Glutton for punishment, Fiat Panda clean.

"Svend" (svend) 01/18/2016 at 03:32 • Filed to: None

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Well the other day came after promising since before christmas to do a colleagues car (she is also a friend of one of our neighbours). We had agreed that in the new year was best and while I was off work (I’ve still got loads of holiday hours to use up before the end of the financial year).

Only the weather took a turn and apparently the weather we should of had in December where we had three bad storms decided to turn up that very morning. So cue me, no sleep, -2 degrees celsius, a filthy car inside and out and only my say that I’d do it. Did it.

Full interior antibacterial scrub (she has a dog which is allowed to roam the car) and vacuum of all surfaces. Exterior fully degreased and washed. Polished off old water spots and then sealed the car.

Thankfully it only took four and a half hours as my fingers were going numb.

Also three hours later, it started to snow. Three inches of the ruddy stuff.

AndyG_UK > Svend 01/18/2016 at 04:18

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Oh well done, looks shiny! When shall I drop mine round for you to do, do you want the Abarth or DS4 first? Have had skips on the drive since August as we’ve been having major renovations done so haven’t been able to get the cars on the drive to give them a good wash, polish and wax since before then, just the odd visit to the local hand car wash, they are both worryingly lacking in beading when it rains. I fear all my hard work of decontaminating, polishing and waxing on both of them last spring has been undone! :(

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Svend 01/18/2016 at 04:19

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I seriously cannot fathom how you did that in the weather we currently have. Props to ya.

Svend > AndyG_UK 01/18/2016 at 04:30

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Anytime, Lol.

If there is traffic film on the car, that will actually go a long way into looking after the car.

Sealants are my preferred go to over waxes. The only wax I’ve ever used and outperformed most other waxes was a now discontinued Gtechniq C3 pure carnauba liquid wax.

The other day I used Adam’s H2O Gloss Guard, spray on wet car, wipe in with damp cloth and buff with dry cloth. Awesome.

It’s always best to strip off everything when the good weather arrives and do a full decon of tar, iron, etc... anyway, so you should have plenty to clean off. I’m jealous of you.

AndyG_UK > Svend 01/18/2016 at 04:51

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I use Meguires Tech wax, not sure if it’s a pure wax or sealant actually, but yeah last spring I used Dragons Breath decontaminate on them, used Meguires polish and then waxed, used alloy sealent on the wheels, Autosol on all the chrome bits, also when I wash them by hand I degrease them first with diluted citrus degreaser and a soft brush around the badges and hard to clean bits. I sometimes use Demon Shine spray on shine when just washing them, actually gives a lovely shine and beading, esp on the DS4's dark brown metallic paintwork.

Svend > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 01/18/2016 at 05:24

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I’m a northern monkey not a southern pansy as we northern English like to say. Were ‘ard up here. Besides. I’m fat and furry.

Svend > AndyG_UK 01/18/2016 at 05:31

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Good to hear your doing it properly.

I’ve not tried Dragons Breath though I do like the Enzyme Odour Eater for interiors (antibacterial cleaner in one) and Bilberry Wheel Cleaner. I use Bilt Hamber Korrosol for iron fallout removal and Bilt Hamber Autowheels for iron fallout with wheel cleaning action (on light to medium dirty wheels, spray on, let it dwell then pressure wash off, on heavily soiled wheels, agitate with a wheel brush and soft brush for the facings, wheel nuts and nooks and crannies and then pressure wash off).

Also check out Ultimate Finish for some great products, orders over £39.95 get free postage.

http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/

and Polished Bliss has free delivery anyway.

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/

Leon711 > Svend 01/18/2016 at 05:57

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Hey! I’ll have you know I washed and waxed the car in properly shit weather a couple of weeks ago. I couldn’t get much more south.

Svend > Leon711 01/18/2016 at 06:05

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You must be part northern monkey fella. Lol.

Cé hé sin > Svend 01/18/2016 at 07:06

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What do you recommend for really grubby alloys?

Svend > Cé hé sin 01/18/2016 at 07:30

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How grubby? Is it burnt in brake dust or just dried in dirt?

I’d suggest spraying with a wheel cleaner and agitating it with a soft brush, rinse, apply tar remover, let dwell, agitate and rinse, apply iron fallout remover, let dwell, agitate and rinse, re-apply iron fallout remover if brake dust is burnt in, again let dwell and agitate then rinse off thoroughly.

For cleaning: Valet Pro Bilberry wheel cleaner

Tar removal: AutoFinesse ObliTARate

Iron fallout removal for wheels: Bilt Hamber Autowheels (cleaner and iron remover)

smobgirl > Svend 01/18/2016 at 10:02

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You would sob if you saw how filthy my car is now. I should pay one of my coworkers to at least drive it to my house so I can wash it.

Random question - my dog gets hair everywhere as well, and it velcros itself to the textured plastic dash in a way that defies physics. A lint roller doesn't work. My vacuum doesn't work (though it's the Mitsubishi Mirage of vacuums). How do I get the dog hair out?

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Svend 01/18/2016 at 10:10

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Looks showroom fresh! If they sold the little Panda over here in Canada, I’d be all over it......

Leon711 > Svend 01/18/2016 at 10:29

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Furthest north I’ve been whilst still remaining in this green and pleasant land is Derby which isn’t North at all.

Leon711 > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 01/18/2016 at 10:31

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How does the weather compare here to HK?

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Leon711 01/18/2016 at 10:35

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Cold. And windy. Very much so.

Svend > smobgirl 01/18/2016 at 10:37

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You think your car’s filthy and you mention dog hairs. Well sister, sit yourself down and have a vomit bucket ready.

