Jump to content

Steve-O's Car Cleansing Adventures!


Steve-O
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi All

 

Up until now i've always enjoyed cleaning my cars. Its a part of the ownership experience i enjoy just as much as the driving! To date though i have just used Auto Glym products but the last year or so i have found myself becoming more interested in the higher end detailng products, as i have been left unsatisified with some of the products i have been using. I've not documented any of my car cleaning routine before as i normally dont have the time but this weekend i have been blessed with a free day so i've used it as an opportunity to start this thread to show you guys what i am doing and also maybe help some of you pick a decent product for your own cleaning activities :)

 

My ethos on car cleaning is to use products that save time but don't sacrifce on protection. I don't have time to polishing and waxing most of the time. So i need to make the time i do have to clean the cars count. With this in mine i am looking at quick application waxes and sealants at the moment.

 

So today i was read to clean both the CT200 and the Clio. The CT200 was absolutely minging and was driving me mad. The Clio not so bad. The Clio already has a coat of Gyeon Quartz sealant on so i knew that this should take less effort to bring up to a good standard however the Lexus was a state. My goal today was to attack some of the worst areas with a view of next time going at it again, and again until the car eventually gets to a good state in terms of its paintwork.

 

I decided that since i was cleaning 2 cars this was a great opportunity to do a side by side test of 2 new products i have in the toolbox now and to post durability and performance results in a month or so to see which one appears to be the better product. The winner will be used on all my cars moving forward until a better one is discovered :D

 

So heres the products i used today. What you can't see in view is a spray bottle of Bilberry wheel cleaner by Valet Pro, Simoniz wash and wax shampoo which is mixed with what was left of my Auto Glym shampoo and Meguiars Endurance Tyre Gel :

IMG_20170219_123459.jpg

 

Left to right :

  • Bilt Hamber Surfex HD - General All Purpose Cleaner (APC). Bought this for engine bay degreasing, Excellent stuff.
  • Gyeon Wetcoat - This is the new fast application sealant i applied on the Clio today.
  • Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer (BSD). - This is the new fast application hydrophobic wax spray i applied on the CT200.
  • Generic window/glass cleaner. I find the Aldi own brand one to be excellent.
  • Meguiars Last Touch Detail Spray. Diluted to their recommendation. Used in door shuts and any last touch-ups.
  • Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine. Diluted 1:10 with deionised water to be used as a drying aid that wont leave any water marks.
  • Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine - Neat. 2 x squirts added to the wash bucket to add some extra 'slip' to the shampoo mix.
I am using a Nilfisk Titan 120Bar pressure washer with Car Cleaning and Chassis Nozzles with an aftermarket replacement 10m rubber hose extension so i can get around the car without moving the unit. This is well worth the money its miles better than the rigid standard hose!! Was about £16 so great value.

 

Now to the first offender - check the dirt out on this. Filthy!!

 

IMG_20170219_092340.jpg

 

 

IMG_20170219_092335.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_092443.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_092404.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_092553.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_092541.jpg

 

And so onto the first stage. Snow foaming using Valet Pro PH Neutral foam. This was the first time i was using the Foam lance and with the CT200 the application didnt work quite as well as i wanted due to a bad seal on the Nilfisk adaptor. This was solved when i came to doing the clio as i wrapped it with PTFE tape. You can see how much better the clio got snow foamed later!! :

 

IMG_20170219_131616.jpg

 

As you can see the foam here was too loose so wasn't clinging to the paint like i had hoped. That said though it was obvious it was removing some dirt.

 

IMG_20170219_095756.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_095819.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_095812.jpg

 

Evidence of dirt coming off the paint which was nice to see!

 

IMG_20170219_095918_1.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_095924.jpg

 

And jump cut to the clean bit. I went around the car and clay barred a couple of spots along with the bonnet which was like sandpaper to the touch. I then applied The Sonax BSD which is sprayed on and then buffed off quickly after, whilst not allowing it to dry :

 

IMG_20170219_121932.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_121936.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_121945.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_122040.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_121939.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_122005.jpg

 

Apologies for the crap photos but its harder than i thought documenting this stuff whilst trying to get it done!

