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Weekly maintenance: How to safely clean your pride and joy, and the common mistakes people make

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#1
Obsidian Detailing

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I have no idea if you guys have "how to" threads, and am in no way interested in trying to teach people how to suck eggs, but i thought a couple of threads regarding car cleaning and common pitfalls may help at least some of you?

 

Not wanting to be boring, but imo the BIGGEST mistake most people make is to assume your products are "safe". For the most part cleaning a car is one of the only, if not THE only time people are systematically exposed to chemicals. They may come in fancy bottles, smell nice, be expensive, but they are containers of synthetic chemicals, period. Its not a huge thing to simply put on a pair of gloves, maybe wear long sleeves, and not spray into the air. The dangers ARE real. Even if we choose to ignore and crack on, at least we make an informed choice knowing the truths

 

Boring stuff over with now ha ha

 

Its important to remember that most of the damage on your paint, maybe even wheels and your glass is caused during the wash and drying stages. Even the really bad scratches you assume were done by a careless passer by, may well have been your own doing. Following a few basic rules will vastly reduce (not totally remove) any damage caused.

 

Firstly is to not wash the car in the sunshine. Its part and parcel of car cleaning, but when the sun comes out we all want our cars to gleam! However washing in the shade or doing it early morning will vastly reduce the chances of your products/chemicals prematurely drying or curing and at best, creating annoying streaks. At worst damaging your car to the extent of needing professional repair. A black car in the shade can hold a great deal of heat, so working quick and rinsing more often as you go is advised.

 

Next is to always remember that your primary aim is to remove as much dirt and debris BEFORE your contact portion of your wash. Simply hand washing the car straight off is a huge proponent in the swirls and scratches caused. What you are doing is moving the dirt and debris around on the paint as you wash, between your wash media and the paint. This acts as any abrasive would, and leaves its own footprint. So before physically touching the car best practice is to use either a pre wash, or snow foam, to break down as much of that dirt as you can. Less is not more at this stage, use plenty of product to make sure the dirt is fully saturated. If all the grime absorbs the cleaning agents, it comes off much more easily. Apply liberally to the wheels, arches and the rest of the vehicle

After this you want to remove said cleaning agents as well as the grime. This is not a "rinse" stage. A gentle rinse wont remove the grime, you need to use the pressure washer and really take your time. Start at the bottom and move slowly, making sure you pay attention to blast out all the nooks and crannies. You are much less concerned with the odd soap bubble, and much more concerned with the dirt. 

 

Example

19990337398_709090ab4f_b.jpgP1050169 by Matt Rowe, on Flickr

 

After this go ahead and clean the wheels. Now that they have already been pre washed and blasted off its much easier to see if you need a dedicated wheel cleaner, or if soapy water will suffice. Do them one at a time ideally from start to finish, and thoroughly clean off with the PW once again. Doing it this way, if you ARE using a dedicated wheel cleaner, when rinsing the car off later on you can further rinse the wheels to be doubly sure all the chemicals are gone

 

With the wheels done, and the body prepped, its time to use your CLEAN cleaning products. This may seem obvious, but if your buckets and wash media are still dirty from last time, when water is added, you have dirty water! And this totally wastes your earlier efforts. You will want at a minimum, 2 buckets, ideally one of them clear. Half fill both with hot water, leaving the clear bucket as is, and adding your chosen shampoo to the other. Now if you use your pressure washer to top it up, this will froth up and transform the shampoo into a lovely creamy airy liquid. Just dunk the lance in to the bottom and go

 

Example

20183830241_15695b2a91_b.jpgP1050175 by Matt Rowe, on Flickr

 

Wash in straight lines, a panel at a time, ideally from the top down. (You may want to rinse periodically as you go to avoid streaking). Use only enough pressure to keep your wash media in your hand, so as little as possible. After each panel, submerge the wash media in the clear bucket, and squeeze out a few times to deposit as much of the dirt you just picked up as possible. The 2 bucket method is a very good way to keep your wash water clean. A grit guard in the buckets will help also. Using a clear bucket as the second bucket allows you to assess your pre wash routine. The dirtier the water at the end, the poorer the pre wash routine

 

Example

19313065340_8ffdb69ac0_b.jpgP1040589 by Matt Rowe, on Flickr

 

Rinsing now. And if you are smart you can use this to get a jump on the drying stage. If you rinse using an open ended hose, not your pressure wash, at about half power and you use a slow steady sheet from top to bottom, a lot of the water will run off in one long sheet leaving only droplets to pat with a drying towel. Not having to use a drying towel means even less swirls will be inflicted. Even better would to be use an inline or ro water filter set up, meaning no drying is required whatsoever. If you have a dark car, not having to dry it, and removing the chance of water spotting completely, will pay dividends long term

If you DO have to dry the car, use plush clean drying towels, apply no pressure, and wherever possible pat the car gently. If this simply wont suck up the water use the "drop and drag" method, hold the towel by two corners at one end, drape it over the panel, and draw it towards you. Turn each time and be careful 

 

Once completed, if the car is done, its done. Dress the tyres or complete any little jobs you enjoy. If you like to wipe the car down with a quick detailer or gloss enhancer, at least you are confident that the paint is debris free and this wont be be picked up. 

