How Do You Clean Your Car?

[Gurrala74]

Mate if you really want to take good care of the car you have to think all this. Normal cloth scratches the paint and the paint gets dull over the time. Its bound to happen in india with the amount of dust and all. No car can remain swirl marks free but still when i wash i don't use normal cloth but microfibre.

Hyundai, I support you whatever you said, yes that is what I am also trying to say here is

1. Better to give the car for professional wash in my personal opinion
2. If we have to do it, then we should buy that micro fiber cloth specially sold in interior shops and not the one on roads. Yes banian cloth is really good, even I use it some times
3. should use the Auto shampoos only and it applies for Wax too
4. rubbing can be done with a nice fibre cloth very lightly and I refrain myself doing the buffing with machine as it requires skill doing so

 

[allhyundaicars]

1. They charge minimum 300 rupees. No point getting it done even from a local carwash.
2. And i buy from speciality stores. You can't use microfibre for dusting, it won't dust properly so using that orange cloth is the apt choice here and it does not cause swirl marks as far as i know.
3.agree, using normal shampoo is not good.
4.i use normal cloth for rubbing. Mf is a minimum 100 rs per peice.

 

[autosafari]

Jopasu duster is just right for cleaning on a normal day.

Dusting the car has become a five minute job with Jopasu.

Cannot be used during rains.

 

[sethumurugan]

Hahahahaha, friends, why all this headache, better buy one new VIP banain to clean the car, matter over

Using the buffing machine requires lot of skill, hence please never try yourself otherwise you will end up peeling off the paint

RK Sir, can you tell me how the buffing machine spoils your car paint. I thought of doing same as you do for your shoes that polish always with the tip. [thought by my father] wont it be good for your car?

Jopasu duster is just right for cleaning on a normal day.

Dusting the car has become a five minute job with Jopasu.

Cannot be used during rains.

I use normal duster which i got for Rs.150 and it does great job. I always clean the dust off my car then wash it. this is sequence I follow for past 4 and half years from my M800 days.

Let me try waxing my sparky tomorrow or Monday and see how she looks like..

 

[Gurrala74]

Sethu Sir,

We handle different type of buffing activity in our factory for SS moulds and others and have different buffing methods too.

A shoe buffing machine and wheel are different and its rpm too, but

the one which is used on the car for Teflon and waxing is also different, its a matter of how much pressure you are applying on the surface, so it really needs practice and expertise other wise there will be unevenness is seen on the surface and some times wrong handling as resulted damage to the paint quality.

You can always try on your own, but try with a old car for some time till you get practice and go to the new car

 

[sanjugalande]

Waxing first time:

today it is holiday for me and early in morning decided to wax my new 3 month old velvet red spark
Last week by doing window shopping at car street of nasik near shingada talav.
i searched good type of wax which is well discussed in this forum but apart from formula 1 and 3m no other are available so buy 3M wax polisher small bottle of 95 rupees after asking good applicator shop guy give me small sponge piece for 5 rupees i asked him another type he said it will work.
I start at 9 am and finished to 12 noon.first vacuumed my cabin.washed all 4 wheels .
i have this collection for cleaning http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...312-what-car-care-products-do-you-use-11.html

after cleaning and complete dry it was time to wax my sparky 1st time i started from RH door panel and each panel at a time.First i apply wax by bare hand but it not spreading well . then searched in home for any smooth pads...luckily got foundation buff from wife's dressing table.i taken it very quietly without knowing her
i apply wax with it since it wind wax hazing fast .after 2-3 times MF cloth rubbing it gets removed.it is paste type wax.
while closely waxing and buffing by MF cloth. i found 2-4 scratches i apply scratch remover compound of Formula 1 but it not worked well.
Overall waxing shine is not up to mark i used all 100ml bottle .
Looking for next month wax a good applicator, Spray type wax, MF cloth pair, good scratch remover .
I hope senior will help me find out above.

 

[sethumurugan]

Seems to be good job. but can you post some pics of your sparky after Waxing?

 

[sunbaj]

Waxing first time:

today it is holiday for me and early in morning decided to wax my new 3 month old velvet red spark
Last week by doing window shopping at car street of nasik near shingada talav.
i searched good type of wax which is well discussed in this forum but apart from formula 1 and 3m no other are available so buy 3M wax polisher small bottle of 95 rupees after asking good applicator shop guy give me small sponge piece for 5 rupees i asked him another type he said it will work.
I start at 9 am and finished to 12 noon.first vacuumed my cabin.washed all 4 wheels .
i have this collection for cleaning http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...312-what-car-care-products-do-you-use-11.html

after cleaning and complete dry it was time to wax my sparky 1st time i started from RH door panel and each panel at a time.First i apply wax by bare hand but it not spreading well . then searched in home for any smooth pads...luckily got foundation buff from wife's dressing table.i taken it very quietly without knowing her
i apply wax with it since it wind wax hazing fast .after 2-3 times MF cloth rubbing it gets removed.it is paste type wax.
while closely waxing and buffing by MF cloth. i found 2-4 scratches i apply scratch remover compound of Formula 1 but it not worked well.
Overall waxing shine is not up to mark i used all 100ml bottle .
Looking for next month wax a good applicator, Spray type wax, MF cloth pair, good scratch remover .
I hope senior will help me find out above.

Sanjay,

Get hold of some foam from the Furniture making forkshop as they apply the foam in the seats ..even a white baniyan will serve your purpose well to apply the wax . If you go for FORMULA 1 or WAXPOL Wax you will get an applicator also with it. Since I see that you have applied scratch remover I would suggest that you apply Polish after applying the scratch remover and then Wax it.

