DIY Car Wash

MBEvolutionX

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How many of you DiY car wash?
Which cleaning products do you all use? ( turtle , sonax )

Intend to start washing my car myself
Any tips?
 

EJB

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Actually a lot of threads on this in here, but oh well for the fun of it...

Just guided a friend on taking care of his new ride (SLH, Honda City).

1. Car Wash Shampoo - Amway Car Wash (I'm NOT a seller, I just use).

1L bottle can easily last 2-3 years if wash weekly, and it really cleans, so I like it, $14+ if you get from Amway agent - again, I'm not an agent.


2. Wax - Meguair Carnuba Wax

3. Detailer - Meguair Quik Detailer

4. Tyre Shine - Meguair Hot Tyre Shine (Purplish liquid) with Applicator (can't find in SG, had to order from Amazon UK - est $18 a pc)

5. Glass Cleaner - Glaco or something, not RainX

6. Leather - Meguair Leather Shine

7. Trims - Meguair Supreme Shine Protectant

8. Glass Polish - Autoglym Glass Polish

9. Car Polish (Optional) - Meguair CompoundX or Meguair Polish

9a. If using car polish, then Sealant - Meguair Synthetic Sealant.

10. If doing polish, you need to clay first - 3M Clay (optional)



Weekly Maintenance (for me)


Steps:
1. Washing the car.
- Rinse car with raw water from dispenser
- Add about 1/4 cap of Amway car wash to about 1/6 of (large) pail water.
- Soak a fresh cloth in and run over all areas of the car
- Repeat until car is soaking with the car wash
- Rinse car with raw water from dispenser
- Use a fresh cloth, dry the car from highest to bottom, back to front.
- Top normally cleaner so start from top, and back normally cleaner also.
- Dry the cloth when water accumulates and repeat with other areas of the car.

2. Waxing the car.
- a. Soak applicator in water and squeeze most of the water out leaving the applicator damp
- b. Apply thinly a coat of wax on the applicator pad (more wax doesn't mean more protection. It's how you evenly coat the car.)
- c. Circular motion in 1 direction starting from bonnet (most people will see your bonnet first).
. d. overlap the previous application by 50% and repeat from (a)-(d) until whole car is covered.
- Car should look horribly blur and no spots should be reflective.
Note: Wax cures better when left on longer, 30mins should be about 80% effective, with 24 hours being 100% effective, I normally leave max 20-30mins cos no energy continue next day.

3. Rims (while the wax is curing)
. Add 1/4 cap amway car wash to 1/5 (large) pail of water
. Use a sponge, run through all the spokes
. Rinse the rims with raw water from dispenser.
. Use a fresh cloth (preferably ALWAYS same cloth) to dry rims
Note: Important to dry it properly, else later you'll cry when you do tyre shine.

4. Wax Off
- Use a fresh cloth (again, preferably 1 cloth for 1 type of usage only), run through in OPPOSITE circular direction
- Ensure all surface is rid of wax
- Optional: Stand there admire the surface.

5. Detailer
- Use a fresh cloth, spray the meguair quik detailer on the surface and wipe through
- Car surface should shine considerably more

6. Cleaning windows
- Use the wax off cloth, go over the glass windows and rid the streaks and water marks or wax if any
- This improves the water repellent capabilities of the windows and wipers
Note: DO NOT apply wax on the windscreen.

7. Tyre shine
- Apply thinly a coat of meguair tyre shine on the tyre wall
- Apply a 2nd coat 10mins later for that ultra shine.
Note: If you didn't dry properly or over apply, when driving fast, the liquid will fly backwards and stain the doors/fenders.

It takes me 1.5 hours to do the above on my Mazda 3/Toyota Vios.
 
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EJB

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Regular maintenance (where needed).

1. Glass Polish
- Recommended 6 months once
- Polish means to eat away or rub away, so this should not be frequently done.
- Apply on cloth, rub over the glass
- It should rid the circular arcs left by wipers as well.

2. Leather Shine
- Recommended every alternate week
- Shines the leather and cleans it
- Avoid over applying or else it gets slippery :s13:

3. Interior Trim Shine
- Recommended every alternate week (I alternate between leather shine weeks)
- Shines the dashboard, doors, trims, where it's all vinyl.
- Avoid over applying also
- Will rid the anti-slip marks left on the dashboards

4. Glass cleaner
- spray and clean using newspapers
- Rids the grime & water marks after a dirty rain
(Sorry, I very picky on glass cleanliness, so this is a must for me.)
 

