Car Shampoo

[Nigelhj]

I have had my Corolla Icon Estate for nearly four weeks and have been using the complimentary car shampoo given to me when collecting the car from Listers -  On the bottle is written: Listers Pro Tech car shampoo that gives a protective film when washing.

The car has also been given paint and interior protection which I agreed to have prior to collection so as to keep the paintwork in showroom condition. I was told when washing the car do not use any shampoo that contains wax as it would ruin the paint protection.

My wife bought me a litre of bog standard car shampoo which does not contain wax but just wondering if any-one who has had their paintwork protected what type of shampoo should I use.  Still have well over half a bottle of Listers Pro remaining but it is not cheap.  What alternatives are there on the market that can be used so as to keep the protection.

Click on picture to enlarge.

Look forward to any help or advice.

Regards

Nigel.  

[Swanthecat]

I would look for a pH neutral shampoo for any car wash operation to be honest. If they have applied a protective coat correctly then this should be durable enough to withstand washing. Any paint protective coat will need occasionally topping up with something like a wax or a sealant and a pH neutral shampoo will not remove that either. Bilt Hamber do some nice shampoos which are not super foamy but have good lubricity to not scratch the paint. I have the same colour as you and the soft paint can be very easy to scratch and swirl so I also recommend using two buckets to clean the car fitted with grit guards

[Gray86]

PH neutral is the best as it doesn’t strip wax. I’m a BIG fan of Autoglym Ultra HD shampoo. It’s pricey, but as it lasts a couple of years it’s not bad value. It too leaves a slick sheen which repels water. It also smells great, doesn’t affect the longevity of the wax (4-6months - Collinite 476S) and provides a nice amount of bubbles. I use Bilt Hamber Snow Foam via a pressure washer lance too to pre-wash & soften the dirt. At 2 years old, it still looks like new thanks to a careful wash routine. Bucket with grit guard, and Meguiars Lambswool wash mitt. Barely any swirls in the paint 

[Nigelhj]

Swanthecat and Gray86 very many thanks for your replies, just had a look at Amazon and Autoglym Ultra HD shampoo is selling at £17.58 for a Litre.  When  I used a Litre of shampoo with wax that lasted me a year so the  Autoglym should last the same or thereabouts?  Do you actually use the Autoglym on every wash or does it only need it every now and then?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autoglym-Ultra-High-Definition-Shampoo/dp/B071JNV85S/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3HWK5ZJ3JKBYZ&keywords=Autoglym+Ultra+HD+shampoo.&qid=1666805965&sprefix=autoglym+ultra+hd+shampoo.+%2Caps%2C61&sr=8-3

Noted also the use of a bucket with grit guard, had a look but the guard appears slightly large to stop small amounts of grit, I have four water butts to catch rain water from the gutters but dirt and bits of grit like pieces do get into the barrels however they sink to the bottom and the tap is over an inch above that but I always use a small container to get water from the top of each barrel so know that there is no risk of grit etc scratching the paint work. As we live in a hard water area if I use tap water it leaves nasty smears and water marks if you do not use a chamois,  I have always used rain water and let it drip dry, but still use a chamois where water congregates. 

Very many thnaks for both of your replies.

Regards

Nigel.

[Gray86]

Hi Nigel, 

 

yes I use it with every wash - I recon the last time I bought some was at least two years ago, and I wash at least once every 2-3 weeks. The grit guard serves to remove the grit from the fibre / hairs of the wash mitt, it’s a bit like a grate which you rub the mitt against. The grit will fall to the bottom of the bucket, and the fins of the grit guard stop the water stirring up at the bottom which would lift the grit up. It really works! 
 

as a further suggestion, a really plush drying towel is kinder to your paint than a Chamois and makes drying quicker. I get most of my cleaning / detailing kit from ‘clean your car’ website. My drying towel can dry the whole car without being rung out. Something like this is similar to mine: https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/purestar-duplex-drying-towel

 

hope all that helps. 

[DC_Ms]

18 hours ago, Gray86 said:

https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/purestar-duplex-drying-towel

 

Thanks for sharing this website. I’m looking to get into washing/detailing my car as well , and was looking for a place where I can get all the stuff that I would need.

[Geoff W]

I switched from using a leather to using a large microfibre towel to dry my car a long while ago. I hated the slimy chamois that I could never clean properly and which dried rock solid. But the thing that transformed my car drying was a silicon blade. A couple of minutes gently wiping gets 90% of the water off the car making subsequent drying with the towel a doddle.

[Nigelhj]

Hi Gray86, I had forgotten to mention that using either a sponge or a wash mitt is not possible as I have arthritis in my lower spine and my sciatic nerve is trapped in my spine as well, unfortunately bending up and down proves to be extremely painful.

