Whats your routine?

[Cal91]

Hi, I really enjoy a clean car! IMO it always makes a car stand out.

So whats a good routine?

Just got my Ibiza a few weeks ago and last weekend I was fed up of the paint having no wax on it.

So here is what I did...
Washed the outside of the car in CarPlan- Triplewax Wash and wax.
Cleaned the wheels
Blackened the plastics with some cheap bumper black (not sure what it was, but wouldn't recommend it at all!)
Covered the car in Autoglym - Ultra Deep Shine and buffed.
Covered the car in TurtleWax - Extreme NanoTech Polishing Wax and buffed.
Covered the car in Autoglym - Extra High Gloss Protection, left for an hour and buffed.
Cleaned tyres and rubbed on TurtleWax - Extreme NanoTech Wet-Look tyre shine.
I also put some AG - Extra High Gloss Protection on my alloys to make cleaning them easier.
Rain - X'd all of the windows.

Now I am a total newbie to car detailing and as you can probs tell, I bought all of this stuff from Halfords I am happy with the shine and it makes the car look so clean, but after seeing other members cars, I WANT MORE! haha. I love a shiney car I love this Wet-look people are getting.

But I am also talking about the whole car, not just the paintwork. (Tyres, Wheels, Black plastics etc)

So can people please post pictures and say what they use so I can get some suggestions on what I should do?

Thanks

My car colour is Zenith Grey.

 

[Cal91]

Some pictures afterwards.

 

[JamJay]

Check my build up for more pics but this is the depth that I achieved with the following products:

- Meguiars NXT Car Shampoo (although I will try Dodo Juice - Born To Be Mild shampoo next)
- Meguiars Clay Bar with NXT Speed Detailer as a lubricant
- Another wash with NXT shampoo to remove the clay
- Meguiars Deep Crystal Polish (will be switching to Dodo Juice Lime Prime next, the Meguiars is pretty average)
- Chemical Guys EZ Creme Glaze
- Chemical Guys Jetseal 109 sealant
- Collinite 476s wax
- 24 - 36hrs after the way had been applied, I went over it with Dodo Juice Red Mist detailer
- Meguiars Gold Class Tyre Gel

 

[vroomtshh]

For an average wash:

Wheels cleaned with Dodo BTBM and meguiars lambswool wash mitt
Tires cleaned with APC and a stiff brush
Wheels and tires rinsed

Door/Boot/Bonnet shuts, badges grills etc cleaned with APC and various brushes
Car snowfoamed including wheel arches
Wash with two bucket method Dodo BTBM and a wookie
Another snow foam
Rinse with an open ended hose to sheet majority of water off
Dry with two autobrite 'super fluffy' drying towels

Then depending how long since its been
Clay using bilt hamber soft clay and water
Quick polish with Dodo Lime prime lite
The coat in Megs #16 wax

Wheels get waxed too

Trim gets done with autosmart trim dressing, as do tyres.

Quick polish of the glass with Autoglym glass polish and I'm done

 

[Cal91]

I like AutoSmart products
I got a nice box full of stuff last summer and I can't fault any of it. I liked the spray silicon, brought up trim nicely!

All these products can get expensive can't they? Do you know of anywhere cheap I can get them?
I haven't really polished my car. It hasn't got bad swirl marks but has a few fine scratches here and there and a key mark on the wing (Happened 4 days after having the car!).

 

[Cal91]

Check my build up for more pics but this is the depth that I achieved with the following products:

l

Thats a nice shine! I miss my old Ibiza now, flash red looked great when spruced up

 

[vroomtshh]

I like AutoSmart products
I got a nice box full of stuff last summer and I can't fault any of it. I liked the spray silicon, brought up trim nicely!

All these products can get expensive can't they? Do you know of anywhere cheap I can get them?
I haven't really polished my car. It hasn't got bad swirl marks but has a few fine scratches here and there and a key mark on the wing (Happened 4 days after having the car!).

I like Autosmart stuff too coz its well priced and I just buy stuff in 5litres

We have an Autosmart rep that comes in to work and I get stuff from him.

For everything else, I just shop around for special offers lol

 

[JamJay]

Try www.cleanyourcar.co.uk. They're prices are competetive, their service is friendly and delivery is fast.

I protect my wheels with Jetseal 109 over a coat of the EZ Creme Glaze. That's the minimum, I will normally give them 2 coats of Collinite 476s over the top of both, as I do with the body work.

I have no black trim (except the splitter) so I can't comment on those products although the Megs Gold Class Tyre Gel works wonders on my splitter, makes it shine like it's a painted surface.

Try WD40 for sprucing up your hoses & trim in the engine bay, often refered to (along with other lubricating sprays and silicone lubricants) as 'liquid mechanic' by people in the trade. It's also non-abrasive to the rubber and silcone so won't damage your hoses.

