EU-Mania

Just been reading through the detailing section and im shocked at the amount of people using cheapo sponges, and some of the wash methods people are going for.

This site i consider to have some of the best detailed, flawlessly finished cars in europe but it seems people have little idea how to clean and look after them.

Please swap your sponges for natural sponges (if your made of money) or a simple lambswool mitt lol

Sorry for the rant, im not anal about cleaning but i do respect the likes of detailing world and pro detailers etc, i just like looking after my paint, it makes me cringe if i walk past a show car getting washed with a sponge

With all the stunning motors on here i reckon everyone should be thinking the same way

Unless it's a Zymol microfibre sponge, you should always use a Mitt I agree!

mitts mitts mitts FTW

i use a mitt as lots of people say to so i do but why what's so bad about a sponge

If you look at a sponge, they are very pourus, with lots of holes. These holes trap dirt and when you drag the sponge across your paintwork, the stones leave tiny scratches and lots of swirls over time.

Its effectively doing the same as what a car wash does and i hope nobody uses them too lol

Noodle mitts and lambswool mitts, even cheaper mitts are better than your average £1 sponges. It maybe at least £5 for a mitt but its worth it in the long run.

I totally agree.

And Shammy's have the same effect as Sponges! I've also seen people using washing up liquid, don't know if anyone does on here, but anyway, it contains Salt which also causes swirling.

Another vote for mitts here, not only do they damage your paint less, you can get into smaller areas with them

sponges, fairy liquid, brushes, chamois

*shudders...*

compare cars cleaned with a brush/sponge to a car cleaned with a mitt in streetlights and you'll see why i would never use a sponge or brush or a carwash for that matter

I know im going to get slated here, but i can see where your coming from about the sponge, but whats wrong with a brush? exactly the same principle as a wash mit!
also fook all with chamois either! what did people use before they invented ''triple length waffle weave super plush microfibers'' lmao all marketing hypeeee

Oooo this boils my piss, Get a fucking grip people instead spending ridicouls amounts of money on un needed cleaning gear save it and go get a decent paint job to clean i use cheap sponges and chamois and you can put my car under any street light, strip light, fanny by the gas light, it'll still look awesome. Rant over

i have no idea how to clean cars. never have, doenst interest me. wish i did

Cs_Macca has probably seen teh extent of mine and a friends knowledge at Mod gods earlier this year

well said macca lol

Cs_macca wrote:Oooo this boils my piss, Get a fucking grip people instead spending ridicouls amounts of money on un needed cleaning gear save it and go get a decent paint job to clean i use cheap sponges and chamois and you can put my car under any street light, strip light, fanny by the gas light, it'll still look awesome. Rant over

To the normal eye yes it looks perfect. But what about those 40year old OCD laden virgins on detailers world. they find faults on factory finishes. Because they have nothing better to do with therre awsome lives.

HaHa dont spend a fortune but have two wash mits, bought one from halfords for £10 then got another in the Phili's for 50 and same quality haha

Cleaning gear autoglym for me love it all, Job done

My car always clean tho as i used to do alot of valeting so very rarley dirty lol

Cs_macca wrote:Oooo this boils my piss, Get a fucking grip people instead spending ridicouls amounts of money on un needed cleaning gear save it and go get a decent paint job to clean i use cheap sponges and chamois and you can put my car under any street light, strip light, fanny by the gas light, it'll still look awesome. Rant over

Your paint will never look the same as paint that has been properly cleaned and looked after mate, whatever you think. It may still shine the same etc but put up against a car cleaned correctly you will see the difference.

As i said earlier im not anal about cleaning but i can't help but want to look after my car properly. I don't spend hundreds on cleaning products but i do a good job. My car's my pride and joy at the end of the day so looking after it and keeping it in good condition is important to me, seeing as its the most expensive thing i own

People are so fussy with what wheels they pick, what bodystyling etc why shouldn't paintwork be the same? Surely you want the whole car to look good... ? Not let the paint let the look down.

Anyway this topic is just a little advice, if people want to carry on with the sponge method, crack on This is what this part of the forum is meant for after all, advice tips etc.

fred666 wrote:

Cs_macca wrote:Oooo this boils my piss, Get a fucking grip people instead spending ridicouls amounts of money on un needed cleaning gear save it and go get a decent paint job to clean i use cheap sponges and chamois and you can put my car under any street light, strip light, fanny by the gas light, it'll still look awesome. Rant over

Your paint will never look the same as paint that has been properly cleaned and looked after mate, whatever you think. It may still shine the same etc but put up against a car cleaned correctly you will see the difference.

