How long do you take?

[tbourner]

I've got my shopping list ready, all ordered, some arrived:
Sonax shampoo (got)
Meguiars lambswool wash mitt (got)
2 buckets (got)
Microfibre drying towels (got)
Meguiars clay bar kit (waiting for)
Sonax polish (got)
Foam applicator pads (waiting for)
Microfibre buffing towels (got)
Harly wax (got)


I normally take about 2-3 hours to do a basic wash, dry and polish, which seems like a long time, and I'm thinking doing wash, dry, clay, dry, polish and wax is gonna take me about a week!! Hopefully it'll be overcast this weekend and I can start early Sunday without risk of hitting SUN just as I get to the polish and wax.

So how long do you guys take for that kind of routine? Baring in mind I'm all about elbow grease, no machines here!

 

[vile]

I've got my shopping list ready, all ordered, some arrived:
Sonax shampoo (got)
Meguiars lambswool wash mitt (got)
2 buckets (got)
Microfibre drying towels (got)
Meguiars clay bar kit (waiting for)
Sonax polish (got)
Foam applicator pads (waiting for)
Microfibre buffing towels (got)
Harly wax (got)


I normally take about 2-3 hours to do a basic wash, dry and polish, which seems like a long time, and I'm thinking doing wash, dry, clay, dry, polish and wax is gonna take me about a week!! Hopefully it'll be overcast this weekend and I can start early Sunday without risk of hitting SUN just as I get to the polish and wax.

So how long do you guys take for that kind of routine? Baring in mind I'm all about elbow grease, no machines here!

8 hours tops and the missus brings out tea and biscuits on the hour

 

[tbourner]

Edit that I don't have polish at all, so I need to find some polish to buy as well. Any recommendations?

 

[vile]

Edit that I don't have polish at all, so I need to find some polish to buy as well. Any recommendations?

Trev lots of guys are using AG HD wax at the min.I haven't tried it yet but its on my list.

 

[Dan Robinson]

You lucky swine... I get an hour when they are home. But I like 3 - 5. Looking forward to the weekend

If the dude is around he always, and I mean always strips down and sits in the warm bucket of wax. never the cold rinse bucket.

Really annoying. But funny too....

 

[tbourner]

Trev lots of guys are using AG HD wax at the min.I haven't tried it yet but its on my list.

Well I have trouble with polish and wax, I've got Sonax Super Liquid Wax which I've always used in the past and is pretty good, but not sure on it's abrasive abilities to remove swirls and stuff, I'd like some proper polish to do after the clay then wax over the top. I've got my Harly wax which looks awesome as a final coat so do I need something like AG Super Resin Polish first? Or will the liquid wax do?

 

[tbourner]

Don't worry Dan won't be long before he can't fit in there!!

 

[vile]

You lucky swine... I get an hour when they are home. But I like 3 - 5. Looking forward to the weekend

If the dude is around he always, and I mean always strips down and sits in the warm bucket of wax. never the cold rinse bucket.

Really annoying. But funny too....

:lol:

 

[ebod]

For me its about 3<>4.

...thats 3<>4 months since I last washed my car. What can I say...I've got three kids and a nagging wife, so don't have time to ***** these days.

A mate of mine said at a supermarket near Halifax he had a mangey old pug 206 full off garden soild on the seat etc, he went in the supermarket and there were a gang of Eastern eurpeans doing full valets for about £20quid. They took on his Pug and it was like a new pin after they finished.

I could do with finding a cheapo cash-in-hand place in East Lancs/ West Yorks to get my SPUTNIK blitzed inside and out, eg clumps of tar off the paintwork and all the interior carpet/leather deep clean. Any recommendations

 

[tbourner]

The dodgy carpark cleaners just use quick detailer spray and towels, fine if you've maintained your paint and kept it waxed, but on old paint that doesn't bead it'll just add loads of scratches and swirls.

 

[vile]

For me its about 3<>4.

...thats 3<>4 months since I last washed my car. What can I say...I've got three kids and a nagging wife, so don't have time to ***** these days.

A mate of mine said at a supermarket near Halifax he had a mangey old pug 206 full off garden soild on the seat etc, he went in the supermarket and there were a gang of Eastern eurpeans doing full valets for about £20quid. They took on his Pug and it was like a new pin after they finished.

I could do with finding a cheapo cash-in-hand place in East Lancs/ West Yorks to get my SPUTNIK blitzed inside and out, eg clumps of tar off the paintwork and all the interior carpet/leather deep clean. Any recommendations

Ian this is a big thing in Bristol and to be honest they do a very good job.
I use them in the winter when its freezing for a tenner inside and out.

 

[ebod]

Ian this is a big thing in Bristol and to be honest they do a very good job.
I use them in the winter when its freezing for a tenner inside and out.

