Recommendations cleaning a car

[DaveTM]

not hand washed a car for years but now I’ve a lovely Audi not sure about the hand washes places
Recommendations please
Snow foam
Wheel cleaner
Leather cleaner/conditioner
Shampoo and so on
Don’t want anything with harsh chemicals
Just want it to look and stay great
Thanks

 

[RS4B5]

Wheel cleaner any iron fallout remover great for brake dust the stuff that changes colour but please buy a scented one I bought a non scented one and I'm just happy that I ran out yesterday

 

[RS4B5]

2 bucket method with touch less first if you want

 

[Supa Koopa]

Wow, how long is a piece of string on that question.

You will get many different responses based on the person replying. Personally I like Gtechniq stuff, not everyone does and it certainly isn't cheap. Bilt Hamber stuff is good and fairly reasonable as you get more in the bottles.

Really it depends on your budget and whether you want to order from one place, many places or walk into Halfords.

Polished Bliss are a really good shop to order from and they have some nice guides and reviews of the products they sell.

Snow foam - Angelwax is my favourite
Wheel cleaner - Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel, or Car Pro / Angelwax bilberry wheel cleaner if they're not bad as you can dilute it so it's not harsh and won't strip the sealant
Leather - Dr leather wipes
Shampoo - gwash, car pro reset, etc
Then you're in to the world of sealants and waxes.

Lots to read and try to get your perfect setup.

 

[Jassyo06]

Best buy all your kit from one online seller
One bucket
Wash mitt
Car shampoo
Drying towel
Quick detailer
If you have a pressure washer
Buy a snow foam lance and some snow foam this should get you started

Some of the online detailing shops you can phone them and they will advise
Ultimate finish
In2detailing.co.uk will take your call

 

[Audib5fan]

All depends really on how much you want spend on the car as it can get addictive and you end up spending a lot


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[mxnrg]

Best buy all your kit from one online seller
One bucket
Wash mitt
Car shampoo
Drying towel
Quick detailer
If you have a pressure washer
Buy a snow foam lance and some snow foam this should get you started

Some of the online detailing shops you can phone them and they will advise
Ultimate finish
In2detailing.co.uk will take your call

I'm in a similar boat to the OP thinking about actually cleaning my car for the first time in a decade. I have an old shape Kärcher K4 and pretty much nothing else (I even need to go sort some proper hozelock connectors for my outside tap).

@jassyo06 Your list is a good start for me though I was going to go two buckets from the start. My starting point is using the local handwash place once every 3-4 weeks for two cars and so spending £20-30/month. My main issue in the past has been keeping cloths clean and dry. Though admittedly I was using a simple hosepipe rather than a pressure washer. I got all the tips on not jetwashing paint down to base coat!

The medium level I'm thinking is:

Kit:

Two buckets with grit guards
Snow foam bottle for Kärcher
Hozelocks for my outside tap and hose
Simple Hozelock spray attachment with auto stop

Consumables:

Mitt/Brush for wheels
Mitt for lower part of car/wheel arches
Mitt for uppers and glass
Microfibre drying towel
Microfibre cloths to apply quick detailer spray and clean interior

Snow Foam
Wheel cleaner spray
Car Shampoo
Quick Detailer/Drying aid
Interior/glass cleaning spray

Suggestions for each of the above based on a ceramic coated car appreciated. I'll try calling in2detailing.co.uk for a start as I don't want to spend too much before I've got my routine set and manageable.

Will draw from below thread as well but mainly making sure I get the basics right before going full detailer!

Your Top 5 Detailing Products/Tools
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh....net/xf/index.php?posts/3250004/&share_type=t



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[Jassyo06]

I'm in a similar boat to the OP thinking about actually cleaning my car for the first time in a decade. I have an old shape Kärcher K4 and pretty much nothing else (I even need to go sort some proper hozelock connectors for my outside tap).

@jassyo06 Your list is a good start for me though I was going to go two buckets from the start. My starting point is using the local handwash place once every 3-4 weeks for two cars and so spending £20-30/month. My main issue in the past has been keeping cloths clean and dry. Though admittedly I was using a simple hosepipe rather than a pressure washer. I got all the tips on not jetwashing paint down to base coat!

The medium level I'm thinking is:

Kit:

Two buckets with grit guards
Snow foam bottle for Kärcher
Hozelocks for my outside tap and hose
Simple Hozelock spray attachment with auto stop

Consumables:

Mitt/Brush for wheels
Mitt for lower part of car/wheel arches
Mitt for uppers and glass
Microfibre drying towel
Microfibre cloths to apply quick detailer spray and clean interior

Snow Foam
Wheel cleaner spray
Car Shampoo
Quick Detailer/Drying aid
Interior/glass cleaning spray

Suggestions for each of the above based on a ceramic coated car appreciated. I'll try calling in2detailing.co.uk for a start as I don't want to spend too much before I've got my routine set and manageable.

Will draw from below thread as well but mainly making sure I get the basics right before going full detailer!

