Carsh Washing beginner! advice wanted please :)

[noobmonkey]

Ok, well not so beginner, but i don't want to harm the soon to be new White GTD

My question is probably not as advanced as the Detailing posts i have seen, but i want to buy a little kit to use to wash/clean/prep the car.

What do I need? I hear a lot about 2 bucket methods, and c2v3(Or something like that?)
I have a karcher washer that I use for the patio, and car with a load of attachments... not sure if that will help?

So starting from scratch, going for quick and simple, but effective, i assume i need roughly the following?:

• two buckets
• two sponges
• Shampoo
• Windows cleaning stuff?
• microfibre/cotton cloths to dry?
• Something to pretect brom bugs and general dirt? (Wax?!)

Ok, so i dont want to hurt the car by being useless, but i'd like to try myself Please be gentle on me! Useless at cleaning stuff!  (I do the cooking, the missus does the washing up   )

Any useful pointers, links / product recommendations / website recommendations... or just pointers to another thread that may have said all this?! (Sorry did look!) would be hugely appreciated.
 

[peterdoherty]

No sponges - you'll make the detailers cringe!
I got a meguiars lambswool mit from AMazon for less than a tenner.

Just got a load of gtechniq stuff (c2v3, c5 and glass stuff) to try out when I get the next dry day.

C2V3 does the same as wax I think.

I spent about 300 quid on stuff recently including a snow foam lance and a load of stuff from ultimate finish web site (inc gtechniq stuff)

[noobmonkey]

Ahhh Moved! - Sorry Mods - And eeek, into the firepit of lovely detailers! - Sorry in advanced guys/gals! I really dont know much about it.

Peter, thank you!... Noted about the sponges
Hoping not to spend £300, as moving home the same day i get the car, so hoping for a beginners 30/40 £ bundle - meh, more if needed - tough compromise with xmas round the corner

[Booth11]

You've got the basics covered but as said - no sponges!  Lambswool mitt (meguiars or dodo juice tribble mitt - both are good)
Microfibre drying towels are best
Grit guards for your buckets
Wheel brush or wheel mitt (don't use the same mitt for wheels as rest of car)
Interior spray

C2V3 is a sealant which does the same job as wax (i.e. protection) just gives a different type of finish.  Sealants tend to give glassier finishes, waxes give more depth.  You can use either or both, wax goes on top of sealant.

Websites, take your pick!  Waxamomo, Cleanyourcar, theultimatefinish, Polishedbliss

Good beginner guides http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/car-care-advice.html

[Black oil]

I would say you would probably need to spend £80 for a proper result.
Half on the cleaning stuff and the other half on the finishing.
You can pick up a panel pot for wax if that's the way you want to go to keep it cheaper however most products will last you a very long time.
Detailing mantra seems to be that less is more most of the time and you don't need to smother your car with most product to get a result.
Be careful though it's kind of addictive.

[noobmonkey]

Thank you Black Oil and Both, Booth great replys, and thank you for the simple help

Will take a look at those websites, and see if i can pull together a basic kit list - I have two buckets (new), so i'll stick with them and go for the mitts - Things have gone long way from when i last had a new car and cared about it! (MG TF about 10 years ago!)

Thinking about the below, that is a good point as i'm selling 2 other cars after i get this (Mine n the missuses)- so it would be a good investment to clean them both well, as well

Crossing fingers i get time over the weekend to clean as well as unpack!
(Although i have a feeling a lot of driving may occur instead!)

[Ginge 35Edition]

Don't forget the waxamomo forum discount code:-

ilovewaxamomo

5% off!

[noobmonkey]

Good call, thank you - having a hunt through this evening

[Ginge 35Edition]

Join their forum and ask Chris to put you a 'starter' kit together. There's a thread in this section which he offered a kit for £60 ish, which iirc was a great deal. One thing he won't be beat on are his buckets, their ace and only a few quid! That's a starting point of nothing else. The last order I placed I just filled a bucket of stuff and it worked out cheaper with the post.

[Jimmgc51]

Id recommend as a starter keeping cost down kit:

3 x micro fibre wash mitts (halfords 3.99 or kent wash mitt from amazon is about same price and is highly rated 1 x wheels, 1 x top of the car, 1 x bottom of car, all different colours so you know what's what)

2 buckets (you have)

A micro fibre for drying (loads avail I have the cobra guzzler £12 for body work and a smaller one for wheels - £6)
Shampoo loads avail - £15

TOTAL = £45

And honestly if your starting in my opinion that's it!!

Other good suggestions especially the grit guard but this isn't essential even some detailers don't even use them and there like £25 for 2. Solution don't push your mitt right to the bottom when rinsing etc just plop it in top and continue and this should give the same affect, then if you want to get some later then get some but saves some cash for the initial outlay...

I have spent a fair few hundred quid building my kit up & I still have things I NEED to get, but thats half the fun saving and then getting some goodies sent 

Have fun cleaning and look after your tailpipes!!!!!

ps. I did a beginners detail here http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=259176.0 , check that out for a nice guide and the products you may want to get later!!