Okay, so I - sorry the wife and I - got a pressure washer for Christmas, a Nilfisk 130.2 9 jobbie.  So far I've tried using Halfords Pressure Washer stuff in the Nilfisk foam sprayer.  It gets the worst off, for sure, but our cars are still far from clean, so I've got hold of an HD Snow Foam lance from Mainz car care along with a small bottle of their Equilibrium foam to try (thanks to ChrisRS for the tip).

 

I got an Autoglym kit a while back when we bought our A4 (prior to my enlightenment as to the ways of Skoda) which means I have their shampoo, super resin polish, extra gloss protection, rubber care, clean wheels etc. already.  I also bought some of their paint renovator which did a good job helping me do a paint repair where some toerag keyed the car last year.

 

So, with what I've now got I'm going to attack the job in a better way - hopefully - but I'd appreciate any advice on my 'plan' below:

 

1 - Clean the door shuts and the interior trim and glass, hoover out etc.

 

2 - Apply Equilibrium Foam using lance, allow to dwell (10mins?) then pressure wash off.

 

3 - 2BM wash with the shampoo, pressure washer rinse then dry with microfibre towels

 

3a - Clay +++  (not got my head round a process for this yet and don't have any claying stuff as yet)

 

4 - Polish with super resin polish (+/- paint renovator for the worst of the door dings - might not be necessary)

 

5 - ? Wash and dry again?  Using snow foam or shampoo?  Or both, i.e. repeating 2 & 3?

 

6 - Polish exterior glass surfaces ? and do something to exterior trim?

 

7 - Seal paintwork using extra gloss protection ? what about trim - just seal that as well?

 

8 - ? Further seal with Collinite 476S or similar?

 

 

I'd like to get it to a stage where I can get as close to a touchless clean as possible, but am not unrealistic about that always being achievable.

 

As always, your thoughts muchly appreciated.

Edited 13 January, 201412 yr by Yearofthegoat

Some input from me:

 

1 - Clean the door shuts and the interior trim and glass, hoover out etc.

After you've snow foamed, go around with a detailing brush using the snow foam to clean the shuts

..... later and apply some QD. I always do the glass and Hoovering last 

 

2 - Apply Equilibrium Foam using lance, allow to dwell (10mins?) then pressure wash off.

 

3 - 2BM wash with the shampoo, pressure washer rinse then dry with microfibre towels

 

3a - Clay +++  (not got my head round a process for this yet and don't have any claying stuff as yet)

Buy Bilt Hamber Clay and use Shampoo as the lubricant...A Once or twice a year job ONLY

 

4 - Polish with super resin polish (+/- paint renovator for the worst of the door dings - might not be necessary)

Dings can not be repaired with any product...'Dentmaster' are good

 

5 - ? Wash and dry again?  Using snow foam or shampoo?  Or both, i.e. repeating 2 & 3?

No...Apply a wax over the top of the AGSRP......

 

6 - Polish exterior glass surfaces ? and do something to exterior trim?

AG Bumper Cleaner is good

 

7 - Seal paintwork using extra gloss protection ? what about trim - just seal that as well?

No need if using Wax...AGEGP is poor stuff for durability...Get some Collinite Wax instead

 

8 - ? Further seal with Collinite 476S or similar?

As above

 

 

I'd like to get it to a stage where I can get as close to a touchless clean as possible, but am not unrealistic about that always being achievable.

 

As always, your thoughts muchly appreciated.

Thanks Chris

 

By door dings, I meant the grey scuffs that happen when people are careless with their doors, there aren't any deformations to the panel that I can see, if you get my drift.

 

Have read lots of folks like the Collinite so that'll be next on my list, likely followed by Bilt Hamber autofoam unless the Mainz Equilibrium does the trick.  I think it'll be similar to Magifoam though, which seems to get mixed reviews.  Will see what happens.

Bilt Hamber behaves a little differently to other snow foams

Its consistency is thinner ...but no less effective

I joined DW and there are plenty of good reviews of the BH autofoam, most do mention that it's not like shaving foam and acts more quickly than most as well.  I'll give the Equilibrium a fair go and post back, seeing as I couldn't find a review of it anywhere other than the Mainz site - which were all positive so hopefully it'll be fine.