Tank Slap - Motorcycle Forum

I'm out of shampoo now so I've been looking for the perfect maintenance shampoo to use on the car and bike.

I'm going to order some Chemical Guys Glossworkz. It leaves has a kind of synthetic wax infused which attaches to the top coat leaving a small layer of protection and gloss. Definitely useful on the bike which takes longer to clean than the car!

I also need to buy some buckets and proper mitts (my sponges are hammered).

I aim to get the bodywork back on the bike this week and give it a thorough clean. Bike port to follow!

I bulk buy Kent sponges. They're cheaper that way and I don't feel so guilty about throwing them away.

Never use a sponge

These are what cause all the micro swirl marks in your paintwork. Not surprising as foam are what is used for cutting compound pads.

Get a lambs wool mitt or similar. Not expensive and much safer to use. You can get them all in different colours. I have different ones for bikes, cars and wheels.

That sponges thing is an urban myth.

Loads of detailers use sponges.

Kwacky wrote:That sponges thing is an urban myth.

Loads of detailers use sponges.

You can use natural sponge and not get swirl marks but that's very expensive. I've seen detailers use synthetic sponges for paint prep but not for cleaning. At the end of the day synthetic sponge is the medium used for cutting the paint so seems odd to use for cleaning where no cutting would be desired.

All I know is the wifes car is 8 years old. Weve had it from new and only me washes it with a mitt and not one single swirl mark on it. Every other car I've bought has had swirl marks on until I've corrected the paint work.

Remind me not to bet stuck in a lift with you detailing freaks:)

Perkles wrote:Remind me not to bet stuck in a lift with you detailing freaks:)

Could be worse you could be stuck in a lift with Duke, who would turn your helmet inside and out and clean it for you

Well, at least it'll be a clean lift.

D41 wrote:Well, at least it'll be a clean lift.

A good thing in these strange times we live in

Haha.. yeah we might bore you. Ah well, at least we'll be protected

That was the weakest statement I have ever made. I hang my head in shame.

The interior had a thorough clean but I don't have leather cleaner yet so that's still to be done.

I ended up giving the car a quick maintenance wash afterwards. Wheel clean, contactless wash (foam and rinse), quick detail spray and black plastic spray.

Here is a wheel cleaning recommendation

Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel- delivered last week and by far the best wheel cleaner I have used. It is literally spray on, leave till it turns red and rinse off.

Gave it a try on the Fiat's wheels this afternoon and it removed all the grime without even needing to agitate the dirt. Nice and easy cleaning, just how I like it.

Yeah good stuff Duke, been using it a couple of years and would also recommend

I like the Autoglym Customwheel cleaner I have BUT I won't be buying it again. I will give that Bilt Hamber stuff a go I think.

One thing in favour of the Autoglym, it leaves a nice coating which means I can get away with just the pressure washer alone to clean the wheels next time

I found a rubber mark on the rear bumper this morning which I was able to rub off with just my thumb. I'm pretty sure that's a testament to the sealant and quick detail spray I use on the car.

There's no sign of it having been there which is great and there's no noticeable difference in slickness between the affected area and those around it.

Not just for those reason but also for the hydrophobic properties, ease of use and (in the case of the quick detailing spray) the deep gloss it gives to the paint I would highly recommend Autoglym Polar Seal and Meguiars Gold Class Quick Detailing Spray. The polar seal is the easily one to apply as it's just spray and rinse but the quick detail isn't difficult.. I did 4 passes of criss-cross per section then buffed off with a 2nd microfiber.

Good stuff Cav. Will have a look at those products

I ran out of shampoo so did some research for a great maintenance one (thinking I can do the bike with the same stuff)

Here's what I got - Chemical Guys Glossworkz. It isn't the cheapest at 16oz for £13 but it's only 1oz per wash which makes it comparable to Autoglym products.

Saturated with Gloss enhancers and a wax formula it's a gentle shampoo which leaves a small protective glossy layer.
It can be used in the bucket or foam cannon so it's versatile for car or bike.

I'm most excited about trying this on the bike once I put it fully back together.

It sounds like it will be head & shoulders above the rest, TBH.



That's a shampoo joke, BTW.