Detailing Thread

THE_FORCE

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This is the results after Refined Detail paid us a visit. Quite tough to show reflections in Silver apparently, but Richard done us a treat :

                                                                                                                                               

I just have to maintain it now.

mjn

Nice!

KelvinS1965

Looks very shiny for a silver car. Did you notice that he's left a black circle of dirt on the back bumper though?

Inked

Thats beautiful!

mjn

To keep your alloys sparkling?

Armor All® - Product Detail

gam

THE_FORCE, very nice finish on a very nice looking car

that video looks class but only lasts upto 4 weeks though, not as handy if you've open wheels and want the inner done too

which reminds me, I have to go out and give mine a wash now as it hasn't been done in a couple of weeks

rousetafarian

I'm going to sit in a corner and be envious of the BCGT.....for ever.

Sandman

I know its not really detailing but more valeting but I managed to get a copy of Mark Evans how clean is your car.  It goes through the various stages of washing your car and the best way to do it. Some will no doubt find it boring but I quite enjoyed it.
Oh, Mark Evens is the guy from the A car is born series.

KelvinS1965

I'm a big fan of Mark Evan's series...I recorded most of them as they are shown on Dave during the day. Gives me something to watch when there's nothing else on but soaps.

Jules Winfield

I usually clean my car (Golf Mk 6) every other week.  I vary the routine depending on the season.

In winter, I use my power washer (Kranzle) with a snow foam attachment, which is great fun, then I rinse it off.  I then use the two bucket approach to wash the bodywork.  Then I dry it off, do the windows, exhaust tips (chrome) and the black trim if needed.  I change my tyres and wheels to a set of winter tyres (Continental) and some steel wheels, so only I only bother to clean the plastic trims (don't really care about the tyres).

Come summer, I put the power washer away and instead use a product called Optimum No Rinse.  I read about it on Detailing World, and it promises great results without using loads of water.  Basically I spray it on panel-by-panel (I bought a 5 litre fence sprayer from Wickes), leave it to dwell for 30 seconds or so, then wipe it off with a cloth that I've left to soak in ONR for a bit.  Once wiped off, I dry the panel with a cloth, then move on to the next one.  The car looks an absolute treat after using it.  Once all that's done, I'll do the windows, exhaust tips and trim as usual.  Every six months or so I'll wax the car as well - I need to do this at some point in the not-too-distant future.

When swapping tyres/wheels, I give the ones being taken off a thorough cleaning with Bilberry (which is fantastic stuff), hose them down, dry them and put a couple of coats of sealant on.  They then go in the shed on a rack I bought from eBay until I need them next.  As Bilberry will take off the sealant, I just use a brush and mitt with a bucket to clean my alloys during the summer - they don't need anything more.

All of this is fairly time consuming.  In the winter, I can spend over two hours if I decide to clean the insides as well; the summer treatment usually takes just over an hour.  Then, usually, it'll rain.  Ho hum.  Another downside is that it's easy to notice stone chips (I have a number on the bonnet) and scratches in the glass (windscreen, driver's window) whilst I'm cleaning things.

I refuse to let anyone else clean my car.  At its last service, I specifically asked them not to do it.  They managed to obey this instruction, but still write down that they'd cleaned it on my invoice(!).