Could I Have Some Advice Please?

Kintarō Hattori

Hi Folks,

I'm only on my second ever car- the first was a Micra K11 which got a basic wash and hoovering out while we had it. However I've bought a 2005 BMW 320 and I'd like to know how to keep it looking spic and span.

My questions may seem really well eh thick but the Micra was fine with a basic clean out and I've never cleaned a car properly in my life. I went into Halfords yesterday to pick up some supplies and I was absolutely bewildered by the brands and choice of product so decided I'm better off asking for some advice.

Outside the car I'd like to give it a warm soapy wash to clean off the dirt. Is there a shampoo/sponge I should be looking for? After a wash what comes next, is it straight into waxing or do I need to use something else first?

Inside I would give it an excellent hoovering but what would I need to keep the dash/door panels in tip top condition?

I gather choosing a product for the wheels/windows should be a little easier?

Again I'm sorry if my questions seem really silly. It's simply that I'm willing to spend a few hours cleaning the car at the weekend and I'd like to do it correctly (without going too nuts as I'm not at that stage yet). I also have a fear that I'd buy something and end up damaging the paintwork!

Kintarō Hattori

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Could I Have Some Advice Please?

To give the car a quick clean, on the cheap (this is what I used to do until this forum sucked me in and cleared out my bank account), you could pick up a 5 litre of Tesco wash and wax (comes in a black bottle with a red cap), a decent 'wash mitt' in Halfords (don't buy the Tesco one, it's a pain in the hole after a wash or two. It loses all it's shape and becomes very grubby or awkward).

Pick up two buckets (tesco sell buckets for €4 each, I think) and use the two bucket method.

The two bucket method is a fancy way of saying:

1. Fill a bucket with warm water mixed with wash and wax.
2. Fill a bucket with cold water.
3. Dip your hand (with the wash mitt on, of course) into the warm water and wash & wax, and rub it around a panel.
4. Dip your hand into the cold water and shake out any dirt that may have become clogged in the mitt from wiping the car.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the car is clean.


It helps to throw a few buckets of water at the car before touching it by hand. Can get rid of some of the thicker dirt before you get stuck in.



That'd be my advice for a cheap and cheerful wash. Tesco Wash and Wax isn't too bad a product either (though you will need to use a bit of it per wash. Scrimping on it will do you no good).

If you're getting technical for the interior then look up a proper product, but in reality, if you're not that bothered, any old sh*te will clean the dashboard. I cleaned my interior a couple of weeks ago using Pledge Wood cleaner (I was in the middle of nowhere and it was all I had).

It came out grand. I'm sure there's a reason why I shouldn't use it, but it seemed to do a decent job to me, for what it was. Left a nice smell, too.



If, after doing the above a couple of times, you still have an interest in cleaning it and keeping it in top shape, then I'd come back again looking for particular/specific recommendations.


When I got my Rav4, I cleaned it using the above method a few times and I loved it. It was sparking, etc. but after a while I still had a big interest in keeping it clean (my car was covered in swirl marks that were quite noticeable, so I wanted rid of them, which continuously spurred me on to try and perfect it - that, and I love my car as a whole, so...).

So after a few washes like that, I began to want more detailed washes and I wanted to make it really have a good shine, etc. so all of a sudden the 'clean' i got from these washes wasn't clean enough. But that'll always happen with time, with hobbies.


Oh, also, you'll have to make an attempt at drying the car, too, or the water will run on it and leave watermarks all over it. There's a tedious and cheap (but workable) way of doing this, and that's to buy a 12pack of microfibre cloths in Homestore And More for €5. These will be useful, but they don't absorb much, so you'll use up a fair few of them, and it'll take longer, but they can also be used for inside the car, too.


If you're feeling more adventurous and have a decent budget, you can pick up a proper drying towel in halfords or on a detailing site.

But you'll probably need the microfibre cloths for the inside anyway, so it may do no harm to give them a shot first and see how you get on.


Last time I cleaned my car took 3 days. I'd see if you're likely to stick with it before throwing money at it.

Zoney

Another recent newbie here!

If you do a separate wax, the cloths can help or hinder a lot. I looked over some fancy cloths in Halfords, and got some basic ones there and in Tesco, but the cloths I'm happiest with are a twinpack of yellow JML ones I picked up in Tesco, one an applicator (but less "skritchy" than the other microfibre ones) and the other is the fluffiest one ever, buffs really nicely. So soft, it's like rubbing a plush toy over the car! One of the Halfords ones is for applying protection, another for trim oiling and the Tesco ones are good for windows. I suspect you can never have too many cloths.

I was happy enough with Turtlewax wash n wax got at 100% extra free in Dunnes, and later some turtle wax polish got cheaply at the local co-op. I am happier still now with the Autoglym shampoo I got after recommendations here (got it to match the Autoglym claying products, polish and protection I applied). I found the tesco wash mitt OK myself tbh, but I wash it out afterwards quite well, and dry not on the radiator, but hanging on the door handle of a door usually open beside a radiator.

I'd definitely say it's worth taking the next step of a separate wax/polish after a wash, just because it makes washing next time easier, and also car looks good for longer too! I found it pretty quick to apply the first polish I got (wipe on, wait for haze - almost enough to just go back to where you started, wipe off)

I had a hose from the start with good water pressure and hozelock nozzles (came included with the house That's been pretty handy. Not really too fussed yet on getting fancier than that (plenty to read about and see here, snowfoam, etc, nice results for sure), but if you haven't a hose yet, I'd say it's worth going getting something.