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Car Cleaning - What products do you use?

12K views 68 replies 20 participants last post by  Anonymous 
#1 ·
As per the title.... so many different products on the market these days!!

What's your car cleaning routine, and what products do you use?

I have a sapphire black M140i. It's a September 2017 (67) model and I'm keen to keep it looking as new and shiny as I can!

Current products I'm using:

Pro Kleen Snow foam - I'm not sure if this stuff is thick enough. Any others use this?

I'm using 'Trolls Breath' by Pro Kleen which is a PH neutral wheel cleaner and iron contamination remover and actually seems to be doing a good job. Has anyone else used this product?

Washing using a Meguiars wool mitt and Simoniz wash and wax - this does not foam up enough so I think I need to invest in a better car shampoo

Using Simoniz tyre dressing and it lasts for like 1 day!! - any recommendations of a good tyre dressing that lasts?

I originally sealed the paint with Gyeon can coat and have recently bought 'Purity X' but haven't used it yet. Has anyone used either of those?

Looking at buying Poorboy's wax but I'm thinking it's a bit too early to be waxing new paint after just 2 months when I've already used the can coat?

I have Gyeon leather cleaner. It's a new car so it's not really been tested yet, but I feel my Meguiar's Gold Class leather cleaner was possibly more effective.

I'm getting more into 'detailing' but as you can probably tell I'm doing it a little bit through trial and error and I'm totally confused by the vast array of products out there. Interested to see what other people on here use/recommend? Are there any 'must have' products?
 
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#2 ·
Pro Kleen Snow foam - I'm not sure if this stuff is thick enough. Any others use this?
I've just started using this (non coloured version). It seems pretty good. I find it plenty thick. If you're finding it to runny it could be your foam lance is mixing in too much water, or you just need to dilute it less in the lance bottle.

I'm using 'Trolls Breath' by Pro Kleen which is a PH neutral wheel cleaner and iron contamination remover and actually seems to be doing a good job. Has anyone else used this product?
I gave this a go because of the price. It was ok, but didn't perform as well as what I normally use (Dragon's Breath).

Apart from those I mostly use Autoglym products. I find them good value for money :)
 
#4 ·
#5 ·
rtorbs said:
scov1984 said:
As per the title.... so many different products on the market these days!!

What's your car cleaning routine, and what products do you use?

I have a sapphire black M140i. It's a September 2017 (67) model and I'm keen to keep it looking as new and shiny as I can!

Current products I'm using:

Pro Kleen Snow foam - I'm not sure if this stuff is thick enough. Any others use this?

I'm using 'Trolls Breath' by Pro Kleen which is a PH neutral wheel cleaner and iron contamination remover and actually seems to be doing a good job. Has anyone else used this product?

Washing using a Meguiars wool mitt and Simoniz wash and wax - this does not foam up enough so I think I need to invest in a better car shampoo

Using Simoniz tyre dressing and it lasts for like 1 day!! - any recommendations of a good tyre dressing that lasts?

I originally sealed the paint with Gyeon can coat and have recently bought 'Purity X' but haven't used it yet. Has anyone used either of those?

Looking at buying Poorboy's wax but I'm thinking it's a bit too early to be waxing new paint after just 2 months when I've already used the can coat?

I have Gyeon leather cleaner. It's a new car so it's not really been tested yet, but I feel my Meguiar's Gold Class leather cleaner was possibly more effective.

I'm getting more into 'detailing' but as you can probably tell I'm doing it a little bit through trial and error and I'm totally confused by the vast array of products out there. Interested to see what other people on here use/recommend? Are there any 'must have' products?
My last car was black.....used sh*t loads of waxes over the years but Poorboy's specifically do a black wax that really enhances the depth of colour and gives a super wet look

This stuff


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Thanks for the replies guys.

Re the Poorboys wax I was actually looking at that but it's currently sold out!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#6 ·
I rate Autoglym Conditioning Shampoo and use Autogym Super Resin Polish followed by Maguires Ultimate Quick wax spray (seriously quick and easy with a decent finish and longevity). You won't need the polish on yours though.
 
#7 ·
I don't bother cleaning mine.......seriously though I cleaned it two weeks ago and this is how dirty she is now.


