One of the shiniest cars I've ever seen was a colleagues old Rover 90. He swore that all he ever did, was wash it occasionally, polish it once a year, but whenever it rained, he'd go out and go over it with a chamois.
I polished mine last week, and as all it had done was a few town miles, after it rained earlier today I gave it a quick chamois, 'cos for personal reasons I want it to look good this weekend (the chamois rinsed out black water).
So, arguments for and against please.
Bathtub you know what and why I've edited don't you ! - PU
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havent chamid for years
polish on car yes?
then
wash car off with a bucket of water with some stardrops in it (used to be 10 old pence)
hose off with clean water
take for drive
result clean and smear free mota
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I give mine regular washes (using car shampoo), a rinse and chamois. Got it down to around 25mins and a shiny car.
Is it a good idea to chamois a wet car if it's not clean? Aren't you going to be pushing all that road muck and debris over your bodywork?
My biggest problem around here is bird poo (living on the coast) and at the certain times of the year I can be out every evening cleaning off what they've deposited during the day (it seems to dry to concrete if I leave it a few days....)
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'Bathtub you know what and why I've edited don't you ! - PU '
Sorry. I thought that was quite innocuous, but we've got to 'stretch the envelope' occasionally.
To be honest I've forgotten what I wrote (bottle of plonk shared with dinner).
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Don't drink and post ! ;-)
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C'mon. I'm only driving a mouse!
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LOL! Stardrops! "The traders favourite". Is there anything you can't clean with that stuff?
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Wash your car as normal just before it rains. Let the rain do the rinsing and, even in a hard water area like mine, it will dry streak free and exhibit a superb shine.
Today was one of those perfect days for such a task...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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"Wash your car as normal just before it rains"
I try to wash it between showers, so the dirt gets loosened first. I've even been know to don waterproofs and wash it while it's raining...
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I try to wash it between showers so the dirt gets loosened first. I've even
been know to don waterproofs and wash it while it's raining...>>
Same here - the neighbours think I'm mad!
Best time for getting rid of bird poo is first thing in the morning when moisture from the dew has softened it. As discussed previously, bird droppings can be very damaging to paintwork.
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"Stardrops!"
Blimey! Sudden image of 1960's Saturday morning and Mr Jackson, our local grocer, arriving at house with a cardboard box full of our week's groceries which us kids used to root through to find "goodies" - usually turned out to contain nothing more than Stardrops, Oxydol, bag of sugar, cornflakes etc.
Mr Jackson had a two-tone (white/yellow) Vauxhall Victor (FB?) estate and we thought he was very posh and rich! (Just tried to find a decent photo of one on the web but suspect they all rusted away before anyone had time to take a photo!!)
--
Phil
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>>
Mr Jackson had a two-tone (white/yellow) Vauxhall Victor (FB?) estate and we thought he was very posh and rich! (Just tried to find a decent photo of one on the web but suspect they all rusted away before anyone had time to take a photo!!)
--
Phil<<
I had a friend in the 60's who owned one from new and only managed to get 3 years out of it. At least my Chrysler 180 lasted 8!
Back to washing cars.......
Clk Sec
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If you don't give a car a proper wash (NOT with Fairy Liquid or similar) and rinse, then chammying will apply a fine abrasive via the dust on the paint's surface. If you want progressively to ruin your paint, go ahead...
In the City I used to see sometimes uniformed chauffeurs 'polishing' their (usually black) cars with a duster while they waited for their bigwig passengers. Without exception the paint was dull (full of fine scratches they'd been inflicting).
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I would never use a chamois on my car, windows aren't so bad, but not the paintwork. A chamois will slide the dirt (grit) across the paintwork, a bit like sand paper, which will reduce the shine, or in some cases create bigger scratches. If it's a clean car then it won't be as bad, but doing it on a dirty car is a very bad idea. Clean your car with something like a lambs wool wash mitt (after hosing it down), which lifts the dirt rather than dragging it along the surface.
I think regular washing helps. With occassional washing you probably won't get all of the dirt off because it's been on there for so long. With weekly washing my car usually looks good every week, the occassional polish/wax also helps.
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I would never use a chamois on my car ............
No self-respecting Rolls-Royce-trained chauffeur would use anything else.
--
L\'escargot.
