Prefered Cleaning Products

9

96_Si

Hi,

I was wondering what everyone prefers as to their cleaning products.

My girlfriend is obssessed with Meguiars, and rightly so - very nice stuff. Thing is my local Halfords has very little in the way of Maguiars stuff and is all AutoGlym - is this any good? I have a 15% off voucher for Halfords and was gonna stock up on some stuff.

I am pretty much starting anew so any recommendations on what things I need to pick up - shampoos, cloths, etc. I don't have the facilities at home to wash my car properly, so I would probably get it done at a handwash place nearby then finish it off when I got home.
 
Uh oh. I have a feeling I'm going to go off on one here. I apologise in advance!

No facilities to wash car at home? You're onto a loser already to be honest.

Anything you don't have control over it's cleanliness i.e. jetwash brushes etc are going to cause small scratches / swirls. Also many of the chemicals used by these cleaners will eat waxes, sealants and polishes you have on your car and reduce the protection you have on your car.

Even a very simple two bucket method of washing with grit guards and a wash mit will stand you in very good stead. Then use clean water to rinse "bucket over car" old school style if you don't have a hose etc.

I use a variety of different products and it has to be said that for complete ease of use, AutoGlym is probably the best as it's cheap and very difficult to "screw up". Their polishes are not abrasive, they are fillers. The down side of this is that without a proper sealant / wax, SRP (super resin polish) won't last any time and needs frequent re-applications.

Meguiars are without a doubt the best mass market cleaning product. My halfords stock an extensive range so maybe yours was just out of stock? Megs stuff is mostly what I used to use and what my dad swears by. After registering on www.detailingworld.com I bought some products from a company called chemical guys. It's more expensive, and generally requires more work, but the finish is worth it imo. Perhaps this isn't for you though, it depends.

My recommendation for you (or anyone else) would be to get the following

Equipment
(hose / pressure washer :) )
2x Buckets
2x Grit guards
Microfibre/lambswool wash mit
Wheel cleaner brush
Waffleweave towel (or if you cant find, terry towels)
Wax / Polish applicator pads
Microfibre Cloths

Cleaning products
Meguiars Shampoo (either NXT or Gold Class..you might find a deal with shampoo and wax/cloths/applicator pads in one)
Turtlewax xtreme wheel cleaner (non acidic / alkaline and doesn't eat wheels)
Meguiars Endurance Tyre Gel (use for all plastics including interior and engine)
AutoGlym intensive tar remover for those tough spots
Rainx window polish (this stuff is the doggies danglies.

Meguairs Speed/quick detailer. Keep this in the boot and any bird shits you can just clean straight away. Good for shows/ quick cleans and stuff too. )

Call me sad but I really enjoy cleaning my car. A car that is well cared for in terms of washing / polishing is always going to be worth more than one that's not. There's also an immense feeling of satisfaction when you are driving along knowing you've got a good lookin / clean car.
 
Thanks a lot for the info Steven.

I think the 2 bucket oldskool method is do-able - I am just a tad lazy, so hadn't thought of that! I don't have an easily accessible outside tap to hook a hose / pressure washer too (though I could if I wanted to drag a frigging great hose through the entirety of my house and down my garden!).
 
The longest mine`s ever gone without a wash is 2 weeks. :(

Normally I clean it every weekend (unless it rains) I go to the local jetwash, chamois it down when I get home, then go over it with colour magic about once every 2 months, & give it a coat of turtle wax once a month & the results you saw last weekend. :)
 
I use Meguiars Gold Shampoo/Clay Bar/Clear Wax/Quick Detailer.
RainX for the windows - which are awesome in the rain, don't need to use the wiper until after 60mph!
Tyre spray to bring the black back to the tyre wall.

You could get away with x1 bucket so long as you make sure you use clean water everytime. I always rinse the car first and you want to make sure you let the car cool down before you clean.

Then shampoo thoroughly wiping top to bottom using vertical lines to encourage water flow. Shampoo half the car then rinse and then the next. This would prevent the likeliness of water lines forming. If possible use soft water.

If getting water to the car is such an issue you could shampoo it in the rain. Then using a soft brush thoroughly clean off the shampoo. No need to dry if its still raining.
 
I use Meguiers for the stuff that needs to be top quality - eg. polish and wax and stuff that does not need bought that often - cloths, towels etc.

AutoGlym for the rest - tar remover, wheel cleaner, glass cleaner, degreaser etc etc.

Best thing I've bought recently is a Turtle Wax car squeegee - very soft plastic blade to wipe water off the car after rinsing and before drying.
Was not completely convinced it would not scratch but if car is cleaned properly first does not seem to be a problem and cuts about 70% off drying time.
 
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