Car Shampoo

[twintopp]

i use a sponge and bucket , an Absorber synthetic leather to dry the car and then buff it with a clean lint free cloth, i hate using a hose or jet washer and would never ever use a car wash.

[Hybrid21]

12 hours ago, twintopp said:

i use a sponge and bucket , an Absorber synthetic leather to dry the car and then buff it with a clean lint free cloth, i hate using a hose or jet washer and would never ever use a car wash.

I certainly would advise against using a sponge Stephen, too easy to drag a small piece of grit over the paintwork.

Better with a soft hand brush or a microfiber mitt 👍 

Only my opinion after well over 50 years of washing cars 😃

 

[Gray86]

9 hours ago, Hybrid21 said:

I certainly would advise against using a sponge Stephen, too easy to drag a small piece of grit over the paintwork.

Better with a soft hand brush or a microfiber mitt 👍 

Only my opinion after well over 50 years of washing cars 😃

 

^^ defo never a sponge. Big fan of Meguiars Lambswool wash mitt as it’s very gentle on the paint. Providing you don’t drop it on the floor it should last at least a year. 

[twintopp]

i use a separate sponge around the wheel arches and the back bumper area and have never had a problem in over 50 years of washing my motors 

[Jimota]

Does anyone use a cordless power washer to clean their cars?  I was thinking of purchasing one but there has been a lot of mixed views on the subject.  I raised this question in the detailing section but so far no response.  The main complaint is the water pressure is not strong enough but I would only use it to rinse the vehicle.  I recently moved address to a flat and have no access to an outside water tap and don’t really want to use the numerous so called “Hand Wash” businesses that have cropped up all over the place.  The thought of car wash personnel using the same sponge to clean numerous vehicles in a day does not appeal to me.

[Leo63]

Yes I have worx cordless power washer and I find it as you say its not very powerful but it gets the job done.

  I use a 10 litre bucket to wet the car and then a 2 litre pop bottle with simoniz 2 in 1 shampoo and snow foam  water mix and then I rinse it off with another 10 litre bucket of water.

The worx cordless power washer came with 2 batteries but I only the 1 Battery with no problem.

 

[bigblock]

I use Williams waterless spray with Canuba wax. No water required. No scratches or swuirls on paintwork. Been using it for 5 years now. The more you use it the more it builds up a layer of protection. When it rains the dirt just falls off it. It really does work well and I get a brilliant shine too.

[Jimota]

Thanks Chris and Michael for the updates.  My Yaris Cross will be given the G3 paint protection treatment when it arrives at the dealership.  I think I’d prefer using a  cordless pressure washer as I shouldn’t need to use microfibre cloths or sponges to wipe away the dirt.  I’ve seen the waterless spray polishes on a shopping channel and it seems they do a good job.  However, as the G3 treatment gives a permanent gloss, using a waterless spray polish may not have the same effect on protected paintwork.  Anyway, plenty of time to make my own mind up.

[Cyker]

Just check that they actually applied it; Mine was supposed to come with Supagard applied and it was pretty obvious that it hadn't, but thankfully Supagard actually have good customer service and sent someone down to detail the car and apply it, no argument. Have to say they were really pleasant to deal with, and while the coating definitely isn't going to last 3 years (It stopped being hydrophobic in less than a year, and while it's still stopping bird poo sticking to the car as bad it definitely isn't performing anywhere near as well as it did at the beginning!), I might still get it re-applied just because of the level of customer service.

(Although if anyone has any suggestions for a stronger coating I'm all ears - I'm very lazy and hate washing the car because it'll be just as dirty again within a week, so my ideal coating is one I don't have to look after and can let the rain wash the car  )

[Jimota]

On 11/20/2022 at 6:19 AM, Leo63 said:

Yes I have worx cordless power washer and I find it as you say its not very powerful but it gets the job done.

  I use a 10 litre bucket to wet the car and then a 2 litre pop bottle with simoniz 2 in 1 shampoo and snow foam  water mix and then I rinse it off with another 10 litre bucket of water.

The worx cordless power washer came with 2 batteries but I only the 1 battery with no problem.

 

Do you still need to wipe the car with a sponge or does the shampoo and power washer do all the work?

[Vainona70]

Jimota - a pressure washer can be used as a pre-wash, but should not replace the contact wash (with a mitt & shampoo) to get the paintwork properly clean.

Cyker - the supaguard (applied FOC by the dealer) on my wife's Yaris is still making the paint hydrophobic after 16 months. You can refresh this water behaviour using any 'topper' product. I use a Diamondbrite conserver to refresh the supaguard protection as it's left over from my previous coated car & sitting in my garage. Supaguard sell a similar product.

[Jimota]

14 hours ago, Cyker said:

Just check that they actually applied it; Mine was supposed to come with Supagard applied and it was pretty obvious that it hadn't, but thankfully Supagard actually have good customer service and sent someone down to detail the car and apply it, no argument. Have to say they were really pleasant to deal with, and while the coating definitely isn't going to last 3 years (It stopped being hydrophobic in less than a year, and while it's still stopping bird poo sticking to the car as bad it definitely isn't performing anywhere near as well as it did at the beginning!), I might still get it re-applied just because of the level of customer service.

(Although if anyone has any suggestions for a stronger coating I'm all ears - I'm very lazy and hate washing the car because it'll be just as dirty again within a week, so my ideal coating is one I don't have to look after and can let the rain wash the car  )

You raise a very good point about these treatments and I always insist on seeing the certificate of work before driving the car away.  My last 3 cars have had paint protection treatments and I find that they work very well.  According to the salesman, after the G3 treatment has been applied you only need to use a water hose to remove dirt from the paint work.  That’s a pretty bold statement and I’ll remind the salesman of his declaration when I pick up the car.

 

[Jimota]

On 11/20/2022 at 3:40 PM, bigblock said:

I use Williams waterless spray with Canuba wax. No water required. No scratches or swuirls on paintwork. Been using it for 5 years now. The more you use it the more it builds up a layer of protection. When it rains the dirt just falls off it. It really does work well and I get a brilliant shine too.

Initially I stated that I would prefer to use a a pressure washer to clean the paintwork.  However, after visiting the Gen 3 website I discovered they have their own waterless spray and is highly recommended.  I have asked the company for more detail on the product and how best to apply it.  Still got a good few weeks to make up my mind before I pick up my car.