Confused about Cleaning!!

[thebesh]

Hi Guys

 

Please excuse my ignorance and hopefully someone can help me with all the confusion I have. I've had my car about a week and it was driven up to me so when it arrived it was a bit dirty - I cleaned it this wknd to find some light scratches on some of the panels (I guess from the previous owner) - so it's an 08 plate car and apart from the light scratches it's bodywork is in pretty good condition.

 

So I've read so many articles (on here and across the internet) about cleaning methods - it's clear I need to get myself 2 buckets, a lambswool mitt (or 2), but it's the rest I'm not sure about. I've read good/bad things about claying a car and with mine being an 08 plate is this really necessary - I guess if there is nothing to remove it will just gloss over the surface without a problem.

 

I'v read about Dodo Lime Prime and this looks like a good product I could use to try and remove the tell tale scratches on some of the panels. Is this the best method or should I be claybarring it??

 

I'm also confused about the process (and volume of products) I should/shouldn't be using. From what I have read the following steps are the perfect ones....

 

1) Rinse with water

2) 2 Bucket car shampoo clean and dry

3) Claybar car

4) Rinse and dry

5) Pre wax cleaner (Dodo Lime prime)

6) Wax car

 

Will all these steps be necessary? I'm also overrun with what products to get - I don't want to go crazy and just start with the basics - can folk recommend a good wax and do you think missing out the claybar stage and jumping to pre wax and then waxxing after will be enough to touch up the mild scratches?

 

Sorry for the million questions - as I said I have read a lot and I think I've picked up the basics - just a bit unsure and would liek some advice.

Thanks a lot guys

[Ebized]

All credit to you for seeking out the best way to clean/protect your car but I would honestly say that as you are saying you are not well experienced in cleaning methods and you can see scratches on your 2-year old purchase IMO I consider that getting a professional detailer in to get the car as perfect as possible would be a very sound investment. There are some good detailers out there and some advertise on here - (see the traders section)

 

When my previous black 350 was about a year old and had picked up swirls etc I got a detailer to work his magic and learnt from him about the best way of keeping the ZED looking good after he had got the UK350ZED looking spot on as well as tips from those on here including traders who have posted how they did their work. Nissan paint quality is not good and can be very thin in places so it is important that if you are going to attempt removing scratches/swirls you don't end up with much of the paint removed

 

Heres a link to the detailing of UK350ZED

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=13513&hilit=detailing

[ug45cwb]

Clay bar is not for removing scratches. It is for contaminates. If you rub your fingers across the paint and it feels rough, a claybar will help. Otherwise it doesn't do much. Agree with Ebized though, professional detailers generally do a very good job and are well worth the investment. Get one to sort it out for you then all you have to do is maintain.

[UNABASHED]

never skip the prep work otherwise the waxing and finishing stages are pretty much pointless. If you don't clay the car and clean it properley then you wil never get the best finish when it comes to waxing and polishing.

[mrobinson2]

sound advise there mate, i would probably go down the detailer route too.

 

although if you want to have a go at it yourself, this is how i cleaned the car the first time:

 

pressure wash with water

snow foam

pressure wash to rinse

2 bucket method with lambswool mitt

rinse with open ended hose (easier to dry as the water runs off the car more freely)

dry

clay the car (removes bonded contaminants)

lime prime (helps with light scratches/swirls)

buff with microfibre

then i applied a coat of wax

after 12-18 hours apply a quick detailer (i use dodo juice red mist)

 

i will do this once every 6 months or so

 

then every week just was it and dry using a quick detailer

 

then once a month/6 weeks do the above but without the claying to remove and reapply the wax layer.

 

I'm sure i'll have left something out and one of the more experienced guys on here will correct me, but that is the basics really.

 

hope that helps mate. (get some before and after pics up too )

[UNABASHED]

sound advise there mate, i would probably go down the detailer route too.

 

although if you want to have a go at it yourself, this is how i cleaned the car the first time:

 

pressure wash with water

snow foam

pressure wash to rinse

2 bucket method with lambswool mitt

rinse with open ended hose (easier to dry as the water runs off the car more freely)

dry

clay the car (removes bonded contaminants)

lime prime (helps with light scratches/swirls)

buff with microfibre

then i applied a coat of wax

after 12-18 hours apply a quick detailer (i use dodo juice red mist)

 

i will do this once every 6 months or so

 

then every week just was it and dry using a quick detailer

 

then once a month/6 weeks do the above but without the claying to remove and reapply the wax layer.

 

I'm sure i'll have left something out and one of the more experienced guys on here will correct me, but that is the basics really.