 

It sounds long winded, and probably looks it on paper, but when you get used to using this, or any other similar routine it really doesn't "have" to take all that long. But with this small investment in time now you are putting lots of time in the bank for later on, when you have much less polishing to do to remove the marks you inflicted. Its a fair trade, and the car stays looking better longer to boot

 

So in short, use clean tools. Avoid the sun and high temperatures before and during. Remove as much dirt as possible before you touch it. Wash in straight lines not circles to reduce the appearance of "swirls". Be smart when you rinse. Don't waste all that effort when you dry it. Simples. Adjust and arrange as you wish, but stick to the basic rules and the car will be fine

 

 

 



#2
s40rey

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I would completely agree on the RO water.

I use a dealk resin cartridge - resulting in ultra pure water.

Rinse off and leave to dry, no residue, streaking....no drying.

Well worth it.

#3
Pat

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Thanks for the time you've taken to write and post this.......never too old for new tips and ideas and tbh the whole subject of modern detailing has me a bit lost (I'm from the wash and mur era) so any other big threads to follow on from this one would be well received by me and possibly others too

#4
T-800

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Good tips there i feel and no Matt you aren't getting egg sucking here  :D

 

We are never too old to learn new things / get better ways of doing things...........

 

I speak from a business owners point of view too........ :lol:



#5
P_G

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For those who don't have the facility for using RO water, a pet dryer is the future. On a well prepared care the water is blown off, particularly from out of mirror housings, panels gaps and shut lines which means little to no need for a drying towel and what moisture is left can be taken off with your microfibre cloths if you are adding a gloss enhancer or speed detailer as a last stage.


Edited by P_G, 15 September 2015 - 09:27 AM.


#6
scotexile

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For those who don't have the facility for using RO water, a pet dryer is the future. On a well prepared care the water is blown off, particularly from out of mirror housings, panels gaps and shut lines which means little to no need for a drying towel and what moisture is left can be taken off with your microfibre clots if you are adding a gloss enhancer or speed detailer as a last stage.

Thanks for that tip, I hadn't thought about using the blaster for that! I'll be giving that a go at the weekend


Maintaining status quo is not an option

#7
kevin69

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Great tips fellas


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

#8
krisey

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Folks, I'm having the RS3 professionally detailed and ceramic coated next week, for ongoing care how do I get access to RO water? Is this something I have to bulk buy and store or is there a system I can purchase that will hook up to a pressure washer? 



#9
Obsidian Detailing

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Folks, I'm having the RS3 professionally detailed and ceramic coated next week, for ongoing care how do I get access to RO water? Is this something I have to bulk buy and store or is there a system I can purchase that will hook up to a pressure washer? 

You can buy filters to run your water through. If you fit it near your tap, use your normal water for the first bit, then plug the filter in, and the hose to the other end then use that for the final rinse. There are many out there available, in different styles, but the bigger the litreage the longer it will last without needing to be refilled



#10
krisey

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Can you sign post me to somewhere I can buy one of these fandango devices? Once I have nice, swirl free paint I want it to stay looking good for as long as possible. 

 

Whilst I have your attention I've been told ceramic coating is worth the extra £ above normal waxing - as a professional, what's your view?



#11
Obsidian Detailing

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Can you sign post me to somewhere I can buy one of these fandango devices? Once I have nice, swirl free paint I want it to stay looking good for as long as possible. 

 

Whilst I have your attention I've been told ceramic coating is worth the extra £ above normal waxing - as a professional, what's your view?

100% worth it. I mean, i don't know the detailer or the product recommended, but all things equal, they are far superior. But your attitude is correct, still wanting to look after the coating. Most are under the impression its a silver bullet and this just isn't so. 

If you think of the applied coating as your new paint, it can be scratched, swirled and stained, just like paint, and can be polished, just like paint. But the coating applied is very thin so its a finite resource. They absolutely protect the paint, by baring the brunt of what you throw at it. so if you treat it badly it too will damage. 

 

The other thing to remember is its really only as hard as its base, build a house on sand and all that. We stock a product that is independently tested to 9H, but if i lay that on something that is 6H, then its really not going to reach its potential, same as the house built on sand. 