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#8 ·
Pep675cc said:
I don't bother cleaning mine.......seriously though I cleaned it two weeks ago and this is how dirty she is now.
Mine looked similar, a bit worse in fact last weekend.

At this time of year it's just a quick once over with an all in one wash and wax as it will be dirty in 5 minutes of driving anyway.

Once the winter salt is off the roads I'll be giving it a full clean down and then get some Gtechniq on it.
 
#9 ·
OneTwenty said:
How much 😮. That's very expensive for what it is.
 
#11 ·
Octavius said:
It's full price on that link now, it was about £75 at the time. :)

Ps when you add those items to your basket individually on the Meguiars website it comes to a lot, around £130 I think.
 
#12 ·
Couple of products that I've found to be a bit of a revelation, particularly in speed and ease of use.

Firstly claying, I've always found it to be such a tedious job claying a whole car. Bought one of and it's just brilliant - wet the panel with the microfibre side, flip it over and clay. Available in different grades on CYC. I'd highly recommend.

Something I researched for adding protection, particularly handy during those winter months when you don't want to spend ages waxing a car. is witchcraft - spray onto a wet car and blast off with a pressure washer, job done. Have a look on YouTube for application videos. Again, highly recommended.
 
#14 ·
Body Work Products..

Pre wash Snow Foam - Bilt Hamber Auto Foam

Shampoo - Bilt Hamber Auto Wash

Tar Remover - Power Maxes TAR OFF

Fallout Remover - Bilt Hamber Korrosol Cleaner

Clay - Farecla G3 Mitt

DA Polisher with Farecla G3 Rubbing Compound

Sealant - P&S Beadmaker

Wax - Bilt Hamber Double Speed Wax

Wheels..

Autoglym Clean Wheels

Bilt Hamber Fallout Remover If Necessary.

Power Maxed TAR OFF if Necessary

Farecla G3 Clay Mitt if Necessary

Poorboys Wheel Sealant

Meguairs Endurance Tire Gel

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#16 ·
My wife sells Norwex cloths and cleaning stuff. At first I was very sceptical but tried it. The norwex car mitt and lukewarm water made a really good job of washing my car. Their are also drying cloths and window cloths. They are not cheap but for me they work very well.
 
#17 ·
Lots...

Big clean which is twice a year is

Wash with Angelwax shampoo

Dry

Tar X and Iron X to shift the worst of contamination

Wash and dry again

Clay (bilthamber clay with Dodo Juice Born Slippy lube)

Angelwax Perfect Polish

Auto Finsesse glaze (although I want to give a sealant a whirl next time)

Angelwax Drift wax (paint in the arse to apply but last really well)

Bilberry wheel cleaner and dragons breath if they're really bad.

G Techniq ceramic coating on the wheels seems to last really well.

G Techniq tyre dressing

Angelwax glass cleaner

Leather cleaned with Angelwax Heaven for Leather

Dash etc cleaned with Auto Finesse total interior detailer.

The weekly clean is;

Wash with Angelwax shampo

Dry

Quick detailer every few weeks to top up the protection

Clean glass (Angelwax)

Cheap wheels (Bilberrys)

Dress tyres (G Techniq)

Vac interior and wipe down with an interior detailer.
 
#18 ·
SamM140 said:
Lots...

Big clean which is twice a year is

Wash with Angelwax shampoo

Dry

Tar X and Iron X to shift the worst of contamination

Wash and dry again

Clay (bilthamber clay with Dodo Juice Born Slippy lube)

Angelwax Perfect Polish

Auto Finsesse glaze (although I want to give a sealant a whirl next time)

Angelwax Drift wax (paint in the arse to apply but last really well)

Bilberry wheel cleaner and dragons breath if they're really bad.

G Techniq ceramic coating on the wheels seems to last really well.

G Techniq tyre dressing

Angelwax glass cleaner

Leather cleaned with Angelwax Heaven for Leather

Dash etc cleaned with Auto Finesse total interior detailer.

