Cleaning stuff

[D-Dub]

Can anyone suggest the best products to use on a black car for; washing, polishing and waxing.

I currently use turtlewax shampoo, AG super resin polish and Caranumba wax.

My car has got quite a few swirls on it and being black, once the bright sun touches it they show up like crazy! I cannot seem to get rid of them all, i have used scratch x, but would these need to be machine polished out?

Cheers, Dave

[Ollie_R]

For the shampoo, I recommend some of this. The autoglym super resin polish is probably the best polish you can use by hand, as it contains fillers that fill the swirl marks. About three applications of the polish using a Microfibre applicator by hand should be sufficient to mask the swirls.

I suggest using a glaze after the polish, to further mask any swirls and prep the surface for waxing. I suggest this.

For the wax, I suggest this. It's an economical choice, and it makes dark-coloured cars look stunning. It's not too expensive and it smells rather nice.

If you want to rid the car of swirls completely, your car would need to be machine polished, as the fillers in the polish/glaze don't last forever.

[Sunburntfreek]

i would just spend a day using a machine polisher anyway as it will look stunning afterwards! no minor scratches. just a mirror, but if not for the wax i would use ''used car polish'' you can pick it up from unipart automotive/ brown brothers, go to a bodyshop and ask if they could order up some 5ltr products like shampoo (wash-wax) as it will so much cheaper than any shop products and will cost half the price and work twice as good. hope that is of any good

[D-Dub]

For the shampoo, I recommend some of this. The autoglym super resin polish is probably the best polish you can use by hand, as it contains fillers that fill the swirl marks. About three applications of the polish using a Microfibre applicator by hand should be sufficient to mask the swirls.

I suggest using a glaze after the polish, to further mask any swirls and prep the surface for waxing. I suggest this.

For the wax, I suggest this. It's an economical choice, and it makes dark-coloured cars look stunning. It's not too expensive and it smells rather nice.

If you want to rid the car of swirls completely, your car would need to be machine polished, as the fillers in the polish/glaze don't last forever.

Cheers Ollie, im using a meguars aplicator pad to apply the polish and a microfibre to take it off are they suitable? Also i still use a sponge (not a cheap one though) with the 2 bucket method, should i change to a wool mit?

[Randall]

yes i would recommend you bin the sponge and invest in a sheepskin wash mit or even a micro-fibe wash mit

[Ollie_R]

Yeah, you should definitely invest in a washmitt, I suggest using a Eurow or Serious Performance Lambswool washmitt.

http://www.detailedobsession.com/catalo ... c372bf8e59

http://www.seriousperformance.co.uk/Pro ... w_269.html

Or, there's a new kind of washmitt out, called the Shmitt, which is a fine foam washmitt, available here. It's meant to be rather good, but I haven't personally tried it yet.

I suggest using a microfibre applicator to apply the polish, as it has more 'bite' than a foam pad, so it applies the fillers in the SRP more effectively, which helps mask the swirl marks in your finish. You can keep the foam applicators to apply the wax, however.

The applicators are available here.

[Yourmum90]

i am just building up my wash and go products, so far i have
Auto Glym Resin Polish
Auto Glym Alloy Cleaner
Auto Glym Window Cleaner.

I am looking to increase these over the next couple of months as Halfords have buy 2 get 1 free at the moment.

Whats next and what to use when?

[D-Dub]

Cheers guys. I will invest in all that very soon

[dragon_green]

i am just building up my wash and go products, so far i have
Auto Glym Resin Polish
Auto Glym Alloy Cleaner
Auto Glym Window Cleaner.

I am looking to increase these over the next couple of months as Halfords have buy 2 get 1 free at the moment.

Whats next and what to use when?

well, halfords stock autoglym and meguiars so i'll base my reccommendations on that.

-Meguiars lambswool mitt - no point putting scratches in your paint whilst you wash the car
-Wax: At the minute you don't have a wax listed. Polishes give a good surface through being slightly abrasive, a wax will protect the paint from the elements. Meguiars 'stage 3' carnauba wax, or for a slightly more durable one, Meguiars gold class wax paste is a good one.

i'd say those are the essential two. after that, you could add a clay bar, tar remover, scratch-x (a more aggressive polish for taking out scratches), vinyl and rubber treatment etc etc!