Definitely smoke and mirrors, I started smelling bullshit 20+ years ago with car care products. At some point in the recent past, cleaning and polishing your car was transformed into ‘detailing’ and an industry has built up around it.
I’ve always been one for keeping my cars in top condition. I’ve had well over 100 cars since I started driving so I know my way round with a bucket and sponge (microfibre mit). I do wonder however whether keen owners have got caught up in the hype around the various nano, hydrophic, ceramic etc products. I dropped by Halfords today who seem to have a huge array of “detailing” products. It is very easy to pay £20 for a 500ml bottle of something/anything that makes nice beads on your bonnet when you wet it.
Hydrophobia is the lastest word, along with nano….no idea.
Once you’ve applied whatever phobic substance they then sell you a spray to apply to the car after washing and before rinsing to promote better water dispersal £18.
Then you look for a bucket £22! A big duster, admittedly it looks good enough to sleep under but £24. A brush that you can buy from Home Bargains on the hardware section for £3….£14!
I do wonder whether folk have been caught in the Hype and whether a good coat of a reasonable wax once a month would really achieve the same result.
Definitely smoke and mirrors, I started smelling bullshit 20+ years ago with car care products. At some point in the recent past, cleaning and polishing your car was transformed into ‘detailing’ and an industry has built up around it.
You are better off going to a proper car detailing company and getting a professional ceramic coating - not cheap though :)
A guy I know who runs his own car repair business swears by cheap hair conditioner for detailing/washing his cars and he specifies it has to be the cheap conditioner (quid a bottle).
I always wonder what roads people who are into car detailing drive on. I can spend an hour or two applying various snow foams to a car, cleaning the wheels, a bit of wax, maybe a hydrophobic coating - drive the car for 20 or 30 miles on the road and voila, most of my efforts have disappeared and the car is filthy again. I wash our 3 cars about once a month, probably because I quite enjoy the process and I can spot stone chips/scratched alloys and apply a bit of touch up paint or clear lacquer to prevent it getting worse. I also check the tyre pressures, clear out any leaves and top up any fluids. But the actually ‘keeping the car clean’ bit - particularly in Autumn and Winter - seems a bit pointless frankly!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have read some products are made by one manufacturer but then packaged up differently at different price points. However, I do not know which manufacturer or associated brands.
There are very good products at reasonable prices such as Bilt Hamber or Autosmart. For Autoglym you can contact local reps who can supply products in bulk sizes eg 2.5ltr shampoo at a good price.
There are a lot of products within a brand eg Autoglym that seemingly do the same thing eg aqua wax and rapid wax.
I’m very much into it. There is a lot of smoke and mirror as well as hype around the latest and greatest (which is mostly BS) but there is definitely a lot of innovation in the last few years. Ceramic coatings have moved the game along and there are products out there that can add shine and water behaviour with very little effort which is a big appeal.
I used to wax my car on a monthly basis but now I normally just apply a spray on sio2 coating every 2 or 3 washes. Gyeon wet coat and gtechniq easy coat in particular can leave your car looking great with nothing more than a spray on and rinse with a hose. Easy coat comes up on Amazon a good bit for £4.79
Snow foam is a case in point. What a marketing success. You sell a thick soapy detergent, then a bottle and spout (anything up to £50) it puts thick suds onto your car. Makes great photos but that’s about it, certainly doesn’t wash the car on its own
Expensive ‘ceramic’ coating vs stone chipping........only one winner!
I rarely bother cleaning my everyday car, especially in winter, it’s a futile waste of time. Rinse it with the hosepipe to wet the dirt, wash with warm water containing a few spots of washing up liquid using a sponge to float the dirt off, rinse with the hosepipe, clean the wheels with a brush and water/ detergent.....job done. Treat it to a wax polish once/ year. Can’t see the point in doing any more, having a perfect- looking car doesn’t matter enough to justify the effort to me. I keep the interior clean and tidy, can’t stand dirty car interiors, but I don’t get obsessive over it. A quick clean with Mr Sheen and a clean duster will suffice, with a damp cloth to remove any muddy marks.
Car detailing = OCD , I spend a bit more time on my classic MGB but I don’t get too carried away. You waste a lot if money on car care products.
Go to a big car auction and see what products they use to shine up their sale cars. When I used to clean bikes for sale Pledge furniture polish gave a nice shine.
No amount of cleaning polishing waxing will stop a stone chip etc in fact it will just make it stand out more.
I used to spend hours snowfoaming/washing/clay bar/polishing/waxing, then hopefully just a wash every week and a top up of wax every few weeks, before repeating the whole process every few months.
