Hi all,
As I have been asked a few times "what do you use" and "what would you recommend" etc. I've decided to start a bit of a guide to help everyone.
These are all products that I have first hand experience with, either by testing or because I use them on all my details, so you can be sure that they're good! Quite simply, if a product doesn't do what I want or expect, it gets flogged on ebay or thrown out All the products are recommendations only, and for the purposes of illustration and for a price guide I have used Shinearama (who are my main supplier).
I'll start with some washing materials:
Get yourselves 2 buckets from B&Q or a local decorators merchants - no point in me recommending some specialist "detailing bucket" because they are a waste of money IMO! Why would you pay £15-20 for something that is no different than one that is £4??
Sheepskin wash mitt
Shampoo
Drying towels - I use waffle weave microfibre's like these.
Wheel Cleaner - this one also contains an iron decontaminant to remove embedded brake dust!
Wheel Brush
The next stage up is to remove any bonded contaminants from your paintwork. This will strip any wax or sealant you have previously applied, and only needs to be carried out once a year if you keep on top of your chosen protection..
The Meguiars stuff is ideal for beginners (and tbh, I still use it as it's good stuff, also works out cheaper than buying seperately!!)
From here, if you're a novice and prefer not to spend a full day cleaning your car - lets be honest, at weekend there's other things you could be doing - then your best bet is to glaze the car rather than polish it. This will save you time, and you'll struggle to remove scratches and swirl marks without a machine (which is more expense and more skill required to master), so a glaze will fill the lightest of swirls and enhance the appearance. Note: this is a temporary fix, as the fillers will naturally wash out over time.
Poorboys Black Holeif your car is dark
Poorboys White Diamond if your car is light
Then lock this in with a last step product of your choice. By last step product (LSP) I mean a wax or sealant. The choice is yours.
Towels and Applicators:
All purpose
Product Application
Buffing / Product Removal
Wax and Sealant Applicators
Trim Dressing Applicators
Miscelleneous items:
Quick Detailer - Meguiars Last Touch, which can be used as the very last product applied all over your car (glass included!).
Alloy Wheel Sealant to prevent brake dust bonding itself to your wheels.
Tyre Gel- this gives a new, glossy finish.
Plastic Dressings- this can also be used on tyres, which gives a satin finish.
I can and will add to this if needs be, but for now, this should suffice for most peoples skill levels and ability. I can do a more in depth and detailed guide if required.
Hope this helps, worth making a sticky??
Matt.