 

So the Sonax BSD is highly rated as a Hydrophobic wax coating. Application was not too bad but the buffing off i found a bit hard work as it doesn't leave a nice slippery finish, so the microfibres were snatching at the paintwork. I have heard this is normal but the tradeoff is an amazing water beading performance that should last a few weeks at least!

 

IMG_20170219_142545.jpg

 

Check this out for an idea on what BSD can do :

 

 

I will be comparing directly the performance and durability of of BSD against the Gyeon Wetcoat in a months time to see how they are both fairing. More on wetcoat later.

 

So thats part 1 done. I'll try and upload the Clio clean using Gyeon Wetcoat later today or tomorrow. Theres some better images of the snow foam and product in action on the 2nd run :)

 

Hopefully this post will be the start of a useful thread for you guys who want to try some new stuff out and look at stuff getting cleaned !

 

Cheers

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers Tone :)

 

It's quite therapeutic giving the cars a clean. It's amazing what some of these detailing products can do these days. You don't need to break your back to get a decent finish.

 

I think the lotus would of come up well :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 detailers and no shampoo :) Big ask from optimum no rinse on a car that dirty but it looks pretty good, *edit just re-read and can see you used a shampoo as well

 

BSD should last more than a couple of weeks I used it on its own last year on the 370z just reapplied every wash 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice write up Steve :)

 

The CT gets dirty so quickly, especially at the rear, it must be the shape of the car.

 

Where did you get the hose from? I have the Nilfisk C110 and want to get a longer one but I can only find them for £35-£40+. I don't use it much to clean the cars as I get sick of setting it all up and moving it around but with the longer hose I should be able to leave it by the gate.

 

Surfex is an awesome product, it's worth noting it can be used as a degreaser as well as a cleaner. I've had my 5L bottle for well over 5 years now, it still works well but I'm not sure if it has a shelf life.

 

ONR is brilliant and very handy for black cars in the summer to stop water spots drying. I'm halfway through a 2.5L bottle, which again I've had for over 5 years so hopefully it has a long shelf life. Since moving and having a driveway/hose I tend to use more traditional shampoos.

 

Last Touch smells awesome but I'm not really a QD user so didn't replace mine when I used it up. It seems to work best on protected cars too so no good for me now anyway! :lol:

 

I do like the idea of snow foam but I don't think my neighbours and people walking on the road would appreciate a sea of thick white foam. How long does it sit on the ground after leaving the car? I have a gilmour that I use sometimes but with the cars having no protection the dirt tends to stick to the paint so it doesn't do much!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice write up Steve :)

 

The CT gets dirty so quickly, especially at the rear, it must be the shape of the car.

 

Where did you get the hose from? I have the Nilfisk C110 and want to get a longer one but I can only find them for £35-£40+. I don't use it much to clean the cars as I get sick of setting it all up and moving it around but with the longer hose I should be able to leave it by the gate.

 

Surfex is an awesome product, it's worth noting it can be used as a degreaser as well as a cleaner. I've had my 5L bottle for well over 5 years now, it still works well but I'm not sure if it has a shelf life.

 

ONR is brilliant and very handy for black cars in the summer to stop water spots drying. I'm halfway through a 2.5L bottle, which again I've had for over 5 years so hopefully it has a long shelf life. Since moving and having a driveway/hose I tend to use more traditional shampoos.

 

Last Touch smells awesome but I'm not really a QD user so didn't replace mine when I used it up. It seems to work best on protected cars too so no good for me now anyway! :lol:

 

I do like the idea of snow foam but I don't think my neighbours and people walking on the road would appreciate a sea of thick white foam. How long does it sit on the ground after leaving the car? I have a gilmour that I use sometimes but with the cars having no protection the dirt tends to stick to the paint so it doesn't do much!

 

I got my hose from Direct Hoses and was about £29 delivered for a 10m length. To be fair the quality is very good :)

 

The surfex i am only just starting to use it but i am amazed on how well it worked even when diluted, Bilt Hamber products really are decent. I think mine will last ages also!