 

hope that helps mate. (get some before and after pics up too )

 

don't be using pressure washer on car before the snowfoam - otherwise your blasting all the dirt and grit into/along the paintwork!

[mrobinson2]

sound advise there mate, i would probably go down the detailer route too.

 

although if you want to have a go at it yourself, this is how i cleaned the car the first time:

 

pressure wash with water

snow foam

pressure wash to rinse

2 bucket method with lambswool mitt

rinse with open ended hose (easier to dry as the water runs off the car more freely)

dry

clay the car (removes bonded contaminants)

lime prime (helps with light scratches/swirls)

buff with microfibre

then i applied a coat of wax

after 12-18 hours apply a quick detailer (i use dodo juice red mist)

 

i will do this once every 6 months or so

 

then every week just was it and dry using a quick detailer

 

then once a month/6 weeks do the above but without the claying to remove and reapply the wax layer.

 

I'm sure i'll have left something out and one of the more experienced guys on here will correct me, but that is the basics really.

 

hope that helps mate. (get some before and after pics up too )

 

don't be using pressure washer on car before the snowfoam - otherwise your blasting all the dirt and grit into/along the paintwork!

 

good point, never thought of this, it does help to remove all the dead bugs though!

[captain]

1) Rinse with water

2) 2 Bucket car shampoo clean and dry

3) Claybar car

4) Rinse and dry

5) Pre wax cleaner (Dodo Lime prime)

6) Wax car

 

You've missed out polish between 5 and 6. and 1 and 2 can be replaced by snow-foaming.

[captain]

Surely snow-foam is to replace the normal washing etc with mits/buckets/pressure washers, not in addition?

 

Isn't the point to remove all contact by hand to keep swirls etc. down to minimum??

[UNABASHED]

Surely snow-foam is to replace the normal washing etc with mits/buckets/pressure washers, not in addition?

 

Isn't the point to remove all contact by hand to keep swirls etc. down to minimum??

 

snow foam then hand wash, it's an additional step

[tez162003]

thebesh: where you based?

[thebesh]

I live in Sunny Aberdeen (well actually Inveurie to be precise - 16 miles out of Aberdeen)

 

Thanks for all the advice guys - still thinking about just going for wash, dodo lime prime + polish and then wax this wknd and see how it looks after that. There is a PRO detailing place in Kintore (for those of you who know NE of Scotland) - dude at work put his 6 series Beemer in there and got a FULL detail job inside and out - cost him 1500quid though, but he said it was worth every penny. Don't think I have that sort of pennies to throw at the job though!

[UNABASHED]

I live in Sunny Aberdeen (well actually Inveurie to be precise - 16 miles out of Aberdeen)

 

Thanks for all the advice guys - still thinking about just going for wash, dodo lime prime + polish and then wax this wknd and see how it looks after that. There is a PRO detailing place in Kintore (for those of you who know NE of Scotland) - dude at work put his 6 series Beemer in there and got a FULL detail job inside and out - cost him 1500quid though, but he said it was worth every penny. Don't think I have that sort of pennies to throw at the job though!

 

it wont cost you anything near that figure for a bit of paint caorrection and full detail, most places anway!

[MattMe]

Sounds liek you've done your research matey, just give it a go first yourself I say, otherwise you'll never learn. At least this way if it's no better and you pay someone to do the correction you've not lost anything.

 

Posting up pictures of the scratches so we can see how severe they are might help.

 

If you get light polishes you can't do that much damage anyway, just go steady. I bet there's some YouTube videos for demonstrations on how you should be getting on. It is daunting the first time you do it, but once you get going you'll wonder why you made such a fuss about it!

 

Let us know how you get on.

[Ebized]

I live in Sunny Aberdeen (well actually Inveurie to be precise - 16 miles out of Aberdeen)

 

Thanks for all the advice guys - still thinking about just going for wash, dodo lime prime + polish and then wax this wknd and see how it looks after that. There is a PRO detailing place in Kintore (for those of you who know NE of Scotland) - dude at work put his 6 series Beemer in there and got a FULL detail job inside and out - cost him 1500quid though, but he said it was worth every penny. Don't think I have that sort of pennies to throw at the job though!

 

You are not far from Stew who has been known to to do the odd detailing or I'm sure he would point you point in the right direction - I bet he could get near-on a nought knocked off that £1.5k for a decent exterior detail

[tez162003]

i would have offered to detail it for you for hardly anything compared to that ludacris £1500 detail! thats stupid money! mugged off comes to mind.

