How Do You Detail?

[Mike]

I'm planning to do a really good wash/clay/wax of my car after i pick it up this week.
I noticed Brumue washed between each step, is that actually necessary? I don't mind doing it if its quite beneficial but i just that i could wash it, then dry it, then clay it and obviously remove all the residue of clay and lube with a microfiber cloth, then apply wax and maybe wait a day and apply another coat of wax?
I'm pretty much a car detailing noob as i've only ever washed my older cars and never tried waxing or claying before.
Also wondering if i should be avoiding any areas when waxing? Like plastic areas/glass/wheels? Or can you wax everything? lol...
Thanks in advance

[drsmithy]

I'm looking to get a pressure washer and would appreciate people's thoughts...

The primary use would be for washing the car, for which - from what I can gather - even the cheapy Gernis have sufficient pressure for.

However, it would also be nice to be able to clean the crap off cement paths, side of the house, etc, if buying something capable doesn't blow the budget out too much.

What's the minimum pressure I should be looking at for general cleaning tasks ? Will that be "too much" pressure for simple car washing ?

[dave_r]

However, it would also be nice to be able to clean the crap off cement paths, side of the house, etc, if buying something capable doesn't blow the budget out too much.

The cheapest gerni is fine with that stuff. You use a different spray head which comes in the pack. They call them dirt blasters or something, which are great for cleaning. I've used it to clean brick walls etc but don't go near the car with it. Will do damage!

It will even vaporise the weeds that grow between concrete for ****s and giggles lol (Using raintank water so piss off water wally nazis)

[carcareproducts]

I'm planning to do a really good wash/clay/wax of my car after i pick it up this week.
I noticed Brumue washed between each step, is that actually necessary? I don't mind doing it if its quite beneficial but i just that i could wash it, then dry it, then clay it and obviously remove all the residue of clay and lube with a microfiber cloth, then apply wax and maybe wait a day and apply another coat of wax?
I'm pretty much a car detailing noob as i've only ever washed my older cars and never tried waxing or claying before.
Also wondering if i should be avoiding any areas when waxing? Like plastic areas/glass/wheels? Or can you wax everything? lol...
Thanks in advance

What products will you be using and doing? Its completely up to you how crazy you want to get to be honest! Everyone is pedantic in their own ways.

Regarding dave's comments on a high pressure washer. Any $99 Gernie or Karcher from Bunnings if more than fine to do the job! And if you are on water restrictions you can alternatively connect it to a 20-40l plastic drum with a tap fitting and you can't get any complaints or trouble from our lovely councils!

[drsmithy]

Regarding dave's comments on a high pressure washer. Any $99 Gernie or Karcher from Bunnings if more than fine to do the job!

Yeah, from the reading I've done in the last day it would seem that basically any pressure cleaner you can attach a foaming washer to is everything you need for washing a car, I was more interested in whether or not a basic model had enough "oomph" to be capable of washing mold, etc, off cement paths.

[Mike]

What products will you be using and doing? Its completely up to you how crazy you want to get to be honest! Everyone is pedantic in their own ways.

I recently bought a heap of stuff from you guys, but yeah i was planning to use this heavy duty wash to get any crap off that the dealer might have put on the car. It's called MX60 by Raceline, it's a bike wash made in australia and i figured it would get any wax off my car before claying and waxing myself.
I got the Mint clay bar and Mint clay lube to clay the car, and Dodo Juice Diamond White wax.
I figured the born to be mild shampoo i got wouldn't be strong enough to use before claying etc?
Any tips from you guys would be much appreciated

[fuzion]

Mike,

Wash with some APC solution (all purpose cleaner type) to remove it. If you dont have any i suggest grabbing some as its very useful as it will be a multiple use thing for you.. engine bay, interior cleaning etc etc.. handy stuff!

[drsmithy]

Ok, so I picked up a Gerni 100.2S from SCA for $149, and now I need some detailing advice.

I picked up an '08 white GTI a couple of weeks ago and it's quite grubby now. I didn't pay much attention to the paint quality when I first picked it up, and since this is the first car I've had here for some years I don't have any of the necessary "stuff", nor do I have any real experience with, er, "focused" detailing.

I intend to give the car a basic wash tomorrow afternoon and hopefully identify any paint problems, then purchase whatever I need products-wise and spend a decent chunk of the weekend giving it the full treatment. So what I'm after is some advice:

1. What can I use with the foaming bottle the Gerni came with tomorrow to give it a quick wash, sufficient to show up any swirl marks, etc ? Happy to get a good cleaner that can then be used for ongoing "proper" washes. Needs to be something I can pickup at SCA tomorrow arvo on the way home. Just good old Meguiars Gold ?
2. What should I use to wash the car with to strip off any existing wax that the dealer may have done before I picked up the vehicle ? Can it be the same stuff I use in #1 ?

[carcareproducts]

drsmithy,

I would advise as fuzion mentioned above to wash with an APC such as Mint APC to remove any product that is currently on the car. Follow that with Clay Barring of the paint to remove any paint contamination and you will have very bare paint which you can then clearly see if you require machine work or if the paint is in good condition you can follow with a good Synthetic Sealant or Natural Carnauba Wax (based on your choice of course).

Regarding the Shampoo, Meg Gold, NXT Gen are pH Neutral and your safest bet if you haven't got any currently. Others i would recommend that would also be great to use and cost effective are Duragloss 901 Car Wash Concentrate (1;400 mix), Dodo Juice Born to Be Mild (1:800 mix), Mint Bathe (1:400 mix), Wolfs Nano Bathe or White Satin (1:400 mix/1:600 mix) just to name a few for you from our site.

Make sure you Wash with the Two Bucket Method ensuring you do not add or scratch the paint surface. As well as using a Genuine Lambswool Mitt or Microfibre Mitt to wash and also a Waffle Weave to dry so you do not drag any dirt particles over the car during the wash/and drying process.

Otherwise if you are still unsure or need help, feel free to call us anytime or email for further help.

Ok, so I picked up a Gerni 100.2S from SCA for $149, and now I need some detailing advice.

I picked up an '08 white GTI a couple of weeks ago and it's quite grubby now. I didn't pay much attention to the paint quality when I first picked it up, and since this is the first car I've had here for some years I don't have any of the necessary "stuff", nor do I have any real experience with, er, "focused" detailing.

I intend to give the car a basic wash tomorrow afternoon and hopefully identify any paint problems, then purchase whatever I need products-wise and spend a decent chunk of the weekend giving it the full treatment. So what I'm after is some advice:

1. What can I use with the foaming bottle the Gerni came with tomorrow to give it a quick wash, sufficient to show up any swirl marks, etc ? Happy to get a good cleaner that can then be used for ongoing "proper" washes. Needs to be something I can pickup at SCA tomorrow arvo on the way home. Just good old Meguiars Gold ?
2. What should I use to wash the car with to strip off any existing wax that the dealer may have done before I picked up the vehicle ? Can it be the same stuff I use in #1 ?

[drsmithy]

drsmithy,

Thanks very much.

The other query I have is how to go about actually using the foaming lance that came with the gerni. Is it just a matter of filling the bottle with a suitable mix of shampoo and water, or just just the shampoo go into it ?

And since I'm asking...

I'm after an end product that can be relatively low maintenance, so from the research I've done the Nanolex sealant seems to be the way to go, only needing to be redone every 8-12 months. Are there any other products you can recommend that will last as long ? If I'm feeling enthusiastic, can I then layer a carnauba wax over the top for a bit more "depth" ?