How Do You Clean Your Car?

[Vishwas]

Friends, After regular water cleaning & before waxing I am using Colin Glass Cleaner to clean my car so that it does not have any sort of water stains/marks.

Please let me know if there is any reasons any of you know that this cannot be used for a car. Thanks.

Colin should only be used for glasses,home products like refrigerator etc it has a strong chemical substance, not friendly for metallic and plastic surfaces like macsvin said it is more likely to fade out.

1. Wax bottle says the painted surface has to be absolutely clean before waxing

In the sense that the wax should be applied soon after the car is washed, so that there won't be any presence of dirt present.

Glass: Wax is not for the glass, so I don't apply wax there but just use colin.

True use Colin only for glasses.

 

[IndicaDLS2002]

Something to read below about Glass cleaners.

What Chemicals Are Used in Glass Cleaners? | eHow

 

[torq118]

True but two reasons.

1. Wax bottle says the painted surface has to be absolutely clean before waxing.
2. Glass: Wax is not for the glass, so I don't apply wax there but just use colin.

Oh !! i misunderstood, you use colin only on the glass, then it is perfectly fine, no issue. But if you are using it on the paint then you dont need to, the warning at the wax bottle means that the surface should be free of dirt and grease.

 

[Tornado]

I use this alcohol based spray for glass, also add this in to wiper wash water (20 ml a time). This performs better and quicker than Colin.

 

[macsvin]

Can you share the link from where you bought it please?

 

[Tornado]

For exterior cleaning in dry conditions I use Jopasu duster (takes less than 5 mins if done daily).
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/maintaining-my-ride/1542-jopasu-car-duster.html

I have dragged my following quote from some other thread to post about my routine car cleaning exercise. One can click on it to view the pics of the in car portable vacuum cleaner.

I have COIDO Vaccum cleaner which works on mobile charging port.I always place it under driver seat .The wire is long enough to clean the boot too. It achieves 90 % results without body gymnastic skills and 95 % with gymnastic skills.

Only drawback is unavailability of blower facility (to blow away the dust) which makes difficult to clean few crevices where its suction nozzle can not reach.

It is also provided with soft nozzle to clean seat covers.
There is a drawer at bottom which is meant for storage of wire, but I do not use it
IIRC, cost me approx Rs 2000.

At home parking, I use Eureka Forbes Vacuum cleaner with blower facility which works on electricity. It helps me to
1) clean the interiors with in 10 mins, if the interior are very very dirty then I need to use it for 30 to 40 mins. (I get better quality cleaning than the car cleaning workshops)
2)blower (attached to a OE provided fogger) helps to fog the interiors with camphor which keeps mosquitos and insects at bay.
3)exteriors can be washed with a attached accessory which creates pressure to spray water from a pipe attached to tap (pressure is enough if you're washing the car on alternate day.If the exteriors are too dirty then it is not of much use) Hence I do not use it much for exterior washing as I don't have time to do so on alternative day. Also water available at home is hard hence I prefer to wash the exteriors at outside car washing guys. Till date I have not given my car for interior cleaning to those guys. I do it on my own.

The machine is labelled as 'Wet & Dry' by the manufacturer. It can be used for home and office cleaning also.
Only precaution - You have to switch off the machine for 2 minutes after every 10 mins of active use to allow the motor to cool down as there is no separate fan for cooling down the motor.

It is serving my cars, home and office from last 8 years.It cost me 10 k INR then, now It is 13 to 14 k.
Once I had to replace its motor because it gone kaput due to continuous operation for hours in a single day.
I have posted the pic of blue coloured machine bellow(source - eureka forbes website) .

Can u sha re the link from where you bought it please?

The glass cleaning spray is bought at 3M workshop, near kedari BP Fuel pump, Wanoworie, Pune. @500INR for 700 ml bottle.

Here is the pic of Eureka forbes vacuum cleaner.

 

[sethumurugan]

@Tornado, i use the same vacuam cleaner for my home/car and it does fantastic job.

I do not use wet feature of the cleaner (even at home)

I mainly use this for cleaning floor carpet, seat and to blow the dust waste in some storage provisions like trey below hand brake, bannana shape storage behind steering wheel (only Spark type 2 and 3 has this), space below music system (provision is there for 2 din system but I have only 1 din music system) and cup holders and dash. Some of the images

The Equipment



Tools Compartment at the top of the machine


Main tool I use for cleaning which can be twisted to two angles



Power supply
(I dont use common current, so direct connection from my bedroom's window)



Dirty floor




Floor after cleaning



​

 

[IndicaDLS2002]

ok one finding as well as a question.

