How Clean Is Your Car?

[Ian Sartoria]

Ok so after the 2nd weekend in a row of cleaning my car, here is what i did, what i used and in what order + a few snaps of how it looks.

What i did (last weekend);

EXTERIOR

1. Washed car inc alloys using Meguiar's Shampoo & Conditioner

2. 1st coat of wax - Turtlewax Platinum Car Wax (liquid)

3. Left it 24hrs and followed it up with a 2nd coat of Turtlewax Platinum

4. Left car a further 4hrs and followed up with a coat of Turtlewax Platinum Extra Gloss

5. Windows cleaned using Turtlewax Platinum Glass Clean.

6. alloys, i have yet to use a product for this yet but i will most likely go for the Turtlewax Platinum Wheel Cleaner. For now though, elbow grease and warm soapy water.

7. Carplan Wet Look Tyres used on tyres.

INTERIOR

1. Dash Board cleaned using Turtlewax Platinum Cockpit Shine. Now this smells a bit like a fly killer spray so keep doors open whilst using this product but do not worry, it is not a lasting smell and gives all plastics a leather look and i was very pleased - wipe clean with microfibre cloth.

2. Windows inside cleaned using the same glass cleaner for exterior.

3. Hoovered the inside and the boot thoroughly (i used a Henry Hoover lol).

4. Finally the leather and yes you guessed it, Turtlewax Platinum Leather Cleaner. 1st cleaning.

Today;

EXTERIOR

1. Car washed again with Meguire's.

2A. Autoglym Surface detailing clay Kit (includes 150g clay bar, Rapid Detailer spray, Super Resin Polish + 2x microfibre cloth + Perfect Polishing Cloth. I did not use the Resin Polish as i had a wax and gloss. Cost me £27.99 but currently buy one get one free at Halfords.

2B. Used a small coin sized piece of the clay (incase you drop it, you won't have to chuck it all away) combined with the detailer lube. It still amazes me how much dirt a small piece of clay will remove from your car even after a good wash!

3. After i left the car for about 30mins i went back to it and used Autoglym Aqua Wax (wax spray & comes with 1 x microfibre Cloth also). 1 x coat only with this. Quick to apply with its even spray and quick to buff in + it smells like blueberry bubblegum from the 80's lol!

4. Wheels done the same as previous.

5. Windows done the same as previous.

6. The engine! This is a very boring job as obviously there are a lot of small areas you cannot get to with a cloth. However i completed it the best i could and used Meguiar's Engine Cleaner for this job however i do not like it very much, uneven spray and patchy on the plastics, though very good on the metals (but then so is soap and water...). I have some Hammerite Black Smooth and a small tub of Antimony Blue 8N6 (my car colour) paint arrriving soon for touch ups on the rust and cracked paint areas.

6. Would of been a coat of TW Extra Gloss but light was fading and had to get the baby to bed. Might do this 2moro as i have two weeks off work as of monday!

INTERIOR

All the same as last week, 2nd cleaning of plastics, leather (forgot inner windows and mirrors but will also most likely finish that off 2moro, but same products used as last week).

This took one Friday, two Saturdays & two Sundays. Approx 5 hours each day, yes it is a lot of time but then this procedure when done right and with time spent over it should only need doing every 3-6 months (clay and Waxing that is). However a good car wash should be required every four weeks.

Also i do believe the interior could be cleaner, but i am afraid to use the Cockpit Shine on the dials, so i need to find something else i think.

