Car Detailing Junies 2011 round up!

Well where do I start...here seems as good a place as any. 2011 has been an exciting year for me, it's been the year where I have taken my car detailing hobby seriously, well seriously enough to create a Blog and to review some products. It's also been a year where I have immersed myself in the automotive scene, trying to learn as much about JDM cars and detailing as possible and meeting some great people along the way (you know who you are). What's becoming apparent is that through various forums and social media channels the car scene is very much alive. Seeing established magazines such as Max Power fall by the way side might seem like the modifiers are loosing, but that’s far from the truth. As with many areas, car modding and the automotive scene has simply developed and through online we're learning more than ever. It also means that new trends are emerging much quicker and motor sport categories such as Drifting are becoming globally popular, finally having a platform other than mainstream television.

Online has also made a wealth of car detailing tips and reviews available. My Blog wouldn’t be possible without the endless resources that YouTube and forums offer, not to mention the help I’ve had from experienced professionals.

I hope to continue posting reviews next year and adding videos and other products and videos that seem relevant, after all cleaning your car requires motivation, and few are as inspiring as seeing JDM metal at its very best.

So with that round up out of the way, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy 2012.

Here's a video that I think sums up this year nicely.

Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner Update

Well I’ve been meaning to update this post for sometime, so apologies for the delay. I tried the Very Cherry Acid Free wheel cleaner in my last review without reading the instructions (I only had a sample bottle in my defence ;-) ) and after speaking with Mark over at Ninja Shine I realised that my review wasn’t really very valid. In the meantime, Ninja Shine have written there own review, which is very good and can be found here ->click<-.

The reason for the update is that I used the Very Cherry Acid Free wheel cleaner in conjunction with a Kent wash mitt and soapy water, using the wheel cleaner to lift the initial dirt as opposed to using it as the sole product. I was also unaware that you don’t need to agitate the product and you can simply spray it on, leave it for a minute then spray it off to reveal nice clean wheels.

Firstly I washed the whole car, as I always leave the wheels till last, I’ve heard others start with the wheels so as I learn more perhaps I’ll change my method. I washed the wheels over with a normal non power hose then liberally sprayed the Very Cherry Wheel Cleaner over the wheels, left it for a minute or two then sprayed water over them again. 90% of the dirt lifted straight away and I was surprised at the effectiveness of the product, however I did reapply a couple of times to lift the rest of the grime.

One of the main selling points of this wheel cleaner for me is that you can use it safe knowledge that it won’t corrode the nice finish from your wheels, unlike some strong acid based cleaners used over a period of time.

In conclusion I will certainly use this product again, but in using it I’ve become hungry to try some other products to compare It against as wheels are an area I’ve never focused on in great detail. The next product I’ll be purchasing is P21s Power Gel Acid-Free Car Alloy Wheel Cleaner. It looks like a difficult product to get hold of but if this video below is anything to go by then it’s worth sourcing.

SIX | DAYS by Stephen Brooks

SIX | DAYS from Stephen Brooks on Vimeo.
Superb Coverage of the 2011 season of the Maxxis British Drift Championship. The Video was created by Stephen Brooks who is making a great name for himself. Car Detailing Junkies recommend watching this vid :)

Achilles ATR Sport Profile Video

I was searching across YouTube still trying to find a good video of the Achilles ATR Sport in use (Yes I know I should make one, all in good time :D ) and found this. Although it doesn't show the tyre being used, it does give you a good look at the tread and an idea of the wheels dimensions etc... More to follow.

Car Detailing Nightmares!

As it is Halloween it seems only right to do a detailing nightmares type of post. Now I will say that in the grand scheme of things these are all fixable issues (well scratches are, but costly to fix), but if I called this post “car washing bad habits” it might not have the same Halloween impact…on with the post…

1. Wearing Jewellery

In at one, it’s wearing jewellery. Now you don’t have to be adorned with gold and silver trinkets like an 80’s darts player to damage you cars paint work. A simple watch with a leather strap and metal buckle will leave a nice deep scratch if it catches the paint. I’ve seen a fair few cars with said scratches and they normally appear on the roof. Unless you’ve got a car such as a coupe, or your very tall, your arm will be out at a right angle to your body and moving in an arc while washing the roof. This leads to a good old scratch if you’re not careful. This kind of scratch can often be as a result of using hand car washes. While there are some excellent hand car wash services available many are run by people who, at large wash cars as quickly as possible. Nothing wrong with that if your not bothered about your cars overall paintwork, but if that where the case you would probably wouldn’t of read up to here..moving on..

