Keeping your car clean - a HOWTO

[Guest Andrew]

G'day,

I was relatively bored today - as i'm sick this week and haven't been doing bugger all - so I decided to clean the car up a bit. It was pretty dirty - road film and hadn't been cleaned since the Taupo track day.

Alright - lets start this off.

These are the products getting used today:

[Guest Andrew]

and this car wash - NB: I am only using the car wash because I do not care if the wax gets removed - most car washes will remove your wax (which is why you shouldn't wash your car with soap if its waxed OK). Dish washing liquid WILL remove wax.

Other products are Mr Muscle, Amorall Protectant (test this out)

(p.s going to have dinner now - will post the rest of the article in a few mins).

[Guest Andrew]

Alrighty - wet the car down then put about a capful of the carwash in a bucket and fill the bucket with water. Soap down the car - remember the point is not to get the car nice and shiney, just to get off any dirt/dust or road film.

mm nice and soapy.

[Guest Andrew]

Now dry down the car with a chammy or towel (which will scratch your paint - but if you don't care hah) and then open all the doors + bonnet and dry in the door shuts also. Then leave the doors and everything open for a while to let it all dry out.

[Guest Andrew]

This is a perfect time to do the interior. First vacuum, then vinyl restore stuff, then glass. Reason for doing glass last - is that you usually get it dirty with the vinyl restorer.

Don't forget to vacuum the boot.

[Guest Andrew]

When using most vinyl restorers such as Pacer Restorall, Amorall Protectant or the Turtle Wax super protect - you apply it to a cloth then rub it only the surface - it should be quite wet at this stage and leave behind a white residue.

Back of the seat getting done - notice the white residue

[Guest Andrew]

Rub it all off with a clean dry cotton towel - and it should come up like so - nice and wet looking.

DO NOT GET THE STUFF ON THE STEERING WHEEL, PEDALS, OR HANDBRAKE - it makes driving pretty hard - slippery sh*t hah.

[Guest Andrew]

Alright - now the interior is done - the exterior should have dried. If it hasn't.. just run round the underneath of the bumpers and make sure there are no drips lurking.

This is the important part - the polishing. This is what makes the car shiney (not the wax!). Apply a small amount to the applicator pad and then dot more of the product on the car. Use small circular motions to rub the polish on - you don't need to push hard - let the product do the work - not you.

Its not a big deal if you get polish on plastic parts but avoid it anyway. I would mask up all the trim if I cared a bit more hah.

Applying the polish dots -

[Guest Andrew]

and it should look like so when applied...this pic also shows what it looks like when dry.

[Guest Andrew]

Do this on the whole car - everywhere. Wait for the polish to dry - it doesn't take that long. Then get a terry towel (soft cotton towel) and buff the polish off - the buffing here is what brings the shine up - so don't be stingy with the effort.

Boot finished - ahh

[Guest Andrew]

Now - you want to keep the car looking that shiney right? Thats where wax comes in - it prevents the paint oxidising and fading so quickly. This meguairs wax usually lasts 2 - 3 months providing you don't wash the car with soap.

This is what water beads like when the wax is worn (i took this photo before i cleaned the car at all)

[Guest Andrew]

Apply the wax the same way you did the polish. WAX WILL MAKE BLACK TRIM GO WHITE. So either mask up the trim or make sure you don't get any on the trim.

Wax goes on a lot easier than polish does - so enjoy it hah.

Remember small circular motions - easy does it. Wax takes a bit longer to dry - so now would be a good time to get started on that 12 pack in the fridge (give it about 30 mins).

Wax on - slightyly yellower than polish

[Guest Andrew]

Now remove that wax - rub nice and hard with that cotton towel - do the whole car. Check for any smearing - just rub it more if you see that.

Open the doors and stuff and go round the edges of where you have pushed wax in - there is nothing uglier than a clean car with bits of wax not buffed off.

Now check out how the water beads - it just falls off the car.

[Guest Andrew]

Now here is the part i don't really like - go spastic with the silicon - anything black silicon it. Its pretty crap stuff - and you'll hate yourself if you ever get it on the paint. If I had some - i would use Autoglym Plastic Restorer - this stuff is sweet - it even gets off the white that wax causes on plastic.

Ahh the silicon - everything is nice and black.. even the grill and foglight bezels. (Yes my headlight thats filled with water looks like its smoked.. cheap mod!)

[Guest Andrew]

don't forget those tyres.. and also window cleaner.. clean windows look cool

[Guest Andrew]

One thing i wanted to try was polish on chrome - it worked sweet on the chrome bumpers but suprisingly even worked on my (factory damn you all) chrome exhaust tip .. nice

edit - Autosol Metal polish is a proper metal polish if your looking for the real thing

[Guest Andrew]

And that about sums it up -

A few things to note after talking with Dennis - apply polish/wax in little circles - but buff it off in a straight line

If you use scratch-x use it lightly and in a straight line.

And for the next wash.. just water your car down and use a shammy to clean it - soap is not needed - and another polish and wax is not needed untill the water does not bead properly.

[Guest Andrew]

Some other things -

The only reason i'm doing this outside - it that its nice and overcast. You do not want it to be hot on the car while waxing or polishing. Do it in the garage if need be.

A nice cool shady weather.

[tHrEEtWoFiVe 0]

Excellent dude, I just purchased today the 3 step bottles of Meguiers. I will follow your proccess closely, one question with the 3 step process, do I use the first step on all the car or just parts that need cleaning.

Edited March 13, 2004 by tHrEEtWoFiVe

[Gus 5]

very handy....you've learnt me good...i just dont go so hard out with the silicone.....clean windows looks very good..i got some BMW window cleaner and it actually protects the windows a bit so they dont get filthy straight away...got some bmw carnauba wax going on next time i clean.....should be good....and polish is VERY hard to get off rubber trim

[*sic 1]

nice, ahh the white wax/polish nightmare... imagine it on my nice black as pitch paint : /

muhaha gus you know my pain

*sob*

[Dnz 0]

Yes, wax is the tricky bit.

Do you guys just leave a slight area of 'no wax or polish' around edges/near lights and plastic/rubber etc?or you actually use tape on all of em? If so, what type is best?

[Guest Andrew]

Yes, wax is the tricky bit.

Do you guys just leave a slight area of 'no wax or polish' around edges/near lights and plastic/rubber etc?or you actually use tape on all of em? If so, what type is best?

Actually - I put polish and wax on the plastic rear lights - makes them come up nice - its mainly black rubber trim to watch out for

Threetwofive: Yep the whole car - although in this case i didn't bother - didn't want to invest too much coin in my routed paintwork.

[OLLIE 26]

i don't recomend applyinf the polish in small blobs, in the instructions for the armourall diamond polish it distinctly says not too and it should be applied to the cloth and then to the car, may be a diff case wit your polish but still dont recomend it.

[m325i 704]

Nice work. I personally prefer Mothers Products.

Dude you should paint your Kidney Grill red. itd look cool i reckon