basic car care questions

[nola]

i picked up my mini friday, i just can't believe it's mine! i just keep staring at it, it's so pretty. Now i'm just trying to figure out what are the best cleaning products for the glass, black paint & leather and what are good things to keep in the car to have on hand. Any advice I'd love!!! I want to put a small travel car care kit so i can clean anything on the spot, especially bird droppings & dead bugs. Also I'd love to know what everybody thinks you need to keep in the car, everything from car care stuff,to safety, to camera or a note book or...... thank you for any replys!

[Rakey]

the first thing you must do is swear, never ever to put your car through an automatic car wash!!!

then you must promise never ever to let anyone other than yourself clean it!!!!

it is only then that people will start to tell you the great journey that you are about to embark on, the journey of loving and caring for your MINI

[Grae]

this site is great foe car leaning techniques and so on....

www.polishedbliss.co.uk

[Root Ginger]

Or www.detailingworld.com.

Basically, never ever use a sponge on the body. Use a microfibre or lambswool wash mitt.
Buy a second bucket and have one with wash solution and one with plain water. Frequently rinse the mitt in the plain water before reapplying the wash solution to minimise any grit and dirt scratching and swirling your car.

Then you're ready to clay, polish, seal, wax and spit shine

[Hat]

i finally gave in & bought a meguiars lambswool mitt this weekend & i have to say i'm impressed. previously i tried a cheapo halfords one that was rubbish but the megs one is great - nice long pile, comfortable on the hand & the bug mesh on the other side is fantastic. i was thinking about getting one of these for the bucket but there must be a cheaper alternative

Quote:

Preventing swirl marks is one of the biggest challenges in caring for today’s delicate clear coat finishes. Grit Guard® helps prevent swirl marks inflicted during the wash process when small particles of dirt and debris are rubbed across the surface of the paint. Each time you dunk your wash mitt into the bucket to get more suds, rub it against the Grit Guard®. This will help remove the dirt and leave it at the bottom of the bucket.

246mm - £9.99

& then i realised - all i need is a mop bucket from the supermarket!