 

[Figoian]

Since I see that you have applied scratch remover I would suggest that you apply Polish after applying the scratch remover and then Wax it.

Polish? Any tips on that?

 

[sunbaj]

Polish? Any tips on that?

A car polish is a product that uses an abrasive action to remove very fine layers of the top coat protection to flatten out the surface to ensure and equal reflection of the light and thus a highly polished/gloss look. Such products come in varying degrees of abrasiveness from medium to ultra fine.

The quality modern polish will be made of what is known as diminishing abrasives which break down into further smaller particles as they are worked on the paint thus getting finer and finer the more they are “polished” into the paint. This avoids the need to go through varying steps of abrasiveness in different bottles to achieve a highly polished look. Many polishes also contain gloss enhancing oils which further help to provide a deep look shine to the paint work.

What however is missing by just applying your polish is any protection to the polished paintwork, which is where your wax comes in to protect all the hard work you have just put in polishing and a achieving that deep gloss shine. Which, using your wax or sealant, you will now protect for a few to several months

Scratch remover (If it is a rubbing compound) on the other hand has high abrassive properties and does not give a gloss/shine to the car. You do not apply scratch remover to the whole car instead you only apply on scratches and then this reduces the gloss/shine of the car where the scratch remover (paste) is applied.

 

[premc44]

Hahahahaha, friends, why all this headache, better buy one new VIP banain to clean the car, matter over

Using the buffing machine requires lot of skill, hence please never try yourself otherwise you will end up peeling off the paint

A decent microfiber cloth, which does not cost a bomb is what is advised for drying your car. Of course, you can use old or new banian also, but the idea is to reduce ugly swirls on the car to a minimum. A good microfiber towels does that. It is a matter of choice, depends how fastidious you are.

As for the buffing machine, I use one and I have not marred my paint. You have to know there are two kinds of buffers or polishers. One is the rotary type, which one has to be careful with. It is only for the very experienced or for professional detailers. It generates lot of heat and, as you said, can damage your paint. Never use that. The other one is called a double action random orbital machine, like Megs V2 or Kestrel DA. These machines use foam pads and because the spindle rotates in an orbital axis, heat generation is less. There are many videos on youtube, showing how to use a DA orbital polisher. It makes an easy job of detailing, provided you use the right kinds of pads and technique. I use a Kesterl DA polisher and I am extremely happy with it. Saves you from a lot of sore arms.

 

[Figoian]

Thanks Sunbaj, for the insight. What I wanted to understand is, when is it recommended to use? After a shampoo wash? As many of the shampoos comes as wash & polish and I am not sure whether they do the job. Couple of it I tried (Formula 1 1000 wash), which didn't work well and would have hardly lasted for 10 washes.

What are the recommended products for Wash, Polish, Wax & Scratches?

 

[sethumurugan]

A decent microfiber cloth, which does not cost a bomb is what is advised for drying your car. Of course, you can use old or new banian also, but the idea is to reduce ugly swirls on the car to a minimum. A good microfiber towels does that. It is a matter of choice, depends how fastidious you are.

As for the buffing machine, I use one and I have not marred my paint. You have to know there are two kinds of buffers or polishers. One is the rotary type, which one has to be careful with. It is only for the very experienced or for professional detailers. It generates lot of heat and, as you said, can damage your paint. Never use that. The other one is called a double action random orbital machine, like Megs V2 or Kestrel DA. These machines use foam pads and because the spindle rotates in an orbital axis, heat generation is less. There are many videos on youtube, showing how to use a DA orbital polisher. It makes an easy job of detailing, provided you use the right kinds of pads and technique. I use a Kesterl DA polisher and I am extremely happy with it. Saves you from a lot of sore arms.

prem that was a detailed explanation on buffing machine. The second type you are mentioning is available here in India? any online stores selling it?

 

[sunbaj]

Thanks Sunbaj, for the insight. What I wanted to understand is, when is it recommended to use? After a shampoo wash? As many of the shampoos comes as wash & polish and I am not sure whether they do the job. Couple of it I tried (Formula 1 1000 wash), which didn't work well and would have hardly lasted for 10 washes.

What are the recommended products for Wash, Polish, Wax & Scratches?

For the wash I would recomend to go for Amway Car wash. As there are too many fake Formula 1 products in the Indian market you probably might have bought a fake Formula 1 product. Also I have never heard of shampoos with wash & polish however heard themsas wash and wax.

The products that I have used is as follows:
1. Car Wash - Amway car wash
Amway India : Car Wash 500ml

2. Polish - I havent used till date. Avoid using it as much as possible. Probably use once a year if required as it would remove a thin layer of paint to get the shine as it has abrasive properties

3. Wax - I was using Formula 1 but not happy with it. Just ordered Collinite 845 and received it today. This is one of the best available Waxes in the market till date
Collinite 845

 

[premc44]

prem that was a detailed explanation on buffing machine. The second type you are mentioning is available here in India? any online stores selling it?

Thank you. I got my Kestrel DA machine from UK. Another DA polisher, made by Meguiares (USA) is made available in India by Vicky.in, they also have different buffing pads for the same. Here is the link

Car Care Products - Meguiars - Dual Action Polisher -3 MID

As you are in Chennai, please look for 3M car care outlet, they may even have the machine or at least the pads. Meguiars is of part of 3M now.You should know different pads are meant for different purposes, cutting pads are different from finishing pads. Do a google search on Lake county polishing pads or 3 M polishing pads for more details.