Author Topic: Question on Washing rather than full on detailing  (Read 13996 times)

Offline Mike J

  • GTI forum regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 184
Re: Question on Washing rather than full on detailing
« Reply #10 on: 09 September 2017, 08:38 »
If you had it detailed from new why not take it back and let the professional do it?

I dont wash mine, it was detailed straight from the dealer and I take it back to him, Tim at Envy Detailing in Gosport.
Sometimes just the exterior, sometimes inside and out, a nice cup of proper coffee and a chat and its done and dusted, no mess on the drive, no buying snd storing expensive washers or cleaning stuff, just a glowingly clean motor that looks better than new :smiley:


I was suprised to learn that most owners who have their car detailed from new never return again!


.



Offline Watts

  • Forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 4,530
Re: Question on Washing rather than full on detailing
« Reply #11 on: 09 September 2017, 09:00 »
In my case I quite enjoy washing my car and derive much pleasure from the results of my efforts. It's not going to be as good as a professional of course but that's not the point.
2019 Oryx White 5dr TCR.

Was - 2015 Tornado Red 3dr GTI PP, manual, Santiagos, Audi short shifter.

Offline Booth11

  • Serious forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7,739
Re: Question on Washing rather than full on detailing
« Reply #12 on: 09 September 2017, 09:16 »
no mess on the drive, no buying snd storing expensive washers or cleaning stuff, just a glowingly clean motor that looks better than new :smiley:


Haha, you're in the wrong section to be saying that kind of stuff.  :grin:

It's not for everyone, but some of us like all that - messy stuff on the drive, storing washers and cleaning stuff, and, especially having a glowingly clean motor that looks better than new - one that has come as a result of your loving efforts.   :kiss:

Pro detailing is one way to achieve it, learning and doing it yourself is another and one that can be hugely enoyable and enhances ownership of the car further  :smiley:
« Last Edit: 09 September 2017, 09:18 by Booth11 »
Black Beauty: MK7 R 5dr DSG, DBP, 19" Pretoria, DCC, Vienna leather, Keyless, Dynaudio, DNS Pro, Rear camera, HBA
2012 MK6 GTI DSG
2008 MK5 GTI DSG
2005 MK5 GTI Manual

https://www.flickr.com/photos/booth11

Offline SRGTD

  • I live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,522
Re: Question on Washing rather than full on detailing
« Reply #13 on: 09 September 2017, 10:09 »
I also enjoy washing and maintaining my car's appearance and as Rebecca has said, IMO it's all part of the car ownership experience. I also get a lot of satisfaction from giving it a (usually) once a year machine polish and 2-3 times a year sealing and waxing it and seeing the results of my efforts.

I don't like having a dirty car, so at most, it's probably no more than two weeks between washes. To pay a professional detailer to carry our a maintenance wash every fortnight wouldn't be cheap - probably £25 or more a time, plus extra for the occasional enhancement detail. I can buy a lot of cleaning and detailing equipment for £650-plus a year. Also, by washing my own car, I can spot any stone chips pretty much as soon as they happen (and they do happen) and rectify them on the spot. If someone was washing my car for me, many of these would go undetected.
2020 Polo GTI Plus; Pure White, DSG (because they all are)
Gone but not forgotten;
2016 Polo GTI; Blue Silk
2011 mk6 Golf GTD; Carbon Grey
2007 mk5 Golf GT (2.0 170bhp TDI version); Deep Black Pearl
2002  mk4 Golf GTI (the 150 bhp diesel version); Deep Black Pearl

Offline CraigW

  • I live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,305
Re: Question on Washing rather than full on detailing
« Reply #14 on: 11 September 2017, 13:38 »
If you had it detailed from new why not take it back and let the professional do it?

I dont wash mine, it was detailed straight from the dealer and I take it back to him, Tim at Envy Detailing in Gosport.
Sometimes just the exterior, sometimes inside and out, a nice cup of proper coffee and a chat and its done and dusted, no mess on the drive, no buying snd storing expensive washers or cleaning stuff, just a glowingly clean motor that looks better than new :smiley:


I was suprised to learn that most owners who have their car detailed from new never return again!


.

What do you mean you don't wash your motor? How often are you taking it to the detailer? Surely if you were going every week it would cost a bloody fortune? I'm talking about one wash every weekend and then taking it to the detailer perhaps every 6 months to get it professionally worked on

Offline Gnasher

  • I live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,015
  • Formerly GnasherVXR
Re: Question on Washing rather than full on detailing
« Reply #15 on: 29 September 2017, 13:37 »
Just pop it into the hand car wash and get it done for a fiver - it'll be fine...







































I'll get me coat  :wink:
2014 Golf GTI (PP) in Pure White with
Vienna Leather, Keyless Entry, High Beam Assist, Park Assist, Rear View Camera. Milltek Exhaust, Eibach Sportlines, 19" BBS SR wheels - SOLD!!!!!