Obviously there are numerous products out there for different parts of the vehicle, trim/wheels/engine bay etc, it's just a matter of finding one that suits your needs.
Then of course there's the time factor, quite easily spend a day doing the above, not everyone has that amount of time, or the inclination, that's where the cleaning people come in, from your local car wash, ( they have got a lot better and do use decent products), to the detailers, ( who should use the best products to suit your car ).
To me it's a personal thing, if you've spent decent money buying your car then I think you'd want to keep it looking nice.
Sent from my SM-T590 using TZ-UK mobile app
I think the point some are missing is that it's a hobby. People do it because they enjoy it and don't mind spending a little on it and like most things, there are diminishing returns for your £££s.
A bit like asking why buy a vintage Rolex/Omega etc when you can buy a Casio for £10 that will tell the time better!
I am guilt of getting caught up in this and if you are not careful, you can spend thousands on stuff!
I have buckets, grit guards, wheel woollies and all manner of Dodo Juice, Auto Finesse products. Its like a whores make up table in my garage. (Even that made me smile).
My conclusion is to keep the car clean and well waxed. I have found Auto Finesse products to be really good value for money and easy to apply. An application of this stuff, helps the dirt to be washed away at the next wash. You are never going to stop the car getting dirty, that is just life, but you can protect the car underneath.
Ceramic coating seems to the thing just now - but I have stuck with a good quality spray on wax and just enjoy my time with the car.
When I’ve got the time, the stages I go through with a new car to me is usually wash, clay bar to remove physical contaminants, polish with a dual action, wax with something like an old school Collinite wax and maybe a sealant.
Just thinking of washing a car is a drudgery to me.
I don't think my wife's car has been cleaned for six months.
Not clever, just more interesting things to do.
How people make a hobby out of it is beyond me.
Cheers,
Neil.
I spent 3 days detailing my car this week
Monday - wiped down the interior
Tuesday - day off
Wednesday - Hoovered and moped the floor
Thursday - Took it to the car wash
Job done
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
Couldn’t agree more.
When I was seventeen and had my first car I used to go in for all that carry-on. Not since. Now I wait until I can barely see out of the windows before I take the thing round the corner where a bunch of cheerful immigrants give it a once over for a fiver.
Life’s too short.
Happy to spend a day deep cleaning a car. Equally really enjoy spending a weekend on it, deep clean, clay etc day 1, then the following morning mask it up & hit with the DA.
Current car is at the end of 5yrs ceramic. Can’t decide whether to try and remove myself / hand to the professionals.
As an aside, rinsing a car with rain water after washing means you don’t need to leather it to remove the deposits from tap water. I do mine when rain is falling or imminent. We also have a water butt to use. Neighbours think I’m odd, but hey ho, each to their own
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
When I buy a new car I like to clean it myself to keep the swirlies off. Then after about 4 washes (about a year) I start taking it to the Polish guys round the back of the filling station.
I like to foam the car, because it's fun. The current Meguiares stuff seems to work as well as the autoglym it replaced and the turtle wax that replaced.
I guess I'm just too lazy, and not interested in cars to do any more.
Don’t get that, given my clean car ends up dirty from dusty rain. I use a 0ppm water filter to rinse the car off, that is proper zero touch drying.
Chap who bought my S2000 mentioned as he was leaving that he uses water butt water, felt sad for my car given all the minerals, dirt & other stuff from roof / gutter residuals added to the water
Guessing it all settles to the bottom of the butt.
Well I am going to give stuff a wirl…
SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat Ceramic Coating Car Wax - 3 in 1 Hydrophobic Car Polish
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And I also bought a cordless car polisher/buffer.
I will say that one of my best purchase for washing the car, was this jet washer from Amazon, along with car washing mittens.
PAXCESS Electric High Pressure Washer, Jet Washer 1800W 130Bar High Power Jet Wash Car Washing Machine
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Snow foam is great, it's not meant to wash the car on its own but removes contaminants so when you do wash it there's less chance of swirls as most of the grime has already gone. I used to be into detailing but don't seem to have the time nowadays which is a shame as I do actually enjoy it. Cars that have been detailed correctly are so much easier to keep clean during a normal wash and, imo, look miles better.
Saying all that there is a lot of marketing BS😁
Boot lid and side shot of my M3 after detailing:
I keep the windows, lights and reg plate clean. Otherwise only clean when using the car makes me mucky.
