Tips & Tricks

[Caz SR]

Thought I'd start a thread where peeps can add their tried and tested cleaning and valetting tips and tricks.

After spending a couple of hours on the Yaris today, I have a couple of recommendations regarding some of the products I used, so here's mine to start;

Meguires Gold Class Polish

If I can give one word of advice regarding this product - Don't use the pads they supply.

I've been using Gold Class Polish for a while and always quite satisfied with the results. However, I couldn't use the pads today because they need washing, so I used bog-standard polishing cloths, which are very cheap as a roll from Halfords.

I applied a small amount of product direct to the cloth (not paintwork) and it lasted a lot longer, with more even coverage. Whereas with the pads, I found in comparison they absorb a lot of product and become caked & sticky. One single cloth was enough for the whole car and once the product dried, it was much easier to remove and buff off.

AutoGlym Extra Gloss Protection

I always use this as a finisher for the paintwork (and I love the smell). But I've realised that I do not leave the product on long enough for the best results. You have to use it sparingly, as instructed but you get best results by applying it and leaving on for about 20 or more minutes, to ensure the film is completely dry before removal. I was much more pleased with the results than previous times.

Back To Black Aerosol

If you ever use this product instead of a plastic/vinyl treatment, don't be tempted to spray directly onto wiper arms. It doesn't matter how careful you are, some will always hit the windscreen and it smears extremely badly. Spray onto a piece of kitchen towel and apply direct to the wiper arm - only the top bit as you do not want it coming into contact with the blade. I would recommend this for any areas near glass (non colour coded mirrors etc) as I've always found it ruins the appearance of my polished windows.

A Cheap Alloy Cleaner Alternative

This is a little painstaking but good if you've run out of alloy cleaner. For particularly caked brake dust, I use a wet, soft tooth brush dipped in a little neat washing up liquid. Work around the alloy, ensuring you only use a little amount and it doesn't spread beyond the alloy, keep dipping the brush in water so it foams a bit. Leave for only a few seconds and completely rinse off with a soft sponge - if you leave any on it will attract x10 more dust. The washing up liquid disolves most of the grease and dirt, although may not give such a shine as dedicated products. A toothbrush is good for multispoke alloys too.

Buffing off wax

I've found that a soft fluffy material sponge, which is recommended for delicate paintwork is also good for buffing off a light coat of dried wax. Plus the material gets into the nooks and crannys where tell tale white marks can be left. Just make sure you wash it in the machine before using it to wash the car another time otherwise you'll be applying soggy wax residue.

Chamois Allergy

I don't know how common this problem is, but it's something I suffer from. Whenever I've used a chamois (real or synthetic) my hands become extremely dry and red. If I don't use a hand cream straight after, my skin becomes very itchy - not nice!

A good alternative is a soft, super absorbant cloth/towel. Tesco sell one in their larger stores within their car own car care range. It's light blue and super soft. Does the job just as well, dries super fast, is a fraction of the cost and doesn't irritate my hands

[jaxx]

Those Flash Car Wash thingys.....

scrap your bucket and get one of these, theyre superb! Dont worry bout the shampoo they give you, you can load any product into it (even though they claim it will break it, suprise, suprise)

first stage switch it onto jet blast and shove all the loose material off as normal....

then sponge in hand and Flash thingy in the other, select the 'Soap' spray, a nice fine 'fan' jet is emitted from the nozzle which you can spray on the car while giving it a good scrub with the sponge in the other hand. It gaurantees a nice fresh and CLEAN jet of soapy water and a constantly wet sponge. Not a bucket of slop thats getting more and more filthy

put it back into blast mode to remove all excess

Next stage the so called 'auto-dry' dud name but good concept again, the unit sends the water through a purifier under a very high pressure spray which you just need to 'waft' over the entire car. The crap free water helps to stop those annoying splodges and water marks that dry on the car, which is just essentially all the limescale, flouride and other associated rubbish in the water system

once youve done that, get shot of all excess water with a squeegeeeeee and then a quick leather

bingo mega clean car, no water marks and ripe for a good polishing