A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide

geeash · 26th May 2009, 14:14

Quote:

What is an alternative to bucket & cloth? wash thro' Hose pipe? if thats not possible, any other better alternative?

my car is 1 month old & there are already swirls visible plus few small minor scratches

Get a microfibre or chenille wash mitt instead of cloth. And make sure at first you spray water from hosepipe to wash of the layer of dust and then use wash mitt and bucket with water and carshampoo.

Quote:

my car is 1 month old & there are already swirls visible plus few small minor scratches

Same here. i guess we cannot avoid swirls and minor scratches. May be after a year we can go for 3M surface refinement treatment to have the swirls out.

janitha · 26th May 2009, 14:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by geeash

Same here. i guess we cannot avoid swirls and minor scratches. May be after a year we can go for 3M surface refinement treatment to have the swirls out.

Or a mild rubbing and waxing?

VahanPujari · 26th May 2009, 17:43

I've used Euro Gold Spray Shiner (Pic attached below) on my Linea 3 weeks after DIY F1 Carnauba waxing. After applying this spray, the surface is very very smooth & feel somewhat oily-kinda. End of the day if I move finger on the paint to check dust, the dust feels like damp (not 100% dry) & sticks with the finger. Yday after reaching home, before puting on car body cover, I tried that multi-colored duster to see how it cleans the dust (normally I do not wipe the dust before putin on car cover - scared of wiping dry dust). the damp-kinda dust sticked to duster when I very lightly moved duster over the surface.

While applying this shiner (seems to be a detailer), I observed it initially leaves rainbow type spot (similar to what normally petroleum product leaves during monsoon), when the excess deposit is to be wiped off with a cloth, this spot gets lighter. The car surface became so smooth that the body cover fell twice to one side while i was trying to put it on (happened first time hence could notice the difference)

I got this at a petrol pump in a combo pack when I was buying a scrach remover.
Am not sure whether any adverse effect of using this?

crazydiablo · 26th May 2009, 17:55

I dont like Euro gold personally. Yeah it leaves too oily a finish just after applying. Tried it on the bike (my lab rat is the CBZ). Did not like it. Easy for cleaning plastics on bikes.

geeash · 26th May 2009, 18:06

I would tell you not to use a shiner as this early (i think it is only made of soap oil). It kind of make the dust stick to the surface and makes removal during wash all more difficult as it is oily. Waxing is more than enough. As waxing beads water and when water flows automatically dusts get washed by it.

VahanPujari · 27th May 2009, 09:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazydiablo

I dont like Euro gold personally. Yeah it leaves too oily a finish just after applying. Tried it on the bike (my lab rat is the CBZ). Did not like it. Easy for cleaning plastics on bikes.

What is it actually? Someone here said it might be a detailer? Is it?
Does it have any adverse effect on paint etc or one can use it?

The issue I'm facing is the washer guys generally do not do the daily wash. Though I've asked him not to touch the car with dry cloth without washing, I'm not sure how he is doing it early morning. At the most he might be doing soak cloth kinda cleaning but that too I guess may lead to scratches. My car is always parked in open so end of day it becomes dusty & on top of that late evening I put on body cover on it when I reach back home.

Found this old bottle to be useful in above scenario but am not sure about its side-effects, if any?

geeash · 27th May 2009, 10:03

Quote:

What is it actually? Someone here said it might be a detailer? Is it?
Does it have any adverse effect on paint etc or one can use it?

I remember the old petrolbunk guy selling this along with a stain remover and a couple of other spray for 350rs a pack or bundle. These cheap things are not detailers they are just soap oils put in container (that is why the rainbow appears). And moreover the pack used to state that this spray should be used on dashboard and vinyls to get the black look. You can smell it and it will be just soap oil on the container. Even the eurogold glass cleaner just has soap water. Dont even dare to use these things on paint as it will make dust to stick on it and will not go away during wash causing more scratches. And on long term usage the sheen of the paint comes off making it dull. It is better to wash the car with carshampoo (3M) and water every week sunday and wax it thoroughly. On rest of the days just use a soft cloth and dust it first and the wipe it clean. The shine will last if u use good quality wax like turtlewax or even better is meguiar wax which is the best but pretty expensive.
Atleast that is what i do. what say car gurus?.............

VahanPujari · 27th May 2009, 11:18

Gurus - Another query

I've a New Linea Flamenco Red colour. Should I go for 3M Paint Protection treatment right away? Will it help avoiding minor small scratches particularly due to wiping/ cleaning etc?

OR should I wait for a year & then get the 3M surface refinement treatment done? Does it remove scratches?

27th May 2009, 11:59

wats best for removing Tar & black Spots:

WD40 or Diesel ?

heard WD40 is too strong.... true ?

amitk26 · 27th May 2009, 12:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitin.dangayach

wats best for removing Tar & black Spots:

WD40 or Diesel ?

heard WD40 is too strong.... true ?

Nothing like too strong , I highly suspect it to be same as Kerosene / ATF ( C-8 to C-15) filled in a can with a propellant

( going by smell and feel between fingers)

Following link confirms this , it seems WD-40 is around 80% Kerosene / ATF ( C-8 to C-15 hydrocarbon) and some 10% light machine oil and another 10% for increasing stability propulsion etc.

