4 Essential Car Care items

[rebel.ranter]

I'm always getting asked what I use on the cars to keep them clean & shiny. I usually end up listing my favourite 20 detailing products and usually the other persons eyes have well glazed over by the time I'm finished!!

Today someone asked me and I decided to limit the list to 4 products that would deliver good results while minimising effort. Here's what I landed on:

1. Wash Mitt
Do not use a dirty sponge, either go for MicroFibre Mitt of Wool mitt. Ideally have one for wheels and one for bodywork.
http://www.detailingshed.com/washing...mitt-grey.html (Or a wool one)

2. Fallout remover
Ideal for removing black brake dust dirt and brown stains from alloys, also great to remove fallout from white paint, dirt from the atmosphere sticks to the paint and left untreated will cause white paint to lose its fresh look. I recommend buying 500ml (or bigger!)
http://www.detailingshed.com/tar-iro...pro-ironx.html

Demo video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeYGzWQ7_r0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRji7eaT46I


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3. pH neutral car shampoo
Any pH neutral one but this one is OK:
http://www.detailingshed.com/shampoo...t-shampoo.html

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4. Protective sealant – HydrO2
If you don’t want to spend hours applying wax this is the stuff to get. Spray on and rinse off. Easy!
Recommend 500ml, you dilute this so bottle lasts for years.
http://www.detailingshed.com/nano-se...#/volume-500ml

Demo video:
Easy as this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbK8unWBrwg

So what 4 items would you land on if you were to recommend something? No more than 4 items...

[JohnH]

Thanks for that. What do you use to give depth to the colour?
(I appreciate that'd be item no. 5 though)

[rebel.ranter]

Thanks for that. What do you use to give depth to the colour?
(I appreciate that'd be item no. 5 though)

That would be cheating for this exercise! This isn't necessarily about the very best protection or the deepest shine, rather it's about a good all rounder that even the laziest car enthusiast could manage.
The deepest shine definitely comes through use of the machine polisher with the right grade pad and a good polish, topped off with a nice carnauba wax. Of course it will all get scratched with the first couple of washes no matter how many buckets you use unless you use something a bit more durable like a nano sealant. Not naming any products so I don't break the rule of the thread!

[Curran]

This is nice to see - actual customer recommendations; rather than see someone like myself harping on about products, and people thinking its just a sales pitch!

But sure I'll throw my 2c in.....


You ask what 4 items would you land on if you were to recommend something? 4 Essential Car Care Items??

Thats difficult; its as important to keep your paintwork in tip top shape, maintaining the finish is easier than having to do heavy correction work regularly, so in that sense
- a good Wash Mitt, Shampoo, Drying Towel and Two Bucket Kit

But to follow what you say; 'limit the list to 4 products that would deliver good results while minimising effort.'
Assuming you'd have the basics of maintaining the finish, listed above, then to give a quick turn around to paintwork lacking a bit of pop, then I cant argue with what youve listed, and mine would be...


- Tar Remover - CarPro TarX
- Fallout Remover - CarPro IronX or Bilt Hamber Korrosol
- Protection - CarPro Reload
- Wheel Brushes - Wheel Woolies

And how Id go about achieving a quick spruce up....
Wash
Drip Dry
Spray on Fallout Remover, on wheels, allow dwell, agitate with the Wheel Woolies, rinse off
Spray on Tar Remover, allow dwell, rinse off, repeat if necessary
Drip Dry
Spray on Fallout Remover, on body work, allow dwell, rinse off
Dry
Mist on CarPro Reload to a panel and buff in

Decontaminating the paintwork with Tar and Fallout removers (removing bonded contamination what regular washing wont remove) will do wonders for the overall appearance. Topping up the paintwork with Reload, which contains Silica gives a really nice shine and pop, and also very good protection; 4-6 months, while also giving very decent hydrophobic characteristics, meaning your regular wash will be easier too.
HydrO2 is easier to use than Reload, but for the extra bit of effort, it pays off in durability.