I'd go up to around £40<>50 quid for a mega valet, i.e. to the degree such that even the Top Gear forensic team couldn't detect any of my bogeys flicked on the carpet or heavy duty sharts hadn't stained the seat stitching. ( Definition of shart : uncertain mix between a #### and a @@@@ )

But I'd still expect the whole outside to be proper buffed down and glass polished inside/out.

Anyone on the M62 Leeds/Manchester corridor know of any miracle workers, so that I might be able to actually spot my car standing out in a carpark ( as opposed to blending in with all the other dull grey saloons )

 

[CJM]

Well I have trouble with polish and wax, I've got Sonax Super Liquid Wax which I've always used in the past and is pretty good, but not sure on it's abrasive abilities to remove swirls and stuff, I'd like some proper polish to do after the clay then wax over the top. I've got my Harly wax which looks awesome as a final coat so do I need something like AG Super Resin Polish first? Or will the liquid wax do?

Many people use the AG Super Resin Polish, to good effect. The Sonax is just a wax, it maybe able to disguise swirls with "filllers" although I'm not sure it contains any.

For an alternative product which will do the trick by hand there is gtechniq P1 nano polish, which can achieve impressive results, however of course it is a tad more expensive than AG Super Resin Polish.

Here is a link to a demonstration of P1 being used by hand P1 by Hand

You can buy it direct from gtechniq or I know shinerama sell it, not sure about anyone else, when I used it you could only get it from gtechniq direct.

As for how long this will all take you hmm,

I'd say after washing about 1hr to 1.5hrs for the clay, personally I would then wash it again or use a paint cleanser (AG Super Resin polish does contain this to a degree).
Then polishing, depending on the result you want and product in all honesty if doing it by hand, then realistically your looking at least 2 to 4 hours.
Waxing say another hour and half and that will depend on product and how many coats you are applying.

Easily best part of a day, but worth it.

 

[Hot Fuzz]

You lucky swine... I get an hour when they are home. But I like 3 - 5. Looking forward to the weekend

If the dude is around he always, and I mean always strips down and sits in the warm bucket of wax. never the cold rinse bucket.

Really annoying. But funny too....

:lol: :lol: wash the car and the little one at the same time all you need now is to get the washing in another bucket job done what wife could complain about you washing the car ever again.
Did mine yesterday took about 4 hours jet wash down x2 hand wash hot water x2 4 wheels washed x2 complete dry off left for about half hour long enough for any drips to appear then autoglym and polish x2 inside hoover and dash clean looking nice and shiny now

 

[tbourner]

Did mine today, took just over 4 hours in the end. Wash, clay, polish, wax. Will do some pics later.

 

[Tourer owner]

Awwwww Dan, what's the dude doing in your bucket? He must be really tiny to fit in there...........................poor little mite, hope you don't use him to shammy off your car


Regards how long it takes me to clean and polish my car (too long)

First time I did a big clean and polish I stared with a hose down and then a shampoo and dry. I then applied Auto Glym HD cleanser (gave up it was really hard to do) So started cleaning and polishing each panel with a few goes of AG super resin. That took me four hours..................

Garaged the car and the next day I finished working with the AG super resin then started with their High Definition wax, then cleaned the interior etc, etc, another four or five hours. Hence I won't be doing that each time. NO WAY

 

[lilcow418]

before mimms honda meet last week took me 6 hours and still didnt finish the interior

 

[mohammed]

Takes me two days even with a machine polisher(that includes washing it twice,super resin polish twice then ntech wax then extra gloss on top,theh the door and boot sills and interior)its a tiring two days..lol

 

[Dan Robinson]

Takes me two days even with a machine polisher(that includes washing it twice,super resin polish twice then ntech wax then extra gloss on top,the the door and boot sills and interior)its a tiring two days..lol

No time to do mine then :lol:

Michelle - the due was just under a metre when I last saw him. they come back Saturday.... yay.... noooooo..... Little begger is too slippy to catch after he's had his dip (which needs no encouragement from me BTW).

 

[luvmyaccord]

I usually spend nearly 17 hours doing mine.

Was, clay, wax X2, polish X2 then seal, then gloss protection. Then engine bay, then inside. Takes time...and is very tiring.

 

[Tourer owner]

No time to do mine then :lol:

Michelle - the due was just under a metre when I last saw him. they come back Saturday.... yay.... noooooo..... Little begger is too slippy to catch after he's had his dip (which needs no encouragement from me BTW).

Sounds like you will need a larger bucket for the weekend lol. He's a sweet little due, even if he does get in your car washing bucket lol.

 

[mohammed]

No time to do mine then :lol:

Michelle - the due was just under a metre when I last saw him. they come back Saturday.... yay.... noooooo..... Little begger is too slippy to catch after he's had his dip (which needs no encouragement from me BTW).

Any time bro,as long as you promise not to jump in the bucket like little dude,lol