What do you wash and detail your car with?

[ragrim]

Since ive recently purchased an 05 VZ thats in mint condition id like to keep her looking mint for as long as possible so im curious what everyone else uses to detail thier car with and how good it is.

for me i use the following. (excuse my spelling)

interior - Meguires viynl stuff for the dash interior stuff and rubbers
Windows - i was previously using an aerosol can and newspaper but i just bought some meguirs stuff today and a microfiber window cloth
Tyres - $3 aerosol can from supercheap, and when i have some spare i use the meguirs interior stuff on them with a cloth and wipe it on.
Wash - just armorall gel wash
polish - nothing as yet
wax - ??

i have a fair few light scratches on my boot lid where previous owner obviously sat boxes and shopping and stuff and i know it will buff out but im not sure what to use, would a polish get them out? or should i use a light hand cutting cream? id rather not buff it as it takes off a fair bit of paint.

what else do you guys use to keep your car looking mint? how do you get the bugs off your windscreen? what do you use to get tar off the gaurds and doors?

[TVR-190]

This has been covered already, about 15 topics down in general section

What do you wash your car with?

[Ozzie]

Interior: Cheap $4 spray bottle of aftermarket armorall (cant remember the name)
Windows: Paper towel and metho/water... Its cheap and effective...
Followed by anti-fog treatment on the inside and rain repellant outside.
Tyres: I dont bother because crap sticks to additives. But if I feel like it ill use the armorall stuff on a rag.
Wash: Polyglaze wash & wax (its cheap and very effective)
Polish: Repo hand cutting compound for scratches, Repo polish for shine.
Wax: Repo carnuba wax for protection.

If scratches are only light surface scratches, try some hand cutting compound. For bigger deeper scratches you will need to buff. You will be there for days doing by hand otherwise.
If the paint is metalic then it will have clear coat over the top of it. When using a buffer be careful not to take the clear coat off it. (best left to professionals unless you know what you are doing).

For bugs & tar there is a product called "Bug & Tar Remover". (its fairly cheap)


After a while you will get sick of cleaning your car and with water restrictions in most states it gets even harder. It is a car afterall and it will get crap on it no-matter what.

I would recommend all cheap stuff besides the polish. The polish is really what is giving the paint protection, not the wash & wax.
If you choose to buy expensive cleaners it is up to you but remember that most of them are the same as cheap stuff with a different lable.

[f1tzy]

I use people who do it for me.

[Ozzie]

That works too. lol

[VeeZed]

well this is gonna sound bad then when i say i use the car wash!!!

i detail the inside myself tho with the armor brand i think it is

[DannyboyDS]

interior - Damp cloth 99% of the time
Windows - IMS and a rag (Metho)
Tyres - Meguirs black trim polish, I use it for everything black
Wash - Bucket, super soft sponge or mitten, dish washing liquid then I drive to the local carwash to hose it off
polish - Meguirs
wax - Meguirs (not the liquid stuff, its hard in the tin and is mint this i the real protector

[Ozzie]

interior - Damp cloth 99% of the time
Windows - IMS and a rag (Metho)
Tyres - Meguirs black trim polish, I use it for everything black
Wash - Bucket, super soft sponge or mitten, dish washing liquid then I drive to the local carwash to hose it off
polish - Meguirs
wax - Meguirs (not the liquid stuff, its hard in the tin and is mint this i the real protector

dude you seriously dont use dishwashing liquid on your car do ya???

lmao youd wanna get out there and polish it everytime you wash it

[Skooby]

I use only Zaino, Poorboys and Pinnacle.

Get it from waxit.com.

Never use that off the shelf crap now, but it's funny how many people think that Meguiars is good.

So many other better products out there.

[ragrim]

I use only Zaino, Poorboys and Pinnacle.

Get it from waxit.com.

Never use that off the shelf crap now, but it's funny how many people think that Meguiars is good.

So many other better products out there.

im pretty happy with the meguirs viynl stuff, much much better than armorall, made the dash on my VS super shiny for weeks, and looks good on tyres aswell but makes them kinda slippery.

i just polished my car on the weekend for the first time ever and it made no differance what so ever, the paint felt smoother as the bottle said it would but it did nothing for extra shine, waste of $20 that was.

[SIG-054]

I use only Zaino, Poorboys and Pinnacle.

Get it from waxit.com.

Never use that off the shelf crap now, but it's funny how many people think that Meguiars is good.

So many other better products out there.

Meguiars is good, want me to prove it?

[Ozzie]

Meguiars is good... But REPO is better.
Just a little more expensive thats all

[SIG-054]

Meguiars make some awesome professional gear that isnt usually found on the shelves..

[Bravotwozero]

Interior - Mostly just dust but Vinylex every month or so. I don't like the greasy shiny finish that most interior stuff seems to leave behind.


Windows - Sprinkling of water over an Aquatouch Glass Cloth. (No cleaner) Only need to use chemicals if you get residue on your windows. (Usually from smoking etc.)

Tyres - Final Inspection MSTD

Wash - Bucket of hot water, microfibre wash mitt and Final Inspection Body Shampoo. Spray the Final Inspection Body Shampoo directly on to the panels then wipe down with wash mitt. Dip wash mitt into the bucket of hot water and repeat.

Polish - I leave polishing to the experts!

Wax - OCW (Which is a spray) or P21S (Which is a wax)

[Cobez]

Outside: Meguiars Hyper wash applied with my nice soft sponge, then chamoised off. I get my car professionally cut and polished by a lady at work's husband who has been in the detailing industry for 25 years, he does amazing work. My tyres get Meguiars ultra shine sometimes, and the Meguiars wheel cleaner on the ol' Senator rims.

Inside: Dash, centre console, shifter surround (anything plastic etc) get a wipe down with a slightly damp Terry Towel (i don't like using chemical stuff on my interior, i believe it leads to the wear, drying and cracking of interiors mixed with the sun), my leather seats get a professional clean, condition and soften from the same bloke who does the cutting and polishing etc.

Windows: Wiped with a pretty damp microfibre cloth, then buffed dry with a dry microfibre cloth. Comes up absoloutely fantastic! I hand clean my engine bay with damp rags, as i don't like spraying water into there onto things that don't like water too much.

Then i just vacuum it once or twice a week, check all fluids once a week (top up trans and brake fluids and top up coolant if needed).

That's about it!

[Bravotwozero]

You should invest in a waffle weave drying towel. These things are great and you can dry a whole car without even wringing the thing out. If you want swirls then keep using the sponge to wash. If you don't then microfibre FTW!!!

[VZ05]

interior - WARM SOAPY WATER, WITH A LITTLE METHO.
Windows - METHO AND WATER MIXED IN A SPRAY BOTTLE, THEN WIPED WITH PAPER TOWEL
Tyres - $3 CHEAP STUFF
Wash - TURTLE WAX WASH
POLISH/WAX- CAR-LACK, GAVE IT A GO TODAY GREAT STUFF AND EASY TO APPLY AND EXCELENT RESULTS.

MY 2 CENTS

[ragrim]

some interesting replies, everyone seems to have thier own prefered brand, doesnt seem to be any brand of cleaners that stand out over the others.

ive never used the microfibre clothes untill this week and i got to say they are well worth thier money, especially the window cleaning one i got, newspaper does the job fine but tends to leave paper stuck in corners and crap. only problem i have with the microfibre cloth isi can only clean about 4 windows with it before it starts leaving streaks and crap on the window cause its too dirty.