What car cleaning/detailing products do you use?

[Thar]

I have used various cleaning products on my cars over the years. I am currently using a carnauba based wash and wash sold by Aldi which leaves a great shine on my car but doesn't make many suds. I use my old Flash car wash system on "autodry" to do a final rinse them dry off with a microfibre cloth and every month or so follow this with Triple Wax polish.

I have seen some great photos of shiny clean cars on here and was wondering what products people use.

[Thar]

From another topic -

thar try autoglym super resin polish and then do 2 coats of wax and never was with a sponge look on ebay for i microfibre wash mitt get the same sort of micro fibre towels for polishing and drying too hope this gets your car gleaming i know the polish and wax is expensive but it lasts a few months before needing to be done again

[Thar]

Copied from another topic -

I actually use cheap and cheerful products on my car as a rule. Just Carplan Triple Wax shampoo and Simoniz Max Wax polish and always use a microfibre cloth.

I do have an Autoglym polish for black cars, which was expensive, but I found it hard work. I find that the shine with the Max Wax tends to last longer and you don't have to do it as often but I do use the Autoglym every now and again. I used to put a Turtle Wax top coat seal on too but you start to lose the will to live after washing, drying, polishing then going round for a fourth time with the top coat seal! I like the Turtle Wax wet n black tyre dresser to finish off and then shine up my tailpipe with Autosol chrome polish, if that doesn't sound to rude!

[Thar]

I stopped using sponges a long time ago craig and always use micro fibre mitts now and I use the two bucket method to rinse the dirty mitt before dunking back in the clean bucket. I have also invested in a couple of real leather shammys to buff off the wax residue after polishing.

What do people use to remove tar spots? I have used WD40 in the past which is effective. I also would be interested to know what you use to clean your alloys as despite cleaning mine with a brush, they still have stubborn dirty spots that I can't seem to get rid off.

I have read about claying which seems effective in removing surface oxide deposits but you could go on forever buying cleaners for this and polishers for that and at the end of the day, are they all worth the outlay?

[craigdmjv]

What do people use to remove tar spots? I have used WD40 in the past which is effective. I also would be interested to know what you use to clean your alloys as despite cleaning mine with a brush, they still have stubborn dirty spots that I can't seem to get rid off.

I have read about claying which seems effective in removing surface oxide deposits but you could go on forever buying cleaners for this and polishers for that and at the end of the day, are they all worth the outlay?

yeh you could try tardis or the tar and oxidation s it turns purple then you just wash it away, claying is also very good for removing tar, if you polish and wax the car it will help you when you come to remove tough dirt s it should just wipe off with the microfibre, as for the wheels i use a couple drops of fairy in warm water and soft firm paint brush to get rid of the brake dust i also use wonder wheels which comes with its own brush and you can buy it in asda, you could also get iron x which is what detailers use . and for normal washing the car i also use the same aldi product as you i still have it from when you posted it few months back it lasts ages lol

good luck x

[Thar]

Thanks Craig, by the way, Aldi have the wash n wax on offer again this week for £2.99 so I bought some more. They also have an alloy wheel cleaning kit for £2.99, might give that a go.

[craigdmjv]

dont tempt me lol

[fatboyslim]

I used to use good old Autoglym products to clean my car,mainly because I can usually get them from my
local Boyes store on special offers!!
Being on quite a few car forums you usually pick up a few tips on car care,so for many years I've been
washing my car using the 2 bucket method and a nice lambswool mit for upper panels and a chenille mit for the lower panels
Then one day I discovered a site called Deatiling World and that was it
I read loads of stuff on there and tried a few things I'd read on my old Honda CR-V
I gave it a good wash with AG shampoo then clayed it using Meguairs clay kit then AG Super Resin Polish
then a couple of coats of Collinite 845 and she looked amazing,the paint felt smooth as a babys bum and
was nice and shiny
She looked so good when I traded her in for my CC the salesman gave me top book for her
Anyway in December every year Detailing world run a prize draw and I was lucky enough to be a winner
I won £100 worth of gear from Autobrite Direct and since then my collection has grown
Now my weekly wash consists of
Pre-wash using AB Citrus Wash which is a citrus based degreaser
Rinse
2 bucket method wash using AB Citrus Pearl shampoo (smells nice and orangey)
Tar-X to get rid of tar and any sticky resins
AB Very Cherry (non acid) wheel cleaner,I removed my wheels a few months ago and gave them a good clean using Tar-X and AB Purple Rain (removes industrial crap and turns a nice purple when it reacts)
I then gave them a polish and 2 coats of Collinite 845,so now when I wash them they just need a quick blast of Very Cherry then a wash using the same stuff i do the main wash with and I have a lambswool
wheel wash mit
Then I dry the car using a microfibre towel
Then I use AB Project 32 after that which is a sealant and gets rid of any water spots and leaves a really nice shine
Soon I will give her a real good going over and I will get out the clay and when all done she'll get some
posher wax for the summer which is AB Addiction (smells totally gorgeous)
I use AG stuff for the interior and AG Fast Glass for the windows,when that runs out I'll replace them with Autobrites versions
The rubbers and black trim is cleaned with AG Trim cleaner or Dodo Juice Tyromania depending how faded they look
That's about it
Just don't join Detailing World as it can have a negative effect on your bank balance!!

[Thar]

Thanks fatboyslim but I don't think my wallet will stretch to all those products

I have ordered some clay and intend to give that a try over Easter. What should I use to get rid of light scratches? There are some on the sills and some on the bonnet where one of the neighbourhood felines slipped down off the roof! Would polish help with those?

I did buy the alloy wheel cleaner kit from Aldi but it didn't do anything. I still have unsightly tar/oil spots on the inside of the wheels. When funds permit I will have to get some of the tar removal products recommended.

[shadow]

best tar remover is "silvo" or "brasso" for cleaning silver/brass (wadding) in a tin used it for years or buy a black car

[Ben jp4]

You cant beat autoglym extra gloss protection. Its not cheat at £13 a bottle. But i swear by it. I have moonstone blue paint so tar spots are an anoying problem for me especialy in summer. This product makes light work of it and makes the paintwork like teflon, just doesnt get dirty. Also like how it repels water. I try to apply product every six weeks, weather permiting.

[gazza82]

You do realise you are resurrecting some very old threads by responding .. many of those are probably from ex-CC owners and unlikely to be read by them again.

As you have a Roland Garros you would be better off on the 206info site as this is for the 206CC .. while a lot is the same (1.6 16v, 2.0 138bhp, and 1.6 Hdi) we don't get a lot of "tuners" or modifiers as most like them just the way Mr Peugeot intended!

[Ben jp4]

So has this forum disbanded?

[GrandadMonkey]

Of course not, but this thread IS 5 years old.

[mark farrier]

I use just the one cleaning product.......the missus !!!