[QUM01Z]

Freinds and family give me a hard time as I am a perfectionist when it comes to cleaning my 335i, I am wondering if I am one of a kind or are there other anal car lovers out there?

My weekly car detail takes about 2-3 hours and involves:

• Inside Vac
• Run over the leather with a soft damp cloth using BMW Leather Cleaner
• Wipe over all woodgrain using a damp chamios
• Wipe over door trims & dash using a cloth and BMW Upholstery cleaner where required
• Clean inside glass

Moving onto the outside:

• Spray on Wheel cleaner - Leave for a minute and wash off
• Usinging a seperate sponge & bucket wash rims to remove excess grease and grime
• Wash car starting with roof, moving down to bonnet then side panels, Wash soap off from top finishing up down at the side skirts
• Using a clean damp chamios - dry off the car
• Using a seperate chamios - dry off the wheels
• Using a seperate chamios - dry off inside door arches, under boot lid and under fuel cap
• Using a concentrated wheel cleaner, clean any grease left behind on rims
• Spray tyres with tyre shine
• Using " SO EASY " with a damp cloth to shine under wheel arches and bottom of back bumper.
• Outside window clean
• Clean exhaust tips
• Drive around the block to remove any excess water and another once over with the chamios
• Its DONE!!

Looking forward to your feedback?

[scheps]

errr did i see weekly..?

[mark325]

Yeah Im just as anal, Dad keeps telling me the paint is going to rub off soon.

I only use Meguires Products and I wash and Dry twice a week and once a month I do a detail. I only wash at Sundown to avoid spots.

- Use Meguires NXT Soap with High Pressure Washer and soap container on the end to coat the car and ends up looking like my cars been in the snow.
- Wash the wheels with sponge and rinse with high pressure
- Use Meguires Lamb wool glove and Luke warm bucket of water with NXT Soap to wash roof hood and trunk.
- Rinse down the hood roof and trunk with high pressure
- Empty bucket, refill and clean lamb's wool thoroughly under the tap.
- Wash the quarters and doors.
- Rinse whole car and again start with fresh bucket of water and clean lambs wool and wash bumpers.
- Rinse down the whole car again and use High pressure underneath and in tyre arches,

Now depending on wether its a monthly clean or a weekly clean will determine the following.
- If its a weekly clean ill just go ahead and dry down the car and vacuum and wipe down the interior and then apply Meguires Speed Detailer.
- Apply tyre shine and do the windows.

Monthly clean
- While cars still wet, use Meguires NXT Speed Detailer and Clay bar to clay down all surfaces, Normally means doing the car twice.
- Pull it back out and apply High Pressure soap
- Give the car quick run down using Lambs wool and then high pressure rinse
- Pull the car back into the garage and dry very well with Chamois
- I then generally open all the doors and run through all the cracks and crevices with a separate chamois.
- After that I apply BMW's leather care to all my leather and use a Damp cloth to clean all trim and plastic and then Micro fibre on all plastics/trim to dry them.
- I then use Meguires NXT Wax and go and apply per panel and hand buff off.
- Once car has been waxed I pull it out and give it another coating of soap and wash and rinse.
- Pull it back in and dry.
- I then run over the car with Quick Detailer for final finish and use Tyre shine and clean the windows.

Should I mention im not in an area with water restrictions lol.

All the microfibers are also Meguires and Meguires glass cleaner as well.

[jaxxx]

i do it atleast once a week, sometimes twice on the wash if i have time

[QUM01Z]

Nice to see I am not the only Anal 1 .. How about on those rainy days - I try avoiding taking the Beema out. HA HA

I need some reccomendations on:

1. A good Wheel Cleaner (Spray on wash off type)
2. A wheel cleaner to remove excess grease
3. Interior Cleaner (I am not a fan of the products that make the dash shine, Its like adding sun tan oil)

[VGR00]

I've been told i'm a bit over the top for washing my car every week but I just like driving a clean car. I also apply wax every 3 months and clay once a year. While Megiures is probably the best products (and the NXT stuff the pick of the bunch) you can pick up at your local Kmart, if you are really anal about cleaning and detailing, take a visit to www.waxit.com.au . The most important thing to do is never wash the car if the car has outside and panels are hot because that will gurantee you swirls. I wash my car first thing in the morning undercover. If for some reason I cant wash it in the morning, I dont!. 2.5 years down and not a swirl or mark on the paint. The paint on my previos car after 5 years was still like new and when I was trying to trade her in, all the dealers were discriber her as a glamour model.

