Basic cleaning

[alexmccabe]

Right guys, car is in dire need of a clean. I don't have a pressure washer yet. I have two buckets, and I am going to order a wash mitt. I am just wondering what shampoo to get. I don't have a huge amount of spare money to order much more than the mitt and the shampoo at the moment, so what do you guys recommend?

[dansmith180]

Chemical guys shampoos are good and quite cheap, britemax is also pretty good and well priced.

[muff1991]

I just use standard wash and wax which you can get from most places, aint got to be to expensive its pretty much the same stuff anyway.

I have a noodle mitt / wash mitt and there wicked :) it is so much better than the traditional sponge, you can really curve round edges and get behind mirrors and stuff, and don't have to worry about dropping it (if you get the over hand design) the only thing I suggest is don't use it on your tyres, I use a sponge to go round the tyres as the mitts can leave little colorful bits on your tyre and you spend ages getting it off lol

[PhilNUK]

I highly recommend getting the demon shine dirt shifter spray

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/cleaning-products/shampoo/demon-machine-rapid-dirt-shifter-1l

It's about £4 from Morrisons and best thing to do is to take it to a petrol station and park at the jet wash and give the car a good spray over with the demon shine and then leave it on the car for 10 mins and then spray it all off with the jet wash pressure washer.... DON'T use the broom thing... Use the high pressure rinse and clear all the demon shine off and give the wheels a really good spray and in the arches too...

Then drive it home and then use the traditional two bucket method wash.

I suggest the taking it to the jet wash as that will help clear any surface grit and is a good substitute for no pressure washer at home. The demon shine gets good feedback on detailing world too.

Just don't let it dry on your wheels. Make sure you rinse it all off before leaving the petrol station

[Saintsteve]

I highly recommend getting the demon shine dirt shifter spray

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/cleaning-products/shampoo/demon-machine-rapid-dirt-shifter-1l

It's about £4 from Morrisons and best thing to do is to take it to a petrol station and park at the jet wash and give the car a good spray over with the demon shine and then leave it on the car for 10 mins and then spray it all off with the jet wash pressure washer.... DON'T use the broom thing... Use the high pressure rinse and clear all the demon shine off and give the wheels a really good spray and in the arches too...

Then drive it home and then use the traditional two bucket method wash.

I suggest the taking it to the jet wash as that will help clear any surface grit and is a good substitute for no pressure washer at home. The demon shine gets good feedback on detailing world too.

Just don't let it dry on your wheels. Make sure you rinse it all off before leaving the petrol station

That stuff also lifts all your polish / wax off....... Be careful as it will strip all the paint works protection.

Just use a decent shampoo like Meguires gold class and a wash mitt and you'll be fine.

[PhilNUK]

I highly recommend getting the demon shine dirt shifter spray

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/cleaning-products/shampoo/demon-machine-rapid-dirt-shifter-1l

It's about £4 from Morrisons and best thing to do is to take it to a petrol station and park at the jet wash and give the car a good spray over with the demon shine and then leave it on the car for 10 mins and then spray it all off with the jet wash pressure washer.... DON'T use the broom thing... Use the high pressure rinse and clear all the demon shine off and give the wheels a really good spray and in the arches too...

Then drive it home and then use the traditional two bucket method wash.

I suggest the taking it to the jet wash as that will help clear any surface grit and is a good substitute for no pressure washer at home. The demon shine gets good feedback on detailing world too.

Just don't let it dry on your wheels. Make sure you rinse it all off before leaving the petrol station

That stuff also lifts all your polish off....... Be careful as it will strip all the paint works protection.

Just use a decent shampoo like Meguires gold class and a wash mitt and you'll be fine.

Nope it's completely fine with LSP... It actually rates highly as a pre wash.

I have used it for about 12 months. It's not affected any polish or LSP I have used. I have had Autoglym, Dodo and now Sonax and a beading beautifully despite using the demon shine for in between wash quick rinses.

[GTiBlues]

For cheap and cheerful, TPS Quantum Wash and Wax is good to be honest. £5 for 5lts

[Saintsteve]

I highly recommend getting the demon shine dirt shifter spray

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/cleaning-products/shampoo/demon-machine-rapid-dirt-shifter-1l

It's about £4 from Morrisons and best thing to do is to take it to a petrol station and park at the jet wash and give the car a good spray over with the demon shine and then leave it on the car for 10 mins and then spray it all off with the jet wash pressure washer.... DON'T use the broom thing... Use the high pressure rinse and clear all the demon shine off and give the wheels a really good spray and in the arches too...

Then drive it home and then use the traditional two bucket method wash.

I suggest the taking it to the jet wash as that will help clear any surface grit and is a good substitute for no pressure washer at home. The demon shine gets good feedback on detailing world too.

Just don't let it dry on your wheels. Make sure you rinse it all off before leaving the petrol station

That stuff also lifts all your polish off....... Be careful as it will strip all the paint works protection.

Just use a decent shampoo like Meguires gold class and a wash mitt and you'll be fine.

Nope it's completely fine with LSP... It actually rates highly as a pre wash.

I have used it for about 12 months. It's not affected any polish or LSP I have used. I have had Autoglym, Dodo and now Sonax and a beading beautifully despite using the demon shine for in between wash quick rinses.

Well it stripped all mine off 

It actually says it removes oils so that includes wax's 

[PhilNUK]

Hmmm that's very odd then as it's highly respected on DW amongst the top guys for being safe to use.


Either way I think it's wise to rinse the car with or without that with a pressure wash at the petrol station in order to shift any surface grit/dirt so as not to scratch the paintwork when washing with buckets

[Saintsteve]

I won't use it again as it took nearly a day to put back the paint protection that It had removed..

Never again..

[Matthewsimone]

Firstly I use valet pro citrus pre wash (amazing stuff)
Spray on with a pumpy pressure sprayer Leave to soak on for 5 mins then quick rinse off with hose or jet wash from a distance

Then its 2 bucket wash method with meguiars gold class and meguiars lambs wool mitt, (clean wheels last with an older mitt i have)

Followed by good rinse off then use an open ended hose to sheet the water off car which preety much dries it too
Quick 5 mins of final drying with my giant micro fibre towel and some poor boys quick detailer and im done

Whole process takes about 45 mins and results are spot on

Water sheeting drying method will only work on a well waxed car, i give mine a good waxing every couple months with Autoglym Hd wax as like to keep her minty condition

Not the cheapest products but gives great results and offers great paint protection plus i really enjoy cleaning my car every other Saturday morning

 

[alexmccabe]

Thanks guys! A lot to think about here, so I will get ordering pretty soon! Just moved house and I don't have any of the awesome equipment here yet.

[Chris92]

I'd recommend eurow sheepskin wash mitt, its just under £9. It's the 3rd mitt I've had and by far the best one.

Shampoo either dodo juice born to be mild and wolfs white satin get my votes