Cleaning - or lack of it

[pog]

Washed mine today! Clay bar plus wax equals winner!

[kangfu]

I havent washed mine in weeks! I'll wash it tomorrow morning hopefully after i put my rear strut brace in. Need to learn how to wax properly, or use a buffer. I do a lot of training and sometimes my shoulders are too sore to do it manually, haha!

[tooch]

I was so anal when I first got my GTI, cleaning it once a week with the 2 bucket method, and QDing it nearly every other day. I'm far lazier now that I have a house to take care of, and probably only wash it once a month or if it really needs it. It's still totally swirl free thanks to the 2BM, so I'd rather leave the dirt on it and clean it properly less often, than do a sh*tty job at the local carwash every week or 2.

[pologti18t]

Don't think that spending countless hours per month cleaning and polishing a car will reward you much when you trade it after 5yrs. It may help when selling privately though. Most dealers will either wholesale your car or detail it themselves prior to putting it on the lot.

I had a silver Astra from new. Washed it once a month at most, never polished. When I went to trade it on the Polo i went over if with one of the final inspection sprays (spray on, wipe off). The dealer said - "wow, you have really looked after that car"

[Buller_Scott]

I'd rather leave the dirt on it and clean it properly less often, than do a sh*tty job at the local carwash every week or 2.

local car wash is better for the two bucket method... wash half a panel, wash off mitt, repeat. that way, there is NO dirt on the mitt when you wash the car.

[tooch]

local car wash is better for the two bucket method... wash half a panel, wash off mitt, repeat. that way, there is NO dirt on the mitt when you wash the car.

Costs too much though if you like to take your time
If you fill up the rinse bucket most of the way, and only rinse it in the very top of the bucket, all of the crap falls to the bottom anyway.

[Buller_Scott]

Costs too much though if you like to take your time
If you fill up the rinse bucket most of the way, and only rinse it in the very top of the bucket, all of the crap falls to the bottom anyway.

yeah true.

just as an indicator, i usually spend 8-10 bucks, which at my local, gets you around 15-18 mins

[blackbetty]

this post has been great reading....

i generally do the whole high pressure hosing off at the self clean wash joints. and when i get home if im not happy with the clean surface i generally soap up in a bucket and go over it.
every 6 mths or so is really give it a good clean down and then coat it from head to toe in wax - the soft California gold stuff. this takes hours, but the advantage is that hosing if off ever couple of weeks keeps it really clean because nothing sticks to the wax. especially easy t clean bug splatter

which reminds me - time to wax....

[T Go]

I usually wash mine every 2 weeks, and spend about 2hrs inside and out... so not as meticulous as some, but I think as long as its done regularly, you don't need to spend too much time on it.

... I have been neglecting it recently though... the thought of a new car has me paying less attention to it

[Evaded Motorsport]

I just purchased a couple of hundred buying detailing gear. So much cheaper out of the states than here. Reason for it, I let the paint go after it was hailed on. Car comes back from the hail repair the week before VW Nats.

[Corey_R]

Out of interest, what'd you get and where from?

[Evaded Motorsport]

Autogeek,

Ordered the following:

17 oz. Optimum Car Wax 14.99
16 oz. 303 Aerospace Protectant 12.99
Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay Special 29.99
4 oz. Ultima Paint Guard Plus & Microfi 19.99
Daytona - Pinnacle Wheel Combo 44.99
Microfiber Towel Combo 49.99

[Corey_R]

Those prices look alright, but I guess it depends on the shipping, as that can be a killer from the USA. Worst thing about that site is it's very diffcult (well, not possible for me it seems) to get an international shipping price to display from their site... I need to email them or something.

How much did they charge you for the shipping on that order?

[Evaded Motorsport]

Shipping was a bit of a killer but it was still alot cheaper buying it from the States than buying it here.

In Aus it was.

Optimum car Wax: $35.00
Aerospace protectant $25.00
No one sells the Pinnacle kit over here, but the cheapest kit I can find (it isn't quite as good) Is $62.00
Ultima guard isn't available here in Australia and it comes with 2 Cobra microfibre towels You are paying sort of $22ish dollars just for the microfibre towles over here letalone the paint guard so I would hesitantly value that in the $45ish region in Australia.
The wheel kit, just the brush is $40.00 here in Australia along with the applicator pads and product it would probably come in at fairly close to $80ish dollars buying it here in Aus.
Similar Microfibre kits sell for about $80 - $100 over here. So if I was buying it here it would end up in the region of $340ish.

I paid $170ish Australian for the stuff above, postage from the states seems to be about $80 so eventual cost will be about $250.

Next purchase is a decent polishing kit.

With Autogeek you place an order, then select international shipping, they will then send you an email with an estimation for shipping, if you are okay with it you reply yes or no if you are not, If you reply no then they will cancel the order.

[Corey_R]

The Vikan long handle brush (for wheel arches and tyres) is $20 from CCP, as is the Rim Brush, so it's not as bad as you'd think.

Also the Enthusiast Cloth Kit for $99 has a lot in there.
So whilst things are still cheaper in the USA, $80 on shipping brings that gap down so much that I'm willing to just purchase locally to support a good business, and also avoid the hassle of needing to deal with an international company in case I need any support (or returns or incorrect deliveries etc).