Basic cleaning guide - opinions please

[d6dph]

[noney82]

good write up dave must of took a while

[d6dph]

Thanks, Took a little while, needed to be done tho. I may submit it as an article for this site if people think its usefull.

[gooner1]

Dave, lot of good info there bur sureley before clay bar is used its ok to use fairy liquid/diluted washing up liquid.
In fact im fairly sure the lubricant supplied with the bars is a form of this.

[d6dph]

Yeah but this is a basic wash, Not a full detail. Think of this as a weekly wash guide.

If you are going to apply a sealant after the wash, washing up liquid is not so bad. On its own its the work of the devil.

The lubricant supplied with clay bars is normally a very week wash solution iirc.

[c76jon]

impressive i appreciate the work that went into that.

are you open to suggestions??

jon

[d6dph]

Always Jon, As long as it doesn't include vaseline and a marrow

[gooner1]

Apologies mate , you even described write up as basic car wash.Been awake best part of 2 days dut to probs
on railway.Need sleeeeeeep now.

[320Touring]

A weekly wash guide?pah!

Looks good dave-I'd maybe just shrink the pics a wee bit to improve loading times for users.

nice and clear mate

[d6dph]

Apologies mate , you even described write up as basic car wash.Been awake best part of 2 days dut to probs
on railway.Need sleeeeeeep now.

No probs mate, Didn't take it as a rude remark. I want opinions good or bad.

[d6dph]

A weekly wash guide?pah!

Looks good dave-I'd maybe just shrink the pics a wee bit to improve loading times for users.

nice and clear mate

Noted Neil. I'll play with photo bucket now.

[c76jon]

just a suggestion

maybe an idea to add that its a good idea to especially in this weather with shite etc to make sure you get a jet of water up behind the arches as this is where a lot of sludge gets trapped on the lip

leaves,mud etc.this inturn holds any further moisture against the panel

yes it may dry out but then gets wet again and instead of running away it sits soaked in the crap

an old marigold glove is gud for this to just run finger around to dislodge the crap or if using a jet wash then blast it out

on the prevention note a thin layer of vaseline put onto the inside arch when dry repels water away

just a suggestion??

jon

[d6dph]

That's a very valid suggestion Jon, I really hadn't thought about that side of things.


Do you mind if i copy and paste your wording into the article?

Other than that, Is it ok? You and Chris (Billgates) were the people I really wanted to hear suggestions from as I admire the level of work that goes into the cars you both own.

That said I still appreciate other opinions and they will be taken on board, This is the first article I have written so any help is great.

[c76jon]

copy away mate

also when rinsing car i alway rinse panel at a time but a trick is to rewet the panel you washed before when you rinse the next panel and keep rinsing all previously washed panels every time you rinse another

this way the water doesnt remain stationary on panel and begin to dry thus leaving water marks

if you keep the water moving it gives you more time before this happens and you can get to dry it

more of an isuue when sunny

also on last rinse of whole car turn pressure down on hose or whatever you are using and let the water run onto panel rather than spraying it with force

this way the water sheets off rather than collecting in beads

these beads contain more water therefore harder to dry and they magnify the sun if its out which inturn causes water marks especially noticeable on darker cars

jon

[d6dph]

Cool thanks Jon, I have said about sheeting the water off rather than misting, but will elaborate on the reasons.

Thanks for your help (again)

[d6dph]

Right, Photo's resized as per Neil's suggestion. Jon's suggestions added into the text.

[billgatese30]

to avoid water spots i dry it differently to jon, or anyone else i have ever spoke too for that matter

i wash and then rinse, the roof, windscreen and rear window, then dry them

then wash the A, B, C pillars, side windows, wingmirrors, then rinse and dry these

then wash the boot lid , spoiler and bonnet, then rinse and dry

then do each side of the car in turn, that is front and rear wings, and doors, rinse and dry etc.

then i do the rear panel (number palte, lights etc) and the rear bumper valence..........rinse dry etc

then again, front grill bumper valence wash rinse dry etc

on all the above i make sure i over lap slightly when both washing and rinsing and the waffle towel still doesn't need, nor is capable of being, wrung out

then i move on to the wheels and underneath of the running boards and where the body kit folds inside the wheel arch slightly (i.e. the coloured bit you can see, not in all the cracks as like jon says, just get your fingers in and rake it out.


i have never spoke to anyone who drys the car then reapplys suds and water in a different area before rinsing and drying to wash rinse and dry again

in the summer it is THE easiest way to prevent spotting, and if your in the direct sunlight then just do smaller sections, i.e. one wing, or door, or the bonnet, or bootlid, or just the roof, or set of windows etc in one stage

i.e. just wash the roof and roof only, then rinse and dry, then the windscreen wash rinse dry, then the rear screen wash rinse dry, then the front drivers wing wash rinse dry, then the drivers door wash rinse dry etc etc

always work top to bottom, and keep an eye on where your spray is going (re dry any bits that go onto already washed/dryed paint) and where the water runs out after drying (near all lights front and rear, around roof, bootlid drains etc, rear popout windows etc