2. Dropping The Wash Mitt / Sponge On The Floor

Many of us have heard the cringe worthy story of the neighbour’s kid washing a car with a bucket of stones or an old flannel covered in grit. Well while that might be the worst case scenario dropping your wash mitt or sponge on the floor can have a similar result. Just imagine sprinkling grit over a wet car then rubbing a pad against it, your paint will not thank you, oh no. I could also add a comment about sponges being a detailing no no, but a good clean and new sponge used with a decent car shampoo is better than not washing your car at all. However I’d advise you purchase a wash mitt as there only around 2 pounds more.

Using Washing Up Liquid

My final detailing bad habit or nightmare (I’ve started, so I’ll finish) is good old washing up liquid. I’m not sure why people ever started to use washing up liquids on there cars, perhaps it’s because washing up liquid works so well on dishes, but if that was true why not try using head and shoulders to wash the car or use car shampoo to clean the oven? No no, let’s use the proper cleaning agents for each job. Washing up liquid to be fair will wash the dirt of your car, it will even make it look shiny, unfortunately the abrasive salts will also strip of any protective wax and in time work its way through paints clear coat. Some people choose to use fairy liquid over other bespoke car products to strip of old wax and at the same time save money, I just can’t bring my self to clean a car with a bucket of fairy liquid. If you want to remove wax buy the right stuff for the job.

If you have been doing any of the above the good news is that it’s never to late to change. Purchasing a good wash mitt and a wash and wax shampoo will be a great start and your cars paint work will reward you with a better shine, and if you like the look of that why not read some of the wax reviews on here as well.

Any way I wish you all a Happy Halloween – From Car Detailing Junkies.

Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner Review

Update: Since writing this ninja shine have let me know that the very cherry wheel cleaner will work without agitation from a wash mitt or use of additional shampoo’s (in my defence there was no label :P ). I will leave this review up, but will be doing a much more thorough review soon, just using the wheel cleaner and clean water. Sorry for any confusion – The Power Recommends.

I received a sample of Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner a couple of weeks back from a friend over at Ninjashine and finally got round to trying it this weekend, apologies for the delay. On to the review….

First Impressions

As I reached inside the parcel containing both Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo and Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner I was really surprised at how vibrant both bottles were that I pulled out. However in comparison with the CitrusPearl Autowash Shampoo, the Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner is definitely a duller colour. Not a bad thing by any stretch though. I removed the lids and had a quick smell and the scent was more chemical than cherry although the cherry could be referring to the colour. I don’t like acid based wheel cleaning agents and Ninjashine assures me that this product is acid free. Although I’ve not experienced any bad effects from using an acid based cleaner, the thought of spraying acid onto my beloved alloys doesn’t seem right.

Onto cleaning the wheels

As it was a warm day, I cleaned the entire car first and sprayed the wheels over with water. I then took an old clean spray bottle (it had previously had demon shine in there, but I rinsed it several times to avoid contamination) and poured a small amount of the Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner into the bottle. Now I’m told that the mix should be around 10:1 which is great and means the product should last you a good few washes. Topping the bottle up with water turned the cherry like colour to a pale pinkish red, much more subtle that the neon pink CarPlan demon shine that I had kept in there previously. I took the Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner out to the car and liberally sprayed it over all four wheels, allowing it to rest for about 2 to 3 minutes. I then took a fresh bucket of water containing the citrus pearl shampoo and worked my way over each wheel using a Kent microfiber wash mitt. Now you can use wheel brushes and I’ve had good success with the Kent wheel brush, but as my alloy wheels are five spokes I can get good access to all by the back of the wheel. Some other car detailers will remove the whole alloy for cleaning which will certainly yield better results but I didn’t have time to do this today.

After washing round all four wheels, I took a hose and washed off any remaining solution. The wheels certainly came up very well and shone like new. Now at this point I will say that the AEZ Raver wheels I currently have on the car feature a Nano Tech coating and they are themselves very new. I will be trying this product again on a friend’s VW Passat as the alloys are both spokey and without added nano protection (or at least I believe they don’t have nano protection).

Even so, looking at the pictures you can tell just how well the Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner cleans and I will most certainly be using the product again next time I wash my car.

Car Detailing Junkies recommend Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner.

Achilles ATR Sport Video

Now my Japanese isn't great so I have no idea whether or not this particular track driver likes the Achilles ATR Sport tyres or not. However as I’ve said before I’m enjoying them for lively road driving and if he can hang his car round a corner with them as he shows they still look good to me. I will however apologise for the music!

Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo Review

I mentioned a post or so back that the chaps over at Ninja Shine had kindly sent me over a couple of products to try out, one of which being the widely respected Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo. Last Saturday the weather looked decent enough to give it a whirl and a friend’s car was in need of an intermediate clean.