The weekly clean is;

Wash with Angelwax shampo

Dry

Quick detailer every few weeks to top up the protection

Clean glass (Angelwax)

Cheap wheels (Bilberrys)

Dress tyres (G Techniq)

Vac interior and wipe down with an interior detailer.
Sounds good to me. However do you pre wash ? With a good snow foam for example ? If not I would definitely add this in to your routine. Pre washing and getting as much dirt off the car without touching it is arguably the most important thing you need to do for avoiding swirls and other paint defects. Also.......you should NEVER, ever clay a car unless it is going to be machine polished afterwards. Chemically decontaminate instead with a good iron fallout remover. Bilt Hamber Korrosol for example.......



 
#19 ·
racey1979 said:
SamM140 said:
Lots...

Big clean which is twice a year is

Wash with Angelwax shampoo

Dry

Tar X and Iron X to shift the worst of contamination

Wash and dry again

Clay (bilthamber clay with Dodo Juice Born Slippy lube)

Angelwax Perfect Polish

Auto Finsesse glaze (although I want to give a sealant a whirl next time)

Angelwax Drift wax (paint in the arse to apply but last really well)

Bilberry wheel cleaner and dragons breath if they're really bad.

G Techniq ceramic coating on the wheels seems to last really well.

G Techniq tyre dressing

Angelwax glass cleaner

Leather cleaned with Angelwax Heaven for Leather

Dash etc cleaned with Auto Finesse total interior detailer.

The weekly clean is;

Wash with Angelwax shampo

Dry

Quick detailer every few weeks to top up the protection

Clean glass (Angelwax)

Cheap wheels (Bilberrys)

Dress tyres (G Techniq)

Vac interior and wipe down with an interior detailer.
Sounds good to me. However do you pre wash ? With a good snow foam for example ? If not I would definitely add this in to your routine. Pre washing and getting as much dirt off the car without touching it is arguably the most important thing you need to do for avoiding swirls and other paint defects. Also.......you should NEVER, ever clay a car unless it is going to be machine polished afterwards. Chemically decontaminate instead with a good iron fallout remover. Bilt Hamber Korrosol for example.......



I don't prewash other than hosing the car down.

I don't have a pressure washer so snow foam isn't really an option. I've bought some Valet Pro Citrus Pre-Wash which I'm going to start using because that can be applied by a spray bottle.

The clay cat only comes out for the big clean which involves polishing as well.
 
#20 ·
SamM140 said:
racey1979 said:
SamM140 said:
Lots...

Big clean which is twice a year is

Wash with Angelwax shampoo

Dry

Tar X and Iron X to shift the worst of contamination

Wash and dry again

Clay (bilthamber clay with Dodo Juice Born Slippy lube)

Angelwax Perfect Polish

Auto Finsesse glaze (although I want to give a sealant a whirl next time)

Angelwax Drift wax (paint in the arse to apply but last really well)

Bilberry wheel cleaner and dragons breath if they're really bad.

G Techniq ceramic coating on the wheels seems to last really well.

G Techniq tyre dressing

Angelwax glass cleaner

Leather cleaned with Angelwax Heaven for Leather

Dash etc cleaned with Auto Finesse total interior detailer.

The weekly clean is;

Wash with Angelwax shampo

Dry

Quick detailer every few weeks to top up the protection

Clean glass (Angelwax)

Cheap wheels (Bilberrys)

Dress tyres (G Techniq)

Vac interior and wipe down with an interior detailer.
Sounds good to me. However do you pre wash ? With a good snow foam for example ? If not I would definitely add this in to your routine. Pre washing and getting as much dirt off the car without touching it is arguably the most important thing you need to do for avoiding swirls and other paint defects. Also.......you should NEVER, ever clay a car unless it is going to be machine polished afterwards. Chemically decontaminate instead with a good iron fallout remover. Bilt Hamber Korrosol for example.......



I don't prewash other than hosing the car down.

I don't have a pressure washer so snow foam isn't really an option. I've bought some Valet Pro Citrus Pre-Wash which I'm going to start using because that can be applied by a spray bottle.