Liquid wax Vs regular wax, anybody know the difference?! Please share.

Anyways while applying liquid wax to my car today I dropped a few drops of it on the rubber cladding on sideof the vehicle & probably did not rub it off & it seems to have left a white stain on the rubber which seems unremovable. So I guess you need to be careful the wax does not come in contact to rubber parts. Hope its not something else.

Actually there is another drop on the metal area which I did rub off & that is also a tiny white solid stain now and stuck. But the other rubber stain seems worse & visible.!

 

[IndicaDLS2002]

The glass cleaning spray is bought at 3M workshop, near kedari BP Fuel pump, Wanoworie, Pune. @500INR for 700 ml bottle.

Doc, some great tips above but please don't mind me commenting that this seems way too expensive unless it is doing something special which other glass cleaners don't have because any good regular glass cleaner spray sells below Rs 100 for 500ml.

 

[Vishwas]

ok one finding as well as a question.



Anyways while applying liquid wax to my car today I dropped a few drops of it on the rubber cladding on sideof the vehicle & probably did not rub it off & it seems to have left a white stain on the rubber which seems unremovable. So I guess you need to be careful the wax does not come in contact to rubber parts. Hope its not something else.

Actually there is another drop on the metal area which I did rub off & that is also a tiny white solid stain now and stuck. But the other rubber stain seems worse & visible.!

In that case, apply little amount of diesel and wipe off in a cotton waste, will do the job, else you can try washing it thoroughly.

Liquid wax Vs regular wax, anybody know the difference?! Please share.

Don't know about it too much, my friend told the liquid wax duration is too lesser than the hardened wax. Moreover liquid wax are used mostly on the unpainted plastic parts.

 

[CRACING]

Don't know about it too much, my friend told the liquid wax duration is too lesser than the hardened wax. Moreover liquid wax are used mostly on the unpainted plastic parts.

Yeah thats right. Paste wax is better and you won't drop it often like liquid wax, while applying. Could be little hard to apply though but lasts longer.

I'm looking to buy a Meguiar's NXT Tech Paste Wax soon but I already have a com-paint's liquid wax so waiting until its over.

 

[tai_newbie]

At last got a chance to wash one of my baby.

1) wash
2) vacuumed interiors
3) cleaned interiors with Lysol wipes
4) glass cleaner for wind shield and windows
5) rainx water repellent for all the exterior glass
6) armour all tyre shine

 

[kinshuk.arya]

Is WD-40 bad for the paint of the car?
Need to know before I use it for removal of Tar. If it is what other options do I have?

planning to do a complete clean out along with claying and a quote of DG105 and waxing.

At last got a chance to wash one of my baby.

1) wash
2) vacuumed interiors
3) cleaned interiors with Lysol wipes
4) glass cleaner for wind shield and windows
5) rainx water repellent for all the exterior glass
6) armour all tyre shine

how does the armour all tyre shine works?
can you show some before and after pics. how many days does the shine last?

 

[tai_newbie]

Is WD-40 bad for the paint of the car?
Need to know before I use it for removal of Tar. If it is what other options do I have?

planning to do a complete clean out along with claying and a quote of DG105 and waxing.



how does the armour all tyre shine works?
can you show some before and after pics. how many days does the shine last?

The tire shine works absolutely good. It's just a touch less spray. When sprayed, forms foam and once the foam dries out, leaves perfect black, shine and wet look on the tyres. It even drains the dirt from the ridges and is intended to use on the side walls only. Will take and post the pics once the weather allows me. It's raining and hence may not be the perfect time to apply and take pics.

 

[Dr MUDHAN]

Most expensive products in the world won't get the job done on their own. It requires some extra human efforts.
It is not the cost or quality of the material makes our cars to glaze. It is the process that makes the shine extraordinary.

Are you interested to know more about car caring & detailing?

Do visit my new thread exclusively, exhaustive Guide on Car Detailing Products.

Let me know how you feel it?

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...ve-guide-car-detailing-basics.html#post349338

Regards

Dr MUDHAN