Products used list + prices (approx);

1. Meguiar's Shampoo & Conditioner (small bottle) - £5.95

2. Meguiar's Engine Cleaner - £7.99

3. Meguiar's 3x pack microfibre cloths - £15.99

4. Turtlewax Platinum Car Wax - £10.99

5. Turtlewax Platinum Extra Gloss - £9.99

6. Turtlewax Platinum Glass Cleaner - £6.99

7. Turtlewax Platinum Cockpit Shine - £7.49

8. Turtlewax Platinum Leather Cleaner - £6.99

9. Carplan Tyre Slik - Wet Look Tyres Aerosol - £4.99

10. Autoglym Aqua Car Wax - £12.99

11. Autoglym clay Surface Detaling Kit - £27.99

12. 2 x Jumbo Sponges - £3.99

I currently have 2 more products on order and will use in place of the Autoglym next time i wax my car (which will probly be the day the items arrive lol)

They are as follows:

1. Bilt Hamber Auto clay 200g Regular - £9.99 - Is Auto Express best buy clay product currently.

2. Dodo Juice Blue Velvet 30ml (Hard Wax) - £7.99

Hope this is helpfull to anyone and would be nice if other people want to show there cars off and give there "what they did list" and "products used" etc :)

Here are my pics;

EXTERIOR

INTERIOR

ENGINE

Hope you all like, Ian.

[Whitey]

I use the Bilt Hamber clay and Balm, top stuff B)

[rangerover]

Wow - looking mint Ian...

Thanks for sharing.

[Rich OB]

Its a long process detailing your car but if done right, and more importantly in the right order with products that work together the effort is more than worth it! Incase you don't know of these sites, check out Clean Your Car or detailing World. If you're into detailing you should have a good nose around these sites. You'll probably find that you will no longer want to use 'off the shelf' products again once you've seen some of the results of the products the guys use over there.

Some people (especially my dad) think i'm mad when i spend a weekend cleaning my car! What they forget is I only do it every 6 months, before winter and after winter (April & October) At this point I wash (using 2 bucket method-never use a sponge) Pat dry (never use a chamois) clay, correct, polish, glaze, seal, wax then dress the car. Also a good idea to get an AIO and give the arches and wheels a good clean off the car. Then use Bare Bones to treat all the hard work you've just put in.

If you're after a wheel treatment mate try Chemical Guys Wheel Guard, can't recommend it enough. I also use Dodo Red Mist after every wash or so to keep my hard work topped up. Smells good enough to drink too!! Lol!

Car looks mint though mate keep up the grafting! Its easy to let it slip especially after the new car novelty has worn off! Haha!

[Ian Sartoria]

Its a long process detailing your car but if done right, and more importantly in the right order with products that work together the effort is more than worth it! Incase you don't know of these sites, check out Clean Your Car or Detailing World. If you're into detailing you should have a good nose around these sites. You'll probably find that you will no longer want to use 'off the shelf' products again once you've seen some of the results of the products the guys use over there.

Some people (especially my dad) think i'm mad when i spend a weekend cleaning my car! What they forget is I only do it every 6 months, before winter and after winter (April & October) At this point I wash (using 2 bucket method-never use a sponge) Pat dry (never use a chamois) Clay, correct, polish, glaze, seal, wax then dress the car. Also a good idea to get an AIO and give the arches and wheels a good clean off the car. Then use Bare Bones to treat all the hard work you've just put in.

If you're after a wheel treatment mate try Chemical Guys Wheel Guard, can't recommend it enough. I also use Dodo Red Mist after every wash or so to keep my hard work topped up. Smells good enough to drink too!! Lol!

Car looks mint though mate keep up the grafting! Its easy to let it slip especially after the new car novelty has worn off! Haha!

Excellent information m8. I also follow the 2 bucket system (warm & cold) and many other things you mention. And i will check out the things you list. Also i think i need to do the arches though i am taking the wheels off to de-rust the calipers and hammerite them and put my Lexus transfers on so i will enjoy giving them all a good clean then :)

Will the chemical guys also work for the wipers do you know? It's just where the small screws are that fasten the blades on (on the main part and not the blades).

Cheers, Ian.

[Peejay05]

wow! nice clean car including the engine bay! i'll have mine detailed after the rainy season... very nice mate!