I therefore use a long handle brush that I purchased from Halfords of Lincoln though a few weeks later in the garden centre of Downtown, Grantham saw a different car wash brush at around £40 and it is much softer than the Halfords one so next time we go down I might just buy it.  As soon as my supply of Toyota shampoo nears theend I will certainly buy the Autoglym Shampoo.

Regards

Nigel.

 

 

[Jimota]

Be wary of using brushes to wash your car, it’s very easy to get scratches.  You might want to try wrapping a large  good quality microfibre cloth around the brush so that it covers the bristles.  Even better, why not have a look at the specialist cleaning and detail company websites to see if they have a bespoke long reach microfibre mop to save putting pressure on your back.

[Nigelhj]

Many thanks Jimota, unfortunately being such a nice day I did wash the car as it was quite dirty.  When I looked at it afterwards I saw the dreaded swirls  Only used the brush on 2 occassions so will have to look at trying to get rid of them unless someone here could advise me?   Really surprised about that as the bristles are quite soft and did not think they would cause a problem.

Regards

Nigel.

[Gray86]

11 minutes ago, Nigelhj said:

Many thanks Jimota, unfortunately being such a nice day I did wash the car as it was quite dirty.  When I looked at it afterwards I saw the dreaded swirls  Only used the brush on 2 occassions so will have to look at trying to get rid of them unless someone here could advise me?   Really surprised about that as the bristles are quite soft and did not think they would cause a problem.

Regards

Nigel.

To remove the swirls you will need a rotary or Dual action (DA) polisher with some cutting / polishing compounds. I have the DA, as it’s a ‘safer’ machine for non-professionals. With a rotary, it’s easier to damage the paint. I highly rate the DAS6 with Menzerna polishes.  
 

something like this (noting it’s currently out of stock) : https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/das-6-v2-dual-action-polisher-menzerna-intro-kit-1

 

there are loads of videos on YouTube, and it’s relatively easy to DIY. Alternatively you could pay a professional detailer (NOT valeter) to polish & protect your paint 

[Jimota]

Fully agree with Gray86.  Good quality microfibre mops are the way to for washing paintwork.  I stopped using brushes and sponges years ago.

Cheers

[Nigelhj]

Gray86 and Jimota many thanks for your replies but think that a professional detailer would require quite a bit of money and the paint on trhe car had been protected prior to  picking it up and that was in three figures.  May have to look as you suggested on You Tube but would have to keep it simple as my wife would not be amused seeing me with a rotary!!

Again, many thanks.

Regards

Nigel

[Vainona70]

Nigel please be aware that polishing using a machine will be hard work. So if you're physically unable to wash the car using a wash mitt, it will be a struggle to do a paint correction.

Plus any paint correction will remove your paint protection.

[Nigelhj]

Quote

 

Nigel please be aware that polishing using a machine will be hard work. So if you're physically unable to wash the car using a wash mitt, it will be a struggle to do a paint correction.

Plus any paint correction will remove your paint protection.

 

You are quite right Vainona70, somewhere along the line I seem to have slight lost the plot and certainly not thinking ahead.  I wqill certainly do as Jimota suggested and look  see if I can obtain a long reach microfibre mop.

Regards

Nigel.

[twintopp]

i use angel wax enigma ceramic shampoo and find it`s very good . it`s a new kid on the block but i`ve used it for a couple of years and can`t fault it.

[dannyboy413]

Just reading this thread and noticed the comments about the long reach microfibre brush. I typed that into the 'Amazon' search bar and it came up with a few, in the £20 region. Are these the type of thing people are referring to?

[dannyboy413]

Further to my post above, this is the type of thing I was looking at -

 

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B095N63WXN/?coliid=I1HMU1ASPKFMLH&colid=7RAL25OH2V9Q&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

[Deano68]

On 10/27/2022 at 6:28 PM, Jimota said:

Be wary of using brushes to wash your car, it’s very easy to get scratches.  You might want to try wrapping a large  good quality microfibre cloth around the brush so that it covers the bristles.  Even better, why not have a look at the specialist cleaning and detail company websites to see if they have a bespoke long reach microfibre mop to save putting pressure on your back.

Second that, Brushes don't belong anywhere near a car for washing.

[Roy124]

Regarding Lister's products, when I got my Corolla 2 years ago I got a very large goodies container with full range of products and sprays.  I have no leather so that was never used.  I have not used the one-shot screen wash or the wheel protector.  I also got a microfibre cloth and a sponge.

I used the screen cleaner until it ran out after 2 years and then the bug cleaner.  When I got my new car in September I had looked forward to a new set.  To my disappointment I got just 2 gizzits which did not include the most needed item, the screen cleaner.

