I can't answer that one because I will have a new one by then .Heres a fact for you, in two years my van will look exactly the same as yours actually it will most likely be in better condition
In 3 years it will 100% be better than yours.
Detailing Routine
When you've spent the best part of 50K on a van , that's why I look after it .
I wasn't taking the piss. I admire the dedication, but wouldn't have 2 hours of daylight every weekend if I wanted to. Full respray every few years is probably a comparable cost when you factor in time, but so hard to prioritise when there are so many nice things you can add to your van.
Haha thats the same here hence the comment.
Funnily enough @GoatBoater ifind it relaxing to clean the van , works very stressful and in a weird way this de stresses me .
Yeah, I can imagine it's quite therapeutic once you have a routine. I'm a big believer in activities that don't require much thought, but keep your brain to engaged to wander.
I'll pop mine over so you can have double therapy!
I'll pop mine over so you can have double therapy!
Once mine has sufficient protection it's normally just a snow foam wash and using a micro fibre mit (two buckets with grit guards) for the hand wash part.
One bucket to rinse the mit, one to get clean water from.
Then a quick dry and a little going over with auto brite quick detailer and some rain x or auto glym glass polish.
You get it up to that point it gets the same treatment, as little contact as possible with snow foam and micro fibre where needed.
Then I use a decent wax, normally hand applied with warm hands. A good few layers of that applied over a long day.
You find then muck doesn't stick so foam and jetwashes will get the dirt off easily.
The less you touch the paint when washing the longer it looks good. The better a wax you get on the longer you can get away with the "contactless" wash.
Using lots of clean cloths and avoiding grit getting stuck between the cloth/mit and paint when cleaning is essential, this is why a new motor can look tired in a year with a yellow sponge wash.
One bucket to rinse the mit, one to get clean water from.
Then a quick dry and a little going over with auto brite quick detailer and some rain x or auto glym glass polish.
You get it up to that point it gets the same treatment, as little contact as possible with snow foam and micro fibre where needed.
Then I use a decent wax, normally hand applied with warm hands. A good few layers of that applied over a long day.
You find then muck doesn't stick so foam and jetwashes will get the dirt off easily.
The less you touch the paint when washing the longer it looks good. The better a wax you get on the longer you can get away with the "contactless" wash.
Using lots of clean cloths and avoiding grit getting stuck between the cloth/mit and paint when cleaning is essential, this is why a new motor can look tired in a year with a yellow sponge wash.
Impressive...wanna job? ;-)
@Chriswhit and @Chrisfraser05 spot on chaps! It's all about doing as much as you can prior to making contact with the paintwork. Pre-rinse, snow foam, two/three bucket method. Always dry with microfibre drying towels, not leathers!
Though we are getting next to no enquiries regarding wax these days, Ceramic Coat is a massive step forward in paint protection. Natural waxes do offer a slightly better depth of shine, but that's the only benefit over a quartz coating. Wax realistically has on average a 3-6 month shelf life once applied and doesn't protect against future swirls or potential marring. Ceramic being a much harder layer than wax and is far more durable.
If don't want to invest in a ceramic coat or want quick results then try either CarPro Hydro2 or Gyeon WetCoat. Both these products you apply to wet paintwork and rinse off straightaway, this activates a nano coating. Just make sure not to apply in direct sunlight and make sure to dry off immediately. Gives up to around 3 months protection and is the quickest way to protect your paint.
Though we are getting next to no enquiries regarding wax these days, Ceramic Coat is a massive step forward in paint protection. Natural waxes do offer a slightly better depth of shine, but that's the only benefit over a quartz coating. Wax realistically has on average a 3-6 month shelf life once applied and doesn't protect against future swirls or potential marring. Ceramic being a much harder layer than wax and is far more durable.
If don't want to invest in a ceramic coat or want quick results then try either CarPro Hydro2 or Gyeon WetCoat. Both these products you apply to wet paintwork and rinse off straightaway, this activates a nano coating. Just make sure not to apply in direct sunlight and make sure to dry off immediately. Gives up to around 3 months protection and is the quickest way to protect your paint.
Good advice. There’s plenty out there for the OCD detailer but not enough for those who want to look after their cars but aren’t willing to spend £100s or days doing it.
My routine is about protection and making washing easier and more effective not getting some ultra deep shine that’ll be gone within a mile of driving. Of course I like them all to look decent and looked after but the thought of spending/wasting an entire day cleaning the cars is just not happening.
Mind you a snow foam, pressure wash, two bucket wash and dry of all three takes about two hours! I try and avoid doing them all at once as I end up getting sick of it.
A nice clean of one or two of them is quite therapeutic.
I've tried several and TBH, they have all been pretty similar.
I've currently got the ValetPro; works well.
My pressure washer is a little bit troublesome though and someone might know what is up; it's a Nilfisk E140 (good quality semi commercial type), Autobrite HD snow foam lance - it's been uber reliable and generally great but it "pumps" the snow foam out in little bursts rather than a continuous stream - it's okay with just water.
I've cleaned the lance to death including the filter but no joy - water pressure to the E140 is fine; any ideas?!
Sounds like it’s taking in air somewhere, does it have a detergent pickup on the machine somewhere? If so try putting that in water when you have the snow foam lance on.
Other than that I would say it’s a fault with the lance, I do try and not drop mine and store it in a warm bucket of water when I am using it so it keeps the end clear and off the floor, but they get some hammering....
Other than that I would say it’s a fault with the lance, I do try and not drop mine and store it in a warm bucket of water when I am using it so it keeps the end clear and off the floor, but they get some hammering....
No detergent pickup that I'm aware of, only what is attached to the lance. I've run gallons of water through it, tried different concentrations, all sorts. Not only does it pump, it's also using an entire container of snow foam liquid per wash - when it was working properly, it used about a third per wash. I contacted Autobrite and they were convinced it was the pressure washer but I'd rather spend £40 on a new lance than £250++ on a new pressure washer. Both are about four years old and used a lot so it's quite possible something has worn out.
its the same stuff, quick detailer & clay bar lub
