Exterior Cleaning Advice

[Fenners]

Hi,
I have had my MCSC now for two weeks. I have so far ordered a new Pioneer head (will post pics when installed over the weekend).

Now I need to think about keeping the outside looking good. From reading forums meguiars products seem to be the best way forward, but apart from a quick scrub with a garden bush I have never cleaned/polished (beleive it's called detailling??) a car before.

So my question is how to I find out the products I need (including tools), and how do I then use them proberly. I am looking to do a good job (ie tyres, wheels etc) but would like to keep it down to a sensible number of steps, any help will be useful.

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[SteveBrass]

Try A world for detailers... or Meguiars for advice.

The steps I follow are

use good quality products NOT washing up liquid.

Hose car down first

Clean wheels bumpers and sills etc first. You might need a wheel cleaner for impacted brake dust, tar and other goo.

If the door shuts are very dirty do them now - otherwise with the rest of the car later on.

Use a fresh bucket for cleaning the car.

Use a lambswool mash mitt, and have a separate bucket to rinse the mitt regularly (this way, you keep your bucket with the car wash in clean - the dirt is washed off into the second bucket).

Dry off with a microfibre cloth. I also use a blade first to get rid of most of the water.

Wax every 4 weeks or so. Use cleaner for black plastic.

In between full washes, remove bird mess etc as soon as (I use a quick detailer spray)

As for which products, there are lots of god quality products.

I have stuck with Autoglym and Meguiars. Other people will have their own favourite products.

[Hartge220]

Welcome to MINI2,

If you have a look at A world for detailers... there's all the information you need regarding keeping your car clean. Some good step by step guides in all aspects, plus they are a really friendly bunch of people who don't mind answering any kind of question. You can also get some good deals on purchases from the traders on there.

Cheers
John

[burns863]

As John mentioned above, visit the Detailing World Forums.

Lately (over the past few months) there seems to have been an increase in people asking about detailing their MINI and I have made quite a few in depth posts for other people. To save me typing ti all again (phew ) take a look at the threads I have linked to below (which I and others have posted in at some point).

I have a full thread on a wheel detail i carried out on my MINIs alloys a while back but I must have forgot to subscrube to it as i dont have the link. Sure you can find it

Hope this helps! Any help you need feel free to ask

P.S. With a quick search of mini2 you will also find some other knowledgable posts from members on here regrding detailign and safe cleaning of your MINI

http://www.mini2.com/forum/2nd-gen-m...aning-day.html

http://www.mini2.com/forum/maintenan...aned-mini.html

http://www.mini2.com/forum/exterior/...ase-paint.html

http://www.mini2.com/forum/maintenan...-cleaning.html

http://www.mini2.com/forum/maintenan...your-mini.html

[mark-o]

Never - Never - never use the filthy brush at the local carwash - that's the same thing people clean their wheel wells and muddy tires with!