 

The difference is a wax really offers NOTHING other than looks. The only thing you could hope is that it is slippy to the touch, lowering the resistance to your wash and drying media. But other than that its just beading, oils and fancy words



#12
krisey

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Very interesting! So I'm booked in with Aspect detailing who I believe use their own product. I know nothing about professional detailing or ceramic coatings etc as I've never bothered with it before. I usually just shunt a car along and move onto the next after 18 months but I've been reliably informed that I'll be getting a divorce if I do that with the RS so want to look after it. I was recommended them by a friend and then saw a post about them on here so guessed they must be decent. Is there anything in particular I should be asking them to do? The 9H and 6 H stuff you mentioned went straight over my head!

#13
Obsidian Detailing

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Very interesting! So I'm booked in with Aspect detailing who I believe use their own product. I know nothing about professional detailing or ceramic coatings etc as I've never bothered with it before. I usually just shunt a car along and move onto the next after 18 months but I've been reliably informed that I'll be getting a divorce if I do that with the RS so want to look after it. I was recommended them by a friend and then saw a post about them on here so guessed they must be decent. Is there anything in particular I should be asking them to do? The 9H and 6 H stuff you mentioned went straight over my head!

lol ok well go back to the house analogy. you could build the same house, with the same materials, one on sand, one on stone. Same house, same methods, one is very much going to last longer and in better condition due to its foundations. In your case the paint is the foundation. Some cars have softer paint than others, depending on the paint system and clear quality this will determine just how effective the coating is. I could apply the same coating, in the same way, to 2 different audis, and the water would behave differently afterwards, and they will last a different amount of time. Its just mechanics. 

If its their own coating it will be being produced for them by one of only a handful of companies. And they wont tell you where it comes from. As long as you know its a ceramic or glass coating it will do its job to the best of its ability. It will jump up and down on wax all day long. And will absolutely give the car the best shot at reaching its potential for longer. IMO it is well worth the money you are spending having it done properly and avoiding crappy dealer prep 



#14
s40rey

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Hi
I'd not offered this up before, as it could turn into a pain in the bumper....
I can get "dealk" systems at trade price - basically it's a vessel (mine is 6L) which is refillable. The dealk resin removes ALL water impurities, but after so many litres is exhausted and you throw away (re top the vessel up). Simple mains in via snap on connector and supply out to your pressure washer or hose. From memory 6L gives me about 10 washes (but that would go up if you live in a better quality water area). Originally I was using it for the whole wash and rinse, but recently I just use it for the wash down and rinse. I can have a look at the cost in if anyone is interested.
I'm in Stevenage but I could likely get them shipped.
Can post some photos up later on to show you what you get.
Regards....
Nick

#15
deckchair

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really useful and interesting article!

 

I'm guessing a leather is not good for drying based on the above?



#16
Obsidian Detailing

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really useful and interesting article!

 

I'm guessing a leather is not good for drying based on the above?

Its not ideal. They can cause their own mechanical abrasion, but also ANY dirt left will be trapped between it and the paint. A drying towel is usually fluffy and has the security that should any dirt be left, at least you aren't rubbing it up and down the car. 

A leather used properly wont be "that" bad but for the sake of a couple of quid there is so much better out there. Its a fair trade off imo 



#17
Josh

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Honestly a DeIronising filter is the way to go. I've run one since Febuary ad it's a 18L set up, wash 2/3 times a week and never had a water spot yet! Cost about £150 to set up. Wel worth it

#18
ColinC2

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Add my thanks to Matt @Obsidian fpr writing this! I have been detailing cars for years in my amateurish way and after reading this I have 2 products in my Amazon wish list for October  ... an in line water filter and a pet dryer :-)


BMW M2 in Mineral Grey

Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDi Black Edition

Used to have a Condor Grey RS3 8P, and before that a further 47 assorted money pits


#19
krisey

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Add my thanks to Matt @Obsidian fpr writing this! I have been detailing cars for years in my amateurish way and after reading this I have 2 products in my Amazon wish list for October  ... an in line water filter and a pet dryer :-)


What filter are you going with Colin? I've looked online and am frankly confused.

#20
ColinC2

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What filter are you going with Colin? I've looked online and am frankly confused.

 

Well the only one I could find that was "in-line" for a hose pipe was the Super Water one. Comes with fittings for £59.95. I am going to try it and will report on its effectiveness !! Am guessing that it might have an impact on flow so am worried that wont be able to use with the jet wash so will also need to have two separate feed pipes into my hose reel .... 


BMW M2 in Mineral Grey

Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDi Black Edition

Used to have a Condor Grey RS3 8P, and before that a further 47 assorted money pits






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