then when i'm all done that i get an old cloth and dry out all the panel gaps / door / boot / bonnet shuts etc and give underneth of the front side of the bonnet a wipe etc as the mudd and shite that gets splattered under there and around the top of the rad is horrendous at this time of year

i also open pop out windows and dry under them

open boot and wipe around where the outside edge of the seal lies, also make sure to wipe around the sealing surface of the actual boot lid itself, and watch for water running down the left and right hand edge of hte boot lid and dripping/running down your rear wings

dry out around petrol filler and keep back of cap and rubber grommit clean

then maybe give the inlet manifold and rocker cover a wipe over, as with most of the bodywork under the bonnet, clean over most of the reseviors and plastic covers on the like of the AFM and the secondary realy box etc, dry out hte battery tray etc (always water in there )

i'm sure theres more too but i just can't think thats usually a normal weekly wash in the summer, normally it will get that every week in the summer without fail, in the winter it may get one that thorough maybe every three or four weeks and the rest of the time its just on bodywork and inside the arches and spraying the underneath to keep the salt and crap out, its too much work for every week for how dirty the car gets in teh winter, especially with me having less time to do it due to weather light time etc

if you need to know anything else Dave then just give me a yell

[c76jon]

nice chris

kinda the same except you keep the panels dry and i keep them wet

if im honest tho i dont actually use the waffle towel that much on the m3

i use a never used garden vacuum/blower to blast the water off the panels and out of the shuts and just touch up drips etc with towel

its really quick and doesnt allow water spots to form

jon

[d6dph]

haha that's just crazy talk Jon, Can imagine the neighbours talking now

Thanks for the input Chris, I will take that on board but i think its a bit advanced for the hot hatch owners, they can barely type a sentence so that regime may be a little tricky for them

[billgatese30]

haha that's just crazy talk Jon, Can imagine the neighbours talking now

Thanks for the input Chris, I will take that on board but i think its a bit advanced for the hot hatch owners, they can barely type a sentence so that regime may be a little tricky for them

why didn't you say it was for them dave, i'll write a new one for them



go to maccyd's,

buy happy meal

demand princess toy

talk to best mate and 19 stone girlfriend while they slice gherkins and mop up kiddy sick from the floor

go to the immigrant wash on the high street and get option 4 (wash, dry , wheels, and hoover)

the wash and dry will make the car twice as aerodynamic

the wheel clean and hoover will knock at least 100KG off the kerb wheight of the car

leave without paying spinning one front wheel, shedding yet even more wheight

go to the shell garage and put in £4.39 (or 9.56 if you've cashed your giro this week) of optimax so it will give your nova another 87.325 BHP

go and do 237.76 MPH down the A1(m) giving the police helicopter and the entire county's traffic car fleet the slip, whilst going too fast for every camera to flash you

go to the pub and drink 93 pints of super strength, two bottles of vodka and half a lemmonade without falling over before bashing in all the bouncers, and the're mates, and thier bodygaurds single handed, before pulling seven stunning DD breasted stunners in the pub and taking them all home in your stipped out 700BHP nova with no rear seats

then bask in your glory

then wake up stinking of wee with your 19 stone hippolump girfriend who complains that you only lasted 23 seconds last night and got pissed on half a pint of shandy after getting slapped by the 7 stone barman who layed you out cold before she carried you home as someone set your turd of a car on fire adn she has spent your giro on pregnancy test's and some elizabeth duke sovriegns

[d6dph]

you crazy mo'fo. Stop sniffing the zaino Chris!

[KDS]

Great post!

The only things that I'd add are: NEVER wash the car in direct sunlight, and when going over the car with a wash mitt or towel, always go in long straight lines, front to back. No circular motions! That'll inevitably cause fine swirl marks in the paint which can be seen from every angle.

[dimebag_from_hell]

why should you not wash a car in direct sunlight?

[KDS]

why should you not wash a car in direct sunlight?

With most car products, it's recommended that the surface be cool to the touch. Direct sun is great if you want your car to dry REALLY fast, but it's like having a million tiny magnifying glasses cooking your paint. Plus, because the water is drying so quickly, it can cause residue marks.

[Mahmood]

Dave - can you email me the finished guide to e30bmw@btinternet.com

Thanks

[d6dph]

By all means mate, I will do it this evening as it's on my laptop.

I also have a breif claying guide if you want that too?

Cheers
Dave

[Mahmood]

Dave

Yes, clay guide also as I bought a clay bar at Gaydon last year and it's where I left it, unopened!

Cheers

[khan1]

Dave could you also email me the finshed guide aswell as the clay guide mate to ajmal_khan6@hotmail.com
Cheers

[charlE30]

Excellent write up Dave any chance you could email me a copy of your clay guide to charle30@hotmail.co.uk

Cheers chap

Charlie

[mineralblue]

Helps me too,
I really want to give my car paint a good work over too as it needs it.Having never done any of this "claying" business and wax/polish of only basic proportions I need all the advice I can get
My car care is moving onto a whole new level
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[hubble]

Good write-up.

I must be doing something wrong though....the water in my bucket when finished is cleaner than what went in at the beginning.

[grantfk10]

Dave could you also email me the finished guide as well as the clay guide to:

grant_mcnab@yahoo.co.uk


Thanx