Cleaning tips to tide me over

[RMJ891]

I have a (mainly) white S1, and this time of year is obviously not good for keeping it looking clean!

I generally park in an underground car park as I live in a flat. It gets dusty here, but I can't do a proper clean as there are no taps nearby. To keep me going during the summer I use the power washers at local garages, and because it's only really dust that keeps things looking nice enough.

When I'm with relatives (who have driveways etc.) I can do a proper wash, polish and wax, but that's only every couple of months or so.

However, being winter, my car gets much more than dust on it at the moment, and is filthy. The local power washers remove a certain amount, but there is tonnes left on that seems to need physical contact to remove (I can just do so with my finger, but obviously that leaves a mark).

So does anyone have any tips of any products or techniques I can use (e.g. a spray) to assist with the power washer cleans, in between proper cleans (something to make it more effective, like a snow foam without having extra equipment)? I don't really want to go at it with a microfiber when it's really dirty...

Thanks!

 

[DrEskimo]

A waterless wash would probably suit you well. I have the same problem in that I can only wash mine when I go to my parents. Live in a flat, but moving to a house and still won't have good access to a hose

I'm personally happy to wait till the weekend and do it at my parents, but I have used a waterless wash on mine a couple of times, and do use it to do my GFs car now and again and I am pretty impressed. I've never gone to the lengths of getting the paint perfect, doing a few waterless washes, and then doing a panel wipe down to check whether it is 100% safe or not, but as long as you are careful and use a clean cloth for every pass I cant see it doing much harm, especially anything that will be noticeable on a protected white car!

I used two buckets, 1 with warm soapy water and 1 with plain warm water. Sprayed the waterless wash on and do one straight line wipe turning the cloth as I go. I then put my used ones in the 'rinse' bucket when fully soiled (to make them easier to clean). Then its just a case of buffing dry and getting any haze from the left over wax that is usually in the product.

If you can do a pressure rinse at the garage and then clean using the waterless wash, you are probably looking at a very safe method!

 

[RMJ891]

Thanks! I'll take a look at that, but it'd have to be at the garage... since my car is down 16 floors and a 4-5 minute walk away, not even buckets are an option!!

 

[JORDAN_D]

I have the same problem as im living in a flat and not able to do regular proper washes. My car is black but I have found using a citrus prewash sprayed on and left for around 5 minutes and then pressure washed off at a garage is working pretty well at keeping on top of it until I can do a proper wash. I use valet pro citrus pre wash, diluted roughly 1-8 so it will last a good few washes and I bought an 8 litre pressure sprayer off eBay to give the car a soaking with it first. I have a sealant and wax applied which will make it a bit easier to clean this way so results might be different on non protected paint. Hope that helps.

 

[Demetrios]

Mix yourself a spray bottle with a TFR/ Pre wash, once you get to the garage spray the pre wash and leave to dwell for about 7mins , then pressure wash off. You will get a near touchless wash with that alone.

Power Maxed have 2 great TFR / Pre- wash

Discount code DW10