People Who Know Their Stuff With Detailing

[ste91]

I usually get good results when cleaning/polishing a car, however I don't spend loads on products (T-Cut, decent polish, and then Halfords special offers for everything else lol).

And I'm still using the old fashioned tool known as a "sponge".

What I'm after really is just some advise, what things I REALLY need to be buying, and anything I need to do differently.

As an example, mine and my sisters Starlets were both needing a good go over so recently I've done both using the following products, in this order:

- Hose the car down (or jetwash if I can be bothered to get it out).

- Give the car a quick wash in shampoo (currently using TurtleWax as it was on offer), using the old fashioned sponge & bucket.

- Then give it another wash, this time being more thorough, once the majority of the dirt has been removed from the first go over. (Fresh shampoo/water/cleaned sponge).

- T Cut if needed, but I've only done this once on each car. And then rinse the car off.

- Polish the car using AutoGlym Super Resin Polish (I do use decent polishing cloths for this).

The difference before and after was like night and day for both cars.

I've been reading a little bit lately about things like claying, why sponges are bad, the "two bucket" method, microfibre and wool washing mitts, etc... and it seems I'm a good few years behind with everything.

As I said I get good results doing things the old fashioned way and then just giving the car a good polish, but I want to try out new things if they're going to give better results or if they're better for the paint.

And since my CRX is getting on for 19 years old, I'm tempted to give it all a go, claying and whatnot.

Bearing in mind I don't really want to spend much money, can anyone recommend any products, or that I do anything differently (I'm guessing someone will tell me to throw away the sponges lol).

[LukeSR]

First start with ditching the sponge and get one of these and for drying one of these.

As for washing / drying heres what i do.

Get the hose and don't use anything on the end, just the dribble straight though hose thing lol and wet down the whole car.

Get two buckets, one with fresh warm water and the other shampoo + mitt.

I do all bodywork and every time i rinse the mitt in the fresh water first before putting it into the shampoo, the amount of crap in the water bucket after is

Rinse down with hose again and dry with the towel i suggested ^^

[Blitz]

lukey knows it

microfibre wash mitt to reduce scratching

two buckets one with hot water and one with hot water and car shampoo so every time you take the mit off the car dip it in the hot plain water bucket then into the shampoo

then dry it off with like the kent microfibre drying towel as they are fantastic

then use some decent products ie auto glym, meguirs, poor boys, and dodo juice everyone has their favorites

use a decent system once and it ll make your life easier ie,

i cut my car using ultimate compound

then stage 2 polish

stage 3 wax

then high deff waxed it

then like glass polish

next time you go to clean it ll be so much easier