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 Post Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 12:34 pm 
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Sparkplug
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Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 10:45 am
Posts: 16
Location: Preston
Vehicle: Nissan
model: Qashqai NTEC+
edition: 1% GTR!
In my short time on the forum, the biggest questions ive been asked have all been based around car cleaning products and routines. So, to help those of you that are interested in looking after your pride and joys (rather than using the local Kosovans..) I will put some routines and meat on the bones of the products I use and why. Please feel free to ask anything you want, or to add products that you use / dont use because they have or haven't worked for you..

The first thing to look at is routines. You dont have to wash the car every week for it to look good. The products Im going to recommend are because they work, day in, day out, without fuss and able to work in all temperatures, even when cold and outside. They are products that are available from most good online car websites, and they also dont cost £1000 a pop either. This is the routines I use on our own cars..

Once a week wash:
-Pre wash with Snow Foam
-Powerwash Rinse
-Wash wheels with soapy water and a wash mitt
-Towel Dry
-Wipe down with a quick detailer if needed
-Clean of windows as neccessary
-Apply Tyre gloss as neccessary
Time taken: 35 minutes

Once a month wash:
-Pre wash with Snow Foam
-Powerwash Rinse
-2 bucket wash
-Powerwash rinse
-Towel Dry
-Wash wheels with dedicated wheel cleaner and a wash mitt
-Apply tyre gloss as neccesary
-Wipe down with a quick detailer if needed
-Wipe down and hoover of interior
-Clean Glass as neccesary
Time taken: 1hr 30

Every 2 to 3 months:
-Pre wash with Snow Foam
-Powerwash Rinse
-2 bucket wash
-Powerwash rinse
-Apply fallout remover and de-tar product to bodywork.
-Wipe down and re-powerwash rinse
-Towel Dry
-Deep clean of wheels with fallout remover, de-tar and wheel cleaner
-Apply alloy wheel sealant
-Apply tyre gloss as neccesary
-Wipe down bodywork with diluted spray sealant
-Wipe down and hoover of interior
-Clean Glass as neccesary
Time taken: 3 -4hrs

Every 4-6 months, I strip all the bodywork protection products (sealants or wax) - apply a polish and several coats of last stage product.

In winter I pre wash even using the snow foam with a citrus based All Purpose Cleaner. The idea of this is to break down the traffic film you get from the road salt, and aides in giving a near 'no-touch' clean if your sealant or wax is applied well. In the summer time, the citrus APC also helps to remove bugs and bits from your bonnet and grill's if you spray them first. Snow foam alone will not wash your car removing traffic film, or substitute using a wash mitt and good shampoo. What it will do is break down and help remove grit, dirt and particles of muck from your paintwork, that if you didnt do will get stuck in your wash mitt, and those particles would then come into contact with your paintwork - its this that causes scratches and swirls in your paintwork. If paintwork is really dirty - I clay the car twice a year as this removes build ups of dirt, oil, tar and fallout that washing alone will not remove.

So onto the list of products. This is not an exhaustive list of products to use or to buy from across the market, merely the ones Ive used and would recommend (and Ive used plenty that I wouldn't!!!!)

You wont see lots of Autoglym products here, and its not because AG products are bad, because they aren't. However, AG mass produce the products to work across a very wide spectrum of uses and to try and cater to everyone. This means that sometimes the products are not as easy to use, last as long, finish as well or give you look that a bespoke manufacturer can achieve.

Pre Washing products
Valet Pro Citrus pre-wash (used in a pump sprayer)
Auto Finesse Citrus Power

Snow Foam
Valet Pro Advanced PH Neutral Snow Foam
Autobrite Direct Magifoam
Auto Finesse Avalanche
Bilt Hamber Auto Foam

Car Shampoo
Autobrite Direct Banana Gloss
Auto Finesse Lather
Hubikote Shampoo
Auto Glym Bodywork Shampoo
Farecla G3 Detox

All round APC for door shuts / engine bays / dirty trim

Valet Pro Citrus Pre Wash
Auto Finesse Verso

Fallout Remover
Autobrite Purple Rain 2
Auto Finesse Iron Out
CarPro Iron X
CarChem Revolt

Wheel Cleaner
Valet Pro Billberry
CarChem Revolt
Autosmart SmartWheels

De-Tar
Autosmart Tardis

Wheel Sealant
GTechniq c5
Planet Polish - Wheel Seal and Shine
Auto Finesse Mint Rims

Tyre Dressing
GTechic T1
Auto Finesse Satin

Bodywork Plastic Trim / rubber
Nanolex Trim Rejuvenator
Auto Finesse Revive

Glass Cleaner
CarChem Clarity
Auto Finesse Crystal
GTechniq G6

Exhaust Metal Work
Britemax Twins
T Cut Metal Polish
Auto Finesse Mercury
(for really badly sooted up pipes - use some 0000 grade steel wool)


Bodywork Polish (by hand)
Auto Finnesse Tripple
Auto Finesse Rejuvenate
Auto Finesse Tough Prep
Zaino AIO

When it comes to your 'LSP' - waxes and sealants are a total minefield as to what to buy. Ive simplified it down to the following 4 products for you, because they all work, time and time again, giving fantastic looks or ease of use.

Bodywork Last Stage Product
Spray Polymer Sealants:
GTechniq c2v3 - 6-9months protection

Wax:
Allround Finish -Bouncers 22 - 2-5 months protection
Fantastic Gloss and protection - DoDo Juice Supernatural Hybrid - 4-7 months protection
Show Car Finish - Auto Finesse Illusion - 4-8wks protection

Sealants v Waxes

Waxes have for years been the standard coating to finish your car off for protection, however, sealants have fought back big time in the market. GTechniq and Carpro are the market leaders in this field, but there are tons of quality sealants on the market that work. The easiest sealants to use are spray polymer based, they are litterally as easy as spray on - wipe off. A whole car can be seales in 15 minutes - thats spray on, wipe and buff! No chalky residues, no layering needed for extra protection, no giving a second coat a few hours later (although you can if you want too..) to improve gloss. Its almost too easy, but believe me - they work! Sealants work better in winter than waxes too. Because waxes are natural products, road salt eats into the wax layers, and can reduce protection from months to weeks, sealants however bond chemically to paintwork, giving much longer levels of protection. You will also see a massive difference in the ways th+
at dirt and road traffic film sticks to a waxed or sealed car - essential on a daily driver through winter with all the road salt about. Waxes do give a 'wetter, deeper' look to paintwork finishes, however selants are a glossier, 'glassy' look. You can layer a wax over a sealant for the best of both world looks, but you cant apply a sealant over a wax - it simply wont bond :)

I have stayed away from Nano and Ceramic based long term sealant protection systems, purely because they have to be applied indoors, and left to cure for 24hrs at a time away from moisture. These offer the best long term protection for you vehicle, however as you can see are much more fidly to apply! Hope that helps everyone :D

_________________
www.remyrocdetailing.co.uk - Professional, Insured, Mobile Car Detailer, working across Lancashire and beyond!


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 Post Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 7:53 pm 
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Quick Shift
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Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2012 7:28 pm
Posts: 80
Vehicle: Audi
model: S6 v10 5.2
Got to say a big thank you to James , he did a great job detailing my S6 last week.
I was very happy with the results.
Also this write up will be very useful to a lot of people , including me.
Thanks
Paul


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