Cleaning an absolutely filthy car, shifting traffic film before the mitt hits the paint

[neiln]

First off I must apologise as I didn't take any photos, sorry.

 

Okay so the Octy had been cleaned last Tuesday, it was dried and protection topped up with AG aqua wax, so fairly gleaming.  Then over the weekend I did ~500 mainly motorway miles, lots in drizzle and of course the cold snap meant the roads were already well gritted, and the drizzle meant the gritters were out replenishing (grrr, I got gritted 2 or 3 times).  By the time I was home the car was FILTHY!  sides and back were black with grime and traffic film, so much so the number plate was almost obscured!  For a moment I thought I must have an engine problem and was throwing oil out to get such a dirty rear, but the sides were similar (still checked the dipstick just in case!)  Now to the wash.

 

I don't own a pressure washer.  I do own 2 buckets and a decent mitt, so 2BM is the usual practice.  Yesterday I wanted to shift some of the filth first though so I got the hose out, wetted the car, then jetted it as best i could, and actually shifted a good amount of grime, but left a lot of oily traffic film that i couldn't shift.  I guess the wax helped to shift the dirt.  2BM got the rest off easily and its gleaming and wax topped up again.

 

It occurred to me after that a citrus and wax/sealant kind TFR might have been handy and shifted more with the hose yesterday.  Its not part of my arsenal....since I never usually use the hose I don't have much use for TFR.  However if the same happens again is there another way to help the hose shift the filth before the 2BM?  I wonder if some car shampoo watered down and misted over the car from a spray bottle would do any good at all?  Or do I just fill the detailing kit cupboard with an other bottle and buy some citrus TFR?

 

Oh and afterwards I realised that I'd forgotten about some muc-off I have and considered using that in the future.  I have it for use on mountain bikes, however I believe its fairly alkaline and I know if not rinsed very well it can corrode aluminium parts on bikes quite badly.  In this situation that wouldn't be an issue as the 2BM, rinse and dry wold remove any left after the hosing off, but I suspect its still too harsh to go near paintwork and would strip sealant.  Is that the case or am i being overly concerned?

[MozzieOwner]

Go to a petrol station and use the jet wash (some use hot water and that really makes a difference getting the grime off), take a pump sprayer of chosen pre-wash (be it apc, citrus pre-wash, what ever you choose). Spray, jet wash, drive home with the majority of the crud removed. Dont use the brush, just the jet wash.

 

I would just buy some APC and dilute down (I use G101 at 10:1 when its really dirty and been down farmers lanes), just make sure you don't let it dry on whilst your walking around spraying the car.

 

You can of course miss the petrol station out (if too far away for instance) and just be careful.

[Chubbs]

Hi

 

I'd personally forget about the Muc-off and invest in some TFR/snow foam/degreaser. 

 

I use either Powermaxed TFR with Bilt Hamber Surfex HD (degreaser) OR Bilt Hamber Auto Foam with Surfex HD.  All products dilute well so offer good value for money and I use a simple garden pump sprayer to apply - doesn't look sexy but gets the job done every time.

 

Spray on, leave to dwell - you could even leave for a few extra minutes this weather as it won't dry as quickly - then rinse off.  If you've decent water pressure and hose nozel then the pressure should be enough to remove the vast majority of the crud.  You could always play around with the dilutions to make the product more concentrated without going over board.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Regards

 

David

[BTS22]

Bilt Hamber Auto Foam at 5% in a pump sprayer.

 

Thats what you need!

[samuir1974]

Bilt Hamber Auto Foam at 5% in a pump sprayer.

 

Thats what you need!

 

 

Should do the job.

 

One perhaps obvious point to mention.... but better safe than sorry.

 

If you have lots of chrome or delicate trim; just be careful with stronger mixes of any aggressive TFR's and extended dwell times.

 

Otherwise - all advice so far is very helpful :thumbup:

[neiln]

so most/ all of the TFR/prewash things are aggressive enough to cause trouble if left to dwell to long or dry, ok, noted thanks.  other than that some prewash or tfr sprayed on will help.ok, thanks!

[samuir1974]

so most/ all of the TFR/prewash things are aggressive enough to cause trouble if left to dwell to long or dry, ok, noted thanks.  other than that some prewash or tfr sprayed on will help.ok, thanks!

 

I guess all i'm saying is - read the labels and check the dilution ratios recommended.

 

Better safe than sorry. :thumbup:

[Chubbs]

Should do the job.

One perhaps obvious point to mention.... but better safe than sorry.

If you have lots of chrome or delicate trim; just be careful with stronger mixes of any aggressive TFR's and extended dwell times.

Otherwise - all advice so far is very helpful :thumbup:

Good point well said Ste....I should've clarified that. Just tackle the extra cruddy areas.

[Chubbs]

I guess all i'm saying is - read the labels and check the dilution ratios recommended.

Better safe than sorry. :thumbup:

Exactly, you don't need a sledgehammer to crack a nut!

[littleade]

Hi

 

I'd personally forget about the Muc-off and invest in some TFR/snow foam/degreaser. 

 

I use either Powermaxed TFR with Bilt Hamber Surfex HD (degreaser) OR Bilt Hamber Auto Foam with Surfex HD.  All products dilute well so offer good value for money and I use a simple garden pump sprayer to apply - doesn't look sexy but gets the job done every time.

 

Spray on, leave to dwell - you could even leave for a few extra minutes this weather as it won't dry as quickly - then rinse off.  If you've decent water pressure and hose nozel then the pressure should be enough to remove the vast majority of the crud.  You could always play around with the dilutions to make the product more concentrated without going over board.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Regards

 

David

Some good advice above-I too use Powermaxed TFR- mixed at 9:1 water to concentrate and applied with a garden sprayer it's ph neutral so won't degrade your LSP and in my experience it lifts the crud off far better than citrus pre wash and snowfoam combined. I've been to Cornwall and back this week and my vRS was quite dirty and the TFR lifted all the muck off the car without harming the Hellshine Abyss LSP, but I did remove it with a Nilfisk jetwash complete with an auto nozzle. Why don't you have a jetwash? if you have power and water they are worth it and somewhere like cleanstore is hard to beat.

 

Muckoff is horrible stuff IMO and best avoided-it's very alkaline 

[neiln]

Yes I am glad you say avoid muc-off, I'd have taken some convincing to use it.

 

Why don't I have a pressure washer?  I don't miss one, car is only so filthy I feel the need for anything pre 2BM vary rarely.  I have power and outside tap, but don't think I'd bother with a pressure washer often.  I think yesterday was the first time I've ever got the hose out for the car.  I do have decent water pressure though so the hose did shift a good deal.  With some tfr of some kind I'm sure more would have shifted too.

 

I need to order some auto finesse dreasle, what's their citrus power bug and grime remover like?  Is it worth tagging on to my order?

[littleade]

My car rarely gets that dirty, spends more time in my garage than outside but using a decent pre cleaner and a jetwash removes more dirt IMO than using a hose. That in turn means there's less dirt to get off with your wash mit, which in turn means less chance of introducing swirl marks, but each to their own- not everyone can be bothered with a jetwash and I understand that

[Chris_VRS]

Autosmart Hazsafe in a pump sprayer is also very good as a pre soak, very affordable in application too.

 

cheers

 

Chris

[neiln]

My car rarely gets that dirty, spends more time in my garage than outside but using a decent pre cleaner and a jetwash removes more dirt IMO than using a hose. That in turn means there's less dirt to get off with your wash mit, which in turn means less chance of introducing swirl marks, but each to their own- not everyone can be bothered with a jetwash and I understand that

dont get me wrong, i know a snow foam and jet wash is the ultimate and if I had the time to use it, the space to store it and th money to  buy it, and the level of detailing keeness to want to use it, I'd get one.  I don't, currently, have that level of keeness or the time.  My OH doesn't understand me spending about 90 minutes maybe once a month to wash and keep on top of some of the  wax/protection regime around the car as it is.  So I practice what this forum always advises any newbie that comes looking for advice, 2BM done carefully with a decent mitt gets the dirt off and introduces very few paint blemishes 95% of the time.  Once in a while the car is dirtier and more care is needed.

 

I admire you for using a pressure washer and love seeing the fantastic results you guys all get, something to aspire too.

 

Any comments on the auto finnesse citrus power?

[BATVANVRS]

Yes I am glad you say avoid muc-off, I'd have taken some convincing to use it.

 

Why don't I have a pressure washer?  I don't miss one, car is only so filthy I feel the need for anything pre 2BM vary rarely.  I have power and outside tap, but don't think I'd bother with a pressure washer often.  I think yesterday was the first time I've ever got the hose out for the car.  I do have decent water pressure though so the hose did shift a good deal.  With some tfr of some kind I'm sure more would have shifted too.

 

I need to order some auto finesse dreasle, what's their citrus power bug and grime remover like?  Is it worth tagging on to my order?

 

Yesterday I started a new thread asking about TFR as it's something I want to start using especially in this winter period & before snow foaming the car, sometimes snow foam shifts dirt but then on the other hand sometimes it don't (depends how dirty the vehicle is) but at least with TFR used at a stage before snowing, I can reduce that dirt off of the vehicle :thumbup:

 

Here is the thread link I started.

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/420791-what-tfr-would-you-folk-recommend/

 

In that thread I purchased PM TFR & a pressure sprayer bottle (links within the thread) 

 

In the end I went for power maxed TFR purely on the recommendation & price factor  B)  I did want to try the AF citrus power as I do like the AF products but sometimes you have to buy/try different brands & build up within your collection.

 

Watch from 11mins 40sec (AF citrus power)