 

but im down in the South East, so couldnt do it im afraid

[LRF4N]

i was also about to mention stew- car detailing is his fav past time lol and hes not too bad at it either

 

when i do mine i keep it simple and get pretty good results-

 

-2 bucket wash

-clay

-polish

-wax (twice with different types of wax)

 

i still have some swirls on mine- its a 53 plate- but with the shine i have now u hardly notice

 

if u want the paint back to 100% then get a pro to do it. but if u just wanna get it gleaming with ur own elbow grease then have a go urself

[thebesh]

Thanks a lot for the advice guys!

 

Gonna buy myself a couple of mitts and some Dodo Lime Green tomorrow and have a bash at the wknd - too scared of the clay at the minute (I am a noob after all) - can anyone recommend a good wax?

[captain]

Surely snow-foam is to replace the normal washing etc with mits/buckets/pressure washers, not in addition?

 

Isn't the point to remove all contact by hand to keep swirls etc. down to minimum??

 

snow foam then hand wash, it's an additional step

 

Surely not.

 

What's the point of spending £60 on a snow-foam lance etc. and then washing the car again with mits and buckets?

 

Thanks.

[UNABASHED]

Surely snow-foam is to replace the normal washing etc with mits/buckets/pressure washers, not in addition?

 

Isn't the point to remove all contact by hand to keep swirls etc. down to minimum??

 

snow foam then hand wash, it's an additional step

 

Surely not.

 

What's the point of spending £60 on a snow-foam lance etc. and then washing the car again with mits and buckets?

 

Thanks.

 

the foam gently lifts a lot of surface dirt, but still wont beat a good scrubbing once the worst is gone!

 

Dedication is what is needed my good man!

[SwanageDave]

My Way is much easier...

 

Get the wife to do it

[SwanageDave]

Thanks a lot for the advice guys!

 

Gonna buy myself a couple of mitts and some Dodo Lime Green tomorrow and have a bash at the wknd - too scared of the clay at the minute (I am a noob after all) - can anyone recommend a good wax?

 

The Salon down my road does a good Wax, I can recomend the Brazilian

[captain]

Surely snow-foam is to replace the normal washing etc with mits/buckets/pressure washers, not in addition?

 

Isn't the point to remove all contact by hand to keep swirls etc. down to minimum??

 

snow foam then hand wash, it's an additional step

 

Surely not.

 

What's the point of spending £60 on a snow-foam lance etc. and then washing the car again with mits and buckets?

 

Thanks.

 

the foam gently lifts a lot of surface dirt, but still wont beat a good scrubbing once the worst is gone!

 

Dedication is what is needed my good man!

 

mmmmmm...........seems to me this snow-foam can also be described as "snake-oil" in that case. I rinse with water and then gently wash with 2 buckets and a mit and can't see what it adds in that case.

 

If it doesn't add anything to my a 5-stage detail (wash-clay-clean-polish-wax) then why buy it?

 

Any users confirm if it does make a difference or is it just fun to use.

[Ebized]

I always give the car a soaking with a hose on a soft spray then a more more focused stream to remove all the loose particles. When I soap the car (Megs Gold Class in warm water) I initially just gently cover the area and then more vigorously use the mitt with a further soapy water to remove the more stubborn marks/flies.

 

The main thing I have learnt since being on this forum is to ensure the ZED has a good wax covering, and regularly topped up, which certainly helps to stop muck adhering. Using the Super Natural wax now - quite hard to put on but it does the trick and lasts well which helps to off-set its intial high cost

[UNABASHED]

Surely snow-foam is to replace the normal washing etc with mits/buckets/pressure washers, not in addition?

 

Isn't the point to remove all contact by hand to keep swirls etc. down to minimum??

 

snow foam then hand wash, it's an additional step

 

Surely not.

 

What's the point of spending £60 on a snow-foam lance etc. and then washing the car again with mits and buckets?

 

Thanks.

 

the foam gently lifts a lot of surface dirt, but still wont beat a good scrubbing once the worst is gone!

 

Dedication is what is needed my good man!

 

mmmmmm...........seems to me this snow-foam can also be described as "snake-oil" in that case. I rinse with water and then gently wash with 2 buckets and a mit and can't see what it adds in that case.

 

If it doesn't add anything to my a 5-stage detail (wash-clay-clean-polish-wax) then why buy it?

 

Any users confirm if it does make a difference or is it just fun to use.

 

only a 5 stage??

 

More like a 14 stage!

 

wheels-snow-rinse-wash-rinse-clay-rinse-wash-rinse-dry-polish-wax-wax-seal