks
On the subject of getting smoke outta the linings.. try using a SMALL Steamer.. yes, there are small steamers available, bit like doing papering etc except DON NOT HOLD DIRECTLY ON THE LINING as you would wallpaper.. otherwise you'll dissolve the glue on the material and that AIN'T FUNNY!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif BUT!.... if successful watch the brown nicotine run out the head lining **Yeeuucck** /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/vomit.gif pretty ****** disgustin..... It does work but use extreme caution.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Lowride
Registered User
Removing marks from plastic inner sills can be very hard, sometimes they won`t come off
Try spraying something like tar and glue remover on the sill and then giving them a light scrub
I valeted an S3 today and it had marks all over the bottom of the drivers door, looked awful. They did`nt wanna budge at all. In the end I had to try and just disguise them as much as possible. Sometimes you just have to accept that its a used car /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Try spraying something like tar and glue remover on the sill and then giving them a light scrub
I valeted an S3 today and it had marks all over the bottom of the drivers door, looked awful. They did`nt wanna budge at all. In the end I had to try and just disguise them as much as possible. Sometimes you just have to accept that its a used car /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
gags100
Registered User
I have had my audi 100 quattro for six months and in that time the cars paitwork has deteriorated as resin from a tree has gone the bonnet periodically. Would it be possible to bring it up to showroom condition? if it can be how much would it cost to to this? I could then keep it away from the tree can keep on top of the cleaning. any ideas cheers
gags100
Registered User
have had my audi 100 quattro for six months and in that time the cars paitwork has deteriorated as resin from a tree has gone the bonnet periodically. Would it be possible to bring it up to showroom condition? if it can be how much would it cost to to this? I could then keep it away from the tree can keep on top of the cleaning. any ideas cheers
Lowride
Registered User
Yes it is possible but it will most probably be alot of work. I saw a new shape A3 the other week which had the roof and bonnet totally covered in either tree sap or fallout. It was eventually sent to a bodyshop because it was so bad. I guess alot depends on the colour of the car, it was bright red, if it had of been silver it would`nt have been anywhere near as visible.
Your car may be able to be sorted out with a good mop, very abrasive polish will need to be used depending on how bad it is. If it is still visible afterwards then a bodyshop may need to respray the panels in question
HTH
Your car may be able to be sorted out with a good mop, very abrasive polish will need to be used depending on how bad it is. If it is still visible afterwards then a bodyshop may need to respray the panels in question
HTH
I wouldn't be polishing your car everytime you need to make it shine. I would polish it until the paint is nice and smooth and preserve the finish with Wax.
Polishing removes wax which protects the car, waxing protects the paint. You can't build up layers of polish, but you can build up layers of wax.
Remember that!
Polishing removes wax which protects the car, waxing protects the paint. You can't build up layers of polish, but you can build up layers of wax.
Remember that!
sssgucci
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[ QUOTE ]
This is the most expensive car I`ve valeted so far, Terry Lister`s of Lister`s fame Bentley Arnage at a massive £170k
[/ QUOTE ]
I have got one of these to do next week. I'm not looking too forward to it. It will take me ages and I pray to God its not swirled! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug.gif
This is the most expensive car I`ve valeted so far, Terry Lister`s of Lister`s fame Bentley Arnage at a massive £170k
[/ QUOTE ]
I have got one of these to do next week. I'm not looking too forward to it. It will take me ages and I pray to God its not swirled! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug.gif
Lowride
Registered User
An amazing car mate..
This one was`nt very dirty at all. Its just the attention to detail that takes the time. Once you`ve seen inside you`ll know what I mean
I was kinda lucky it was`nt black because the colour shows everything but it would have looked nicer IMO
The paint is`nt very good quality, the lacquer was peeling on one of the mirrors and on the front of the bonnet. Pretty poor for £170k really!
This one was`nt very dirty at all. Its just the attention to detail that takes the time. Once you`ve seen inside you`ll know what I mean
I was kinda lucky it was`nt black because the colour shows everything but it would have looked nicer IMO
The paint is`nt very good quality, the lacquer was peeling on one of the mirrors and on the front of the bonnet. Pretty poor for £170k really!
dgannon69
Registered User
I'll help on the lambo and the dino... I think I'd rather take a dump on the RR sport though if that's ok? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
dgannon69
Registered User
Lowride
Registered User
Is this turning into a cruising thread for homosexual men, im orf to clean me car with the diamondbrite on it.
Hey,
I have just bought a a4 s-line and its got a patch of something on the roof lining which looks like either oil or grease, just wondering what you would suggest to get it out?
thanks
I have just bought a a4 s-line and its got a patch of something on the roof lining which looks like either oil or grease, just wondering what you would suggest to get it out?
thanks
