Car Wash

forumdedum · 19-07-2025 11:17PM #1

My new car is due its first wash. Just go to the local guys for €15 or should I go somewhere fancy for first wash and get car waxed etc? Sorry, if silly question - been a long time since I owned a brand new car

User1998 · 20-07-2025 08:49AM

Depends if you care about swirl marks etc. Average motorists tend to just use a carwash. Sometimes the hand wash places are just as bad

joe1303l · 20-07-2025 09:32AM

Usual advice if it’s important to you is to do it yourself using the 2 bucket method with grit guards. Most people don’t care. Most traders won’t care either what the paintwork is like when you go to trade it in. It sort of depends on what it is too. If it’s something high end, it might be worth finding a local detailer to maintain it regularly. If it’s an econobox, your local brazilian/eastern european car wash will be fine.

forumdedum · 20-07-2025 09:52AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123652639#Comment_123652639

Not sure I'd trust myself to do the job properly. This car would be high end to me. I'd be happy enough to pay a detailer. I'm afraid of scratches if not done correctly.

User1998 · 20-07-2025 10:57AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123652674#Comment_123652674

Where are you located?

forumdedum · 20-07-2025 04:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123652797#Comment_123652797

Close to Drogheda in Louth

EV01 · 21-07-2025 10:07PM

yeah, car washing has moved on from simple “bucket + sponge” to complex+expensive “products + process” which keeps 1000s of YouTubers off the streets, each insisting you must do/use this + never do/use that, while the next vid will confidently exhort the exact opposite

trouble is, I’m a sucker for car products…🤣

Gumbo · 21-07-2025 10:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123652639#Comment_123652639

I’ll go against the grain here and offer up a more modern method with one bucket.
Do the usual prewash non contact routine.
Then for the contact wash, fill up your one bucket, yes one bucket without grit guards etc with your usual water and shampoo that tickles your fancy.

Now for the science, have a few different wash mitts all in the bucket.

Wash one section, roof for example. Throw that wash mitt into the dirty pile.

Pull out another wash mitt and do another couple of panels.

Then keep 2 to do the lower panels.

No dirty mitt ever touches the water so no need for grit guards etc.

the_amazing_raisin · 22-07-2025 11:40AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123657737#Comment_123657737

I thought Andy from EVM did a very good video on it years ago and he went somewhat against the narrative by recommending Autoglym products

His reasoning was pretty clear, they work, they're widely available and can often be found at a discount somewhere

EV01 · 23-07-2025 06:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123658861#Comment_123658861

When I changed my car and it was all nice ‘n’ shiny I watched dozens of YT car cleaning vids and learned I must have a snow foam thing. So then I had to watch more vids on snow foam things... Then I bought one (pretty decent at a cheap price). Then I had to watch more vids on snow foam… Then ‘repeat’ for cloths, mitts, towels, wheels, shampoo, polish…

I’ve now got the lot and a complicated ‘industrial’ cleaning process all worked out: where to put things, what order to use them, how to use them (top/bottom first, discards), temperature, sunlight…

Life was so much simpler with just a bucket of water, washing up liquid +a sponge…🤣

forumdedum · 24-07-2025 02:16PM

Thanks for all the input. Took it to a hand car wash yesterday. Seems good and they would definitely do a better job than I

Car Wash

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