 

Yes i am using ONR mixed with deionised water (got 10 litres for £3 from euro car parts!!) as a drying aid to avoid water spots, and also some in the shampoo mix. I am doing this under recommendation of a chap who runs a youtube channel called Forensic Detailing. True to his word it adds a nice slip to the shampoo and helps the sponge glide over the paint. It has some dirt grabbing capability but not sure if thats effective in a diluted mix like mine. Love the cherry scent on this. Its also there as a backup incase i need to treat some bird s**t ASAP. I have loads of Showroom shine which is a similar product but i am moving away from this a bit as i am not keen on the overspray mess it makes and the residue it leaves behind. It does work as a waterless wash though but i primarily used it on my cars when wet as a combined drying aid/quick wax application. Gives a great gloss but the wax aspect lasts 3 weeks if you are lucky which is not enough!

 

If anyone wants to try some showroom shine happy to send a sample over.

 

The PH Neutral snow foam initially made my drive look like i had just exploded the Stay Puft marshmallow man! I didn't really expect that but i left it and its disappeared on its own within 24 hours. S yeah it hangs around for a little while but thats fine. I think its cleaned the drive a bit which is nice :lol:

 

Part 2 coming up...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm confused, you said £16 in your OP, I thought that was cheap! :lol: Is it this one and it's more flexible?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nilfisk-Pressure-Washer-Hose-C110-C120-etc-NON-OEM-HD-Wire-reinforced-/131863628604?var=&hash=item64662f0de4

 

The other one I saw was this but the rubber looks different - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NILFISK-C110-3-5-X-TRA-C120-PRESSURE-WASHER-RUBBER-HOSE-1-WIRE-10-METER-CARWASH-/170552136580?hash=item27b5b31384:g:V-QAAOxyVaBS9K3L

 

To avoid water spots I would favour last touch over ONR cos it leaves a residue behind whereas the former doesn't. It might change the characteristics of the beading with the protection you have put on. It is very good though and does lift the dirt up, I use it on our caravan, it makes cleaning it so much easier.

 

I don't think snow foam is suitable for where I live as it's a main road and it's quite flat so wouldn't run off anywhere. It's good that the drive got a clean too! :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok so heres the clio in all her filthy glory, Remember this has a coat of Gyeon Quartz sealant on which supposedly offers 12-18month protection (more if multiple coats are applied). I only have one coat as it was a bad day when i had it applied :

 

IMG_20170219_123659.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_123703.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_123705.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_123713.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_123725.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_123739.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_123728.jpg

 

As normal i started off cleaning the wheels with Bilberry a couple of times using my Wheel Woolies, To be honest the wheel cleaner is very good so little agitation is required to clear the brake dust off.

 

So i had another shot with the snow foam after fixing the lance. It was leaking a bit to wrapped the thread with PTFE tape and screwed the adaptor on. night and day difference. This is the best volume of foam i have had out of a product but saying that i have only tried this and a generic cherry one which i think wasn't much cop. Quite a pleasing experience and the cling/dwell time was 5 mins plus which i think is around the sweet spot. I can adjust this with the valve and concentration of the mix next time. I think it could be very slightly less thick to carry the dirt off faster.

 

IMG_20170219_131358.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_131403.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_131620.jpg

 

After about 4/5 mins the foam was still very much present :

 

IMG_20170219_131752.jpg

 

Not as much dirt coming off but then the CT200 was much dirtier!

 

IMG_20170219_131641.jpg

 

So then i gave the car a thorough rinsing and then cleaning using the usual 2 bucket method with 2 mitts : one for the upper bodywork and one for the wheel arches and sills etc. Once again then gave it another rinse and blasted out the wheel arches to clear any gunk. Whilst the car was wet i then applied the Gyeon Wetcoat :

 

IMG_20170219_124907.jpg

 

Video on what Wetcoat is capable of. Its applied wet and literally rinsed off and thats it! 

 

 

I used about a quarter of a bottle on the entire car and i feel i could get away with less next time and let the water work harder to spread the product. I chose to buff the remaining water off but what was immediately noticeable after application and rinse was the excellent beading that was present :

 

IMG_20170219_142041.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_142050.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_142114.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_142059.jpg

 

Whilst buffing it was obvious the paint has a protective layer and was soft to the touch. My microfibre glided over nicely. On face value its not left any smears - i applied it everywhere including the glass and wheels.

