Yeti Washed

[Sandy.Rogers]

Now I know this has been done to death so if anyone one does care to anser can you do it via PM please?

Had the car since Dec 23, 2011 and decided it might be time to give it a wash! Took absolutely ages, the suicidal bugs were the worst and the tar spots still remain.

Now I'm not a great one for bothering to wash or clean cars no matter how new they are, but while the novelty is there what would you recommend to wash the car, get rid of bugs/tar and eventually put a reasonable wax shine on it (I'm not averse to: 'Wax on, Wax off')? Internally the dash looks as though it has been scuffed/rubbed but it hasn't - I know you can buy Dash Wipes - are they any good?

[Yetiflute]

Me too - you are sharing the good local weather up here with me. Mine now almost exactly 12 months old and it got one of its infrequent washes. I decided to give it an annual wax after the wash -warts and all -and have put a coat of collinite 476S which I bought to put it over the self applied Supergard the day I bought it. So just a wax on and "off". The quotes because this hot weather caught me a bit and the "off" wasn't all that easy. Detailers would have shuddered at some of my actions but it looks better than it has done for several weeks.

[Sandy.Rogers]

198 views - 1 reply and no PMs - got to be a record!

[angrybeard]

Well, having always used autoglym, I decided to go for their high definition range.

Pressure washing and shampoo-ing before claying the whole car, then hi-def cleaner and then the wax, the claying is the killer, the two times i've done it its taken me a whole day to do all the treatments- also included vinyl and rubber care, alloy wheel clean and sealer, tyre treatment, glass cleaner and polish, metal polish(inc a filthy exhaust) and a few other bits. But it does look stunning when finished.

Just been out to try and get some of the bugs off from last weeks longer trip and on the body work where the wax was applied they came off so easily, on some of the other trim a lot more effort is required, it might be a lot of work, but I enjoy having a shiny car, and all that effort at once means its a lot easier to clean the rest of the time and looks really good

As far as the inside, I have done it less, Again i go with autoglym and use the interior shampoo, which gets it looking good, the wipes appeal, but do cost a lot for the better brand ones. I recon if you ask in the general detailing section you'll get more responses, i think people with VRS' are more bothered about keeping their car shiny than the hardy Yeti types!

[Llanigraham]

A whole day!!!! Bogger that!

15 minutes in the local pressure washer bay, and the inside gets wiped over with a damp duster.

[Sandy.Rogers]

I recon if you ask in the general detailing section you'll get more responses, i think people with VRS' are more bothered about keeping their car shiny than the hardy Yeti types!

Cheers, I'll give it go

[JCP]

198 views - 1 reply and no PMs - got to be a record!

Those who love washing/polishing probably didn't think they had anything useful to say to you and those who think wiping the worst of the mud off the bit of the windows you look through is more than enough had nothing to contribute.

[angrybeard]

A whole day!!!! Bogger that!

15 minutes in the local pressure washer bay, and the inside gets wiped over with a damp duster.

I had a bit of a rep for my car cleaning before that, but after that day, having seen me cleaning on their way to, and way back from work, it may have gone from through to a little bit....

[James I]

I use a commercial TFR (traffic film remover) neat with a sponge or a brush, cover the whole car and then rinse, after that has removed all the bugs and tar with very little effort, I go over it again with a cheap wash and wax.

The TFR is so good, the bubbles on the tarmac road and tyre walls turns brown! once all is rinsed the white is super bright again.

[Yetigreenline2]

Just don't leave TFR on too long as it will start eating into your top coat

[Freshacre]

as soon as a bug commits hari-kari, stop the car, leap out and wipe with a kleenex - man-size of course - and continue your journey.

That way you will arrive with a pristine car - but 48 hours late.

Which is preferable?

Or, as an alternative, when the suicidal insects (or welsh farm collies) deposit too great a depth of, er, gubbins on your screen/headlights/sidelights/fog lights/numberplate I have found that a great solution is a squirt of Fairy Liquid into a bucket of really hot water [REALLY HOT] and a washing-up-bowl-type-brush with a plastic-scraper-type-end that can be used literally to scrape the kamikaze beasts off wherever they are. Or if not, they get cooked into a permanent decoration factor to add value to your second hand Yeti.

Works well with local authority tar applications too, but needs the addition of copious quantities of premium butter to soften the deposit.

What d'you mean - this is a serious thread? Oh, sorry! Wrong forum.

Edited 23 May, 2012 by Freshacre

[Llanigraham]

George!!

Naughty corner.

NOW!

[Freshacre]

Aw, shucks - and I've just taken the cats for a walk, too.

[speedsport]

I hate to interrupt this educational discourse, but it's not a good idea to use anyone's brand of washing-up liquid for washing your car. The salt content is extremely high and will lodge in body seams considerably accelerating the onset of rust!

[Llanigraham]

CORRECT!

And considering the lambasting I've been given in the thread about tyre treatments in the General section, I'm not sure I am allowed to comment on car washing!

