keeping you skoda looking tip top!

[Octy09]

• Dodo Juice Sour Power shampoo - smells great and adds a really nice gloss.

• AutoGlym Fast Glass on the windows.

• Bilberry Wheel Cleaner on the wheels, followed by AutoGlym Alloy Wheel Sealant.

• AutoGlym Vinyl & Rubber Care on the engine cover and any other rubbery bits & pieces.

• Meguiars Tyre Gel (although soon changing for AutoFinesse's alternative)

• Chemical Guys Hybrid V7 as a QD/sealant - smells good, adds depth.

• Dodo Juice Hard Candy or Purple Haze wax - both give brilliant beading and add further depth to the paintwork.

• Meguiars Metal Polish (can't remember what it's called!) on the exhaust - brings it up a treat.

I could go on... but I won't. There's nothing like cleaning your own car. I've been impressed by some of Auto Finesse's products so am aiming to try more of them as my others 'run out'.

[Octy09]

1. I start off with snowfoaming. Not sure if it is of any benefit, it just makes me smile. I leave that to dwell.

2. Give the wheels a seeing to with Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel. IMO this is the best wheel cleaner I have ever used, you can see it working as it turns purple and requires very little agitation.

3. I then rinse the Auto Wheels and snowfoam off.

4. Give it a wash with BH Autowash.

5. Rinse.

6. Clay it, with BH Auto clay.

7. Wipe off the marring with a damp microfibre cloth.

8. Use BH Cleanser Fluid

9. Finish off with BH Finis Wax.

10. AG Tyre Dressing.

11. Use AG Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner on door seals and bumper trim.

I do this every 3 or 4 months. I also use the Karcher Chassis Cleaner. Haven't used the underbody sealant since the tester bottle ran out. Just use AG Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner.

Everyweek, I do steps 1 - 3, then wash with AG BSC, and finsih off with AG Aquawax, or if short of time/poor weather use AG Autogloss Rinse.

Not saying this is the best method, but it works for me.

Only thing of note is even though the car has never been through an automatic car wash, the paint is full of swirls and hazing!! even though I use the Two Bucket Method, lambs wool mitt, microfibre cloths etc.

Fin.

Must've been through one at some point, maybe at the dealer? I was surprised to find that they often use an automated wash, even if you ask them not to clean the car. Because your process sounds faultless! Have you machine polished?

[Octy09]

That's to be expected when claying regularly without polishing / glazing afterwards. It doesn't matter what clay it is, you're picking up some big particles off the paint work in that clay which is getting worked back and forth. Claying is great, but you've got to be prepared to polish afterward, hence why I only bother doing it twice a year. I just don't have the time to do the full process more than that.

Also, you're rubbing cleanser fluid over it and more regularly aquawax. Nothing wrong with that of course, but it's more stuff getting rubbed over the paintwork with no polish / glaze to fix / cover up any resulting marks - it all adds up.

I see a lot of people tend to be using these iron/tar removers now, often instead of claying, or sometimes as well as. Certainly sounds like less work, but I believe the smell is horrific!

[Nick P]

Iron-X is amazing stuff Octy09. The smell's not THAT bad. It fetches a lot of nasty stuff off that would otherwise end up in your clay, hence I always use it before claying.

[smithy961]

Leon- just ****ed about for ages fitting new headlight bulbs ( passenger side-grrrrrrr ) and trying to solve squeeky dash with the velcro fix so was already a bit stressed then made the boo boo so spent next half hour with the super resin trying to make it look a tad better-- probably should of just stayed in bed!!!

[flyerphil]

What's wrong with Pledge and a bit of boot polish for the black vinyl bits

[Stuart_J]

This is how it should be done, I got Si to give it the once over when new

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=175071

[Grizzle]

Good to see he used Zaino

[FUBAR]

I just use Gtechnq these days, and the two best products from them are C2 as a sealent for the paint and the wheels, and then watered down as a QD every few washes, and also use it watered down on windows etc as it keeps them clean and water beading off, I have in the past used proper dedicated wheel sealants, glass sealents and whilst I am not saying they are no good, I am saying that by the time you have bought all the different products it can get very expensive so now I just generally use C2 for my needs for sealing stuff, then the T1 tyre black for the tyres as the stuff leaves a lovely silk finish as opposed to matt or gloss and it keeps the tyres looking good for weeks, then I use the Gwash as my shampoo, it just does the job and it looks great afterwards.