The clay cat only comes out for the big clean which involves polishing as well.
Some kind of pre washing is better than none, hosing down won't do a great deal though, you need something to break the dirt down. If you don't have a pressure washer or snow foam lance take a look at Power Maxed Traffic Film remover and buy a pressure sprayer. Go over the whole car and allow it to dwell for a few minutes, then rinse off well. It's very good value and is absolutely brilliant at breaking down grime. It is also relatively LSP safe (waxes, sealants etc) as long as you dilute it enough. Going back to clay, hand polishing is very ineffective at removing paint defects. It will add a little amount gloss but that's about it. It will not remove the defects created from using a clay bar/mitt. You might look at the car in the daylight and think it looks okay, but believe me if you were to take it to a detailing studio under some proper lighting, you will see the paint is covered in defects. These will get worse and worse the more you clay and the car will need a full two stage paint correction to remove them.

 
#22 ·
racey1979 said:
SamM140 said:
racey1979 said:
Sounds good to me. However do you pre wash ? With a good snow foam for example ? If not I would definitely add this in to your routine. Pre washing and getting as much dirt off the car without touching it is arguably the most important thing you need to do for avoiding swirls and other paint defects. Also.......you should NEVER, ever clay a car unless it is going to be machine polished afterwards. Chemically decontaminate instead with a good iron fallout remover. Bilt Hamber Korrosol for example.......



I don't prewash other than hosing the car down.

I don't have a pressure washer so snow foam isn't really an option. I've bought some Valet Pro Citrus Pre-Wash which I'm going to start using because that can be applied by a spray bottle.

The clay cat only comes out for the big clean which involves polishing as well.
Some kind of pre washing is better than none, hosing down won't do a great deal though, you need something to break the dirt down. If you don't have a pressure washer or snow foam lance take a look at Power Maxed Traffic Film remover and buy a pressure sprayer. Go over the whole car and allow it to dwell for a few minutes, then rinse off well. It's very good value and is absolutely brilliant at breaking down grime. It is also relatively LSP safe (waxes, sealants etc) as long as you dilute it enough. Going back to clay, hand polishing is very ineffective at removing paint defects. It will add a little amount gloss but that's about it. It will not remove the defects created from using a clay bar/mitt. You might look at the car in the daylight and think it looks okay, but believe me if you were to take it to a detailing studio under some proper lighting, you will see the paint is covered in defects. These will get worse and worse the more you clay and the car will need a full two stage paint correction to remove them.

I've just ordered some Valet Pro Citrus pre wash which is supposed to be wax safe. I'll give that a whirl to see how it goes.

I don't bother with hand polishing; I've got better things to do with my time! Perfect Polish is supposedly fir hand application but enough people seem to get on with it via a machine polisher. I've also got some Menerza polish, a coarser and a finishing compound which worked wonders on my old E90. I only ever buy mild clay bars to reduce the potential for marring and plenty of lube.
 
#23 ·
SamM140 said:
racey1979 said:
SamM140 said:
I don't prewash other than hosing the car down.

I don't have a pressure washer so snow foam isn't really an option. I've bought some Valet Pro Citrus Pre-Wash which I'm going to start using because that can be applied by a spray bottle.

The clay cat only comes out for the big clean which involves polishing as well.
Some kind of pre washing is better than none, hosing down won't do a great deal though, you need something to break the dirt down. If you don't have a pressure washer or snow foam lance take a look at Power Maxed Traffic Film remover and buy a pressure sprayer. Go over the whole car and allow it to dwell for a few minutes, then rinse off well. It's very good value and is absolutely brilliant at breaking down grime. It is also relatively LSP safe (waxes, sealants etc) as long as you dilute it enough. Going back to clay, hand polishing is very ineffective at removing paint defects. It will add a little amount gloss but that's about it. It will not remove the defects created from using a clay bar/mitt. You might look at the car in the daylight and think it looks okay, but believe me if you were to take it to a detailing studio under some proper lighting, you will see the paint is covered in defects. These will get worse and worse the more you clay and the car will need a full two stage paint correction to remove them.

I've just ordered some Valet Pro Citrus pre wash which is supposed to be wax safe. I'll give that a whirl to see how it goes.