2018 Audi TTRS in Nardo Grey with
Black pack, 20" Alloys, Privacy glass and Sports Exhaust. No mods yet!

Offline Mike J

  • GTI forum regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 184
Re: Question on Washing rather than full on detailing
« Reply #16 on: 29 September 2017, 19:24 »
My detailer points out every speck and scratch from a blade of grass.
He sees things an electron microscope would find hard to find, its almost embarrassing!

Periods between cleans is - as and when I think it needs it (dirty) or curcumstances require eg; holidays, in-law transport, wedding/s, before services (they are forbiden to touch it with their bucket and gritty sponge)  etc etc.

I like my means of transport, but I dont love it.
To me a car is an assembly of well engineered parts and panels which anyone with sufficient money can afford, but I do want to maintain it in the best condition possible so to hell with the cost  :wink:

No offence meant to anyone.


Offline hepton

  • Not said much yet
  • **
  • Posts: 76
  • 2017 GTD
Re: Question on Washing rather than full on detailing
« Reply #17 on: 29 September 2017, 22:16 »
My detailer points out every speck and scratch from a blade of grass.
He sees things an electron microscope would find hard to find, its almost embarrassing!

Periods between cleans is - as and when I think it needs it (dirty) or curcumstances require eg; holidays, in-law transport, wedding/s, before services (they are forbiden to touch it with their bucket and gritty sponge)  etc etc.

I like my means of transport, but I dont love it.
To me a car is an assembly of well engineered parts and panels which anyone with sufficient money can afford, but I do want to maintain it in the best condition possible so to hell with the cost  :wink:

No offence meant to anyone.
So why post on detailing section if you cant be botherd to do it yourself,if you did do it yourself you would be able to point the faults out yourself..... its not rocket science  :grin:
« Last Edit: 29 September 2017, 22:32 by hepton »

Offline Daz Auto

  • I live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,120
  • Other brands of washing powder are available.
Re: Question on Washing rather than full on detailing
« Reply #18 on: 14 October 2017, 12:09 »
I wash 2 cars most weekends so am always looking ways of speeding it up, while still doing a good job. This section of the website is great for finding ways of slowing me down. :rolleyes:

I spray the lower half of the car with Traffic Film Remover in a garden sprayer. While the car soaks, I set up the pressure washer and fill a bucket (+ grit guard) with car shampoo.

Pressure wash car. Put pressure washer away and attach garden hose gun, set to wide spay. I find this more effective for rinsing the shampoo off the car.

Using a white Megs microfiber mitt - start at the top of the car and wash down. Do the lower panels 1 at a time. Check the mitt for dirt. Reverse the mitt and use the clean side when necessary. When both sides of the mitt are dirty, put it against the outside of the bucket and use the garden hose gun to clean it. Ring out the water. I find this more effective than the 2 bucket method.

Leave the lowest 3 inches around the whole car to the very last. It is the dirtiest part and you don't want to be rubbing a dirty mitt over any of the panels.

Use wheel mitt to wash the wheels.

That takes me 40 minutes per car. I don't think I could do it properly any faster.

The key to good results is drying the car. (This may be controversial.) If I'm in a hurry I will use a rubber blade to squeegee the cars. (I may have to spend some time in the naughty corner for that :embarrassed:) Though I much prefer to use about 12 sprays of  aqua wax over the wet car. Then a microfiber towel to remove the water and a dry microfiber towel to buff the car. This does take a longer, but gives much better results.

When my Aqua Wax runs out I going to try some Gtechniq c2v3 as a drying aid.
« Last Edit: 14 October 2017, 12:18 by Daz Auto »

10/8/2017 - GTI Performance, Red,5dr DS

Offline SRGTD

  • I live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,522
Re: Question on Washing rather than full on detailing
« Reply #19 on: 14 October 2017, 12:33 »
The key to good results is drying the car. (This may be controversial.) If I'm in a hurry I will use a rubber blade to squeegee the cars. (I may have to spend some time in the naughty corner for that :embarrassed:)

I think the key to good results is careful washing with minimal touching of the paintwork, and removing most of the dirt with an effective ‘touchless’ pre-wash stage before a two bucket wash, although like Rebecca (Booth11), I use 3 buckets - the third one for the wheels.

A rubber blade to dry the car  :shocked: :shocked:: that’s almost grounds for being banned from the Detailing section of the forum, using language like that :grin:; IMO, it’s a bit of a contradiction to say the key to good results is drying the car, and then using a rubber blade to dry it! I owned one of these rubber blades in the early 2000’s, long before I was into car detailing - at the time I had a DBP mk4 Golf. Used it a couple of times and saw the scratches in the paintwork and binned it.

I wouldn’t be able to clean my car in 40 minutes and be happy with the results. If there isn’t time for me to clean it properly, it’s left until I do have the time. It usually takes me 2 - 2.5 hours to do a standard maintenance wash.
2020 Polo GTI Plus; Pure White, DSG (because they all are)
Gone but not forgotten;
2016 Polo GTI; Blue Silk
2011 mk6 Golf GTD; Carbon Grey
2007 mk5 Golf GT (2.0 170bhp TDI version); Deep Black Pearl
2002  mk4 Golf GTI (the 150 bhp diesel version); Deep Black Pearl