WD-40

You need a cleaning agent for removing tar and not a lubricating agent so a 100% kerosene or 100% petrol ( next higher in packing order of number of carbon in chain ) will be better then WD-40

I cleaned Holi colors from my maruti bonnet using petrol as they were not going with diesel and WD40

Diesel has certain lubricating properties so leaves the surface greasy and you need to shampoo the car.

See Tar is soluble in Diesel / Petrol / Kerosene and paint is not soluble in any of them so just try whatever is available easily/cheaply to you.

Jaggu · 27th May 2009, 18:01

Diesel is the safest bet, especially if you have a light colored car/repainted surface etc. Ensure you wash it off with good car shampoo.

Sahil · 29th May 2009, 10:03

Fell prey to a bad interior leather detailing job yesterday. The chaps used some petrol based liquids to clean the seats which have left a heady odour in the car. I had managed to almost preserve the new car smell for over a year and a half but now it's all gone !
Please recommend some good leather cleaning products to get the smell back. I don't want to use air freshners,etc. Just need the leather to smell right.
Location in Bandra side to buy the product would help too..

Raccoon · 29th May 2009, 15:42

^^^ Consider Formula 1's dashboard cleaner spray. It can be used on leather. Its got a nice citrus fragrance and works good too.

crazydiablo · 29th May 2009, 15:49

I dont think thats a good idea. You have buy a upholstery shampoo and shampoo the whole seats. Then use a leather conditioner, Turtle Wax or Stanley Leather conditioner.

VahanPujari · 29th May 2009, 16:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raccoon

^^^ Consider Formula 1's dashboard cleaner spray. It can be used on leather. Its got a nice citrus fragrance and works good too.

Yes, Formula 1 Dashboard Cleaner spray is good & the smell is also good.

26th May 2009, 17:43	#693
VahanPujari BANNED Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,308 Thanked: 8 Times	I've used Euro Gold Spray Shiner (Pic attached below) on my Linea 3 weeks after DIY F1 Carnauba waxing. After applying this spray, the surface is very very smooth & feel somewhat oily-kinda. End of the day if I move finger on the paint to check dust, the dust feels like damp (not 100% dry) & sticks with the finger. Yday after reaching home, before puting on car body cover, I tried that multi-colored duster to see how it cleans the dust (normally I do not wipe the dust before putin on car cover - scared of wiping dry dust). the damp-kinda dust sticked to duster when I very lightly moved duster over the surface. While applying this shiner (seems to be a detailer), I observed it initially leaves rainbow type spot (similar to what normally petroleum product leaves during monsoon), when the excess deposit is to be wiped off with a cloth, this spot gets lighter. The car surface became so smooth that the body cover fell twice to one side while i was trying to put it on (happened first time hence could notice the difference) I got this at a petrol pump in a combo pack when I was buying a scrach remover. Am not sure whether any adverse effect of using this? Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

26th May 2009, 17:55	#694
crazydiablo BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore/San Francisco Posts: 854 Thanked: 24 Times View My Garage	I dont like Euro gold personally. Yeah it leaves too oily a finish just after applying. Tried it on the bike (my lab rat is the CBZ). Did not like it. Easy for cleaning plastics on bikes.
	() Thanks

26th May 2009, 18:06	#695
geeash Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,513 Thanked: 146 Times	I would tell you not to use a shiner as this early (i think it is only made of soap oil). It kind of make the dust stick to the surface and makes removal during wash all more difficult as it is oily. Waxing is more than enough. As waxing beads water and when water flows automatically dusts get washed by it.
	() Thanks

27th May 2009, 11:18	#698
VahanPujari BANNED Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,308 Thanked: 8 Times	Gurus - Another query I've a New Linea Flamenco Red colour. Should I go for 3M Paint Protection treatment right away? Will it help avoiding minor small scratches particularly due to wiping/ cleaning etc? OR should I wait for a year & then get the 3M surface refinement treatment done? Does it remove scratches?
	() Thanks

27th May 2009, 11:59	#699
nitin.dangayach Posts: n/a	wats best for removing Tar & black Spots: WD40 or Diesel ? heard WD40 is too strong.... true ?
	() Thanks

27th May 2009, 18:01	#701
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,215 Thanked: 15,908 Times	Diesel is the safest bet, especially if you have a light colored car/repainted surface etc. Ensure you wash it off with good car shampoo.
	() Thanks

29th May 2009, 10:03	#702
Sahil Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 6,292 Thanked: 7,608 Times	Fell prey to a bad interior leather detailing job yesterday. The chaps used some petrol based liquids to clean the seats which have left a heady odour in the car. I had managed to almost preserve the new car smell for over a year and a half but now it's all gone ! Please recommend some good leather cleaning products to get the smell back. I don't want to use air freshners,etc. Just need the leather to smell right. Location in Bandra side to buy the product would help too..
	() Thanks

29th May 2009, 15:42	#703
Raccoon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Poona Posts: 1,851 Thanked: 116 Times	^^^ Consider Formula 1's dashboard cleaner spray. It can be used on leather. Its got a nice citrus fragrance and works good too.
	() Thanks

29th May 2009, 15:49	#704
crazydiablo BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore/San Francisco Posts: 854 Thanked: 24 Times View My Garage	I dont think thats a good idea. You have buy a upholstery shampoo and shampoo the whole seats. Then use a leather conditioner, Turtle Wax or Stanley Leather conditioner.
	() Thanks