I clean my car twice a week so my first post was based on a 3mthly 'full work's clean, a normal wash will be topped off Red Mist or another coat of wax should I feel it needs it. I can't comment on snow foam, I don't use my car enough or let it get dirty enough to warrant using such a product but I hear it's great for the mucky folk around.

2 buckets and washmit always. No chamois, synthetic or leather, they scratch alot. Cotten terry clothes are a much more effective and safer way to dry a car.

 

[Mat]

here's my routine for a "general wash"

~Wash wheels and tyres
~Soak arches and lower panels with degreaser
~Pre Rinse
~Snow foam bath
~Rinse
~Foam again if needed
~Rinse
~Clean gaps etc with a citrus APC and various brushes
~Wash (including shuts), using PH neutral shampoo and 2 buckets with grit guards
~Rinse
~De-tar lower panels, and wheels if required
~Clay the paintwork to lift other bonded contaminents
~Rinse and dry
~Treat the paint with pre wax cleansers
~Wax
~Dress all plastics
~Clean windows
~Clean/Polish exhaust if required
~Dress tyres
~Protect wheels
~Give a final wax boost spritz

 

[ets2k9]

My weekly routine is:

-Spray wheels with Bilberry Wheel cleaner
-Whilst that is doing its thing I clean the tyres with Tesco Daisy APC and a stiff brush
-Pressure wash everything.
-2BM with Duragloss 901 shampoo
-Dry with Autobrite drying towel and Demon Shine QD
- top up the wax layers using victoria concours red wax
- add some planet polish wheel sealant to the wheels
- apply AG instant tyre shine
- Go over the glass with some cheap natural glass cleaner stuff from halfords which isnt that good tbh.

If I'm going to town with it I will clay it with a bilt hamber clay bar, possibly use some tardis if needed, apply AG SRP with some megs speed glaze on top finished with Vic wax.

Will also do the arches etc with APC.

Looking to add some snow foam action into that little lot, change the tyres shine for some Zaino Z16 along and will throw in some Black Wow for the plastic trim. Like to buy it all one go though as the postage can be ripe for just one item.

 

[m0rk]

My sporadic routine is this

Pull up at petrol station forecourt

~ "Car wash my man?"
~ "Yeah, £5 one please"
~ "Good job my man? £5 please"

the end

 

[ets2k9]

My sporadic routine is this

Pull up at petrol station forecourt

~ "Car wash my man?"
~ "Yeah, £5 one please"
~ "Good job my man? £5 please"

the end

Sit back and admire the swirls

 

[m0rk]

Sit back and admire the swirls

meh, it's a car

One car lives 500miles away from home, so it's the only way I can keep it clean
One car doesn't get dirty
The one car I could 'detail' eats too much into my personal time, and to be honest, I'd rather spend it doing something more valuable with my time.

Clearly I am just ripping the pee out of ^^^ people up there

 

[ets2k9]

meh, it's a car

One car lives 500miles away from home, so it's the only way I can keep it clean
One car doesn't get dirty
The one car I could 'detail' eats too much into my personal time, and to be honest, I'd rather spend it doing something more valuable with my time.

Clearly I am just ripping the pee out of ^^^ people up there

To be fair you might have the right idea I spend hours cleaning it and after one trip to work all the hard work is ruined.

Keeps me out of trouble though.

 

[Mat]

meh, it's a car

One car lives 500miles away from home, so it's the only way I can keep it clean
One car doesn't get dirty
The one car I could 'detail' eats too much into my personal time, and to be honest, I'd rather spend it doing something more valuable with my time.

Clearly I am just ripping the pee out of ^^^ people up there

 

[F2 Ed]

TFR wash with pressure washer
clay bar
autoglym super resin polish
carnubua wax

I hardly ever do it because a good clean lasts a long time and only needs a quick pressure wash between proper details. Its just simply a case of clean, prepare surface, polish & protect.

 

[Cal91]

Thanks for everyones input
I am getting OCD over a clean car now haha! I never used to bother with my last Ibiza, so not sure why I am now.

I won't go anywhere in the car unless its clean. Since I have waxed it, I can just put a few pound in the local pressure washer and it comes out sparkling.

So easy to keep it up

I have a few shifts in work over the Easter holidays (can't work too much due to college) so I will spend a few quid on that website. Seems decent stuff and I have read so much about various products on here.

 

[karlw]

From you 1st post id say you went through the cleaning section in Halfrauds.
As already above go to cleanyourcar.co.uk and look on there.
You will be amazing at what stuff there is for cleaning different parts of a car.

As a beginner try the XXX hardcore wax or Nattys Blue then a sealant or some sort on top of that. If you really have the bug then you will want to do a paint clean, clau and polish before you wax too

 

[Cal91]

Yeah, I did do just that
And then I saw what a difference it made and loved it.

I will try natty blues.

Whats the best clay?

 

[karlw]

Haha Lol

Well get on Cleanyourcar and spend away!

Sonus SFX is a good clay but it really depends on the paint to begin with....