Paintwork damage

jclally

I was using a sponge to clean some kind of sticky substance off my car. The sponge had a scourer type surface on one side - I was using the other side but wasn't careful enough and some of the scourer must have been touching the paintwork. It has left a faded mark the size of a fist under the driver side mirror, due to a load of micro scratches.
It mightn't sound like a big deal but I notice it straight away every time I look at the car. A few products out there claim to fix things like this, but I was wondering if anyone could recommend something please?

leeroybrown

Never use a sponge to clean a car. The surface of the sponge collects up tiny bits of grit and holds them in place as you rub the car's paintwork inevitably leaving you with scratches.

As for repair products, I can't comment myself. A good polishing (hard work) with the right products is probably what it needs.

Northern Monkey

It's hard to know without seeing it, but a polish with a DA or a rotary might take the majority of it out. It could be similar to the hazing you would get when you wet sand paint.

Owen

I can guarantee that'll come out. You're not the first person to do it, and you won't be the last! A little bit of Farécla G3 and a cloth, a bucket of soapy water to lubricate the G3 and plenty of elbow grease and you'll have it right as rain in no time.

jclally

Owen wrote: »

I can guarantee that'll come out. You're not the first person to do it, and you won't be the last! A little bit of Farécla G3 and a cloth, a bucket of soapy water to lubricate the G3 and plenty of elbow grease and you'll have it right as rain in no time.

Great shout for Farecla, a fiver on eBay and a bit of hard work and the mark is gone. Thanks very much

trepasers

leeroybrown wrote: »

Never use a sponge to clean a car. The surface of the sponge collects up tiny bits of grit and holds them in place as you rub the car's paintwork inevitably leaving you with scratches.

As for repair products, I can't comment myself. A good polishing (hard work) with the right products is probably what it needs.

You say not to use a sponge??...what would you suggest using when cleaning a car

String

trepasers wrote: »

You say not to use a sponge??...what would you suggest using when cleaning a car

Lambswool wash mitt and two bucket method with grit guard

leeroybrown

trepasers wrote: »

You say not to use a sponge??...what would you suggest using when cleaning a car

As DrMorphine says buy a proper car washing mitt and use two buckets. You can get decent lambswool or micro-fibre mitts fairly cheaply. Use one bucket for washing and the second bucket to properly rinse the mitt before putting it back in the clean washing bucket.

teednab-el

leeroybrown wrote: »

As DrMorphine says buy a proper car washing mitt and use two buckets. You can get decent lambswool or micro-fibre mitts fairly cheaply. Use one bucket for washing and the second bucket to properly rinse the mitt before putting it back in the clean washing bucket.

Its still going to dirty the clean water though isnt it? As you keep rinsing the mitt in one bucket more and more dirt will be in that bucket and some of that dirt will soak in the mitt as you dip it into the clean water, and thus transferring grit particles into the bucket with clean water and those grit particles go on your paint work. I have tried this before but it hasnt worked for me.

Now I just do the drivers side of the top of the car above the door handles front and back, replace bucket and mitt.

Then do the passenger side of the car, above the door handles front and back, replace mitt and water.

Then I do all the bonnet and the back but not the bumpers. Replace water and mitt.

Then I do the bumpers and the bottom sides of the drivers and passenger side front and back of the car. Replace water and mitts.

Finally I do wheels with a separate mitt and water.


This technique even-though time consuming I find I dont have many swirl marks on my car as I would with other techniques that I tried before.

teednab-el

DrMorphine wrote: »

Lambswool wash mitt and two bucket method with grit guard

Where did you get your grit guard as a matter of interest?

String

teednab-el wrote: »

Where did you get your grit guard as a matter of interest?

got mine on cleancar.ie

Blazer

Ordered mine from these guys...they seem to have an online presence over in bmw-drivers.net

http://www.detailingshed.com/

ordered the snow lance and shampoo etc...I'm a lazy frakker so can't see myself going to extremes on wax/polishing or the 2 bucket method

dar83

Blazer wrote: »

ordered the snow lance and shampoo etc...I'm a lazy frakker so can't see myself going to extremes on wax/polishing or the 2 bucket method

The snow foam process is only a prewash, you'll still have to get your hands dirty (so to speak) to clean the car properly.

I guess it all depends on how much shine you're after though.

leeroybrown

teednab-el wrote: »

Its still going to dirty the clean water though isnt it? As you keep rinsing the mitt in one bucket more and more dirt will be in that bucket and some of that dirt will soak in the mitt as you dip it into the clean water, and thus transferring grit particles into the bucket with clean water and those grit particles go on your paint work. I have tried this before but it hasnt worked for me.

Now I just do the drivers side of the top of the car above the door handles front and back, replace bucket and mitt.

Then do the passenger side of the car, above the door handles front and back, replace mitt and water.

Then I do all the bonnet and the back but not the bumpers. Replace water and mitt.

Then I do the bumpers and the bottom sides of the drivers and passenger side front and back of the car. Replace water and mitts.

Finally I do wheels with a separate mitt and water.


This technique even-though time consuming I find I dont have many swirl marks on my car as I would with other techniques that I tried before.

If I'm washing my car regularly and it's not too dirty I find it sufficient. The majority of the dirt and grit is left in the second bucket. You clearly want to put more time and effort into it than I do.

Blazer

dar83 wrote: »

The snow foam process is only a prewash, you'll still have to get your hands dirty (so to speak) to clean the car properly.

I guess it all depends on how much shine you're after though.

it'll do them although might try the wax and see how I get on with it...
funnyn thing is I was never a "wash the car" guy,...all my previous cars I'd do pop along to the nearest carwash and let them do it..
Now I find that I prefer to it myself as I do a better job and it's cheaper..

teednab-el

leeroybrown wrote: »

teednab-el wrote: »

Its still going to dirty the clean water though isnt it? As you keep rinsing the mitt in one bucket more and more dirt will be in that bucket and some of that dirt will soak in the mitt as you dip it into the clean wat er, and thus transferring grit particles into the bucket with clean water and those grit particles go on your paint work. I have tried this before but it hasnt worked for me.

Now I just do the drivers side of the top of the car above the door handles front and back, replace bucket and mitt.

Then do the passenger side of the car, above the door handles front and back, replace mitt and water.

Then I do all the bonnet and the back but not the bumpers. Replace water and mitt.

Then I do the bumpers and the bottom sides of the drivers and passenger side front and back of the car. Replace water and mitts.

Finally I do wheels with a separate mitt and water.


This technique even-though time consuming I find I dont have many swirl marks on my car as I would with other techniques that I tried before.

If I'm washing my car regularly and it's not too dirty I find it sufficient. The majority of the dirt and grit is left in the second bucket. You clearly want to put more time and effort into it than I do.

True I do like a nice clean car. Can't settle for just half washing it