I'm sure this has been done but I can't track it down... What do esteemed forum members do to wash their car? Sounds simple but to get the best finish, what advice?

To illustrate...I washed mine yesterday with a quality shampoo (Autoglym) but struggled to leave a good finish cos it dried streaky & I couldn't lay hands on a good drying cloth. ...so couldn't then polish / wax it.

So, advice please on good practice, good cloths (washing AND drying) and what gives you the best results.

Ta! ...

Be true to yourself. That way happiness lies...

I can't help here because in the 2 years of ownership I have never washed it once myself. I always go to the local Polish car wash.

Reasons:

1: Too lazy
2: I would be very annoyed if I put that much effort in only for sods law to deploy rain the next day.

That said, I have it valeted professionally once a year: http://www.careysvaleting.co.uk/ LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

If you need the info quickly just PM toeknee, what he doesn't know about cleaning isn't worth knowing, he will be on later. He can supply you all the relevant info complete with Video and Commentary I kid you not, the Oscar award winning see how the water sheens off has to be seen

Seriously, you will have to go a long way to beat Snow Foam, pressure wash your Freely, spray on the Snow Foam, go and have a coffee, come back twenty minutes later, pressure wash it off, dry with a Microfibre Towel, job done.

Is it because your in a hard water area? I am so have to wash, rinse and chamois in sections. I do top down to bottom of side glass, back, bonnet and front wings and then one side at a time.

If i do whole car in one go the streaks never chamois away.

I wash with the water out of the water softener, get a better foam and no calcium deposits

whats calcuim? At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

I use the water butt water to wash and rinse off.....Never get any water marks

chicken george wrote:

whats calcuim?

No idea

Just finished washing mine. Used MagiFoam then Zymol and finished with a large microfibre cloth

John

Click image to enlarge

I use finest borehole water freshly pumped from my field, contains very little calcuim or other impurities At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

I use tapwater in a 'hard water' area where soap bubbles do not exist and I think you lot are all 'nerdy' and 'geeky' with your car washing

I just let my young nephew wash mine and it looks worse now 2002 Honda VFR800
2002 Toyota Celica 140 Silver (mid life crisis - again!)
2007 FL2 GS Manual Army Reconnaissance Green + freel2.com sticker
2004 Toyota Celica 140 Black - Gone
2000 Toyota Celica 140 Silver - Gone
1998 Toyota Celica ST Pearl Green - Gone
1996 Nissan Primera 1.6 - Gone
1994 Rover Montego 1.6 Auto - Gone

wizking wrote:

I use butt water

wizking wrote:

I use the water butt water to wash and rinse off.....Never get any water marks

I use to use butt water, but managed to get some tablets off the doctor