Car Care Advice

This site is about car care. But unlike most of the other sites on the internet this website will not be written from the point of view of an car enthusiast. There will be little discussion about what wax gives the best shine, and I woun’t be recommending that you go out and buy expensive professional valeting equipment. Instead, I’ll be sharing with you the secrets of the experts in the industry and I’ll recommend only quality products that get results without costing an arm and a leg.

I am now working on the site at least a couple of times a week, and I would love to get comments!

F.A.Q. stands for Frequently asked questions. And as i was always taught to answer the questions that people are actually asking, that is exactly what I will try to do.

The first thing I should point out is that I work in the valeting (detailing) industry, so some of the questions may seem a little strange to you. But they are actually asked of me on a regular basis, and thats why I have published them here.

The second thing I should point out is that many of these questions are asked of me by enthusiasts. This is not a website for enthusiasts, and we will try to avoid long geeky answers, but I will try to answer the questions to the satisfaction of car care enthusiasts all the same.

Thirdly, I must point out that I don’t know all the answers despite being involved the industry. I should also point out that the industry isn’t always 100% honest. The science of cleaning is all about chemistry and physics, and few of us who do it for a living are actually very well qualified in these areas. So we rely on the scientists who work for the suppliers of products and equipment. Seldom do we actually have direct access to scientists, and instead we deal with salesmen and marketeers. I make sure that all the people I deal with are helpful and honest - but features and benefits of various products do tend to get hyped for the sake of marketing, so there are mamy old wive’s tales about.
What I can do is try and find out the right answers and be as honestly as I can — I can’t guarantee that I will always be right, and that is why I have waited until now before doing this. This website has a commenting feature that will allow other people in the industry to chip in their own tupence worth. Hopefully we will get the right answers in the end.

Danny
the web stig - powered by coffee!
www.clean-image.co.uk

P.S. If you have a question you want answered, please drop us a line!

As a woman, I normally enjoy shopping, but shopping for car care products is not as high on my list as shopping for shoes.

Having established that I know nothing about cleaning cars. My husband decided to take me on a shopping trip to Halfords to look for car care products. He said to me “Go in have a look around and make a list of what you think you need”. more »

Simple answer - No!
Washing-up liquid is a powerful cleaner and degreaser, but the problem with it is that it contains Sodium Chloride (salt) which is used to add to the viscosity. It may also contain amonia. more »

There are various different types of car soap.. there are basic shampoos, there are ‘wash & wax’ soaps which clean and add a layer of wax, and there are other that contain conditioners to ‘feed’ your paintwork*. Others will add polymers to sealants or synthetic waxes. more »

I’m told that these waterless products actually coat dirt and helps prevent scratches while you wash. more »

Although black plastic trim is not as common now as it was back in the 80s and 90s, there is still enough plastic and rubber (wich is actually plastic) on a car to cause you trouble. Wax can build up on these areas leaving white or cloudy stains. more »

Some people think not - they complain about it leaving smears which are very difficult to remove. more »

Soft tops, especially fabric hoods, are much easier to clean if you keep them in fairly good condition in the first place. It helps if you think about where you park. Don’t park under trees! Apart from the tree sap, birds have a tendency to sit in trees - and you know what birds do! more »

You remove brake dust by cleaning your wheels often with a purpose made wheel cleaner.

Brake pads and discs are made from stuff which is great for making your car stop quickly in a hurry, but all the cast-off can be murder on your alloys. One of the biggest problems is the metal fallout from the discs as this has a static electric charge which makes it stick to your wheels like a magnet. Once stuck there, it will rust, a process which is made easier because the brake dust soaks up water from the road which contains salt. more »