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Wax twice a year using Mer.
Wash weekly in winter, occasionally in summer using only plain water.
Chamois (synthetic)
Keep car garaged when not in use.
Result: shiny car!
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My 530i is washed twice a week using Meguiars NXT Car Wash, a sponge for the wheels and two Meguiars Lambswool washmits. I then dry the car afterwards with a microfibre towel.
It is waxed 4 times a year using, in order, a wash, a claybar, 3 coats of Autoglym super resin polish, 2 coats of Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection and 2 Coats of Collinite 476S wax.
As a result, it looks pristine almost all the time.
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"As a result, it looks pristine almost all the time."
What do you mean "almost "?
--
Phil
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Like now for example, following the last three days torrential and filthy weather, combined with the attempts of National Grid to lay a gaspipeline more or less all over Devon at once, and cover the roads in mud, it's absolutely filthy.
Time for a wash, then!
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Like now for example following the last three days torrential and filthy weather combined with the attempts of National Grid to lay a gaspipeline more or less all over Devon i didnt realise the national electricity network were sending the stuff down gas pipes, hope they dont get any sparks!!!!!!!!
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>> i didnt realise the national electricity network were sending the stuff down gas pipes hope they dont get any sparks!!!!!!!!
its cheaper that way as you buy one get one free,obviously you need a transcducer to split the power energies up in your house as computers dont work on gas very well
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i didnt realise the national electricity network were sending the stuff down gas pipes hope they dont get any sparks!!!!!!!!
National Grid controls UK gas network as well as the electricity network. Read their website ;)
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we knew that
they have just done east yorkshire and a fine job too,you cant tell,they also washed the roads where they crossed them not like some utitalies
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the national grid is the network of high tension electricity cables held up by pylons, nowt to do with gas, the electricity companies may distribute ( sell gas) but not via the national grid!!!!
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Nice try at pedantry guys, but you really should make sure there isn't a company called National Grid PLC which supplies gas as well as electricity before you make yourselves look daft.
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the national grid is the network of high tension electricity cables held up by pylons nowt to do with gas the electricity companies may distribute ( sell gas) but not via the national grid!!!!
National Grid took Transco over at some point in the last few years. In addition to our electricity pylon network, they are now also responsible for our gas pipeline network.
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the national grid delivers lecky, the large yellow pipes carry the gas .....is that any easier to understand?
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My local indie service station has an excellent jetwash - good pressure/sensible program, £1.50 gets me about 8mins of high pressure rinse/ shampoo/ wax/ final rinse - plus excellent aerobic work-out to boot! (..and from a previous thread - I always clean under arches & subframe..)
Always use this during/just after rain - softens up deposits & lowers adhesion - and never a queue of course, people seem to think warm sunny days are best for car washing for some reason! Only ever chamoised a properly clean car - run your hand over a 'clean' car & notice the adhesions & grit. Ditto waxing/buffing - I'd rather have a long term un-buffed wax look than a shiny buffed micro-scratched car.
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washing cars?
whats that then?
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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washing cars? whats that then?
It's something us car owners do. We don't expect minibus owners to know anything about it! ;-)
--
L\'escargot.
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< wince >
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Don't know if this should be started under another thread, but is this an urban myth that using a real genuine chamois on my car that I have just cleaned will damage the paintwork?
If this is true, what are people using as alternatives?
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washing cars? whats that then?
It's something those of us who own our own carefully chosen pride and joys enjoy doing, an alien concept to those who simply lease an appliance from the lease company courtesy of their employer ;)
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Chamois ..............
Definitely.
(synthetic)
Eugh!
--
L\'escargot.
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Eugh!
I find that the leathers do not absorb the water as well and tend to leave smears.
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Why are people so bothered about having shiny cars? Haven't people got better stuff to do than wash their cars every weekend? Why not go for a drive? I last washed and waxed at easter. I probably won't do it again until they've stopped salting the roads next year.
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It's a question of personal pride. It also says a lot about the owner.
Would you go out to a social event without having had a bath/shower, wear clean clothes etc?
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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"Would you go out to a social event without having had a bath/shower?"
Absolutely not. And I always use a chamois...
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I always think it's nice to have a clean shiny car, but I just can't understand how it's worth no more than a scruffy dog of a motor when you come to trade it in?