I use the following:
Poor Boys car shampoo
P21S wax
Pinnicle leather conditioner
Pinnicle carrubiner wax quick detailer.

All the above are not expensive but work a treat. Sure you can spend bigger $$.

[VGR00]

[QUOTE=QUM01Z;4732314
1. A good Wheel Cleaner (Spray on wash off type)
2. A wheel cleaner to remove excess grease
3. Interior Cleaner (I am not a fan of the products that make the dash shine, Its like adding sun tan oil)[/QUOTE]

1. I've tried a bunch of them and nothing works really well (yes including P21S wheel cleaner that everyone raves about). I prefer to spend an extra 10 min and do it properly by hand.
2. see 1.
3. damp cloth or chamis only. I run Pinnicle leather conditioner over the dash when I do the seats. Not greasy and no shine.

Polish and wax the wheels with a hard shell product like turtle wax and 85 - 90% of the brake dust hoes off.

[scheps]

holy crap, i feel bad now!

all my washes in the last 12 months was courtesy of mother nature

[VGR00]

Originally Posted by scheps

holy crap, i feel bad now!

all my washes in the last 12 months was courtesy of mother nature

Shame on you !!!

[MFKN3]

Yeah I am the same, except I only use microfibre mits and drying towels because the chamois generally result in paint microswirl... i hate microswirl!!

Then every 3 months after a wash I apply poorboys natty blue carnauba wax and every 6 months I give it a light cut with Pinnacle XMT and a random orbital and then apply some artificial sealant and a coat of wax to protect it and give it that wet look. Takes 1/2 a day to do properly.

I get all my goodies from waxit dot com for anyone wondering.

[QUM01Z]

Its Threads like this 2nd hand buyers should look out for Car lovers who show there cars TLC...

[shocka1212]

i use a sheepskin mit for the body of the car, separate microfiber mit for the rims, and microfiber towels to dry off.

[amberzombie]

when my car's dirty i sell it and buy a new one


no ok i'm just kidding. i'd like to be as anal as you guys but i don't have an accessible hose at my house AND no shade to wash it under - so off the Sydney Car Wash at Broadway it goes. once a month

[WOPALX]

Mine is parked outside so it gets a good wash every week as I like a clean car. I use microfibre towels for drying as well due to the swirls that a chamois leaves behind.

Every month I give the leather a good clean using Swissvax leather cleaner & conditioner. Cannot let it go longer as the lemon really shows the dirt.

After 3 months I wax.

Every 6 months I give it a full detail, including clay bar, orbital for correction etc. If I'm too busy I get Mike at Car Care Products to do it for me as it takes me best part of a day to do it properly.

My wife thinks I'm anal, but I don't really care.

[QUM01Z]

On the topic of Car detailing, Has anyone found a Detailer who takes pride in cleaning cars and does a job like we would do ourself? I had a really good guy for 6+ years however he sold up and the the guy that took over is hopeless, The first time he cleaned my Cousins 135i he scratched the woodgrain.

Would be good to get some referals from people for car detailers in the Brisbane Area??

[MFKN3]

That's why I do it myself mate.

When I lived in Melb I had a great guy that would do it for around $120-150 and take all day on it (he did it as a hobby).

I'm in Brisbane and would be happy to help you out one weekend.

[richie_csl]

I am super anal too with all my cars.... due to water restriction here, we cannot wash cars at home unless you have a water tank installed... anyway... not the point... if you are anal about detailing and cleaning, go on to www.finalinspection.com.au/forums and you can meet a lot of people like yourself... the longest it took me to clean my car (totally clean with clay) was 9 hours.... yes... a whole day on a car

You might find a good detailer around Brisbane too on the forum... best of luck!

Btw... use microfibre clothes to wipe your car instead (just a friendly suggestion to avoid fine swirl marks by all of us on that forum)... that's a much better option than chamios

cheers,

richie

[richie_csl]

You will also enjoy this gallery too... all works are done by Damian from Final Inspection in Melbourne...

http://www.pixelstreak.com/finalinspection/

Enjoy them!

cheers,

richie

[Bdez]

Originally Posted by QUM01Z

Its Threads like this 2nd hand buyers should look out for Car lovers who show there cars TLC...

Have a talk with Dave at Waxit out at Lawton for some recs