[Ian Sartoria]

wow! nice clean car including the engine bay! i'll have mine detailed after the rainy season... very nice mate!

Thanks :) I want to get all the rust spots inside the engine bay painted soon with some hammerite and give it one more clean before the winter here. Replacing the grille for a sports grille when i get round to respraying it and going to have it looking even cleaner then lol.

[Ian Sartoria]

I use the Bilt Hamber Clay and Balm, top stuff B)

Used the Bilt Hamber clay today and i have to say i noticed a slight improvement over the Autoglym. The missus thought it looked as shiney as it did last week and the week before but she aint got a clue lol

[TommyH]

Fantastic job Ian, car looks amazing, keep up the good work mate.

[doogsboy]

hi ian ur car look s great mate feel sorry i never bought it now,where did u buy it from?as i went to a garage in liverpool to look at it but decided he wanted a bit much and wasnt giving me what i wanted for my IS 51 plate so ended up with this 1,ther great the old shape is though mate arnt they?just hope i can keep hold of my 1,by the way i have just de rusted my calipers an hamerited them red also put the lex decals on them of eBay only trouble is i got the rear pads done the other day and they have scraped the calipers,to heavy handed some of them mechanics so get ur decals on mate u will be made up

[Ian Sartoria]

hi ian ur car look s great mate feel sorry i never bought it now,where did u buy it from?as i went to a garage in liverpool to look at it but decided he wanted a bit much and wasnt giving me what i wanted for my IS 51 plate so ended up with this 1,ther great the old shape is though mate arnt they?just hope i can keep hold of my 1,by the way i have just de rusted my calipers an hamerited them red also put the lex decals on them of ebay only trouble is i got the rear pads done the other day and they have scraped the calipers,to heavy handed some of them mechanics so get ur decals on mate u will be made up

Hey, thanks. Got the car from Georgesons. Got a bit off the price but was still a bit high imo, but i had decided i wanted an IS200 and needed it delivered so said yes :) Have always like this car/shape and yeah got all the bits ready for the calipers now. Sprayed the Sport grille today so that will go on 2moro

[Jimxms]

My process is a bit like this:

Exterior (once every 3 months)

1) Jet wash car to remove all loose dirt.

2) Spray wheels with Dodo Juice wheel cleaner and leave to work magic

3) Wash car using 2 bucket method with Dodo Juice Supernatural Shampoo and deep pile wash mit.

4) Use 'sheeting' method to remove suds and prevent water spots.

5) Dry car using 'patting' method with a large Dodo Juice Supernatural towel.

6) clay car with Merguiars clay kit and detailing spray as lube.

7) Wash car again (as above)

8) Use Dodo Juice Lime & Prime on my rotary polisher to remove any swirling.

9) Check swirling using a 3M 'Daylight Gun'

10) Hand polish using Autoglym Super Resin Polish

11) Apply Extra Gloss Protection sealant

12) Hand wax using Autoglym High Def wax

13) Dress all blacks with a protective sealant (not black to black crud).

14) Dress tyres with silicone liquid and a paint brush

15) Clean all windows with Autoglym Fast Glass

Then once a week I will..

1) Jet wash car to remove all loose dirt.

2) Spray wheels with Dodo Juice wheel cleaner and leave to work magic

3) Wash car a section at a time (roof, bonnet, boot, drivers side, passenger side)

4) Dry car a section at a time using Autoglym Aqua Wax (f***ing awesome stuff)

5) Clean all windows with Fast Glass.

Interior

Interior hardly ever needs cleaning as I've always got paper mats on the floor (covering the normal Lexus mats) and a no eating policy!

However, in order to keep it fresh:

1) Once every 3 months use Gliptone leather cleaner on all leather.

2) Once a month use Gliptone leather conditioner (to keep it supple)

3) Polish all surfaces with Dodo Juice Supernatural Trim Gloss

4) Shake out mats, replace paper floor mats (once a week).