How many times I've been asked about my car; age and mileage only - and the sales guy has told me a part ex value without even looking at it.
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.....Haven't people got better stuff to do than wash their cars every weekend?.....
AFAI´MC that´s part of the challenge - keeping it clean without wasting a huge amount of time doing so!
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dont know if this will pass the filters but i always say "clean car clean bottom" its a good judgement of people i always find
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This should probably be a rhetorical question, but how would you know..?
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I know that none of my friends or acquaintances wax their bottoms ... but it's not a subject I would normally discuss..
madf
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If it works for you then great - take a chamois to it after its rained but i would seriously suggest to anyone else that you dont do this especially on a dark coloured car.
Dragging a chamois across the surface to soak up rain water unless it has been washed will cause fine scratches on the paintwork and after time they will become noticeable. The scratches are caused by the dust / dirt / grit on your car which the rain water will loosen. These scratches can also occur by poor washing techniques, especially using sponges which hold grit on the surface and as you drag they create fine scratches.
For best results its important you use the correct methods to wash to keep the paintwork protected and scratch free. I picked up my new car which happened to be black and it was delivered with very very fine scratches visible in the sunlight at certain angles. Basically down to the valeting with them using dirty-ish water and the same mitt.
I like to wash the car myself using the 2 bucket method, clean lukewarm shampoo in 1... fresh water for the dirty / mitt rinse in the other. Using a power hose to loosen dirt, i use Meguiars Gold Class shampoo on a lambswool mit which traps dirt, wash half a panel at a time top to bottom using light pressure with 1 or 2 swipes over 1 spot then rinse mitt in 2nd bucket to remove all grit and dirt before going back to the shampoo bucket; dry with 2x microfibre waffle weave towels from Meguiars and i have find this method the most effective for producing good results visually and for the paintwork.
I also apply Meguiars Gold Glass wax a few times a year which really does a great job at protecting; Polish can also be used liberally and maybe once a year to iron out any fine scratches due to washing that have accumulated.
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Would a professional valet maybe three times a year then be a better idea than regular sponge washing?
Maybe just a thorough jetwash in between.
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Not really. If you take care and know what you´re doing, washing it yourself isn´t going to harm the paintwork.
Trouble is, so many of the supposed standard ways of washing (sponge&bucket, carwash, chamois after the rain) will result in fine damage that only a PC orbital polisher (or colossal elbow grease) and expertise will remove them properly.
MichaelR, I know you´re a student, but you´ve got wayyy too much time on your hands. Shouldn´t you be down the Union, or something? ;-)
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I use the Flash car wash thing with the deionised water final rinse.
It works a treat.
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MichaelR I know you´re a student but you´ve got wayyy too much time on your hands. Shouldn´t you be down the Union or something? ;-)
Until I started working ridiculous hours I used to be as dedicated to the cause as Michael R and will still spend some time doing the car properly now and then, but recently it's been more a case of a quick wash once a week with little attention paid to anything really. I've only hoovered the MG once since I got her much to my disgrace!
I often spend a chunk of my working day dealing with National Grid re their gas operations (almost entirely metering related though rather than high pressure mains and suchlike) so would have contributed earlier if people hadn't set the record straight! Those lucky people in Devon should be pleased that it's National Grid that are laying pipes, far better to be supplied off their pipes than an IGT network...
Blue
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"Would you go out to a social event without having had a bath/shower?" Absolutely not. And I always use a chamois...
I find a wet chamois has an unpleasant clammy feel. I use shower gel, rinse, followed by a clean dry towel.
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There may be two conflicting objectives here.
1. To enjoy a shiny clean car as long and often as possible
2. To clean the car as infrequently as possible.
Suggest compromise as follows.....[it works for me]
1. Select car colour which shows as little of the dirt as possible [city dwellers, silver-ish, country dwellers, light gold-ish]
2. after heavy rain has softened dirt, wash below the waistline with watering can or hose and very very soft brush.
3. occasionally do 2. on the whole car.
4. polish annually or less.
Finish while it is still raining, and almost never rub anywhere with cloth or chammy [either artificial or real] as this merely makes very fine scratchmarks.
It's best to use water from a water butt as this doesn't leave white mineral stains.
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Ah, but yours isn't a shiny car, John...
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