Post 746804 by t5 pete on 2014-11-06 17:31:03
As above please what's the best wash mitt to buy, what's all this with the two bucket method and what pre wash stuff if I need it. Thank you
As above please what's the best wash mitt to buy, what's all this with the two bucket method and what pre wash stuff if I need it. Thank you
I personally prefer to use my micro fiber wash mit. I bought one of these wool mammoth spunky doo da wash mits, supposed to trap the dirt etc etc, but I'm not a fan of using it. I did buy the buckets with the grit guards in the bottom. Basically all the dirt falls to the bottom of the bucket, and then when you dunk your wash mit, the dirt stays at the bottom beneath the drip guard rather than mixing up in the water when you disturb it. Use a second bucket of clean water to rinse off the wash mit between soapy applications. Basically all that just cuts down the risk of picking up any crap on the mit and scratching the paint. I've used the snow foam stuff to rinse the car off before washing, but don't think it does a lot tbh, so don't bother anymore.
Awesome thank you ill invest in some proper buckets as I doubt my builder's buckets will cut it
Other thing to mention is, don't use the cheapo wash and wax shampoos. I made this mistake for years! It removes pretty much all the previous layers of polish/wax that are protecting your paint. Get a decent shampoo from one of the detailing web sites that cleans the car but doesn't remove any wax or polish.
Just use a brillo pad mate, with some coal tar soap. ;)
If you want to be really anal you wash as per Chris's instructions but to add to that you use one mitt for the top then a second for below the mouldings, then you dry the car with water and blow the rest off with a battery powered leaf blower.
[QUOTE=Saaamon;746817]If you want to be really anal you wash as per Chris's instructions but to add to that you use one mitt for the top then a second for below the mouldings, then you dry the car with water and blow the rest off with a battery powered leaf blower.[/QUOTE] I watched a tutorial video that said about using a leaf blower to dry the car, quite a good idea I thought!
Fiver off the immigrants should be fine for yellow poo cars :)
It's called the "two albanian " method lol.
I also take mine to the local Albanians, I just make sure they don't put acid on wheels, then when I come home just polish, wax and seal.
[QUOTE=Nealevo;746826]I also take mine to the local Albanians, I just make sure they don't put acid on wheels, then when I come home just polish, wax and seal.[/QUOTE] And that's coming from the Car of the Year pmsl :)
[QUOTE=Nealevo;746826]I also take mine to the local Albanians, I just make sure they don't put acid on wheels, then when I come home just polish, wax and seal.[/QUOTE] I retract my vote. Recount please.
As an ex auto glym approved valet if you want a really anal job use filtered water and wax safe car shampoo with a bucket for wash with grit guard in bottom and a second to rinse mitt. Then dry with a good leather and a drying mitt . Followed by a coat of high resin polish then a high def wax followed by ultra gloss protection but that is The anal extreme for most..... or my fortnightly wash .... also detailing tip for those with dark cars to avoid swirls/haze remove polish and buff in straight lines:)
I think ive got that turtle stuff from costco 25l is that safe enough or sure enough to remove my wax
[QUOTE=moosepowerlee;746839]As an ex auto glym approved valet if you want a really anal job use filtered water and wax safe car shampoo with a bucket for wash with grit guard in bottom and a second to rinse mitt. Then dry with a good leather and a drying mitt . Followed by a coat of high resin polish then a high def wax followed by ultra gloss protection but that is The anal extreme for most..... or my fortnightly wash .... also detailing tip for those with dark cars to avoid swirls/haze remove polish and buff in straight lines:)[/QUOTE] That sounds like a really good way of destorying paint.
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=59475
have you forgotten every thing they told you at the Meg's demo day, or does someone need to organise another, so you can have a refresher course.....????
