Hi

I've just picked up my first ever brand new car - an Octavia II Estate

I can see all the help bits and pieces on how to wash, how to wax etc, but I'm not sure what the overall best-practice is ...

Should I be getting into the whole waxing bit, or is that just a luxury?

I suspect I'm opening a can of worms even asking this question, but all perspectives welcome

Cheers

Niki

If you can afford it - get it machine polished, sealed and waxed by a professional. Someone like Baker21. If you have a look at the detail he did on the red Octavia vRSyou will see the huge difference between what the Skoda dealer did on the PDI and what a proper expert can do. That finish will last for at least 6 months if washed regularly and maybe as much as a year if maintained with a top-up wax at 6-months.

Waxing is proper protection for your paintwork, but adopting a multi-bucket method is probably the one thing that you can do that will keep it swirl free forever.

Two buckets is the current favourite, but I use 3, and three washmitts.

Bucket and Mitt 1 (with gritguard) does the wheels and the strip of the car below the side bump strip. I wash that first.

Bucket and Mitt 2 (with gritguard) does the rest of the sides of the car and the back. This is washed next.

Bucket and Mitt 3 does the roof and bonnet last, then the rest of the car is 'washed' again, although it should already be clean, so really you're just making absolutely sure.

This method, which was devised by Rolls Royce chauffeur school in the 1950's, means that the car basically gets washed twice, uses very little water, and each mitt only washes less contaminated parts of the car.

Get one or two clear buckets with grit guards, wash mitt, some good shampoo like Duragloss 901 and a drying towl, all from somone like cleanyourcar.co.uk. Then a MF pad and a wax like Collinite 845 or Clearkote Moose Wax and put two or three thin layers on. (buff each one off!)

Get some brushes for the alloys, EZ brush is a good starter, plus some tyre get from Megs (endurance). Use a quick detailer to wipe down water marks at the end. Clearkote QD is good.

Once you've settled on a good washing program then get someone to machine polish it, otherwise you'll just swirl it again.

Good advice from

wja96's I am really careful how i clean my car but Baker 21 is amazing , and even i am seeing him in April

If you can afford it - get it machine polished, sealed and waxed by a professional. Someone like Baker21. If you have a look at the detail he did on the red Octavia vRSyou will see the huge difference between what the Skoda dealer did on the PDI and what a proper expert can do. That finish will last for at least 6 months if washed regularly and maybe as much as a year if maintained with a top-up wax at 6-months.

Waxing is proper protection for your paintwork, but adopting a multi-bucket method is probably the one thing that you can do that will keep it swirl free forever.

Two buckets is the current favourite, but I use 3, and three washmitts.

Bucket and Mitt 1 (with gritguard) does the wheels and the strip of the car below the side bump strip. I wash that first.

Bucket and Mitt 2 (with gritguard) does the rest of the sides of the car and the back. This is washed next.

Bucket and Mitt 3 does the roof and bonnet last, then the rest of the car is 'washed' again, although it should already be clean, so really you're just making absolutely sure.

This method, which was devised by Rolls Royce chauffeur school in the 1950's, means that the car basically gets washed twice, uses very little water, and each mitt only washes less contaminated parts of the car.

Interesting method! Do all the buckets have shampoo in them? What about rinsing afterwards , I currently just use a watering can as I dont have access to a hose.

Interesting method! Do all the buckets have shampoo in them? What about rinsing afterwards , I currently just use a watering can as I dont have access to a hose.

Yes, all buckets have shampoo although the last one only has about 50ml in a 5l bucket while the other two have 100ml in a 5l bucket. I use Megs Hyperwash.

For rinsing I use a normal garden hose.

Thanks to the kind words from wja96 and bluvrs2.........

Hi

I've just picked up my first ever brand new car - an Octavia II Estate

I can see all the help bits and pieces on how to wash, how to wax etc, but I'm not sure what the overall best-practice is ...

Should I be getting into the whole waxing bit, or is that just a luxury?

I suspect I'm opening a can of worms even asking this question, but all perspectives welcome

Cheers

Niki

Don't be too worried about all the amount of information you will find on various detailing threads, I would say have a read through all of the 'sticky' threads in this forum all posted by BigW and then make a list of items you think you will need.

It's a great idea to prep the car quickly from new to get some protection down on it but it's key to realise that only you will more than likely degrade the paintwork over time depending on your wash technique, get yourself a decent technique and you will be laughing, plenty of people on here to offer advice.........

If you can afford it - get it machine polished, sealed and waxed by a professional. Someone like Baker21. If you have a look at the detail he did on the red Octavia vRSyou will see the huge difference between what the Skoda dealer did on the PDI and what a proper expert can do. That finish will last for at least 6 months if washed regularly and maybe as much as a year if maintained with a top-up wax at 6-months.

Waxing is proper protection for your paintwork, but adopting a multi-bucket method is probably the one thing that you can do that will keep it swirl free forever.

Two buckets is the current favourite, but I use 3, and three washmitts.

Bucket and Mitt 1 (with gritguard) does the wheels and the strip of the car below the side bump strip. I wash that first.

Bucket and Mitt 2 (with gritguard) does the rest of the sides of the car and the back. This is washed next.

Bucket and Mitt 3 does the roof and bonnet last, then the rest of the car is 'washed' again, although it should already be clean, so really you're just making absolutely sure.

This method, which was devised by Rolls Royce chauffeur school in the 1950's, means that the car basically gets washed twice, uses very little water, and each mitt only washes less contaminated parts of the car.

Now that's an interesting technique! Might give that a try

A Snow Foam lance is essential IMO

I've just gone with diamondbriting the paintwork (did it myself and will do it again in a couple of years) then using a 2 bucket wash (after hosing the car down), separate brush and mitt for the wheels which I've also sealed and a monthly going over with their conservor. Got various other goodies to blacken tyres, do the interior etc. Result, major grin each weekend about just how spanking my car looks after a good clean.

Plenty of people on here to help with advice and what products are good, like Baker and Chris. Only problem I have found sofar is how deep are your pockets and do you have a garage extension to fit all the detailing crap in you will end up buying!

Think you'd need to re apply the Diamondbrite every 2-3 months!

Think you'd need to re apply the Diamondbrite every 2-3 months!

Think you'd need to re apply the Diamondbrite every 2-3 months!

Eh? DB reckon it lasts 6 years!!!! I'm not that optimistic though - anyway it's a paint protection not a wax.

Its all marketing, only paint "protection" is something like VentureShield. DB will only last that long if its topped up, its just a regualr paint sealant.