When I bought my first new Skoda back in 2012 I knew absolutely nothing about `detailing` or how to successfully look after the appearance of a car.

I soon joined this Forum and `caught the bug`!

It was mainly due to the imparted knowledge of `ChrisRs` (remember him?...lovely chap) although there were others instrumental in my education.

In those days this part of the Forum was very well used and a mine of information. Lots of useful info being given and received. The posts were numerous and daily.

Not so now...I wonder why?

Could it be that the Pandemic has caused people to be less fussed with the appearance of their car? That would of course be understandable in the scheme of things.

I just wondered.

 

Regards

Mike.

 

It would be impossible for me to be less interested in detailing 😀

Still detailing mine, inside, outside, around the engine bay. Have had lots of time to do it, as I am self employed and have been off furloughed. Not much work has come back still, so gave the car a good wax early one morning last week before the sun came up. This pensioner still likes to wax on, wax off. 

I can't be considered to be a detailer, but I like my car to be clean and shiny.  Working from home for the last four months and being very cautious about contact with the outside world.  It seems that I'd wash my car, and by the time I next drove it it'd be in a right state from dirty rain, bird poo, insects and spiders.  It's now worse for a 200 mile round trip to Hospital, coming home at what seemed peak flying ant swarming time.  Ordinarily I'd be embarrassed, but I'm not.  There are bigger things going on at the moment and how pristine my car is is quite a way down the priority list.

 

Gaz

14 minutes ago, IamGaz said:

There are bigger things going on at the moment and how pristine my car is is quite a way down the priority list.

 

Gaz

Well put.

 

Mike.

Mine is in dire neeed of a clean at the moment but obviously it is far too hot to do anything. Looks like it will be getting cooler soon but with thunderstorms on the way. Going to have to wait a bit longer....

15 hours ago, IamGaz said:

There are bigger things going on at the moment and how pristine my car is is quite a way down the priority list.

 

Gaz

 

This is mine. Plus I found out that it has been repaired beforehand and now I've got some horrible paintwork issues to (try) and fix.

Sometimes I pray for rain to clean my Black Magic Superb. Always looks cleaner after a heavy downpour (must be the Magic bit in the paint).

I still detail mine when time allows but with the current situation and having a toddler running wild, I have less time than I used to. 
 

I wonder if newer products such as Gyeon Can Coat have meant less maintenance is needed along with spray on/wash off products meaning fewer questions/posts. 

3 hours ago, bigman1976 said:

I still detail mine when time allows but with the current situation and having a toddler running wild, I have less time than I used to. 
 

I wonder if newer products such as Gyeon Can Coat have meant less maintenance is needed along with spray on/wash off products meaning fewer questions/posts. 

You may have something there, `Bigman`.

I had my Black Magic professionally ceramic coated coz I knew how difficult it was going to be keeping it pristine.

But I still enjoy looking after it and coming on here to see how others are getting on.

As I said in the OP, I caught the bug!!!

I have found the weather has played a big part in me trying to keep my car clean and looking good. Given most of the country (apologies if you haven't) has had detailing unfriendly weather since early in the year. Sometimes it gets to the evening when it is an ideal time, but i just can't bothered to drag all the stuff out etc.

I have spent more time detailing the car with lockdown and working from home, although the car doesn't get as dirty as it did doing 40+ motorway miles a day. Repaired stone chips, corrected some paint issues/scratches and coated the car with a Super Gloss treatment (lasts 12 months, apparantly). I've even used the Vax on the inside, which made me slightly disgusted at the colour of the water! 

 

However, I have lost interest in using Carnauba wax, instead opting for the spray on stuff (such as Autoglym Aqua Wax and Demon Shine) which seems to achieve the same effect with much less effort. Still love a wet-look tire wall though. 

 

 

I came across this being a new member and being new to skodas and wanting to give mine a proper clean etc but have no idea where to start to be honest. 

 

11 hours ago, PaulCanning said:

I came across this being a new member and being new to skodas and wanting to give mine a proper clean etc but have no idea where to start to be honest. 

 

Hello and welcome to this part of the forum.

To start with it might be good to let us know how you have taken care of your cars in the past and how far you want to go now.

Its such a huge subject and one can get carried away.

What equipment items (cloths, mitts, shampoos etc etc) do you have at present?

Stand by...coz you may well be bitten by the `Detailing Bug`...I was!

Hmmmmmmm, how Ive taken care of my cars in the past.... Lets just say Ive never had a car I liked that much that I bothered doing much more than putting them through a car wash every so often  The qashqai I've just got rid of probably had 3 washes in 3 years. 

But, this car I love! And I want to take good care of it, I've looked at getting it detailed by a guy locally which would be about £200 but it's a lot of money and wonder if it's something I can do so its a case of value for money etc? if that makes sense.

 

I know not use use sponges, but to use microfibre mitts and Ive seen about the 2 bucket method? But that's about it.

 

I'd love to give it some sort of protective coating too but don't really know where to start?

Dealer offered me a free detail on my new Superb SEL with a free Autoglym product bag containing this.

Probably cost £70 but has a nice Skoda badge on the bag.

Nice beading.

Edited 23 October, 20205 yr by shyVRS245
Photo added

25 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

Probably cost £70 but has a nice Skoda badge on the bag.

Just had a quick look on eBay and found this for £48.

You can't beat owt for nowt though.

 

Edited 23 October, 20205 yr by john999boy
Price

There aren’t a lot of folk who like posting about detailing tbh. As you said, a few years ago Chrisrs (And others) used to post a bit, but he ran his own company so kinda had a vested interest in it.  
 

I did post a thread earlier this year but it didn’t get much interest even though (IMO) it was very informative and had loads of decent pictures. I will post my work only on detailing world now due to the lack of interested people on here. 

1 minute ago, jars said:

There aren’t a lot of folk who like posting about detailing tbh. As you said, a few years ago Chrisrs (And others) used to post a bit, but he ran his own company so kinda had a vested interest in it. 

I did post a thread earlier this year but it didn’t get much interest even though (IMO) it was very informative and had loads of decent pictures. I will post my work only on detailing world now due to the lack of interested people on here. 

I have to agree that it has lost a bit of popularity.

A lack of posts leads to a lack of interest.

3 hours ago, PaulCanning said:

Hmmmmmmm, how Ive taken care of my cars in the past.... Lets just say Ive never had a car I liked that much that I bothered doing much more than putting them through a car wash every so often  The qashqai I've just got rid of probably had 3 washes in 3 years. 

But, this car I love! And I want to take good care of it, I've looked at getting it detailed by a guy locally which would be about £200 but it's a lot of money and wonder if it's something I can do so its a case of value for money etc? if that makes sense.

 

I know not use use sponges, but to use microfibre mitts and Ive seen about the 2 bucket method? But that's about it.

 

I'd love to give it some sort of protective coating too but don't really know where to start?

Don’t take this the wrong way, but the equipment the detailer will use is about £1000, and they can prep the car and seal it without adding marring or streaking or leaving high spots in the paint. 
For £200 it’s probably a single stage polish and a wax. A properly prepared and applied ceramic coating will set you back £500-£600. 
For now, and until you know how to clay and correct and prep paint I’d get them to do the £200 clean. That way you can start off by just learning to maintain paintwork at that level using easier products. 
2 bucket wash

proper wash mitt (cleaned after every wash)

good PH neutral shampoo

good wheels brushes EZ Detail maybe?

good gsm count drying towel(washed with mitt)

something like rag company polishing cloths and some seal and shine would do well for ages. 

Then work your way up. 
watch some of the rupes videos on you tube. They’re very informative. 

It's always struck me as being 'make-up for cars'. 

 

Not sure whether they used Fast Glass on my Superb's windows but a lack of a rear wiper means that the airflow now moves water off the front, side and rear screen very effectively like Rain X does also.

1 minute ago, Wino said:

It's always struck me as being 'make-up for cars'. 

 

That’s kinda how I explained it to my wife way back before she knew what I was on about ..... “it’s like taking your makeup off at the end of the night and reapplying it the next day”