An acquaintances car:

Getting there

Six and a half hours work deep cleaning every surface with antibacterial and enzyme destroyers.

Now how filthy is your car?

Lol.

Hair shouldn’t be stuck in textured plastic so use an use a good household all purpose cleaner. If you have an old pair of trainers with a rubber soil, put your hand inside one (once it’s cleaned or put on a glove) and rub it in one direction till it starts to clump up and then lift it away with your other hand.

Svend > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 01/18/2016 at 10:41

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Cheers fella. It was only a quick clean. It needs a deep polish and new wheel trims (three of them are badly broken round the edge) and a new bonnet badge and passenger airvent grille. I didn’t get chance to clean the engine bay. I’d like to of had a few more hours polishing the exhaust and wheel nut bolts, etc...

Svend > Leon711 01/18/2016 at 10:53

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You may have some northern blood in you.

I’m only a few miles from the Scottish border (it’s an English border too). Can’t get much closer really.

smobgirl > Svend 01/18/2016 at 11:51

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Ooh, that’s brilliant. I’m not sure how it sticks there, but the body shop does a light detail when they return a car and they couldn’t get it off the dash either. Your trick sounds like it should work though!

The interior of mine isn't nearly that bad (thank goodness) but the exterior is close to that. Haven't been able to clean it since I took it skiing and my white car now has a brown front end with an illegible license plate.

Leon711 > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 01/18/2016 at 12:02

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And this is a warm winter!

Svend > smobgirl 01/18/2016 at 12:10

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Ouch. Isn’t it illegal to not have your windows, lights and licence plates clean and fit for use. Naughty.

I use a Maxolen hair removal tool.

It’s essentially a rough textured rubber surface.

A lot of bodyshops use plastic surface dressings which are greasy and prone to static. I prefer a soft matte lustre from Gtechniq C6 which restores the original lustre of the surface and provides UV protection.

Do you have a picture of your dash or able to tell me the make, model and year to Google it.

smobgirl > Svend 01/18/2016 at 12:23

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Yeah, it’s illegal, but it’s parked until my left foot is healed anyway. Just hurts to see the car that dirty! I have a 2012 Abarth - I imagine Andy G has the same dash. I definitely need to pick up that tool - it'll help keep the couch clean as well. Thanks for all of your help!

Svend > smobgirl 01/18/2016 at 12:36

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No worries. It’s what we’re all here for.

I’ve just looked up the dashboard for a 2012 Fiat Abarth and can’t see how pet hair could get trapped. If you have a fabric top over the plastic such as a regular fabric or alcantara use the (clean) shoe rubber sole gently so as not to damage the adhesive attaching it to the plastic surface below.

I’ll put the question the detailing forum (72,000 members worldwide) and see what they say.

AndyG_UK > Svend 01/18/2016 at 13:58

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I try to, when I can, 2 buckets and a wash mit, never a sponge! Thanks for the links, will look them up as I need to restock! Any ideas on a cheap but half decent electric polisher?

Svend > AndyG_UK 01/18/2016 at 14:15

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Have you a grit guard for the rinse bucket?

For a first polisher I’d recommend a DA polisher, they are great for learning quite forgiving, such as the Kestrel DAS 6 for anything between £83-100.

Polished Bliss have a Kestrel DAS-6 for £83. 10% off orders over 75 and free delivery.

Checkout Detailing World. It’s a U.K. based detailing site with 72,000 members worldwide with companies, manufacturers, resellers, professional detailers and weekend warriors. We also get some good discounts if you register (free) and search for discount codes there is a ‘discount tracker’ with all the codes.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/search.php?searchid=30018951

AndyG_UK > Svend 01/18/2016 at 14:47

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No I don’t at the moment, though the workmen working on our house have used (and destroyed) all our buckets, including the 2 which are only for cleaning the cars so I was going to get one with a guard on it.

I shall look into that da polisher, looks the sort of thing I was after, will save my arms!

I have perused Detailingworld, I don’t want to get too obsessed so haven’t joined! lol

Svend > AndyG_UK 01/18/2016 at 15:04

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It is easy to get carried away.

If you do join, once you’ve posted ten posts (easy to do once you introduce yourself and say hi to a few other members) you can send PMs to members.

If you wish you can send your address and I’ll send a few samples to get you started to find out what it is you want to do. It can be daunting at first as there is so many products from so many places that do so many things.

Were a happy bunch most of the time and talk about other stuff that is affecting us will light humour, etc...

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Leon711 01/18/2016 at 15:16

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*screams*

I don’t wanna get out of my nice warm bed in the mornings for my lectures :(

Leon711 > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 01/18/2016 at 15:19

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It’ll warm up a bit by March and last summer it was in excess of 30c literally some of the time. Is there any snow up north where you are?

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Leon711 01/18/2016 at 15:24

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There should be according to the weather people, but there isn’t any. Loads of my flatmates are disappointed.

AndyG_UK > Svend 01/18/2016 at 16:01

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I shall take another look, once it warms up again outside! :)

Svend > AndyG_UK 01/18/2016 at 16:17

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If you do, my DW screen name is on the licence plate above. ;)

smobgirl > Svend 01/18/2016 at 18:43

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Defies physics :) I have years of experience with pet hair on household surfaces and it baffles me just how well that dog’s hair bonds with that specific plastic. I think it's partly static. I'll try something rubber though - I think maybe one of those silicone oven mitts might actually get it.

Svend > smobgirl 01/18/2016 at 21:09

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Good luck. Try a damp (not wet) cloth first, then some all purpose cleaner and then the rubber sole or mitt.

Leon711 > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 01/19/2016 at 03:48

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It’s awful stuff when you got places to be.