[QUOTE=Saaamon;746844]That sounds like a really good way of destorying paint.[/QUOTE] Infact that is a great washing technique. If you ask me, these are the best wash pads on the market - http://dooka.co.uk/dooka-wash-pads
I can give you a discount code I have set up for my detailing company when you decided what you to buy matey
[QUOTE=MoleT-5R;746847]have you forgotten every thing they told you at the Meg's demo day, or does someone need to organise another, so you can have a refresher course.....????[/QUOTE] Adrian I have a attention span of a 2yr old unless its summert to do with boobies then im hooked
You think polishing a car every two weeks is a good idea? And drying a car with anything other than water and a leaf blower etc causes paint damage no matter how careful you are and can't be considered being "anal extreme".
[QUOTE=Saaamon;746844]That sounds like a really good way of destorying paint.[/QUOTE] In fairness a few years ago before i had learnt properly i had an s40 and i used to use paint corrector aswell and i did go through paint . Whoops... so only use that rarely now where its needed. but the polish and wax i use has little or no cut in it so safe to put on as regular as i do :)
To be fair resin polish has a very very mild abrasive, more of a paint cleanser if I'm honest. A leaf blower could be worse than a towel, no filters in a leaf blower but it's a fair point, any contact with the paint can cause marring.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]27357[/ATTACH] Finished result
[QUOTE=Saaamon;746853]You think polishing a car every two weeks is a good idea? And drying a car with anything other than water and a leaf blower etc causes paint damage no matter how careful you are and can't be considered being "anal extreme".[/QUOTE] This for sure. There is a big difference between being a car "valeter" and a "detailer". I bought a few products from a Autoglym trade stand earlier this year, and whilst the "expert" talked a good game, it was clear he knew less than I did about detailing, and I am a proper amateur, believe me! For example, the autoglym HD wax is a reasonable product. It gets good results and is easy to work with for sure. But it doesn't even come close to something like R222 wax, which doesn't cost anymore. It's not as easy to use, but my god, the results are astonishing.
[QUOTE=S70T5Chris;746857]This for sure. There is a big difference between being a car "valeter" and a "detailer". I bought a few products from a Autoglym trade stand earlier this year, and whilst the "expert" talked a good game, it was clear he knew less than I did about detailing, and I am a proper amateur, believe me! For example, the autoglym HD wax is a reasonable product. It gets good results and is easy to work with for sure. But it doesn't even come close to something like R222 wax, which doesn't cost anymore. It's not as easy to use, but my god, the results are astonishing.[/QUOTE] There are defo better products for the money etc and i only did it to get approval through work for some of the protective products we supplied and i defo agree about the wax i have some stuff in an un named pot i was given ages ago thats a pig to work with so only use it for important events etc and that is amazing ... but only if you have bout 3hours to do it .lol
[QUOTE=S70T5Chris;746857]This for sure. There is a big difference between being a car "valeter" and a "detailer". I bought a few products from a Autoglym trade stand earlier this year, and whilst the "expert" talked a good game, it was clear he knew less than I did about detailing, and I am a proper amateur, believe me! For example, the autoglym HD wax is a reasonable product. It gets good results and is easy to work with for sure. But it doesn't even come close to something like R222 wax, which doesn't cost anymore. It's not as easy to use, but my god, the results are astonishing.[/QUOTE] Completely agree! I'm in love with Collinite wax at the moment, protection is great, durability is great and it is as cheap as chips!
[QUOTE=moosepowerlee;746856][ATTACH=CONFIG]27357[/ATTACH] Finished result[/QUOTE] Im not polishing my car if it end's up on it's nose :)
I use Swiss vax, only because is was free from a nice man at work
[QUOTE=Jamest5r;746863]Im not polishing my car if it end's up on it's nose :)[/QUOTE] Hehe not sure why it like that wasnt that way on my phone :biggrin:
[QUOTE=moosepowerlee;746856][ATTACH=CONFIG]27357[/ATTACH] Finished result[/QUOTE] So shiny it defies gravity!
As pete has spent a lot of time getting his respray just so, I think it wise you invest in decent buckets (larger volume help dilute the dirt returning to the buckets), grit guards (I use lead curtain weights to hold mine in place). I use a wash schmitt foam pad above the midline, [ATTACH=CONFIG]27362[/ATTACH] and below I use a megs M/F wash mitt. The long haired stuff traps the dirt to much for my liking and doesn't release it properly and on top of that they last a good long time. I also use the wheel shMitt on my alloys. Pre-wash - I use an autobrite snowfoam and maxi suds II mix in my snowfoam lance. Prior to that I use a citrus degreaser all around the more stubborn parts, squirted on neat as a TFM. I also use bilberry wheel clean (1 in 6) to squirt onto the rims and if there is evidence of brake dust sintering I use Iron X soap on the wheels too. Then I pre-wash with the snowfoam and leave it to draw down. I have a low pressure karcher, deliberately bottom of the range in power to rinse. I never rinse perpendicular to the paint and always keep a good distance. Washing as I've pointed out before is a 2 bucket affair. I like CG stuff and have used Citrus Wash and Gloss for many years. Final rinse - because I am in a hard water area - trust me my water is so hard it could knock out Chuck Norris. I have a TDS (total dissolved solids) meter. Untreated my water is over 300 PPM. Its a friggin nightmare. Subsequently I have 11 litre water purifying/descaling tank which I use to drop the TDS down to zero, by using an Ion exchange resin. Our britta water with a new filter in the kitchen only drops it to 250 ppm. I also looked at Reverse Osmosis systems too but they are too expensive for me. Its expensive to run but saves my paintwork from watermarks and reduces drying time. If I had the time I should really prefer to collect rainwater and use that. It is on the list but like a lot of things it gets put on the back burner. If I find more dirt like tar - I dissolve rather than hold the jet at point blank range and hope for the best. TARDIS is pretty good, though I tend to use it with a paper towel as tar make a mess of M/F cloths. I usually let the car air dry for a while, then I spritz with QD (usually Megs last touch though I do like the Dodo juice range too) and dry with large waffle weave towels. Once I detail a car I don't really want to have to keep on getting the buffer & pads out again and again - so a good wash technique is essential. On average it takes me about 90 minutes to wash a car inc. alloys. On occasion I have used Eastern European labour to clean the car.
[QUOTE=t5 pete;746851]Adrian I have a attention span of a 2yr old unless its summert to do with boobies then im hooked[/QUOTE] This man has the same brain span as me lol
[QUOTE=Nealevo;746866]I use Swiss vax, only because is was free from a nice man at work[/QUOTE] Arg free! My Swiss vax shampoo cost £56. You do get proper car driers now if you don't want to use a leaf blower, I used my dad's leaf blower before he used it for its true purpose and it was good. Just never use a chamois or blade to dry your car.
I use a blade on the glass only
[QUOTE=volvokid;746952]Arg free! My Swiss vax shampoo cost £56. You do get proper car driers now if you don't want to use a leaf blower, I used my dad's leaf blower before he used it for its true purpose and it was good. Just never use a chamois or blade to dry your car.[/QUOTE] I just googled car dryers. I think I need a new toy!!
[QUOTE=Wobbly Dave;746947]As pete has spent a lot of time getting his respray just so, I think it wise you invest in decent buckets (larger volume help dilute the dirt returning to the buckets), grit guards (I use lead curtain weights to hold mine in place). I use a wash schmitt foam pad above the midline, [ATTACH=CONFIG]27362[/ATTACH] and below I use a megs M/F wash mitt. The long haired stuff traps the dirt to much for my liking and doesn't release it properly and on top of that they last a good long time. I also use the wheel shMitt on my alloys. Pre-wash - I use an autobrite snowfoam and maxi suds II mix in my snowfoam lance. Prior to that I use a citrus degreaser all around the more stubborn parts, squirted on neat as a TFM. I also use bilberry wheel clean (1 in 6) to squirt onto the rims and if there is evidence of brake dust sintering I use Iron X soap on the wheels too. Then I pre-wash with the snowfoam and leave it to draw down. I have a low pressure karcher, deliberately bottom of the range in power to rinse. I never rinse perpendicular to the paint and always keep a good distance. Washing as I've pointed out before is a 2 bucket affair. I like CG stuff and have used Citrus Wash and Gloss for many years. Final rinse - because I am in a hard water area - trust me my water is so hard it could knock out Chuck Norris. I have a TDS (total dissolved solids) meter. Untreated my water is over 300 PPM. Its a friggin nightmare. Subsequently I have 11 litre water purifying/descaling tank which I use to drop the TDS down to zero, by using an Ion exchange resin. Our britta water with a new filter in the kitchen only drops it to 250 ppm. I also looked at Reverse Osmosis systems too but they are too expensive for me. Its expensive to run but saves my paintwork from watermarks and reduces drying time. If I had the time I should really prefer to collect rainwater and use that. It is on the list but like a lot of things it gets put on the back burner. If I find more dirt like tar - I dissolve rather than hold the jet at point blank range and hope for the best. TARDIS is pretty good, though I tend to use it with a paper towel as tar make a mess of M/F cloths. I usually let the car air dry for a while, then I spritz with QD (usually Megs last touch though I do like the Dodo juice range too) and dry with large waffle weave towels. Once I detail a car I don't really want to have to keep on getting the buffer & pads out again and again - so a good wash technique is essential. On average it takes me about 90 minutes to wash a car inc. alloys. On occasion I have used Eastern European labour to clean the car.[/QUOTE] All that effort and then you sometimes use Eastern European Labour who will undo all your good work in one go with there sponge, chamois and single dirty bucket that they have used on numerous other cars before doing yours.
All who are without sin cast the first stone LOL
I run my own detailing business, i offer valets as a starting point, but a four star valet, not your standard wash n wax job, so yes i am bias. Detailing is an evolving science with new science, new technologies and new techniques almost everyday. Its a constant learning curve but its addictive for some. Some don't see the point, some do. Its horse for courses. Most of my customers jaws drop to the floor when i discuss timescales with them. But my average Car preparation, decontamination and protection is like 6-8 hours depending on the state and size of the car and that won't include any polishing or corrective work. If i'm doing correction work, then it may take upwards of 2 days again depending on the size and state of the vehicle. My current car was mistreated to £5 backlot washes and car washes and so far i've treated it to 30hours of work in terms of paint correction and its still not "perfect". There are many methods. learning by watching videos and reading online is only going to get you so far, even into trouble if you don't know what you are doing. As for two bucket method, i always use that wash technique. Its simple case of making sure the contaminants/dirt coming off the car stay off the car and don't cause any further damage to your paintwork by you then dragging them back over freshly prepared/washed paintwork. Using grit guards, one bucket to wash, one to rinse, making sure the mitt is free from dirt, grit, particles as best as possible. In relation to your comment about polishing every week - no, there should be no need for you to "polish" every week. Each time you use a polishing compound on your car (depending on the strength of it) you are removing layers of your clearcoat - this is what you are polishing not your actual paint. Doing that every week especially if your technique is poor (which you may not even be aware of) will in the end cause major damage to your cars appearance, in some case irreparably and you are left needing a bodyshop to repair the damage if someone like a detailer cannot correct the damage for you. Polishing should be done to repair scratches, damage to the clear coat - swirls, holograms, marring etc and after that, the protection that you layer with waxes and sealants combined with your washing technique each time you wash your car, should then make sure that any further corrective work is kept to a minimum, so therefore, no need to "polish" every week. You are wasting, time, money, effort and in some cases only doing more harm than good to the clear coat on your car. to answer your original comment, if i were to give a recommendation on a wash mitt, i recommend something like this - http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/wash-mitts-sponges/cleanyourcar-wooly-mammoth-wash-mitt/prod_1350.html Worth the extra money in the long run.
I use that wash mitt :B_thumb: