How ofen should you wash a car?

alexmcred

Just after getting a red car and am just wondering what rules to follow to stop the color fading and keep the car looking well.

Thanks for the help

javaboy

alexmcred wrote: »

Just after getting a red car and am just wondering what rules to follow to stop the color fading and keep the car looking well.

Thanks for the help

Need more detail. How old is the car? Metallic finish? Where you'll be driving it etc.

alexmcred

sorry mainly around town car is a 08 and non metallic red

Volvoboy

Main thing about red cars is keeping them waxed fairly regular, maybe once every two months?


As for washing cars go, i wash mine every week.


-VB-

alexmcred

was thinking of getting it washed and wet waxed every week. would cost me €10 a week. Is this too much?

conneem-TT

Well, its up to you how often you clean it, but to protect the paint you need to seal it.

Start with some cleaner fluid/polish to nourish the paint with it's polishing oils.

Then seal the paint with a high concentration(carnuaba) wax.

Then when you do wash is, stay clear from sponges and brushes, use wash mitts and a ph neutral washing solution (baby bath is quite good if you don't want to spend too much)

That's just a few little things you can do, I'm sure some more people with more experience than me will post some more ideas later

E92

Don't use washing up liquid whatever you do.

upmeath

alexmcred wrote: »

was thinking of getting it washed and wet waxed every week. would cost me €10 a week. Is this too much?

Depends on your budget. I wash mine about once every fortnight

Biro

Wet wax, or those car washes with polish in them are crap, not worth a curse.
You need elbow grease to keep it shining! Get yourself a good polish and wash it where ever you like (except auto washes) and then when it's dry polish it. I like Autoglym products, but the Turtlewax Professional range are good too.
Once a month is fine, bit more frequently when there's sunny weather. A good coat of polish will last 2 or 3 washes really. IF you plan on keeping it 10 years or so, after the first 2 years up the frequency of the polishing times.

Volvoboy

alexmcred wrote: »

was thinking of getting it washed and wet waxed every week. would cost me €10 a week. Is this too much?

Or two hours on a saturday morning?


-VB-

javaboy

Volvoboy wrote: »

Or two hours on a saturday morning?


-VB-

OP could be using copious amounts of unconcentrated Turtle Wax himself costing about €10 a week :rolleyes:

Seth Brundle

alexmcred wrote: »

was thinking of getting it washed and wet waxed every week. would cost me €10 a week. Is this too much?

Are you budgeting for a petrol station car wash? Big no-no in terms of keeping the paintwork pristine.
Get a decent shampoo such as Meguiars Nxt Generation or Meguiars Gold Class. Use a good mitt for cleaning - I use a Meguiars lambswool mitt.
As for wax I use Meguiars Nxt Generation Tech Wax (you will need applicatior pads to apply it and a cloth or something to remove the wax afterwards).
All available from Halfrauds

Have a look at http://www.detailer.ie/advice.php

Matt Simis

kbannon wrote: »

Are you budgeting for a petrol station car wash? Big no-no in terms of keeping the paintwork pristine.
Get a decent shampoo such as Meguiars Nxt Generation or Meguiars Gold Class. Use a good mitt for cleaning - I use a Meguiars lambswool mitt.
As for wax I use Meguiars Nxt Generation Tech Wax (you will need applicatior pads to apply it and a cloth or something to remove the wax afterwards).
All available from Halfrauds

Have a look at http://www.detailer.ie/advice.php

Fan of Meguiars eh?

I use Carlack + Meguiars stuff myself.

Seth Brundle

I'm on commission

Holsten

E92 wrote: »

Don't use washing up liquid whatever you do.

Really? Why not?

HungryJoey

The best advice I can give really is just never use a sponge. Use a wash mitt (only costs 4/5 euro in halfords) and make sure you keep it waxed! It should help prevent the paint from fading and scratching as easy. If you want to go a step further you could do a wash / polish / wax / trim. Again not using a spong and using a wash mitt will prevent "swirly" marks in your paint that will appear afting using a sponge or using garage car washes and brushes etc..

I use poorboys, meguiars mainly my self. Get my poorboys off detailer.ie and most of the other smaller things and meguiars products in halfords. Its worth spending an extra few quid on your car and cleaning. You'll be glad you did later on

IrishRover

Holsten wrote: »

Really? Why not?

Washing up liquid is alkaline, and so damages the paint.

kdevitt

IrishRover wrote: »

Washing up liquid is alkaline, and so damages the paint.

And it strips all the wax off the paint... its fine to use if clearing the wax off is your intention.

RoundyMooney

Please please please don't use an autowash.

Jet washes are okay, once you don't use the contaminated brushes and sponges that come with them.

Meguiars products are top notch, waxing regularly, and doing a deep clean twice a year or so seems to be the consensus.

Meguiars themselves have an online forum, which is worth a read. Some of the US guys have it down to a fine art.

Wishbone Ash

E92 wrote: »

Don't use washing up liquid whatever you do.

Holsten wrote: »

Really? Why not?

It contains salt. Don't use in the windscreen washer either.

TomMc

If you are based in the city, I would only wash the car once a month at most. Even every 6 weeks. The more you wash it the more marks you will leave in the paint, no matter how careful you are. So overwashing is a big no no in the long run. Also, UV rays will do more harm to (unprotected) spotlessly clean paintwork, than paint covered over with a light film of grime. Nearly all cheap waxes including the Meguiar's Gold Class & NXT ones are pretty much a waste of time as they have lousy durability, so will not last beyond a few weeks. They also attract sand and dust to stick to the paint surface, when the wax starts going soft or melting slightly at relatively low temperatures. These particles get trapped in the finish and you end up wiping them over the paint in the next wash cycle, creating more and more hairline scratches. It is much better to use polymer sealants instead of waxes. They have much higher melting points so last two or three times as long. The best ones also have non stick protection. If you go to the trouble of protecting the paint after a wash, the last thing you want is the look spoiled by water spots a short while later on. In showery weather, waxes are notorious for doing this.

As mentioned above by others, if you use petrol station car washes the detergents are far too strong so will strip off all but the most durable of sealants. So better off doing it yourself at home with a pH bal shampoo.

Catscar

Hi there, just bought a red car and its all swirl marks, how can i get those out of it? or is it possible at all.

Wishbone Ash

TomMc wrote: »

If you are based in the city, I would only wash the car once a month at most. Even every 6 weeks. The more you wash it the more marks you will leave in the paint, no matter how careful you are. So overwashing is a big no no in the long run

I like to keep my car clean and I am prepared to suffer wear and tear on the paintwork. I don't see the point of driving around in a dirty car just to preserve the paintwork for the next owner.

It's a bit like car seat covers - totally pointless IMO.

Just my 2c worth.

VeVeX

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I like to keep my car clean and I am prepared to suffer wear and tear on the paintwork. I don't see the point of driving around in a dirty car just to preserve the paintwork for the next owner.

It's a bit like car seat covers - totally pointless IMO.

Just my 2c worth.

The best is people that put a generic mat over the original mat to keep them clean. I really dont see the point. Why not use the original mat, clean them and when their worn buy new ones from a dealer.

TomMc

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I like to keep my car clean and I am prepared to suffer wear and tear on the paintwork. I don't see the point of driving around in a dirty car just to preserve the paintwork for the next owner.

It's a bit like car seat covers - totally pointless IMO.

Just my 2c worth.

Well each to their own, but a dirty car suggests it is actually driven on more than the school run or just down to the shops, and on poor roads or in bad weather conditions. Where as a spotlessly clean swirly one a sign of limited usage and of course neglect. And worth about 500 notes less at that or may be even the difference between someone actually buying it in a private sale or possibly walking away. It will hurt your pocket eventually, no matter what.

kdevitt

TomMc wrote: »

Well each to their own, but a dirty car suggests it is actually driven on more than the school run or just down to the shops, and on poor roads or in bad weather conditions. Where as a spotlessly clean swirly one a sign of limited usage and of course neglect. And worth about 500 notes less at that or may be even the difference between someone actually buying it in a private sale or possibly walking away. It will hurt your pocket eventually, no matter what.

You're talking complete and utter rubbish

Wishbone Ash

TomMc wrote: »

Where as a spotlessly clean swirly one a sign of limited usage and of course neglect

:rolleyes:

TomMc wrote:

And worth about 500 notes less at that or may be even the difference between someone actually buying it in a private sale or possibly walking away. It will hurt your pocket eventually, no matter what.

I buy and use a car for me, not the next owner. I don't care what it is worth in a resale or if it sells at all. It's not important to me - life is too short.

I realise that it is important to many poeple but I simply couldn't care less. I can never understand why people are obsessional about keeping the car for the next owner.

rebel.ranter

I have tried lots of products over the years & have found a few that wroked well & some that have not.
The key to a clean looking car is to have clean wheels, especially if they are alloys. Nothing looks worse than a clean car with wheels covered in brake dust & brown tyres.
My current favourites:

Car Wash: Zymol (Dark green liquid, clear bottle, €9)
Wax: Zymol (Light green cream, €18) (it's carnauba wax too as mentioned above.
Tyre gel: Meguiars Endurance (Purple liquid, lasts 300 miles)

Curious that Tom Mc recommends not waxing, you are in the valet business right? My locla spray apinter is anti the silicone polishes like autoglym etc.

Wishbone Ash

rebel.ranter wrote: »

brown tyres

Some tyre brands especially Pirelli in my experience, seem to 'brown' much more than others.

TomMc

kdevitt wrote: »

You're talking complete and utter rubbish

A car with swirl marks or spiderwebbing is a sign of neglect i.e. poor washing & polishing techniques, FACT. And to say that poor paintwork does not influence resale values in any way (or bargaining power in a private sale), is also nonsense.

TomMc

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

:rolleyes:

I buy and use a car for me, not the next owner. I don't care what it is worth in a resale or if it sells at all. It's not important to me - life is too short.

Yeh right moneybags. If you don't care what you car looks like or is worth, best not giving advice to people who do.

Wishbone Ash

TomMc wrote: »

Yeh right moneybags. If you don't care what you car looks like or is worth, best not giving advice to people who do.

I look after my car, i.e. I wash and wax it regularly. It looks great IMO and I'm fairly fussy about it. But I do it for me - not for the resale value. If, by making my car look good, I am 'damaging it' well so be it.

kdevitt

TomMc wrote: »

A car with swirl marks or spiderwebbing is a sign of neglect i.e. poor washing & polishing techniques, FACT. And to say that poor paintwork does not influence resale values in any way (or bargaining power in a private sale), is also nonsense.

Your car will get swirls even with the best washing and polishing techniques - two / three bucket method and all the rest.

To say that swirls points to the neglect of a car, while a dirty car shows careful ownership is idiotic.

E92

TomMc wrote: »

And to say that poor paintwork does not influence resale values in any way (or bargaining power in a private sale), is also nonsense.

The most important thing when buying used is that it has FSH that is verifiable, as well as a nice big list of receipts for everything from tyres, services, repairs etc. Next most important is that it has no signs of damage, and starts, stops and goes perfect.

I agree that paintwork is important, cars with poor paintwork look horrible, therefore they sell for less.

Dealers will give you less for a car with bad paintwork, they will have to respray it for a start if they want people to buy it.

I personally would not buy a car with bad paintwork, I couldn't live with a car whose paintwork looks like it's been dragged through a hedge backwards.

TomMc

rebel.ranter wrote: »

I have tried lots of products over the years & have found a few that wroked well & some that have not.
The key to a clean looking car is to have clean wheels, especially if they are alloys. Nothing looks worse than a clean car with wheels covered in brake dust & brown tyres.
My current favourites:

Car Wash: Zymol (Dark green liquid, clear bottle, €9)
Wax: Zymol (Light green cream, €18) (it's carnauba wax too as mentioned above.
Tyre gel: Meguiars Endurance (Purple liquid, lasts 300 miles)

Curious that Tom Mc recommends not waxing, you are in the valet business right? My locla spray apinter is anti the silicone polishes like autoglym etc.

Waxing is fine for show cars that spend most of the week under cover in a garage, classics and the like. Sealants are the modern way to protect an everyday car properly, that is out in the elements round the clock.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

From the Amazing Glaze site - The Dangers of using cheap waxes and polishing products.

Waxing has been the most popular choice for auto paint maintenance since the beginning of the 20th Century and consumers have been naively following this ritual blindly without realizing that waxes cannot withstand our tropical climate or temperatures above 26 deg.C . Even the car’s warm engine will cause the wax’s oil to migrate, causing them to haze, blur and worse of all, creating a oily and sticky surface that actually attracts more harmful airborne pollutants and road sands to settle onto the waxed surface. That is why when you wash a waxed car, the trapped fine sands in the cool wax will always creates hairline scratches.

So is waxing your car a good thing or is it the opposite? Another fact that is of considerable importance is that etching chemicals and solvents that are blended together into the waxes to make the products more pliable for applications, and also to prevent wax properties from hardening into its original hard form (e.g., Candle is Solid Wax, these chemicals are still active and reacting with the paints’ molecular properties even after the waxing jobs are completed. Thus, the consequences are that these harmful chemicals will accelerates the oxidation process to the paint properties.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The Zymol in the shops here is just posh or relabelled Turtle Wax stuff. Made in their UK factory.

Silicone comes in various forms, good and bad. The more refined it is the better. All cheap care products use the crudest and most unrefined forms of it. Its cheap and fills up most of the bottle! Gives a quick artificial shine and doesn't wash off too easily. Only the very high end and more professional products have (quality) high-tech silicone derivatives or else are 100% silicone-free. These products give much better looks as well as more durable protection.

Before water based paints came in, ALL silicones were a no no as they would interfere with the curing process on repaints (crash repairs) so could not be applied to fresh paint for several months (after a respray) or else the paint would not harden fully. They would clog the paints pores and not allow the solvents to outgas, the paints chemical make up/hardeners would get contaminated as so the paint would stay soft.

Yes, clean wheels and tyres make all the difference. If tyres are dressed while dirty or covered in a layer of grease (albeit a dry looking surface to the naked eye), the tyres will go brown very quickly. Tyres have UV protectants as part of their make up, built into the rubber. Solvent based dressings wear this down and actually weakens the sidewall, as does powerwashing them with a very strong jet of water. Only use water based dressings on tyres in you want whats best for them and clean/scrub them with a brush rather than pounding them with a jet wash.

Wishbone Ash

TomMc wrote: »

waxes cannot withstand our tropical climate or temperatures above 26 deg.C

I have nothing to worry about then so.

TomMc

kdevitt wrote: »

Your car will get swirls even with the best washing and polishing techniques - two / three bucket method and all the rest.

To say that swirls points to the neglect of a car, while a dirty car shows careful ownership is idiotic.

The overall amount and severity of swirls by poor or overwashing are the signs of neglect. A dirty car is just a dirty car. Cars get dirty if they are driven, especially down the country. For 6 months of the year here it is hardly worth it to constantly keep cleaning them. And even fussy valetors or enthusiasts cars get dirty. So I'd rather a well protected car with some road dirt & grime on it than a clean one with no protection and lots of defects.

It makes more sense to keep the interior clean, tidy and fresh as thats where you spend your time, behind the wheel. A nice driving environment adds that bit more to the whole driving experience.

kdevitt

TomMc wrote: »

a dirty car suggests it is actually driven on more than the school run or just down to the shops, and on poor roads or in bad weather conditions.

Given your original quote above, what category does a dirty car, with swirly paintwork fall into??

Anyway - a car can be washed weekly without destroying your paintwork if done properly.

I'd love to know where you work so my car never falls into your hands.

javaboy

TomMc wrote: »

Well each to their own, but a dirty car suggests it is actually driven on more than the school run or just down to the shops, and on poor roads or in bad weather conditions. Where as a spotlessly clean swirly one a sign of limited usage and of course neglect. And worth about 500 notes less at that or may be even the difference between someone actually buying it in a private sale or possibly walking away. It will hurt your pocket eventually, no matter what.

You heard it here first people. The best way to sell your car is to convince your buyer that it's been driven a lot expecially on poor roads. If you see your neighbour washing their car, report them for neglect. Don't assume someone else will.


