Just wondered what products you all you use for cleaning and polishing your cars?

Ive been using Autoglym products for years but fancy a change

Usually use 

Autoglym shampoo, Super resin Polish and then the High Gloss shine.

for a quick going over i use a karcher pressure washer with turtlewax wash/wax solution, by hand its turtlewax triple wax shampoo usually

polishing -  usually turtle wax extreme paste or autoglym super resin

plastic trim -  simoniz back to black spray (very quick to apply but lasts about 5 mins) or halfords trim cleaner which lasts much longer but is a pain in the neck to apply

wheels - "wonder wheels", rinse, then normal car polish (see above)

tyres - turtle wax (do you notice a pattern here? ) extreme gel

windows, lights etc. - autoglym fast glass spray

i use most of the zymol range

check out my car here

http://www.bmwcarclubforum.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=21575&PN=1 - http://www.bmwcarclubforum.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=21575&a mp;PN=1

Wash down with https://vault1.secured-url.com/car/proddetail.asp?prod=Z7 - Zaino Show Shampoo

Then Dry it off with Either a Cham or microfibre towel

Then go over with https://vault1.secured-url.com/car/proddetail.asp?prod=Z6 - Zaino Gloss enhancer

About every couple of months i will top up with a https://vault1.secured-url.com/car/proddetail.asp?prod=Z2pro - Zaino Pro Polish

And a https://vault1.secured-url.com/car/proddetail.asp?prod=Z8 - Spray seal

Clean alloys with same shampoo

Tyres with various products

Windows with water and https://vault1.secured-url.com/car/products.asp?cat=18 - Microfibre cloth

All these products are available http://www.bmwcarclubforum.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=16804&PN=1 - Here

Now Its not all about the products you use,but how you use them that gives the best finish

I used to use autoglym, & I would use it again, definitely, but I find Meguiars good too, easy to apply & get off again. The 3 stage stuff is good, but I have never yet used the first stage, or the clay.

Just normal BMW shampoo for washing, does a good job, & do the wheels with it too, since they are powder coated, very easy to clean, apart form the tar & asphalt I recently picked up driving through road works, but that's another story  .

I also recently bought a Hozelock brush that you attach to the hose, put shampoo through, & clean away without a bucket or anything. Works really well as it is constantly clean shampoo & water you are puting on the car.

Turtle Wax Extreme Tyre Gel, works ok I guess, & various black trim products, yet to find a really good one.

Autoglym glass polish is the best thing I have ever put on my windows, & Rainx for the windscreen.

I have just bought a proper electric polisher with some Farecla products to improve my old 7 series.

Mighty Happy I tell you. Cut the whole car with a very fine (Q3?) paste, topped off with Meguiars (correct spelling !!) Carnabua wax.

Will post some pics once it is all finished!

The Meguires Clay Bar rocks 

I've only used it once but it took soooo much crap off the lower half of my car and you could feel the difference.  A shampoo and sponge only does half the job!

jerry318 wrote: what the price for that wax Mike ££££

i think its quite cheap

http://www.zdouk.com/detail.aspx?ID=43 - http://www.zdouk.com/detail.aspx?ID=43

nice one just ordered 2

Chas C wrote: The Meguires Clay Bar rocks  I've only used it once but it took soooo much crap off the lower half of my car and you could feel the difference.  A shampoo and sponge only does half the job!

is it awkward to use?

The Meguires Clay Bar comes in a kit with a Quick Detail Spray.

You just need to keep spraying the detailer on, to lubricate the Clay. After that it is fairly easy to use.

I'm currently using Autoglym. However, I watched the demo for Swissoil when I was down at Gaydon for the BMWFest - I was tempted to get it. However, it was a tad expensive at £140 for the kit - maybe another day? 

stephenperry wrote: Chas C wrote: The Meguires Clay Bar rocks  I've only used it once but it took soooo much crap off the lower half of my car and you could feel the difference.  A shampoo and sponge only does half the job! is it awkward to use?

Couldn't be easier, just have to keep the surface of the car wet with the spray.  Blu Tac and dilulte car shampoo does the same thing for a tenth of the cost

Rhys wrote: Are those colour match polishes any good, and those electric buffer things - do they not put swirl marks on the paintwork?

Colour polish are rubbish

May look good for 1 day until it rains

Buffers can be ok if used in the correct way

I wonder what you guys think of the opinion that on metallic cars your only polishing the laquer, and after using a lot of different polishes...there isn't much between them ?

I actually quite like merr, but it doesn't last long.

Plastic & rubbber cleaner is a bit different however, I've found the autoglym one to be the best I've used so far, but if meguirs do one, I haven't tried that yet.

I usually use meguiars products and some Autoglym, but im experimenting just now with Jewel Ultra Diamondbrite (stuff thats meant to last 6 years)  just seeing if it actually works.

on another note... i get my Porter Cable and Poorboys EXP sometime this week, How happy am I.

P.S Sorry... i take car polishing too far

Nigel wrote: I wonder what you guys think of the opinion that on metallic cars your only polishing the laquer, and after using a lot of different polishes...there isn't much between them ? I actually quite like merr, but it doesn't last long. Plastic & rubbber cleaner is a bit different however, I've found the autoglym one to be the best I've used so far, but if meguirs do one, I haven't tried that yet.

meguirs do products for eveything connected with your car inc a Plastic & rubbber cleaner, all meguirs gear is Very very good, as for polishing the laquer NO STOP, only wax metallic cars with meguirs stage 3, go on give it ago you wont be sorry

E34 M30 535i SPORT



                                

Nigel wrote: Plastic & rubbber cleaner is a bit different however, I've found the autoglym one to be the best I've used so far, but if meguirs do one, I haven't tried that yet.

I have tried Meguiars Gold Class trim detailer, & wasn't too happy with the results, & neither was I happy with the Hot Shine Tyre Spray, but you will undoubtedly see different results on different cars, I'm still trying to find the best product in both cases there.  

Nigel wrote: I wonder what you guys think of the opinion that on metallic cars your only polishing the laquer, and after using a lot of different polishes...there isn't much between them ?

I thought the same for years Nigel,until i looked into Zaino products

I now use the correct polish for my paint finish and i think its brill (some may even agree with me)

But then again if i dont win this show and shine comp today i will be trying something else

I got some of this stuff at the Stoneleigh show earlier in the year.

Its quite cheap, easy to use, and gives good results, although I couldn't swear it is significantly better than anything else.

http://www.autoproud.co.uk/index.html - http://www.autoproud.co.uk/index.html

Del64 wrote: Pete how much is the Zaino for clearcoat?

You will find it all http://www.bmwcarclubforum.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=16804&PN=1 - Here

meguires for me,ive tested alot of products and i find this the best and easiest to use,i tried zaino leather cleaner and thought it was rubbish  then i got that glymptone think its called and its ace!!!

i love the nxt generation wax,but for glass cleaner i use auto glym.

also motorcycle cleaner in auto glym is the best bug remover ive used!