 

Scrubs up nicely :

 

IMG_20170219_144422.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_144434.jpg

 

IMG_20170219_144444.jpg

 

Finally a pic of both cars done with different protection applied on each  :) Was knackering but worth it!

 

IMG_20170219_145912.jpg

 

Will post my observations of the two finishes shortly...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah theres a chap across the road who seems to be interested in cleaning cars and i bet his net was twitching whilst i was doing it!

 

So as of this morning the beading/runoff of both products looks to be identical. Nice tight beads anf they are rolling off when they reach critical mass. So really not much between them at present in terms of the protection.

 

Sonax BSD Pros :

  • Cheap @ £8 or so from euro car parts (when 30% offer is on). I think i could get 4 good washes from a bottle realistically.
  • Proven product and highly regarded.
  • Application is easy.
  • Overspray onto trim doesnt leave any reside that i could tell.
  • Very good beading immediately after application.

Sonax BSD Cons :

  • Does not leave a slick waxed finish in the conventional sense, so doesn't give you that nice sense of achievement.
  • Very grabby when running a microfibre over it. Slightly tricky to buff off. I can imagine it will be even worse on a warm day. Perhaps this might be less of an issue on a car that has it applied regularly.

Gyeon Wetcoat Pros :

  • Amazingly easy to apply. Spray onto wet car and pressure wash off.
  • Great beading immediately after rinsed.
  • A very fast way to protect your paint. No buffing required that i could tell.
  • Can be applied on any surface and absolutely no powder residue to worry about.
  • Leaves a slick to the touch finish immediately after application.

Gyeon Wetcoat Cons :

  • Touch more pricey than sonax @ £16ish for a litre. That said i think you could get 5/6 decent washes out of it.
  • Might leave some faint spotting on glass surfaces. I can't rule out this was my mistake though. It could be a proper glass clean is required ahead of application.

Despite these being very different products (BSD is a spray wax/detailer and Wetcoat is a spray sealant) they are achieving the same objective which is a low effort way of protecting the paint. Only time will tell how they stand up to the elements which is what i am really interested in. I'll look at them again in 2 weeks and see how they are getting on!

 

Edit: i just remembered that a seagull crapped on the Clio (Wetcoat) this morning. It just wiped off with no fuss whatsoever. I'll give it a proper clean with the ONR diluted spray when i get home.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you find BSD grabby , try spraying it on the cloth and wiping over rather than onto the panel and wiping off , its easy to use too much of it

 

Since you have a snow foam lance you might want to try FA , you spray it on with the lance after washing and rinse off after 5 mins , leaves a really good finish that lasts a couple of months, really easy to dry the car afterwards as well

 

https://trustedcarproducts.co.uk/product-review/envy-car-care-fa

 

This is my sons C1 with it on , its not been polished in years if ever , nothing on it at all , just washed , rinsed and FA applied then dried

 

20170221_102121_zps4qjqfl7y.jpg

 

20170221_102114_zps6vfzfxhd.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

FA sounds pretty much what Wetcoat is then. I might compare those next :)

 

I'll try applying the BSD with a cloth next time. I think this time i was deliberately being a bit lazy to see how well it buffed off. I wasn't expecting it to be so grabby. It felt almost like what its like when you have striped all products off the paint. You just have to trust its doing its thing :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not used Wetcoat but they seem similar just that FA goes on and looks a little like snowfoam , works especially good on glass

 

You can try diluting BSD as well and it can be grabby depending on whats underneath but i've found the trick is to be very sparing with it , its good stuff though

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good tip on the BSD - i'll dilute a bit of it with the deionised water and see if it helps. I imagine that the protection will be shortened though if thats done?

yes and its not as good , some people dilute it with other stuff like the Megs last touch but i personally dont bother

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

It looks like an interesting product. What effect does it have on brake discs and pads?

 

FA goes on and looks a little like snowfoam , works especially good on glass

 

None that I have noticed

 

Thanks Liner, that's a bit surprising. Wouldn't you have expected it to put some kind of glaze onto the discs and pads?  Do you make any special effort to keep it away from the brakes?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...