Your Top 5 Detailing Products/Tools
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_fid=2376&share_tid=373770&share_pid=3250004&url=https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/index.php?posts/3250004/&share_type=t



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Don't go mad with 3 wash mitts mate, one will do for the full car just wash from the top downwards at a push buy a micro fibre pad for the inner and outer door sills, pads are better for washing smalker/tighter areas
Chemical guys after wash is ****** great stuff it cutsdown drying time and helps to prevent scratching

Liquid elements silver back drying towel is another great towel another

As for the 2 bucket method? I ain't a fan of this at all, l only ever use the one, as you can rinse yer mitt out with a hose when need be

 

[Flowrider99]

Don't bother with leather cleaner or conditioner, leather in modern cars is either fake or coated and only needs a wipe with a damp cloth.

 

[Jassyo06]

Don't bother with leather cleaner or conditioner, leather in modern cars is either fake or coated and only needs a wipe with a damp cloth.

I completely disagree a good leather cleaner in conjunction with a anti friction coating will keep your leather looking far far better for far longer than a damp cloth mate
Colour lock mild leather and colour lock leather shield is unbeatable combo in my opinion

 

[mxnrg]

Don't go mad with 3 wash mitts mate, one will do for the full car just wash from the top downwards at a push buy a micro fibre pad for the inner and outer door sills, pads are better for washing smalker/tighter areas
Chemical guys after wash is ****** great stuff it cutsdown drying time and helps to prevent scratchingView attachment 157476
Liquid elements silver back drying towel is another great towel anotherView attachment 157478
As for the 2 bucket method? I ain't a fan of this at all, l only ever use the one, as you can rinse yer mitt out with a hose when need be

Thanks for the product pointers @jassyo06, particularly the afterwash. Do you go microfibre mitt or sheep? Will start simple and see if I keep up with the self washing, if it takes me less than the 30 minute per car every two weeks then I'm ahead!


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[Jassyo06]

Thanks for the product pointers @jassyo06, particularly the afterwash. Do you go microfibre mitt or sheep? Will start simple and see if I keep up with the self washing, if it takes me less than the 30 minute per car every two weeks then I'm ahead!


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I go with a microfibre mitt mate as l think they are more durable the ones that in2detailing sell are very good indeed and are cheaper than the microfibre madness range of mitts
Shortlist then chose best to buy all the products from one online retailer in2detailing is a great place to start

 

[Flowrider99]

I completely disagree a good leather cleaner in conjunction with a anti friction coating will keep your leather looking far far better for far longer than a damp cloth mate
Colour lock mild leather and colour lock leather shield is unbeatable combo in my opinion

But the cleaner/conditioner will not touch the leather.

 

[Pinky1959]

www.detailingworld.co.uk
is a great site for information etc , The photos af before and afters are amazing .
But be warned it is addictive and can cost £££ but well worth every penny

 

[scotty76]

I'd vote for microfiber mitts too. Chuck them in the washing machine afterwards. Job done.

 

[Jassyo06]

But the cleaner/conditioner will not touch the leather.

I don't do conditioner never have like you say it won't penetrate the leather, but a cleanser will thoroughly clean leather better than a cloth will
Most damage to car seats is done getting in and out of it, so a anti friction coating will reduce this friction and in return it will keep your leather looking good for longer mate

 

[S32B]

not hand washed a car for years but now I’ve a lovely Audi not sure about the hand washes places
Recommendations please
Snow foam
Wheel cleaner
Leather cleaner/conditioner
Shampoo and so on
Don’t want anything with harsh chemicals
Just want it to look and stay great
Thanks

It may be worth contacting @THQuattro on here and chatting to him, he's a site sponsor and is doing a range of cleaning gear, I'm sure he can sort you out!

 

[maxpayne]

I live in a flat and don’t have access to a hose. What are my best options? I’ve had some success with a waterless wash and wax - is that the only way to go?

 

[scotty76]

I live in a flat and don’t have access to a hose. What are my best options? I’ve had some success with a waterless wash and wax - is that the only way to go?

In your position I'd be going with Optimum No Rinse.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=195294

 

[maxpayne]

In your position I'd be going with Optimum No Rinse.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=195294

How about CarPro EcH2O? Any experience with it?
Thanks.

 

[scotty76]

How about CarPro EcH2O? Any experience with it?
Thanks.

Not tried it. Why don't you give it a go and let us know how you get on?

 

[Audib5fan]

Yeah waterless be ur best bet I think if you got no water


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[Taxboy]

But the cleaner/conditioner will not touch the leather.

You are correcf modern leather is coated hence no need for a conditioner. However a specialist cleaner removes the dirt and grease from the coating far more effectively than water alone. It will also help remove that shiny finish you can get on leather. Once you have clean leather you may also wish to use a protection product which makes further cleaning easier particularly with things like dye transfer from jeans on pale leather.

I like Dr Leather products but a quick search will find products that others find effective

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