Motoring Discussion > Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Iffy Replies: 16
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 14:06 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - Iffy
Nought out of 10 for originality for starting a car washing thread, but hey, we nearly all wash the old crate sometime or other.

The handbook of the CC3 says water is the most important thing when it comes to washing.

But what about the chemicals?

I put some shampoo/wash and wax stuff in the water, but only the cheapest brand I can find, or what's on offer.

Halfords had a decent sized bottle of Turtle Wax for 'half price' a couple of weeks ago.

About £4 I think.

So is it worth paying two or three times that amount?

And what of polish?

I tend to use a coloured one - colour magic(?) - which costs about £8.

Is there any point in paying £20-£40 for something that does the same job?

Lastly, what about cleaning allow wheels?

I applied the same logic and bought a five litre container of cleaner for about £10.




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New Sun 4 Apr 10 14:18 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - RattleandSmoke
I tend to use Autoglym as I think they are nice balance between value and quality.
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 14:21 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - Stuu
Umm, no, not really. The only time ive spent extra is on my car shampoo which has a low shampoo content mixed with an unusually high wax content as this makes cars much easier to dry off, thus making my job far quicker.
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 14:27 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - Iffy
...high wax content makes cars easier to dry off...

I wondered what the point was of high wax content shampoo.

Easier to dry off appeals to me, so I might look out for some next time I'm buying.

By the way Stu, that Vileda car cloth you recommended a year or so back has proved to be the best one I've ever had.

Name escapes me, but I'm sure you'll advise for the benefit of others who might be interested.

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New Sun 4 Apr 10 14:53 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - Zero
>> ...high wax content makes cars easier to dry off...

Dont get it on your windscreen
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 14:56 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - Old Navy
It may have been the "Vileda Flunky", a synthetic cloth that I find very good. I think it may have been bought after Stu's recommendation.
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 18:01 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - Stuu
Vileda Flunky is what it is, they really are impressive, I wouldnt be without one. Incredibly durable given that I use mine for valeting and even I get atleast a year out of one - a private user would most likely be outlived by theirs!

High wax content shampoo is fine on windscreens, well, mine is anyway, I should know, I use it on my car.
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 19:09 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - Iffy
...Incredibly durable...

There's next to no wear on mine, so it really ought to last years.

I'm always a bit wary about 'it's brilliant' recommendations, but my Flunky out performs other synthetic cloths I have and it's only a couple of quid more.

I leave mine damp in one of the plastic bags breakfast cereal comes in inside the cardboard packet.

The Flunky - and my other cloths - don't tend to become smelly stored that way.

Those bags are quite handy for food as well, cheese stored in them doesn't tend to 'sweat' in the fridge.

Last edited by: ifithelps on Sun 4 Apr 10 at 19:10
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 20:09 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - Zero
>> High wax content shampoo is fine on windscreens well mine is anyway I should know
>> I use it on my car.

I have found that wax on windscreens makes the wipers juddery and the screen streaky.
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 20:30 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - -
Got to agree with Z, i wash the screen and blades with non waxy screen washing liquid, the blades are spotlessly clean as is the screen and when needed the wipers sweep silently and clear perfectly.
When i washed the screen with the normal wash and wax the blades would thump hard on the flipover, sometimes unable to flip at all then judder across the screen and cause streaks, they seem to last several years now.

Another couple of weeks and it'll be time to get the underside cleaned properly and put right any salt damage, will anyone else be doing that this year.
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 20:38 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - Old Navy
>> Another couple of weeks and it'll be time to get the underside cleaned properly and
>> put right any salt damage will anyone else be doing that this year.
>>
I just shove the garden sprinkler under the car when I wash it. Seems to de-salt effectively.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 4 Apr 10 at 20:41
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 21:09 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - -

>> I just shove the garden sprinkler under the car when I wash it. Seems to
>> de-salt effectively.
>>

And spoil swmbo's enjoyment when i ask her to create a few tidal waves in a local ford to desalinate the pick up? She loves it, then i'll wash it thoroughly.
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 15:10 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - ....
>> Lastly what about cleaning allow wheels?
>>
>> I applied the same logic and bought a five litre container of cleaner for about
>> £10.
>>
I've found if you get a few coats of wax on the wheels when new cleaning them is then very, very easy. Take off and clean once a year renewing the wax and it's a very quick job, even with multi-spokes.
Last edited by: gmac on Sun 4 Apr 10 at 15:10
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 15:31 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - -
Spot on Iffy, if someone's flogging 5 litre bottles of wash and wax at half price or something i'll bag a couple.

I do keep some strong solution of industrial traffic film remover in a spray bottle for stubborn stains like brake dust on alloys.
Never need to use it on my own as I wash the vehicles weekly as a rule and don't allow it to ingrain.
I do however get through a fair but of TFR seeing as the kids all neglect their wheels and i'm the one who ends up trying to get the things back to some standard.

For windscreens and wipers i always buy a couple of bottles of Lidl's windscreen wash when it's available, not anti feeze stuff, and the screen comes up lovely and streak free when next it rains.
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New Sun 4 Apr 10 15:44 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - Marc
A wash and wax is a must. I tend to use Carplan's Triplewax which is fairly cheap although recently I've been getting a good deal on this gloopy yellow Simoniz stuff.

For polish I use the Autoglym Super Resin stuff. It's pricey but easy to apply and remove. The cars may get a full wax once a year if lucky. It's also good for buffing off scratches picked up on the Galaxy (a combination of dark, soft paint and the numerous roadside hedges around here)

For the first time ever I used Wonder Wheels on the Vectra last month. After six years and 85k the alloys were yellowed and streaked with brake dust. Pleased with the results after two applications but now see that already they're starting to pick up streaks again.
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New Mon 5 Apr 10 13:47 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - -
The windscreen cleaner stuff i mentioned above appears to be on offer at most Lidl's stores from this Thursday (hopefully, their site doesn't appear to give dates).
As well as slopping a capful in the washer bottle i also use it to wash the house windows and frames, does as fine job of them with a rinse off with the hose pipe and a squeegy after.

www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/SID-8D69FC91-153CB36B/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/index_9513.htm

few other goodies there too, haven't seen a 4 square wheelbrace for ages.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Mon 5 Apr 10 at 13:48
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New Mon 5 Apr 10 14:30 
 Are expensive car wash chemicals worth it? - L'escargot
>> Halfords had a decent sized bottle of Turtle Wax for 'half price' a couple of
>> weeks ago.

I use TurtleWax Zip Wax (I buy it in 2.5 litre bottles) and after I've rinsed it off and dried it with a (genuine) chamois leather my car gleams. And I get no problems of juddering wipers or streaky windscreen. I use the same stuff to clean my car's alloys.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Mon 5 Apr 10 at 14:32
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