Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Technical Stuff (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/)

-   -   A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/102011-superb-car-cleaning-polishing-detailing-guide-432.html)

Just a couple of thoughts

• You can layer sealant - wax and then sealant. But then it all depends on what you are after and time and yes money!! Also after a point it doesnt make any difference. Usually 2-3 layers and thats about it.

• Also be aware that some LSP (wax or sealants) have mild cleaners in them and can remove the layer beneath. So say you put a sealant and then top it with a wax that has mild cleaners then in all likely hood it will remove the wax coating. So just do your research before getting stuff. I learnt it the hard way years ago, when I thought I could layer Meg Gold Class but it had cleaners so no layering is possible.

• Good Carnauba based wax gives a nice warm depth to the paint Sealants generally a glassy reflection. Different strokes for different folks I guess!

Between Poli-coat and opti-seal which one would you recommend ?

I hundred percent agree with you. But repainting is very expensive affair and scratch occurrence are regular. Ultimate compound surely helps in reducing the scratch. Likewise the pic I have posted in previous post, shows that the scratch has penetrated through paint(white primer visible), but it has not. It surely appear white, but there is still some what paint remaining. Paint on car surface is normally think as 2 sheets of paper. One should always give a rubbing compound a try.

I have only used Poli-Coat once. It surely gives a good gloss and protection. It even costs far less than Opti-Seal. You get almost twice the amount for the lesser price paid than Opti-Seal. Price reference used from Autogeek.

Poli-Coat. Opti-Seal.

You can refer to the below link, in which in the end I have used Poli-Coat named as PS#1.

Link.

From where are you sourcing Poli-Coat & Opti-Seal and their price?

Friends great to see, a topic related to car washing and polishing is discussed at length here.

I have a question, I have watched many car cleaning videos on Youtube. Almost all of them uses water very liberally. I stay in an apartment on sixth floor and I don't have access to water hose. So what could be the best procedure to follow?

Right now, I take two buckets of water, one with a car washing liquid and other with plain water. Just now started using micro fibers and have ordered Jopasu car duster.

I don't use car except during weekends so keep the car with cover. Also it will be helpful if some one can some tips to wash the car cover.

@MaxTorque.... I think many of us are in the same situation.

For washing I would suggest 3/4 buckets.
- Use half to 1 bucket to water down the vehicle to get rid of dust and grime
- Next shampoo the car with a good microfiber or wash mitt and periodically keep cleaning it by dipping it into the third bucket of clean water
- Use the last bucket to rinse

Since your car is not a everyday ride, it will not get too dirty.

Also remember to let the car completely dry (atleast a good 6-8 hours) before you cover her up!

I am in the same situation (plus a bit water conscious also as we dont get Cauvery water in our society) so I use a No Rinse solution. I use Washdrops but I've heard great things about Optimum No Rinse (havent been able to source that so far).

I just add about 4L water to 60ml of No Rinse and use that for all washing. It works just fine.

I started using ONR since last month after using regular Mothers California Gold shampoo for years, and am very happy with the results. I can complete the washing of a moderately dirty/dusty car in about 3/4 th bucket. Two half buckets if I use the 2 bucket system. ONR leaves a waxy residue of some sort which looks similar to using the quick detailers avaialble in the market.

Gears,
Red-One.

Took some time off on the weekend to spend some quality time with the Terracan. After all the effort, wanted to take some good pics but realized that the camera battery had died. I had to take the pics on my phone, so please excuse the less than stellar quality :D.

Day 1:

Wash with California Gold Shampoo to remove any existing wax
Clay with Meguiars clay and ONR in Quick Detailer dilution

Day 2:

Dust with Jopasu
Wash with ONR
Polish with Meguiars Ultimate Polish
Finish with Collinite 845

Overall, quite happy with the finish; not bad for a 6 year old paint! I was not very convinced about the clay process, doing this for the first time, I expected a lot of grime to come out and see a visible difference but it was not so. The white clay was only slightly soiled after each panel and did not notice any difference visibly or by touch.

