Intro to detailing

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DrDrew

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I like spending time in and around my car (as I'm sure we all do) and quite like the therapeutic effect of spending time cleaning my pride & joy. Thus, I'm considering getting some sort of (either pre-packaged or purchased separately) intro to detailing type kit. I was (very naively ) thinking of starting with some sort of snow foam, a list of cleaning products & items, possibly including clay, but not really sure where to start.

Currently I've only ever used car shampoo & wax or superguard kits, and my cleaning gear is becoming a bit worn so will probably need sponges/towels etc too.

I'm going to leave the machine polishing/correction type stuff for now, so can anyone make any suggestions?
 
There are a fair few "detailing experts" here so you'll get all the answers you need :)

A lot of people will say to buy certain brands.. this is all down to personal preference so you'll have to try them and see what you prefer yourself!

For snow foam you need a snow foam lance to attach to a pressure washer - is that something you have? The lance is about 40 quid and will attach to various brands of pressure washers.

The best place to start is just with a good simple clean!

Get yourself two buckets (one with shampoo for washing, the other for rinsing) and a wash mitt with some decent shampoo (Dodo juice have just released Sour Power which apparently smells like Apples and cleans very well - something to look at). Drying towels come in handy to speed up the whole process and remove the possibility of any streaks/water marks. Clay is as simple as rubbing a clay bar along the clean car's surface (with plenty of lube - detailing spray) to remove contaminants. Once this is complete you can polish the car with something simple like AutoGlym Super Resin Polish (SRP) using a clean microfibre cloth (get loads of these) and finish it with a layer of wax (recommend Dodo juice panel pot to try this with - it's enough to get a couple layers on a Twingo).

Anyway.. that's the basics and there's a lot more you can get into! As I previously mentioned though, I'm sure the detailing experts will be along soon to give you definitive answers :)
 
www.twingo133.net/detailing-cleaning-threads/your-wash-routine-t1565.html

you may find that useful mate.

with regards to sponges etc, dont use them, u want either a lambs wool mit or a micro fibre one, loads of microfibre cloths and foam applicators for wax

if u look on ebay, there are loads or introductory packages for car cleaning such as this one

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AUTOGLYM-ULTIMATE-CAR-CLEANING-KIT-11PC-W-CARRY-CASE-/120654666054?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1c17941946

this one would be even better

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dodo-Juice-Blue-Velvet-Complete-Car-Paintwork-Kit-/150426838150?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2306236486

also when it comes to washing, use 2 buckets, a wash one and a rinse one and if possible get grit guards
 
Bucket of water and a sponge. Then (preferably before all that) ignore everything I say about cleaning ;)

There are lots of detailers on here with bucket loads (lol) of advice.
 
This may seem a bit of a n00b question, but how well would something like the super spray work with some PH neutral snow foam and/or Born to be wild shampoo?

https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/super-spray-hose-end-sprayer/prod_335.html

I don't as yet have a pressure washer/lance {have gotten quite proficient with the ol' bucket set} so was thinking this could possibly keep costs down quite nicely compared to buying washer/lance, even if I need to get 2.
 
That will work ok but the foam will be much more watery and won't cling to the paint/drag off the dirt as well as with a pressure washer.

In my opinion, the important thing to have is not the snow foam but the pressure washer. Thoroughly rinsing the car with a pressure washer, before washing, will remove 90%+ of the dirt that fully snow foaming would.
 
There's going to be at least a bottle of Born to be mild, and probably some other Dodo products too, so I'll be sure to give you a shout when I've made up my mind on the full list ;)
 
DrDrew":1u7cky28 said:
There's going to be at least a bottle of Born to be mild, and probably some other Dodo products too, so I'll be sure to give you a shout when I've made up my mind on the full list ;)

No worries mate. If you need any help deciding, just let me know.
 
Think I'm getting close to completing my list, though have a couple more questions. Does anyone use Dodo Juice Time to dry? Am wondering if it's worth combining that with some red mist? Also does anyone have any cleaners which they can recommend which work particularly well on the 133's anthracite alloys? (the 17in cup ones)
 
I haven't used Time To Dry but I've heard it serves its purpose very well. It definitely won't mix well with Red Mist though, as they do completely different things and would need to be applied at different stages.

Dodo Juice Supernatural wheel cleaner - Very effective cleaning power, without the harsh chemicals that many wheel cleaners contain, meaning that it will not strip the surface of the alloy - perfect for the delicate finish on the 133 cup wheels.
 
Wheel cleaner i would buy bilberry its acid free and works a treat if you buy a litre bottle and a cheap spray bottle (this is what i don) you can dilute it down 4:1.
 
i use meguiars hot wheels, works really well and only 9 quid a bottle
 
Daveyb133":18205h87 said:
i use meguiars hot wheels, works really well and only 9 quid a bottle

I bought a bottle then could smeel all the acid so nver used it on my car and used it on my dads car :lol:
 
haha think i used it to clean the brick drive when I saw the light :lol:
 
think i may change to something else then, lol. didnt realise it was that bad, it hasnt damaged anything so far

will be making an order with monster then
 
I don't like Time to Try because it stops the wax from beading. It's not a bad thing as the wax is still present and it still has the same protection, I just like beading XD

Meguiars Hot Wheels is fine on painted wheels, it just shouldn't be used on bare metal. Is worth trying a different acid-free product though (ie. bilberry wheel cleaner).
 
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