However, saying all that, I am getting a yearning for a 'wax' and that rubbing the wax onto a car feeling, so when the wifes car has had its paint tidied up in a couple of months time I think I will crack out the Harly Wax and use that on hers as its a great wax!

Then also in spring and autumn I will give the car a good decontamination and polish, usually use AS Tardis, IronX, and also clay with Demon Shine as lube, and polish wise I am using Gtech P1 at the moment, using the hand pad they supply and it works well, finishes down nice, the car is new and has never been touched by a dealer or any polish place so any swirls etc are basically not there, so no need to worry about correction.

Thats what I use and it works for me!

+1 for Gtechniq car was detailed just after I got it only gone over it twice since in 18 months. Pic below is from last 10 days or so.

[Grizzle]

You do know Gtechniq C2 is just Permanon.

[Guest]

Must've been through one at some point, maybe at the dealer? I was surprised to find that they often use an automated wash, even if you ask them not to clean the car. Because your process sounds faultless! Have you machine polished?

The few times the car has been to the dealer, it comes back the same state it went in, even though they claim they give the car a valet as standard practice. In a way I am glad they haven't as you never know what they use. Whilst dropping a hire van off at an independent, I noticed they also did a nice side line in car washing. The number of times they dropped the sponge on the gravel and used it straight on the vehicle.

I'm strongly hinting at getting a polishing machine as a gift, though not quite sure if they are worth it. They seem to require just as much maintenance as the car!

Fin

[Wardy]

Whenever one of mine has gone to a dealer I've got them to promise not touch the outside! It usually turns up looking cleaner than any on the forecourt anyway

[JohnSTV6]

I had a rear end shunt last year, not my fault someone hit the back of me at a round about.

I went to pick the car up from the bodyshop and couldn't believe the state of it.

It looked like someone had gone round it with a dirty soapy rag, and then left it in the sun to bake on.

They had the cheek to say they had 'cleaned' it for me! ????

[Booble]

I'm a bit of an amateur when it comes to keeping car clean professionally / detailing, having always just taken my cars to a drive in hand wash. However my new VRS is something special (over previous cars) and I intend to keep it clean by wash/ waxing/ polishing myself. In terms of full detailing I will probably take it to a company once a year. Anyway just bought the following products:

AutoGlym Bodywork Shampoo

AutoGlym Fast Glass

AutoGlym Super Resin Polish

Lamb Wool Wash Mitt

I will follow the detailing / washing advice I have read on here.

[vectra1]

I'm a bit of an amateur when it comes to keeping car clean professionally / detailing, having always just taken my cars to a drive in hand wash. However my new VRS is something special (over previous cars) and I intend to keep it clean by wash/ waxing/ polishing myself. In terms of full detailing I will probably take it to a company once a year. Anyway just bought the following products:

AutoGlym Bodywork Shampoo

AutoGlym Fast Glass

AutoGlym Super Resin Polish

Lamb Wool Wash Mitt

I will follow the detailing / washing advice I have read on here.

The only thing with the srp is it has no real durability.

Get a bottle of EGP and apply a coat of two over the srp. It will add to the result and also give added protection

Edited 21 October, 2012 by vectra1

[Booble]

Hi Vectra1, just ordered some autoglym hd wax now so using the process in http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/100112-faq-wash-process/

I will rinse, apply car shampoo, rinse, dry, polish and then apply the hd wax. hopefully this will make it look shiny and nice.

just need some alloy sealent now, I'm off this week so hope it arrives while i'm off so I can try it all out. next step is probably a karcher pressure washer and some foam (but thats once I've recovered from spending £80 on the products I've just ordered.).

cheers

[Kit Hamilton]

I protect my paint work with a thick layer of mud and grime, and then twice a year I remind myself how beautiful my car looks in red.