However on my Corolla I followed none of the advice here.  If I washed the car myself I used Fairy Liquid and a brush.  My wet and rinse was with a jet spray.  I also used my local car wash, pre-spray with soap, jet spray and very soapy microfibres and dried with microfibre.  Never any deterioration in the paint .

[Swanthecat]

On 11/5/2022 at 1:44 PM, Roy124 said:

Regarding Lister's products, when I got my Corolla 2 years ago I got a very large goodies container with full range of products and sprays.  I have no leather so that was never used.  I have not used the one-shot screen wash or the wheel protector.  I also got a microfibre cloth and a sponge.

I used the screen cleaner until it ran out after 2 years and then the bug cleaner.  When I got my new car in September I had looked forward to a new set.  To my disappointment I got just 2 gizzits which did not include the most needed item, the screen cleaner.

However on my Corolla I followed none of the advice here.  If I washed the car myself I used Fairy Liquid and a brush.  My wet and rinse was with a jet spray.  I also used my local car wash, pre-spray with soap, jet spray and very soapy microfibres and dried with microfibre.  Never any deterioration in the paint .

Depends what you mean by deterioration of the paint. If you have used washing up liquid and a brush or in fact any abusive wash technique, go take a look shining the brightest light/torch you have on the paint surface. You will see a mass of circular scratches which look like spiders webs. These are swirls. On a light coloured car they are less noticeable but on a dark car they look terrible particularly in sunlight. At the end of the day it’s what you are prepared to live with. I try to minimise any damage like this by gentle wash techniques and instruct the dealer never to wash the car when they have it in for a service. Just one wash with a bucket full of grit from other cars which they washed previously is enough to ruin hours of care for the paint.

[Dylanfan]

I’ve used a “soft” brush for years on both new cars and cars I’ve took to classic shows. But, the brush I use has a reservoir for car shampoo so there is always plenty of soapy water at the bristles. I live in a very hard water area and have a water softener so the water is also very soft.

I don’t use any local car washers, I’ve seen what damage they can do and I also don’t let my main dealer “valet” the car after a service. I had the window screen of one of my Citroens so badly scratched that they spent hours polishing it, they thought they would have to fit a new one! Just imagine what the paint work was like, I soon changed that car.

[Hybrid21]

I too use a soft hand brush Maurice and prefer it if the car is dirty rather than my microfiber mit.

I've used Zipwax for about 50 years 😃 and have never found anything better. You need to use plenty water firstly with hose then with as many buckets as required.

Rinse off and dry with a microfiber drying cloth 👍

A soft brush gets into corners that nothing else does and if done as above no scratches or swirls.

[Hornet3D]

On 10/26/2022 at 7:10 PM, Nigelhj said:

Swanthecat and Gray86 very many thanks for your replies, just had a look at Amazon and Autoglym Ultra HD shampoo is selling at £17.58 for a Litre.  When  I used a Litre of shampoo with wax that lasted me a year so the  Autoglym should last the same or thereabouts?  Do you actually use the Autoglym on every wash or does it only need it every now and then?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autoglym-Ultra-High-Definition-Shampoo/dp/B071JNV85S/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3HWK5ZJ3JKBYZ&keywords=Autoglym+Ultra+HD+shampoo.&qid=1666805965&sprefix=autoglym+ultra+hd+shampoo.+%2Caps%2C61&sr=8-3

Noted also the use of a bucket with grit guard, had a look but the guard appears slightly large to stop small amounts of grit, I have four water butts to catch rain water from the gutters but dirt and bits of grit like pieces do get into the barrels however they sink to the bottom and the tap is over an inch above that but I always use a small container to get water from the top of each barrel so know that there is no risk of grit etc scratching the paint work. As we live in a hard water area if I use tap water it leaves nasty smears and water marks if you do not use a chamois,  I have always used rain water and let it drip dry, but still use a chamois where water congregates. 

Very many thnaks for both of your replies.

Regards

Nigel.

I also use rainwater to wash the car, but I have equipped the water butts with a Bosch pump designed for the purpose.  The base of the pump is a few inches above the bottom of the water butt but I also use a filter on the head unit just to be safe.  The pump provides a decent jet of water, and you can use a decent water hose head unit and adjust to particular needs.  Big plus is you can use the hose even when there is a hose pipe ban as no mains water is used.

I tend to be very protective of the car paintwork so I use a car air blower to dry the car, that way there is no physical contact with the paint and it also ensures the water is removed from behind badges and the like.

The two companies I use for my car detailing needs is Polished Bliss - Car Care Products - Detailing Products and Ultimate Finish: Car Detailing, Car Care and Cleaning Products (theultimatefinish.co.uk).  Both sites give detailed description on the use and suitability of a wide range of products.

 

[Hornet3D]

There is a thread here that gives a lot of useful information from a range of Toyota owners.