As i said earlier im not anal about cleaning but i can't help but want to look after my car properly. I don't spend hundreds on cleaning products but i do a good job. My car's my pride and joy at the end of the day so looking after it and keeping it in good condition is important to me, seeing as its the most expensive thing i own

I work with paint everyday of the week so know how to look after it and know wot i'm looking at. My car is my pride and joy and so is always mint and cleaned with a sponge and dried with a chamois, A lot of people will back me up off here about that i need say no more.

This topic is a little help mate, if you don't want the advice then thats fine don't take the thread personally. Its to offer members who wash the car in the wrong method using the wrong products, advice, should they want to take it.

Its all good and well working with paint everyday, its looking after it and preserving it thats the important part.

Taken from www.affinitymds.com

Swirl marks are the first sign in paint failure. These tiny scratches are weak points and gathering spots for other contaminants. Rust, oxidation, and corrosion begin in these little valleys.

When a vehicle is washed incorrectly, these swirl marks will occur every time. Some incorrect methods include using; a strong detergent for soap, unclean or non-maintained sponges, (even dish sponges), towel drying and no bucket strainer. No strainer at the bottom of a bucket will cause small particles that are removed from the vehicle to end up back in the sponge.


There doesn't seem to be enough members on EU-mania that know enough about cleaning and detailing to try and educate the people that don't, so I'll leave it at that, after all its a public forum for help and advice and we're all entitled to our opinion. The fact remains that sponges are bad for your paint along with lots of other aspects.

Well if swirl marks are the first sign of paint failure every new car bought in this county is fucked from the outset as valeters at car dealerships use sponges. I here wot your saying, but i think some peolple take the whole car detaing shit far too seriously 50% of the shit they do isn't needed.

50% of what us modifiers do isnt needed but we do it...we do it because its out hobby/passion like a lot of detailers.

I think i can just about agree with you on what you said though mate

A lot of it isn't needed, some people will go further than others with the whole detailing thing though. I'll still stick to respecting the people who spend ages with pro paint correction etc even if its not a route i choose myself. (probably down to the fact i have a few friends in the detailing business and my old mans a valeter/detailer himself)

I don't spend loads on cleaning stuff but i spend enough every year to get me through show season. My typical sunday clean would consist of...

-Megs Gold Class shampoo £15
-AG SRP £10
-Megs Liquid Gold or Nattys paste wax £15
-and a few bits and bobs for tyre dressing, exhaust, interior etc £5-£10

...that basic stuff will pretty much last me a year. Chuck in a few microfibres, 2 buckets, a few soft microfibre towels and a mitt and jobs a good 'un.

Its not that expensive if you stick to things which in my opinion you need, when owning a car that attends almost every show of the calendar.
My whole show season kit probably comes to just short of £100, that might seem a lot but it will last me every show of the year then.

I can see both sides of the arguements here as myself being one of these silly people that spend a day or more cleaning a car (paint correction etc)

Its my hobby though, i do it for the enjoyment of seeing the end product.

My friends however are quite the opposite and they have different hobbys like football, Rugby, golf etc
They question why i take so long and my methods, Think im mad But respect its my hobby.

Im not stupid serious like some people trying to achive 100% perfect, I like trying new products & yes ive spent some money on them, But the way i look at it is its the same as spending so much on golf clubs, club membership etc

The wrong cleaning method will cause damage to your paintwork, thats a simple fact!!

Whether or not you notice or even care is the difference.

A car washed with a gritty sponge may look clean but it will be swirled and under certain lights you'll be able to see it.

You could take two clean and shiny cars, one detailed and one cleaned with an old bucket and sponge. The paintwork will look better on the detailed car, swirl marks and marring will stop the paintwork looking as good as it could.

If used correctly a sponge, chamois and even drying blade can be used to decent effect. I personally wouldn't trust them.

It doesn't take a lot of effort or money to buy a decent wash mitt and drying towel. Those are the two main keys to a relatively decent wash.

Detailing isn't for everyone and the word is in the title. Its the attention to detail, not everyone notices the difference, a lot don't even care about the difference.

A lot would probably laugh at the OCD I have with my cars but on the other hand ignorance is bliss!

Total £5 Carwash FTW!!!!!!!!!

Cs Graham wrote:Total £5 Carwash FTL!!!!!!!!!

Cs_macca wrote:Well if swirl marks are the first sign of paint failure every new car bought in this county is fucked from the outset as valeters at car dealerships use sponges. I here wot your saying, but i think some peolple take the whole car detaing shit far too seriously 50% of the shit they do isn't needed.

I agree with macca people take it to seriously, no matter how clean you get it it will always get dirty, while driving, in a garage, why not just do a simple clean once in a while, does it for me