^^ Another sick son a b1tch

HungryJoey

kdevitt wrote: »

Given your original quote above, what category does a dirty car, with swirly paintwork fall into??

Anyway - a car can be washed weekly without destroying your paintwork if done properly.

I'd love to know where you work so my car never falls into your hands.

I'd be inclinded to agree with you there too ken. What utter rubbish I am hearing tho from someone :rolleyes:

Oh and can I take this moment to mention that, plenty of brand new cars have been seen come out with plenty of swirly marks all over them, can you explain that tom? Have they been terribly neglected from the factory to the dealership?

javaboy

HungryJoey wrote: »

I'd be inclinded to agree with you there too ken. What utter rubbish I am hearing tho from someone :rolleyes:

Oh and can I take this moment to mention that, plenty of brand new cars have been seen come out with plenty of swirly marks all over them, can you explain that tom? Have they been terribly neglected from the factory to the dealership?

That's a new fad like buying those faded ragged jeans. Pre-swirled paintwork. You can also get permanent 'mudsplashes' in the paintwork as an option on the new Landcruiser. Makes you look more like an authentic 4x4 driver.

Oilrig

Maybe its an age thing...

Mine gets washed for weddings or its NCT. Thats about it. Given the state of the roads I have to commute on I'd need a tax rebate to wash it regularly.

When I was a "young fella" my motor was washed, polished, manicured etc every week.

su_dios

I can't believe the amount of sh*te tom is talking on here! Swirl marks can only be seen up close.. yet you would rather drive around in a dirty grimey car so as not to damage the paintwork.

Rinse down with a hose or pressure washer or even some snow foam then with then use of a mitt, shampoo and some detailer spray you can get a great quick wash with no damage to the car ( or at least minimal) and a great shine. Looking after the car by washing will protect the car. A wash may include application of some Super Resin Polish to mask up minor swirls even. I do not believe though that a wash HAS to cause swirl marks. Carelessness causes swirl marks.

WHITE_P

alexmcred wrote: »

was thinking of getting it washed and wet waxed every week. would cost me €10 a week. Is this too much?

Hand wash with cold water, once a week, and shammy dry. Polish about once every two months.

Your better off not washing / polishing the car in strong sunshine either.

Solid red colours are a bast*rd for fading.

royob

A clean car is a sign of a sick mind

bazz26

You dragged up an old thread just to post that.

P.C.

royob wrote: »

A clean car is a sign of a sick mind

AH That way. ^^^^^^^

You have just dug up an 18 month old thread to say that, I am sure that you will be more at home in AH.

DUBLINHITMAN

some people here know what there talking about other's think
that a sponge' t-cut 'washing up liquid and wd40 will work wonders on there cars

for best advice on maintaining your car join up on carcare.ie
or detailingworld.com .
no posts or advice really get stickied here so these posts get aggravating when ones reply is never good enough and a new thread a few weeks later will pop up

DUBLINHITMAN

HungryJoey wrote: »

I'd be inclinded to agree with you there too ken. What utter rubbish I am hearing tho from someone :rolleyes:

Oh and can I take this moment to mention that, plenty of brand new cars have been seen come out with plenty of swirly marks all over them, can you explain that tom? Have they been terribly neglected from the factory to the dealership?

i can its called a valeter that has no pride in his job
has a contract from a garage and gets around 80euro a car.
1st off puts it through the local car wash :eek:
2nd dries it with god knows what sort of towel
3rd waxes it with some supragard sh!te
4th tire shine is just fooked on and then splatters all over the car.
5th inside windows cleaned and interior vacumed.

i know this is true because i've had first hand dealings with valeters
most people that hate there jobs put as little effort into there jobs as possible.

Gary ITR

DUBLINHITMAN wrote: »

no posts or advice really get stickied here so these posts get aggravating when ones reply is never good enough and a new thread a few weeks later will pop up

If you check the stickied thread at the top you'll see links to all useful posts/info

Why don't you put a guide together on how to clean a car properly? I'll gladly add it to the useful links

This forum was once awash with stickies and it won't go back to that


Zombie thread locked btw