Wash/Valet

Meg-A2-91

Member
How often do you wash/valet your little a2? :)

I wash it quite often, Id say at least once a week, but sometimes twice depending on where Ive been. I hoover it and clean the insides too.

I wax it with autoglym super resin polish about every 5 washes - really brings out the red :p
 
Good for you! Sound like you take real good care of your wee pal. I try to wash our cars thoroughly every week using the 2 bucket method. I top up the wax coat every 3 months or so and use claybar on the lower panels monthly or so to remove contamination. Twice a year I use cleaner fluid to remove all wax and start afresh - just before winter and then again in the spring (Ada getting the works on Saturday weather permitting) I also give the whole car/engine bay/wheel arches and underbody a power wash with warm water every month or so as well. OCD car cleaner confesses! :eek:
 
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You'll find it better if you use a straight wax for most of you polishing as i have found the super resin has got a bit of a cut to it, which is probably why it brings the red out, but it cuts any wax that you do have on the paint, the more wax you have on the cleaner it will stay.

With all this fine weather and not using my car for work (left in the garage) not washed mine for 3 weeks now:eek:, still looks great but its getting ready for a big do just before ADI ;)

Phil
 
mine gets done probably once every six weeks in the summer and once every two - three months in the winter. I waxed it a couple of weekends ago; it needs another coat and then it will have to be enough until Christmas or Easter, depending on whether I have access to a hall at Xmas or not.
I don't wash it in the winter much, there's no point. I'm off to Tampere in October for two days - that's 125km each way times four - and if it's icy and around -2, which is what I'm expecting, then the car will be black by the time I get back. The way things run around here... I'll blast it with the power washer occasionally, but had an incident last year with the water freezing on the panels........ oops. When it's below about -10 for two months, it stays pretty clean anyway.

Waxing / SRPing two-three times per year is plenty IMO, washing every couple of weeks with 2 buckets is almost reasonable ;)

I'll admit here that I have two cars to look after at the moment and neither shows the dirt, so I can get away with three months between washes if necessary, and yes, I have done that.

Bret
 
How often do you wash/valet your little a2? :)

I'm not as fussy as some here ;-) - about once every 1,000 miles in the winter (monthly) at the most and less frequent in the summer. And one or two waxes per year. I find the crystal blue colour (a very light almost silvery colour doesn't show the dirt so much).

My main reason for commenting is that I stopped using a bucket and sponge for cleaning donkey's years ago as I feel there is a big risk of scratching. I use a hose with a very soft brush attached - i.e. plenty of lubrication and no reuse of water. In the winter when it's really dirty I start with a power jet clean but to get the worst of the dirt off, but I find much road film is sticky and then needs some agitation with the hose/brush. I'm wary of getting the power jet too near the paint work.

My 2p worth
 
Can I also recommend:

alloywheelseal.jpg


for making them alloys perfect :p
 
After polishing I like finishing off with a coat of Auto Glym Extra Gloss Protection. It leaves a really nice shine.

Graham
 
If you follow everyone's advice you will have a very shiny clean car! The cheats way to keep it looking good between big washing and waxing sessions is to use Autoglym Aquawax.

Wash the car, rinse it and then spray the product directly onto the wet paint (and glass / plastic). Wipe the surface with one of the microfibre cloths provided until it is virtually dry. Once you have completed the car buff the surface again (very quick, not like removing a real wax) with the 2nd microfibre cloth provided and hey presto, a clean re waxed car. :D

It isn't a substitue for a good polish and wax, but helps keep the protection levels up when you don't have time, or it is about to rain! I can do my A2 in about 15mins, 30mins if you include the 2 bucket wash method and a rinse. Should be about £13 from Halfords, and will do 15 ish applications, as you use it sparingly.

Cheers,

David
 
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