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-   -   A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/102011-superb-car-cleaning-polishing-detailing-guide-389.html)

I also purchased it in Mumbai yesterday. Waiting for time to use it. Contacted black and decker who gave me dealer number. cost 2600. As far as similar product i personally couldn't find any , the codio one I found was around 1k and was working on lighter socket hence left it.

I've bought Meguiar's Odor Elimnator, Meguiar's Plast X, gold applicator pads, car duster (I think supplied by Jopasu - but good deals here) over the last 5 months.
Fast shipping. And they also threw in a microfibre cloth free in a couple of purchases.

Done. Sure thing.

Even I'm planning to purchase the same in weeks time. TopSpeeder & saurabhkum, a small request, do take before and after pics. Looking forward to the detailed review of B&D KP1200.

One small query to you both. KP1200 comes with two pads, one for application and another for buffing. Since I use 4 products in successive order
1. Megs SwirlX
2. BlackFire Gloss Enhancing Polish
3. BlackFire WetDiamond Paint Sealant
4. Collinite 915.

I did require 4 sets of each of those pads as one cannot use the same pad for every product because of product mismatch. Any idea if the pads are available and for how much?

Saurabhkum from which dealer did you get it in Mumbai, address please. Will purchase from there.

Thanks for the info.

Earlier in the thread I had asked for a solution for water spots. Here is a pic of a small section of the roof. These water marks are very rigid.
Suggestions please.

I had this problem with my black Cruze a few weeks ago after driving in rain. You can probably find the photographs on this thread above, or in my Cruze thread.

1. Take pure water in a glass, and squirt some lemon in it. The water should be very mildly warm. Now, dab a microfiber in this solution and very gently rub over the affected portions.

2. If this does not help, please visit a scientific store and take acetic acid (the primary component of vinegar; except that household vinegar also contains salt and may in rare cases contain other emulsifiers, which strictly should be avoided; I do not know what they do to paint). Dip a microfiber towel in this and apply it to the affected region.

3. If this does not help either, I recommend washing the car with Amway car shampoo, and then applying Optimum Opti Clean (I have written on this thread about its effectiveness in removing such spots). You will have to order it through car.studio on EBay or through someone else as Auto Mall which was supplying it until recently seems to have shut down. (PS -- Car.Studio does not have it in stock presently.)

Do not use bicarbonate or salt -- these result in deposits of their own.

If these three methods do not help, you should take your car to a professional body shop. Authorized service stations (at least) do have access to liquid rubbing compounds and stain removers. They may be able to help.

Also, make sure you do not use a dry cloth or apply anything too vigorously. You will end up with lots of swirls and streaks.

After you have gotten rid of the spots, do wax your car using a good quality wax such as Collinite 845. Two coats of 845 do indeed prevent such spots from getting impregnated in the paint.

Hope this helps. Do let us know how it goes.

Just wanted to know guys. Which is the best thing to use for cleaning :-

1. sponge
2. mitt
3. microfibre cloth

I know different people have different choices and its all about individual preference. But whats the general consensus?

Though the experts are free to correct me, I feel that the best way to wash a car is by a wash mitt & the subsequent drying/polishing should be done with a microfiber cloth.

Drive safe.

Ever since I came across some websites on the internet claiming that wash mitts (esp the ones with gloves) can cause swirls, I stopped using them. There are many products on the internet which are marketed as wash mitts, so that is another problem.

I have since used chamois and microfiber. For the past few weeks, I have exclusively used Eurow yellow microfiber towels to wipe clean, and dry the car after washing. I am quite satisfied with the results. Now the only swirls and streaks on my car (on parts of the boot and on a much smaller sector on the bonnet) are due to the imperfect cleaning procedures followed in the first few weeks of its acquisition.

So sponge can i also be used like those super jumbo ones. Big ones. And after cleaning dry it up with microfibre cloth? Is that kind of the right procedure?

Others will opine about the correct procedure (I've only had a black car for about 8 months), but I forgot to point out that I read warnings for both the sponge as well as the wash mitt.

I would go with a microfiber cloth towel for all the cleaning and buffing. I tried a sponge once..it left too many marks. So I will avoid the sponge as well as the mitt.

By the way, there is a video on this thread from Fifth Gear which compares the three standard car wash methods. The results are surprising. I think authorized service workshops in India should take notice. They inflict the most damage on cars while doing the courtesy of an in-service wash.

Used Formula 1 wash and wax bought from Ebay.in today and here is the result.
edit: credit for cleaning job goes to the cleaner!

I have been using the following two wash mitts, review on it here

1. Mothers Lambswool Wash Mitt
2. Meguairs Wash Mitt

@el lobo 6061: Sure, I will post details and pics after using KP 1200. I did search for you , but I could not find where we can get it in India.

Mostly, it is dust, much of which is abrasive, that causes the swirls.

I am about 5%* bothered about the appearance of my car as most of you guys <Blush> but I cry to see someone dip a rag in a bucket and rub it on an dirty car: it is like rubbing sand paper on it! :Frustrati

The loose layer of dust should be washed off with a hose. Otherwise something like a very soft brush or the famous Jopasu duster should be used to lift it off, not rub it in.

After getting rid of the loose dust, use something that lifts off, rather than rubs in. Microfibre is the good choice. What shape it is, cloth or mit, doesn't matter so much.

Chamois is for smearless drying, not for washing/cleaning. These days, microfibre does even that job just as well!

The main message is never rub dust into your paintwork.



*10% just now, as the car is still relatively new :)

el lobo, that'll make two of us. perhaps we can go together to buy. some discounts may be in the offfing

saurabhkum, could you share the dealer number here. we intent to buy the same too. do post a small review (with pics) once you've used it. How long is the wire? Needed to know as I stay on the fourth floor and dont have a connection near parking.

The contact number is 9323910798. Name of the person is Jeetubhai. The length of the wire as written its 2 meters. have not used it so don't know exactly.