[Freshacre]

so tell me - what's wrong with a bit of Brillo Pad for the really dirty bits???????

[silver1011]

The salt in washing up liquid isn't really the issue as long as you give the car a good rinse.

It's the bleach and amonia that strips off any wax/polish and can (over time) end up doing more harm than good.

For those who are less erm... 'anal' (quoted from another related thread)about car cleaning then I'm sure a six monthly splash of Fairy Liquid isn't going to do much harm.

[silver1011]

so tell me - what's wrong with a bit of Brillo Pad for the really dirty bits???????

Nothing. Rub a bit of T-Cut onto the Brillo Pad too for increased paint removal!

[Llanigraham]

I don't think he does, Kevin, but then I don't thinks he understands why his deep concern over shiny tyres doesn't quite fit into the "country living, off-roading, one life, live it" way of living I have. And actually I'm not sure if his latest posting isn't a threat to me?

Shame I'm at work, otherwise I would have posted the picture of my Yeti on the WyeDean Rally when it was thick with mud, and asked what they suggested.

[wakev]

I don't think he does, Kevin, but then I don't thinks he understands why his deep concern over shiny tyres doesn't quite fit into the "country living, off-roading, one life, live it" way of living I have. And actually I'm not sure if his latest posting isn't a threat to me?

Shame I'm at work, otherwise I would have posted the picture of my Yeti on the WyeDean Rally when it was thick with mud, and asked what they suggested.

They would suggest a long cleaning proses that you would not follow . Nether would I one good clean after the winter and the odd polish through the year is good enough for me, when I go off road or across fields it gets to look like yours but the cleaning is simple 15min £12 and three chaps that cannot speak very good English and its like new and dare I say it SHINY BLACK TYRES .

[Llanigraham]

Kevin

Unfortunately we don't have these useful car cleaning establishments at home. The best I can manage is the jet wash bay and a £1 for 3 minutes. Shock horror, I use the brush!

I have been instructed by Sheila that the car has to be cleaned before we go on holiday next Friday, so I've got 7 days!!

And you have to forgive George; you do know he plays bass guitar?

[Freshacre]

K

And you have to forgive George; you do know he plays bass guitar?

Oi !

Amongst other things too! Fiddle, mandolin, bouzouki, Fender leccy guitar, vintage 12 string acoustic, harmonica, the fool, bohdran, the mouth, and a variety of things to hit!

That'll do for now. And appearing at a venue near Merthyr Cynog quite frequently in the next three weeks!

Edited 25 May, 2012 by Freshacre

[ChrisRs]

Now I know this has been done to death so if anyone one does care to anser can you do it via PM please?

Had the car since Dec 23, 2011 and decided it might be time to give it a wash! Took absolutely ages, the suicidal bugs were the worst and the tar spots still remain.

Now I'm not a great one for bothering to wash or clean cars no matter how new they are, but while the novelty is there what would you recommend to wash the car, get rid of bugs/tar and eventually put a reasonable wax shine on it (I'm not averse to: 'Wax on, Wax off')? Internally the dash looks as though it has been scuffed/rubbed but it hasn't - I know you can buy Dash Wipes - are they any good?

Sandy

Theres a couple of things you need, particularly owning a 4X4

A good pressure washer...ESSENTIAL

A Snow Foam Lance

Snow Foam

Autosmart Tardis..Tar remover..Theres an AG version if just buying from Halfords

http://www.polishedb...art-tardis.html (Buy from eBay if you want a smaller quantity)

Autoglym Super Resin Polish (Good at filling small scratches)

Autoglym High Def Wax ( A good wax and easy to apply...reapply every 6 weeks)

Read here also:

http://www.polishedb...are-advice.html

Good luck

PM me if you want more specific advice

[Big Rich]

you could always go waterless as I'm experimenting with, with good results so far. Betty needs another clean so will do some before and afters this time.

[Sandy.Rogers]

Sandy

Theres a couple of things you need, particularly owning a 4X4

A good pressure washer...ESSENTIAL

A Snow Foam Lance

Snow Foam

Autosmart Tardis..Tar remover..Theres an AG version if just buying from Halfords

http://www.polishedb...art-tardis.html (Buy from eBay if you want a smaller quantity)

Autoglym Super Resin Polish (Good at filling small scratches)

Autoglym High Def Wax ( A good wax and easy to apply...reapply every 6 weeks)

Read here also:

http://www.polishedb...are-advice.html

Good luck

PM me if you want more specific advice

Hi Chris,

Will have to google some of the above and possibly visit Halfords for some of the recommended items

Cheers

you could always go waterless as I'm experimenting with, with good results so far. Betty needs another clean so will do some before and afters this time.

Rich,

Don't really get this - surely rubbing muddy gritty dirt across your paintwork without water is going to scratch your paint work? I saw a previous post with this included (could've been you?) and I didn't get how it worked then