Do let me know your comments/suggestions

Gears,
Red-One

Terrific job! The black on your vehicle is what black should look like. I specially liked the second picture; that shot of the hood looks good enough to eat.

@ALL: Guys, my parking is not covered or on a cemented surface, rather, its in a ground & therefore, washing/waxing etc has to be done in one go itself. Is there any way I can split this exercise in two days i.e. is there any way to effectively remove dust on the second day before polishing/waxing without having to wash the car all over again?

As "joslicx" suggested, use Optinum No Rinse" (ONR) Get a water sprayer 1 litre Bottle(the one used in saloon) Add 4ml ONR into 1 litre spray bottle. Just spray this solution over the car and after a minute wipe it with wet Micro Fiber cloth. In between rinse MF cloth in a bucket of water. Then you can wipe with dry MF cloth. This process takes 10-15 minutes with just one bucket of water. You can use this process even if the car was driven in rain.
You can get from Eco Car Care in Rajajinagar. P.M me for landmark, I donot know their address.
Actually it is 4ml of ONR into 1litre of water for washing. Its mentioned on bottle that 1oz ONR in 1gallon of water. For quick detailing, its 1:16 ratio.

Earlier, after washing with ordinary water, I used to spray Meguiar's quick detailer. Now after washing with ONR, I donot use quick detailer. The car just shines after cleaning with ONR.

The 6year old car looks amazing. You have well maintained it. And the detailing looks good with that glossy finish. The reflection of buildings on the bonnet is great. Did you use ONR solution with1:60 ratio while claying ?

After washing, you will clay or polish or wax the car. If the job is incomplete, the next day you can just pour the plain water and press with dry Micro Fiber Cloth. Then continue detailing.

You could just use a Jopasu or similar brush to wipe the dust off, but really depends on the amount of accumulated dust. But I wouldn't be comfortable doing this. Plus, if there has been any moisture deposited on the surface through rain or dew, it is a definite no no.

You could use the one of the no rinse products, as they usually add just about 15-20 minutes.

Gears,
Red-One.

Thanks! I used ONR in 1:16 ratio approximately for detailing/claying. Basically added 1 capful to a litre spray bottle. For washing, I use 1 capful for evey half bucket.

Gears,
Red-One.

Note from the Team-BHP Support: Please use the EDIT or MULTI-QUOTE buttons instead of typing one post after another on the same thread.

Recently, I bought a Nano Clean (from Luxor) for cleaning up plastic articles.
It read on the pack, that it could also be used for cleaning up dashboards.
So i used it on my car. I thought the dashboard was pretty clean but as it cleaned up the dashboard, I could actually see the difference.
The cloth I was using turned almost black.
Great product. Highly recommended.

For claying, very dilute solution of ONR like 1:60 is sufficient. But for quick detail after wash 1:16 required.

What is the best and least time-consuming way to use ONR? I do the normal 2-bucket method with ONR.I clean one panel with ONR-water and then wipe it dry with another microfiber tower and continue the same for other panels.
I am thinking of trying out the above method you just mentioned.

Also, what products and procedure you guys use for cleaning wheels and tires? I am thinking of getting Eagle One A2Z Wheel and Tire Cleaner as it can be used for both wheels and tires. Any feedback or alternate suggestions? What I am looking for is a product which is convenient and easy on the pocket, though it may not be the best.


Another question to @el lobo 6061 or anyone else who has used FinishKare 108AS Tope Kote -

I am planning to buy this product for usage on internal and external plastics as well as tire.
Do you recommend the product?
How is the durability? How long it will last on tires under normal driving conditions?
What is the best way to use the product?

Thanks...
Aadi

Hi Guys,

Need some inputs on what car care/detailing products to buy for my shadow blue vento. This color requires a lot of maintenance. What products will I need and where can I get them in Mumbai? Have heard about meguiars / colinite . Which ones are good?

Thanks.

OK. The clay kit came with Meguiars quick detailer, so thought I'd use ONR in same format. Do you think the effectiveness of the clay was reduced due to this? Coz like I wrote earlier, I felt claying did not bring out as much grime as I expected.

Gears,
Red-One.