Here's the result:

[Felix]

WoooooooW,

so nice, I never had the car this clean apart from on the delivery date. he he he

You need to get the radiator holder painted and change a few bolts and it will look like just be delivered.

Nice one! hope you live next door :-)

Felix

[autogloss valeting]

Some very nice looking cars there chaps - excellent work.My regular arsenal includes:

Autoglym Shampoo with conditioner

Autoglym Claybar

Autoglym vinyl and trim dressing

Autoglym Aqua wax

Rotary polisher and pads

3M fast cut plus

3M extra fine

3M Ultrafina

Poorboys Blackhole

Poorboys White diamond

Chemical guys butter wet wax

Dodo juice Purple haze

Meguiars next gen detailer

Bags fulls of microfibres

Meguiars microfibre wash mitt

tyre dressing applicator sponge

Snowfoam

A few tips for you.

1. When using your clay bar - use about a quater of the 200g bar. The clay needs to be thick enough to draw the contaminants safely into the clay. Too thin and they rest on the surface of the clay and drag and cause you more work removing micro scratches.

2. when using a clay bar - dont waste quick detailer. use some water with a drop of shampoo wax in. does exactly yhe same job of lubricating the clay bar to glide across the paintwork ant a fraction of the cost.

3. Save yourself having to use an agressive wheel cleaner everytime you do your wheels. clean them with a wheel cleaner and then take some time over them as you would your paintwork.

Polish them with SRP or something similar. Then seal them with a wheel wax. a lot of people complain this doesnt work so lets clear up a few myths around wheel wax.

Wheel wax will not stop the build up of brake dust etc. It will reduce it.

What it does though is forms a barrier to prevent the dust from sticking to your alloy and eating into it. the dust sticks to the wax.

Now this is where the wax comes into its own. You will be able to just power wash your alloys of rather than having to attack them with wheel cleaner.

4. use a proper wheelbrush (not one of the wand looking things from halfords). Most decent online detailing shops sell them at about £3.50 - they resemble pastry brushes. These take all the hard work out should you have a massive build up of dust and need to aggitate it.

You all seem to be using aqua wax - a fantastic product which I use myself - not only does it assist in drying the car but also tops your wax up.

If you are mad about your car spend £50 on some snow foam and an applicator - again these cmoe into their own during winter to remove salt deposits. Spray on as a pre-rinse and leave for 3-4 mins. then rinse off. This will pull all the surface muck off leaving you a much easier job when it comes to hand washing the car.

This will then allow you the time to wash the car as a whole rather than a panel at a time as there shouldnt be too much left to remove with a microfibre mitt hand wash.

and these are the results you get with 10 hours of machine polishing lol

A cheeky one showing a strip down the middle of the door done to show the difference

or wetsand a car for the ultimate how finish

from this :

to this

Good to see no sponges in use either lol!

Hope this helps

Thanks

mike

[Jimxms]

3. Save yourself having to use an agressive wheel cleaner everytime you do your wheels. clean them with a wheel cleaner and then take some time over them as you would your paintwork.

Polish them with SRP or something similar. Then seal them with a wheel wax. a lot of people complain this doesnt work so lets clear up a few myths around wheel wax.

I've been looking for some good wheel protection as it goes. I noticed AG do some products, anything you can recommend?

I've currently got them protected with EGP - not sure how it'll work out tho. Time will tell.

[smithjaguar]

All the given information and photos are great and first exterior, Windows cleaned using Turtlewax Platinum Glass Clean, Carplan Wet Look Tyres used on tyres. And interior, Dash Board cleaned using Turtlewax Platinum Cockpit Shine. But I never clean my car myself because I clean my car by the garage.

[mattc]

One tip from me spend the money on snowfoam it is so useful and reduces the amount of times I have to physically wash my car.

Also get some decent tar remove or some Tardis from autosmart again saves so much time remove contaminants before claying.