First Impressions
Now when I reached inside the parcel and pulled out the bottles of shampoo and wheel cleaner I was instantly surprised at just how much the bottle of Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo seemed to glow in the light. It’s a really vibrant orange (not yellow as my phone camera shows) and in certain lighting it does have a sort of pinkish purple pearlessence, hence the pearl reference in the title perhaps. I was also informed that it could be concentrated to 400-1 which is incredible and a promising testament to its quality. Now I understand you can apply this via a pressure wash bottle adapter or hand wash and as I’m still undecided how I feel about pressure washers, went with a hand wash. This also made sense as the previous shampoos I’ve reviewed were also hand wash tested. I will also say that of all the shampoos I’ve tried such as the Turtle Wax Zip Wax, Carplan triple wax and Astonish car care crystal clear wash and wax, this carries the largest price tag and also doesn’t claim to wax as it washes, a pointer to this being a true detailing product designed to be part of a complete wash, complemented with true waxes or polishes after.

Onto the test
Firstly I took a clean bucket (always swill your bucket out with clean water first to make sure no grit or grime is left in from a previous wash) and poured a healthy amount of the Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo into the bucket, I used more than perhaps needed but was keen to really let it go to work. It pours out quite thickly, again reassuring you that it is a quality shampoo. I added warm water to the shampoo and the bucket was soon full of large bubbles and suds, which look very promising.

The shampoo also smelled orangey which is much nicer than the smell of a strong chemicals or detergent. I then filled another bucket up with clean water as part of the two bucket technique (that I’m always banging on about!). Going out to the car I topped the bucket up with some more water from a hose, further adding to the amount of bubbles, then thoroughly rinsed off the car. Now my friend’s car had been recently waxed so I knew that the majority of dirt was dust, meaning that a shampoo and additional quick detailer would be sufficient this afternoon. After rinsing the car, I grabbed a Kent Microfibre noodle wash mitt and set about liberally applying the Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo all over the car, starting with the roof. The amount of suds that hung to the car really impressed me and it soon became apparent that it was much better than the budget end options out there. I worked around the car, finally finishing at the wheels, they were plastic hub caps as opposed to alloys (further review to come on this), but the shampoo didn’t seem to struggle taking off the layer of brake dust that had built up. Even after I had finished washing the car, many of the suds could still be seen clinging to the paint work, in a white like foam.

I took the hose then blasted off the remaining shampoo, then stood back from the car. The Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo really gave the paint a bright glassy look, albeit there was still some wax on there. A close up image of the beading really shows how glassy the car looks.

I am truly impressed with this shampoo, and it has showed many shortcomings, that I previously hadn’t noticed with other shampoo and wax combos. I thoroughly recommend the Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo.

ASDA Interior Valet

A couple of weeks back I was on my way out when I noticed a small light coloured  mark standing out against my black cloth sports seats, it didn’t look serious, but it certainly required cleaning. I popped back home and grabbed my can of CarPlan Interior Valet, to find that it was empty (oops). So a quick trip to ASDA was in order (ASDA is my first choice of shops - not including online - as I just find them to be so competitively priced). A quick look over the shelves highlighted that they were out of the CarPlan stuff (not good). The only other product available was the ASDA Interior Valet at £2.00. Now I know I preach about budget options and that you don’t have to spend the earth, but something I’ve always avoided is own brand stuff. Now I was in a pickle, everywhere else was closed and I was keen to clean the interior. I decided to take a shot at the ASDA Interior valet, with view to using it sparingly in case it stained my seats (extreme, but hey). I read over the instructions and they were almost identical to those of CarPlans. If I were to speculate I’d say the stuff inside the can was the same and that ASDA buys it and re-brands it in order to save money, but this is of course just speculation. Once home, I hoovered the seats, then taking the can liberally applied the foam cleaner, working in a sweeping spray pattern. I left the product for 60 seconds or so , then grabbed a clean Kent microfiber cloth and wiped off the dissolving foam. It brought the seats up to a fresh standard, comparable to the CarPlan product I’d used previously.

ASDA has impressed me this year, by offering a good range of car detailing products at market leading prices    (bought some Holts tyre weld for £2.00, it was £7 in Halfords!). Their own range seems to be well thought through and very cheap. If I had to choose between own brand and a trusted manufacturer, I’d take the latter, but at a pinch this stuff is great and if ASDA continue to build on their range it could be well worth considering.

Carplan Tyre Shine Foam - Review - Part 2

Further to my previous review of Carplan Tyre Shine Foam, I thought a follow up review was in order, backed up by some actual pictures. I washed my car a couple of days back and with the rest of the car looking so shiny the dull Achilles ATR Sport tyres, that almost have brown marks on them (road grime) needed a freshen up. Now living in the UK staying on top of car detailing is hard enough without worrying about your tyres but Carplan Tyre Shine Foam is so easy to use it’s hard to find a good reason not to apply it. In addition to making your tyres look like new it also helps maintain them, preventing things such as premature cracking (and who wants that).

Ok - step 1:
Making sure to wash your wheels and tyres first, take the can and spray the tyre wall. