Ok i thought i would write a simple guide to general car cleaning and maintaining. With all the money we spend on cars then it's only right we treat them with a bit of care.
Before i briefly run into a step by step guide i will run off a few things not to do.
Car Washes
Hopefully we all know that using car washes is not the most car friendly way of cleaning. Reasons being the brushes are very rough and dirty as they are never cleaned so this generally scratches the paint work and causes the swirl marks we all dread to see. No explanation really needed just dont be lazy and wash yourself.
Pressure Washers
Alot of people use these and to be honest aren't a major problem as long as used from a distance and not an inch away from the paint work. Me personally prefers to put a bit more effort in and use a hose. Reason being is if you have stone chips etc... where the paint cracks (as well all know the z is famous for) if put under to much pressure can peel back the edges of the paint more and remove the paint and laquer. Also they can bury dirt deeper into the paint because of the pressure.
Washing up Liquid
Another classic alot of people use but to be honest i would keep away as it will strip the wax of your car leaving it unprotected especially if you are not going to wax after. A little to harsh on the car.
Sponges
Used by millions across the country yet causes more swirl marks than anything else. Why does it create swirl marks? well look at a sponge it has a flat surface. So when your car has the usual dirt and grit on, some of these particles are sharp and as the sponge is flat they have no where to go apart from stick to the bottom of the sponge. When the sponge is then rubbed across the paint the sharper particles will dig into the paint causing scratches and swirl marks.
Schammy Leathers
Reason i personally dont like using leather is because in my opinion these are very rough on the paint and not the best absorbant to dry off a car.
Right now that is the major what not to do's out the way lets look at how clean your car and what to use.
Cleaning the Car
First things first... don't clean the car in scorching heat or direct sunlight it will make life far harder for yourself and wont bring out the best in the car.
So now we have a cool dry day we're going to give the car a thorough clean up.
Firstly rinse the car down with water to loosen any hard and fresh dirt/grime of the car, just a gentle sprinkle on the hose is more than enough and if you dont have a hose a watering can is good enough.
Now the car is wet we are going to use something called the 2 bucket method this is basically one bucket fall of clean water and the other bucket full of your shampooo and conditioner mixed with water. The reason for this being everytime you wash a panel of the car and put it back in the water with shampoo that water is getting filthy, if you have another bucket with clean water in you can rinse off in that first then dip into the shampoo keeping that water clean as possible.
A few shampoos to consider if looking for some new products
Meguiars #62 Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner
Meguiars Gold Class Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner
Meguiars Hyper Wash
Poorboys Super Slick & Suds
Pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner
Einszett Perls
Now that we have our 2 buckets filled and ready we need something to wash the car with well my personal choice and what many agree on is using a wash mitt.
Lambswool wash mitts have been developed to get around the problems that sponges cause. If you run your fingers through a lambswool mitt, you can see that it is deep pile and not flat faced so the dirt buries deep in and keeps away from the cars paint.
The 2 i would choose are:
Meguiars Lambswool Wash Mitt
Eurow Sheepskin Wash Mitt
there are others though that are just as effective.
Now we have our mitt our 2 buckets filled it's time to clean the car. First start with cleaning the glass all round the car then start from the top to bottom, remeber to wash the mitt off in the clean water first before dipping back into the shampoo. Take your time and dont rush and it will make life easier.
After you have washed the car get out he hose again and rinse of any of the remaining shampoo. Once this is done its time to dry the car and remove any more of the surface dirt on the process.
What i found best to use for drying the car is:
Meguiars Water Magnet Drying Towel
Far better than a schammy for the reasons mentioned i nthe dont's list. Pretty much the same as washing when it comes to drying, start with the windows then once all done do top to bottom of the car.
So now we have washed and dried the car. Next step is to use the claybar... a wonderful piece of kit. Clay bar is basically what it says it's a bar of clay that is suppluied with a quik detailing mist.
Here is Meguairs Quick Clay
This is really simple to use but takes a long time to get right and see results.
All you do is work on a panel at a time and spray the quick detailer and then rub the clay over the panel removing all bits of deep down contaminants that the shampoo and mitt couldn't get then once done dry off with a microfibre towel. A simple test to see if it's worked is to run the back of your hand on the paint work, if it feels as smooth as glass then its done if it still feels rough then repeat process. Do the whole car taking your time remebering to dry off each panel and regularly needing the clay to keep it clean when done and you will notice a big difference. You can possibly get away using only half a bar to do a whole car.
So now our car is clay bared, dry and as smooth as glass.... next 3 steps include the same process but different products, This is usually classed as the 3 stage cleaing.
First off we need a paint cleaner to bring out the colour and help remove swirl marks. Like waxing a car you put it on the car or cloth and rub it deep into the paintwork and leave to dry to a haze before buffing off with a microfibre. Stage 1 complete
I recommend these to be buffing off any cleaners/polishes/waxes they come in poacks of 3 but i recommend maybe 2 packs you can buy cheaper but they tend to break up and leave bits on the car
The product i use and find good is:
Meguairs Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner
There are other similar products if you look around
Stage 2 is the same process but using a polish now this also helps with the paint and gives it that wet look.
The product i use is:
Meguairs Deep Crystal Polis
As above there are similar products if you look around
Last but not least is waxing... the manual says apply then leave to a haze before buffing... me persoanlly depending on time will leave it for an hour so it works its magic then buff off. As above the same process applies to waxing. This is stage 3 complete and the final work to be done on the body.
The wax i use and really recommend is this:
Meguiars NXT Tech Wax
As above there are many more options in waxes and it all boils down to personal preference.
So now in the above tutorial we have learnt how to clean a car in a corret manner from start to finish.
All that is left now is to clean windows etc...
Obviously thats not something that needs to be done so this is how i would do it.
Every 3 months
Wash
Claybar
Cleaner
Polish
Wax
Every Month
Wash
Cleaner
Polish
Wax
Every Week
Wash
Wax
I hope this guide helps and if there is another already flying around then mods feel free to delete.
Please do not hesitate to ask for any advice
Regards
Dave