Just got mine ceramic coated. First time I’ve done that and I’m impressed with the results
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What can I say, works for me and is free with no risk involved. Maybe depends on where you live ref. airborne pollutants. First tried it after reading a recommendation by Honest John in the press. Our water butt water comes out nice and clean as any crap will settle below the tap point.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
Can fully appreciate, car detailing certainly isn’t for everyone.
I get a real sense of satisfaction out of cleaning and a spot of detailing. A few treatments including Claying, machine polish, and a spray on ceramic coating etc. certainly made a difference as the previous owner clearly couldn’t be arsed.
With good coatings, the car stays cleaner even in rainy conditions and is subsequently easier to clean.
Autoglym and done for me. Mostly Snow Foam, Shampoo, Fast Glass, SRP, Wheel Cleaner, Tyre Dressing, Wheel Sealer, Carnuba. Aqua Wax sometimes too. Yet to find a product that didn’t impress, which I can’t say any time I look elsewhere….
I've always been a big fan of Autoglym and Bilt Hamber products. Also, living in a fairly hard water area, using a water filter in the hose line has been the best thing ever. But now my back has cried enough and so I've just taken on the services of a professional valeter. So far, he's done an exterior detail, correction and ceramic treatment......and the car looks way better than I ever managed!
Hopefully the ceramic will keep the bodywork in good shape now. Unfortunately, we live across the road from some large trees - and, yep, one is the dreaded Lime, so during the summer the car is never spotless for more than a few days. And that's not including the local pigeon squadron who love to use the roof of our car for range practice
Last edited by Mouse; 5th August 2021 at 22:18.
I am a 2 bucket wash and occasional clay bar & wax every 6 months "detailer", I do use a DI vessel which is the best thing i have bought for cleaning the car. i washed my sisters car the other day and as she doesn't have an outside tap used the water but. The water did look green against her white car but it rinsed off and dried nicely - wouldn't use it unless i had to, but was actually ok.
Hate it with a passion. It's like hoovering, you do it and 3 months later it needs doing again. What's more I'm crap at it. It usually ends up looking worse than when I started. No amount of fancy products is going to change that.
I do like a clean and shiny car though.
Paging Suds, your thread is here
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Brilliant thread. Some of the comments really made me laugh. I drive a black car and seconds after washing it, I can see dust and when driven, it's game over.
The worse thing is if you wash the car, go in for a cuppa, come back out and see a huge bird shite on the car. It's like they've been watching and getting one ready...
Last edited by Tony-GB; 6th August 2021 at 06:14.
I gave up taking mine to any of the local £6 foreign car washes, it was costing me a wheel rebalance every couple of months as they kept power washing the balance weights off. I’ve used BH snow foam for years on my bike and sureflex HD which is great.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
Ha, I've already replied in the "...never understand thread". I know an affluent chap who considers his car 'a box on wheels'- you either get it or you don't. But yes in reply to the OP I see many brands which are highly recommended by users but are in fact merely repackaged products at a higher price - but that isn't really a problem if you are a happy consumer ( I recently heard about a hobby whereby people lose hundreds of pounds when they sell their time machines). I'll get me anorak...
Last edited by Suds; 6th August 2021 at 09:58.
It always struck me that 'Detailing' fell into the same category as Golf and Fishing. Basically pastimes whose primary goal is to get you away from the wife and kids for a while.
In the past our fathers had a nice garden shed and a stack of razzles or the pub to retreat to, now the sanctity of the shed has been violated by things like barbecues, garden furniture and <shudder> craft supplies and the pubs are dying or being turned into 'spoons, we men need new escape mechanisms, hence the exploding popularity of Golf, Fishing and Detailing. The fact that it also allows men to squander their hard earned cash on overpriced accoutrements and get that short lived endorphin rush from buying the latest nano carbon fiber descaling wedge is also a big bonus.
I have to say it is the best thing I’ve purchased for car washing. I bought my father one too as he was rubbish at drying it - he was a cynic too but loves it now.
I always fill a watering can vs use the hose - so much wasted ‘posh water’ left in the hose lol.
If you haven’t got a TDS meter, get one as when the resin goes off, it does it rapidly. I test every use, my wife however...
Glad I live in a “nice water” area, no nasty marks left when it get left to dry, get my shampoo etc from the garage supplier in 5l containers, lasts ages works out cheap as long as the water runs off when I put the hose on before it gets washed I’m happy. I sold fancy paint protection at work, money making gimmick.
Guys, some people do it and do it well, some do not get why and loads of people are in the middle.
Nothing wrong with spending time doing it - no different to lots of interests.
Personally I like my cars to look nice and I look after them in all aspects.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........