Although going to the local car wash is quick and easy I’m always asking them to use their jets from 2m away - cuz I’m worried they are going to damage a seal. If I’m honest i can’t remember when I actually washed my cars last time…
Anyhow… I bought some Autoglym products and all the bits to go onto a garden hose to wash the thing. Note that this is the first first time I’m using the Autoglym products (but I am aware of them )
I bought the Autoglym , Polar blast, Polar wash and Polar seal
The first two were fine, however when I read the instructions for Polar seal it says its not suitable for soft top convertibles and motorcycles. I was intending to call them on Monday and ask what’s that about, however I thought I’d ask you lot whether anyone knows whether its ok to use on a hard top car.
No idea with the polar seal, I only use their snow foam and shampoo for my pressure washer but I imagine its fine on hardtop, just try and stay clear of the glass with it IIRC.
For leather I’ve been using the autogleam leather kit, insides I use their interior shampoo and seals they have a rubber spray thats done a great job.
No idea on Polar Seal I’ve never used it, but I would imagine it’s fine on a hard top, AG stuff is generally very good if you follow the instructions. My main advice for exterior is get off what dirt you can before rubbing anything on the car, and never ever ever use a sponge - you need a deep pile or chenile noodle wash mitt to pull dirt away from the body.
For the interior leather, plastic and seals I cannot recommend CarPro PERL enough. It’s a wonderful multi-purpose product, dilute in a spray bottle (1:3 for exterior plastic, coated leather and seals, 1:5 for interior trim) spray on, wipe off excess and it leaves a non-greasy matt anti-static dark finish that doesn’t attract dust. It lasts about 3 months on external plastics kept outside. Everything just feels so nice to the touch afterwards although the steering wheel can be a bit slippery initially.
There’s also Nextzett Gummifledge which is a dedicated rubber seal treatment, I have no experience of it as I’m happy with PERL.
It’s worth noting that modern car leather will be painted then plastic coated so doesn’t need sealing until that wears of, you treat it the same as plastic - some nappa leathers maybe the exception. Only antique aniline leather should be fed/conditioned, they don’t work on modern coated leather and often leave oily residue that attracts dirt.
For cloth I use dilute APC (specifically Koch Chemie Greenstar at 1:15) which is the same stuff I use on the bodywork as pre-wash! Agitate gently with a soft upholstery brush then remove with a damp cloth before it dries. I’m sure there’s much better purpose designed products but this works for me since the interior doesn’t get very dirty anyway.
I’ve got a step-by-step guide with product names and application techniques I’ve written over the several years as a guide for forgetful me, I can DM if interested.
I wasn’t familiar with the Auto Glym Polar range.
I wouldn’t use a pressure jet on my PRHT to avoid damaging the roof seals and rear deck.
I wash my car manually, with several microfibre cloths, after a heavy hosing down, following the two buckets “technique”, starting at the top of the car and working my way down. Never missed a spot.
Turtle Wax shampoo has been great for the paint.
I am currently cleaning the seats with Auto Glym Leather Cleaner, then Care Balm, but it seems like overkill on this ■■■■ Mazda leather. I will try something else.
On my interior plastics, Auto Glym Vinyl and Rubber Care, and on my door/roof seals, it’s ArmorAll Gloss Finish Protectant.
For the alloy wheels, I have the brilliant, natural, and sweet smelling Auto-Wheel from Bilt Hamber. And it’s British.
I recently saw a local fella covering his Bee Em with Snowfoam , it all looked very dramatic, particularly on a sunny day, are there benefits to using this stuff, does it do something that normal shampoo doesn’t? I’ve never used it before so I am interested in knowing more about it.
Any info would be helpful as my son bought me a Halfrauds voucher for Xmas and I’m running low on car shampoo ( I always wax it afterwards )
Snowfoam is part of the pre-wash, so you apply before first rinse, it is not a shampoo substitute. It helps remove as much dirt as possible before you have to rub shampoo across the bodywork, thus minimising swirls/scratches. It certainly looks cool, however I am yet to be convinced of its effectiveness versus a good All Purpose Cleaner (APC) applied with a garden sprayer - snowfoam is quite sensitive to dilution ratios and aeration if you want it to cling to the car and I couldn’t be doing with the faff, plus the APC is good for stuff like the interior cloth.
Having said all that, I got my dad Autobrite Snow Foam Lance with Magifoam kit for £40 from ECP for his birthday, but I have no idea if he’s used it yet. But the setup is nowhere near as expensive as it use to be.
Thanks for the info, I think I will stick with my jet wash which I use before the shampoo and soft car brush, I often use a final Ceramic spray on wax , I find the wax it wet sprays quite good and convenient and use them occasionally as I am getting old and lazy and only apply the full rub on Carnuba wax every other time.
…I wouldn’t use a mains jet wash on my car bodywork, (wheels probably OK), but I recently got a Worx hydroshot, which is a lot less pressure as well as being extremely portable / quick to set up.
I can get it out, wash the car and put it away in about the same time s it takes to set up a jet wash!
Also has the bonus that you can use buckets of “warm” water, and i find one small bucket is enough to do the MX.
I think the best thing for this, lance permitting is a smaller orifice. You can buy the little brass internals in different sizes.
You’re correct though, snowfoam is quite tricky. If it’s too diluted it won’t be on the paint long enough to eat into the dirt, if it’s too thick then it won’t pull the dirt away from the paint work as it won’t slide down the vehicle. Anything that means you spend less time touching the paint work is good for me.
I use Autobrite Magifoam, not every time though. Mainly if I haven’t been able to wash the cars for a while, or if they are particularly dirty.
Its effectiveness is also time-dependent. 5 minutes on is too short, 10 minutes sort of works but 15 minutes seems to make a real difference, so long as it doesn’t dry in the meantime (it’ll mark, if it is allowed to dry).
With the recent low temperatures, the effect has been amazing with dirt clearly being held in suspension after 15 minutes.
I do use a pressure wash but on a “car” setting, which seems perfect. I then use Meguairs’ Gold Class shampoo and a lambswool mitt - two buckets, of course! The wheels are cleaned separately, before the bodywork and using their own bucket and sponge for the tyres, a lambswool mitt for the wheels, a wheel brush for the inside and a small round brush for the bolts.
My cars are clayed and waxed about three times a year.
OK, call me “obsessive”, but I try to keep my cars always looking new!
Try the Squid Ink range. I’ve used their shampoo, snow foam and wax, and have been very pleased. They also give MX5 owners 10% disc as well. Micheal is also very helpful if you email him.
