James B

Could someone kindly tell me what all the common terms mean, highly recommended products and how to use them. i.e.

Snow foam lance (to fit a Karcher K series 4600) -
DA / Rotary -
Detailer -
Glaze -
Wax -
Clay bar -
How to remove swirls or dull patches? -
Two bucket method -
Clothes for drying etc. -
Wheel dressing -
Interior cleaner for fabric -
Quick Detailer -

Sorry if I come across as a complete numpty. I obsess over having my car clean and I wanna step up the routine in the best interest of my cars paint!

Its a black Focus mkII.

Thanks guys.

KSA-Cossie

iTrader: (4)

Go here mate

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/index.php

James B

Thanks mate, I put your username as referee.

matts1

Will try and answer what i know

Snow foam lance (to fit a Karcher K series 4600)
http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acata...ance-cat2.html

DA / Rotary -For a novice I would use a DA (dual action) - will be less likely to cause paint damage as it is slower. Rotary spins more quickly and in one spot so you have to be more careful, but will bring better results more quickly.

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/cgi-b...x=0&search.y=0


Glaze - designed to clean the paintwork and help get a better level of shine

Wax - protection, once polished, your car needs a layer of wax to protect it.

Clay bar -a bar of clay, used with lubricant that you wipe/rub the panels down with to remove grit and dirt in the paint that washing/shampooing doesnt remove - very effective and easy and will make polishing and waxing much easier and with better results - alot of dirt is still in you paint after a wash, claying gets it slick!

How to remove swirls or dull patches? - A cutting compound and da/rotary machine, different pads - cutting/polishing/finishing, basically removing a tiny bit of the surface to get down below the swirls. Takes time but can be worth the effort for a great finish.

Two bucket method - when washing, use a bucket for soaking the wash mit and one for rinsing it out so that the mit stays cleaner and you dont have gritty water going back on the car ( use a wash mit over a sponge as a wash mit wont drag grime across the paint like a sponge)

Clothes for drying etc. - microfibre towels, lots of pound shops sell them, softer and wont scuff the paint or drag dirt along.

Wheel dressing - after the alloys have been cleaned, you can spray on sort of wax to stop the brake dust sticking, and dress the tyres with tyre gel - meguires endurance etc. Watch out for cheap tyre shine etc as they can eat into the finish of the alloys.

Interior cleaner for fabric - no recommendations, but baby wipes are good at lifting stains.

Quick Detailer - a detailing spray, used to get a quick shine back between waxing sessions after a wash.

I really like poorboys blackhole glaze, very very easy to use, designed for dark cars so doesnt shop up stone chips etc, and then nattys past wax, again designed for dark cars and sooooo easy to use. some links below of stuff I buy.

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acata...ole-glaze.html

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acata...iler-plus.html

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acata...paste-wax.html


I like to:

Rinse the car
shampoo
rinse
towel dry
use tar spot remover to breakdown tar spots
clay bar the car
rinse
towel dry
trim restorer - will help prevent polish sticking to plastics and rubbers as well as bringing back the factory colour of faded bits.
polish
wax


I am sure others can add to this thread with hints and tips.

frsmad

If you want any advice im happy to help,pro detailer....

wax for any colour apart from silver/white,use a sealent for those colours! Different products give different clarity,durability,it's all in the preparation!

James B

Thanks for taking the time to reply to that!

Best places to buy top products?

opposite lock

iTrader: (3)

Great replies by Matt there .The DA machine and rotary are explained very well in DW i definately recommend reading it in fact its a must tbh.
Both machines are very capable and have their own place for certain requirements and situations. The rpm,s can be the same but dual action wont spin on one axis like the rotary , the oscillating action of the DA makes the work rate less in the area your working. This comes into its own and has many benefits as does the rotary machines. The DA i have has a higher rpm range but the rotary still cuts faster at lower rpm,s.

Claybar. Many choices out there and you can have different grades depending what you need. I have a soft, meduim and hard selection . You can marr paintwork by claying especially if the surface is highly contaminated. Machine polishing maybe required to remove any marring.Dont be shy with lubrication haha .... Decontaminating paint doesnt need to stop after claying. Paint cleansers and iron deposite removal are other forms of further decontamination.

I like Polished Bliss for certain items and free delivery , Clean your car (cyc) Autobrite , G technique, Bilthamber ,Autosmart,Meguairs , to name a few. Goto DW sign up its a very welcoming forum with stacks of info . Too much sometimes lol.