Car cleaning question

[Primus1]

I had a paint protection applied to my new car, they left a kit with a few products in it including the shampoo, I have a load of autoglym car shampoo and some Snow Foam ( turtle wax) , am I ok using these products to wash my car, I don’t think it will damage the coating but I just wondered what you guys think, .?

[Bper]

Hi Alan, Autoglym and Turtle Wax are reputable brands, and their shampoos are likely gentle enough for most paint protection coatings.

[Big_D]

I've used Autoglym before, with no ill effects to myself, or the car.

[Paul john]

2 hours ago, Primus1 said:

I had a paint protection applied to my new car, they left a kit with a few products in it including the shampoo, I have a load of autoglym car shampoo and some snow foam ( turtle wax) , am I ok using these products to wash my car, I don’t think it will damage the coating but I just wondered what you guys think, .?

Snow Foam is your friend

[twintopp]

i use angel wax enigma ceramic shampoo, but any top brand should be ok.

[Haliotis]

A lot depends on how paranoid you are about a new car.  I had my first “brand new” car in 2005 and promptly had it specially treated before it left the VW dealership.  Four years later, did the same with next new car, which I kept for over 9 years.  In that time it was washed and polished by me, and sometimes went through an automatic car wash.

Visibly, I would sat it was unmarked, although the fanatics would claim that “swirls” were there due to contact cleaning.   I traded it in at the VW dealership where I bought it.  The salesman looked over it, drove it once around the block, and gave me “the book price”.

My latest acquisition, a 2021 pre-owned Toyota bought in 2023, has been snow-foamed once and I have polished it with quality Turtle Wax products.  This I will continue to do.

By all means, look after your car and enjoy it - after all, like all of us you are paying dearly for having it - BUT my advice is ‘do not go down the fanatical route’ because, if you have looked after it, over-emphasis on valeting will not make any significant difference on how much you get when parting with it.  At best, this care may get a quick sale from a private buyer - who will be unlikely to be interested in how expertly it has been cleaned - and a trade-in will only earn around the “book value”, possibly with a little extra to massage the surety of a sale.

[Primus1]

I’m not  too obsessed with cleaning my car but I do like to keep it nice, I was just wondering if I could possibly harm the coating it’s had by using other wash shampoos albeit from reputable brands, or do I just use the supplied specific shampoo that came with the kit that was with the car, it just seems a waste as I have nearly a full bottle of autoglym shampoo and some turtle wax Snow Foam,..

[Bper]

It should be perfectly safe but If you are that concerned Phone the place were you had the paint done and ask them to confirm. But to be honest I wouldn't overthink it.

[Cyker]

If it came off that easily it's not worth having! It should be fine. Just don't rub too hard as the coating is very thin.

The thing that wears it out is abrasion; Scrubbing it with a sponge/mitt, or using too powerful a jet was will wear it out, but most ceramic coatings are quite chemically resistant (in contrast to the normal wax coatings) so a snowfoam lance and a rinse won't affect it much.

 

[Haliotis]

I tend to stick with the quality products - such as Autoglym, Simoniz, Turtle Wax.  I do sometimes use Williams Racing waterless  wax polish, but always give the car a gentle hose down before using it.

[bigblock]

I have always and continue to look after my cars meticulously even to the point of some detailing if I am in the mood. But when I go to trade in it makes no difference what so ever on getting a better deal. It's book price and that's it. But I do like a clean shiny car. My last trade in at the dealership was a surprise as they didn't even look at my car. I told them it was in showroom condition and they trusted me. Amazing.

[Big_D]

To me it's also about personal pride. Do I want to sit and drive a tip, or do I want to take pride in what I drive and sit in a clean car.

[Primus1]

I’m the same, when I picked up my cross I made sure my px was spotless, I know it makes no difference but I just like clean cars..

[Haliotis]

I wonder how many owners spend endless time cleaning their cars, then drive in a manner that greatly risks pranging it?  Personally, I prefer a slightly dirty car to a bent one!