I don't bother with hand polishing; I've got better things to do with my time! Perfect Polish is supposedly fir hand application but enough people seem to get on with it via a machine polisher. I've also got some Menerza polish, a coarser and a finishing compound which worked wonders on my old E90. I only ever buy mild clay bars to reduce the potential for marring and plenty of lube.
Much of the roughness/bonded contaminants that you feel on paint is iron fallout and can be safely removed without the need for clay Simply coat the entire paint surface with fallout remover after the wash stage, then rinse well. Yes you can remove paint defects/scratches by hand but it's only practical to do in small areas. To do an whole car effectively by hand would be an absolutely monumental task. If you clay the car you touch the entire paint surface and regardless of mild/medium/coarse clay or lube type you will 100% mar it. Good luck with the citrus pre wash and use this every time you clean the car.....not just when you are giving it a Birthday :)
 
#24 ·
racey1979 said:
SamM140 said:
racey1979 said:
Some kind of pre washing is better than none, hosing down won't do a great deal though, you need something to break the dirt down. If you don't have a pressure washer or snow foam lance take a look at Power Maxed Traffic Film remover and buy a pressure sprayer. Go over the whole car and allow it to dwell for a few minutes, then rinse off well. It's very good value and is absolutely brilliant at breaking down grime. It is also relatively LSP safe (waxes, sealants etc) as long as you dilute it enough. Going back to clay, hand polishing is very ineffective at removing paint defects. It will add a little amount gloss but that's about it. It will not remove the defects created from using a clay bar/mitt. You might look at the car in the daylight and think it looks okay, but believe me if you were to take it to a detailing studio under some proper lighting, you will see the paint is covered in defects. These will get worse and worse the more you clay and the car will need a full two stage paint correction to remove them.

I've just ordered some Valet Pro Citrus pre wash which is supposed to be wax safe. I'll give that a whirl to see how it goes.

I don't bother with hand polishing; I've got better things to do with my time! Perfect Polish is supposedly fir hand application but enough people seem to get on with it via a machine polisher. I've also got some Menerza polish, a coarser and a finishing compound which worked wonders on my old E90. I only ever buy mild clay bars to reduce the potential for marring and plenty of lube.
Much of the roughness/bonded contaminants that you feel on paint is iron fallout and can be safely removed without the need for clay Simply coat the entire paint surface with fallout remover after the wash stage, then rinse well. Yes you can remove paint defects/scratches by hand but it's only practical to do in small areas. To do an whole car effectively by hand would be an absolutely monumental task. If you clay the car you touch the entire paint surface and regardless of mild/medium/coarse clay or lube type you will 100% mar it. Good luck with the citrus pre wash and use this every time you clean the car.....not just when you are giving it a Birthday :)
I've always got in really well with Iron X. Have just bought about her product that is a combo of that and Tar X.

My car needs a bit of love; washed it today and there's a bit of iron fallout and some stubborn tar spots (the joy of a white car is that that stand out like a sore thumb).

Hoping a can negotiate a day next weekend to clean it properly. I've bought some panel wipe to remove the old wax too to avoid having to clay and machine polish it.
 
#25 ·
I use valet pro citrus alot, its good.

I would recommend getting a good double action trigger spray bottle rather than using a pump sprayer as it does waste alot. (you'll find that using a 1L pump spray bottle will be used on the whole car whereas using a trigger spray only uses 500ml). i Sometimes "supercharge" my snow foam by adding some into the lance and this works well too.

If you haven't got a pressure washer you can get foam sprayers for about £30 that look pretty decent, i'm sure it will work well but in all honesty i've always found a citrus pre-wash more effective than snow foams. I like snow foams when my car is only dusty or slightly dirty.
 
#26 ·
MaxM140i said:
I use valet pro citrus alot, its good.

I would recommend getting a good double action trigger spray bottle rather than using a pump sprayer as it does waste alot. (you'll find that using a 1L pump spray bottle will be used on the whole car whereas using a trigger spray only uses 500ml). i Sometimes "supercharge" my snow foam by adding some into the lance and this works well too.

If you haven't got a pressure washer you can get foam sprayers for about £30 that look pretty decent, i'm sure it will work well but in all honesty i've always found a citrus pre-wash more effective than snow foams. I like snow foams when my car is only dusty or slightly dirty.
Good to hear that...I've bought a double action spray bottle too! Should be here tomorrow, so I look forward to giving it a whirl next week when I next clean the car. What dilution do you use?
 
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