EJB

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Half-Yearly exterior maintenance.

Replace Step 1 from post #2.

1. Washing the car.
- Rinse car with raw water from dispenser
- Add about 1/4 cap of Amway car wash to about 1/6 of (large) pail water.
- Soak a fresh cloth in and run over all areas of the car
- Repeat until car is soaking with the car wash

1a. Clay
- Run the clay on the surface and remove all contaminants
- Re-knead the clay if it gets too dirty
- Do NOT reuse the clay if dropped
- Car surface should feel smoother than SK-2 or baby skin
- Rinse car with raw water from dispenser
- Use a fresh cloth, dry the car from highest to bottom, back to front.
- Top normally cleaner so start from top, and back normally cleaner also.
- Dry the cloth when water accumulates and repeat with other areas of the car.

1b. Polish
- Apply polish in circular manner all over the car
- Car should look horrible with the layer of polish
- Wait 30-60mins, buff off with a separate cloth.
Note: This strips off the uneven wax left and treats the surface making it 'even'.

1c. Sealant
- Apply sealant in circular manner all over the car
- Car should look horrible also
- Wait 30-60mins, buff off with a separate cloth.
Note: This seals the bottom layer before applying a sacrificial layer of wax to go under daily weather.

This step, if include Post #2, should take 6-7 hours, if leisurely executed.

Nowadays, I just call for groomers :s13: :s13:
 
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MBEvolutionX

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Thanks EJB , didnt see any thread in the first few pages so thought i shall create 1 to get " updated " info.

Couldnt find any good car wash around my area ( jurong )
So might as well use the $10+ per wash to DiY, tiring but should be satisfying to see your own car clean
 

[StAgE]

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Up for good thread :s12:

But... I ish lazy

Kaki Bukit - Techneat join member with decay $6 cheap and good :D
 

EJB

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Thanks EJB , didnt see any thread in the first few pages so thought i shall create 1 to get " updated " info.

Couldnt find any good car wash around my area ( jurong )
So might as well use the $10+ per wash to DiY, tiring but should be satisfying to see your own car clean
To me, clean is not sufficient.

The car must bead water when kena rain and the water should fly off my windscreen when I drive faster a bit.

Additionally, the car should feel smooth instead of rough and reflect light cleanly and nice. :)

That's just me.
 

AL5509

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Imho, spend more time cleaning the interior of the car will be more worthy of your time ba.
 

Beepok

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Siaolang. Just wash once a week will do. It's the model and make of the car u drive that attract attention, not the quality of the paint. A monthly washed Lotus Elise will be 10000x more attractive than your lowly Mazda 3/Toyota vios
 

EJB

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Hur, I song can liao, who cares what others think. My car, my pride. I have all the time in the world to make it shiny and clean - daily even - if I want.

Not everybody has to conform to the beliefs of others. People ask, people share, you don't like it, so be it. No need to label names or call names.

I still enjoy seeing my car shiny and smooth inside out after 8 years.
 

americanhippo

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Hur, I song can liao, who cares what others think. My car, my pride. I have all the time in the world to make it shiny and clean - daily even - if I want.

Not everybody has to conform to the beliefs of others. People ask, people share, you don't like it, so be it. No need to label names or call names.

I still enjoy seeing my car shiny and smooth inside out after 8 years.
I also hope I can polish my car gaolat like you :D

However my biggest problem is my soft top.. damn ugly and dirty..
 

rizhal

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Hur, I song can liao, who cares what others think. My car, my pride. I have all the time in the world to make it shiny and clean - daily even - if I want.

Not everybody has to conform to the beliefs of others. People ask, people share, you don't like it, so be it. No need to label names or call names.

I still enjoy seeing my car shiny and smooth inside out after 8 years.

upz, exercise and therapeutic!!
 

Dragon

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I also hope I can polish my car gaolat like you :D

However my biggest problem is my soft top.. damn ugly and dirty..

Depending on the material, ie canvas, vinyl, etc, you need to use appropriate products to clean and maintain it. :zotto:
 

doody_

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I got my car coated, nowadays only normal car wash on alternate weeks if not caught in the rain.
 
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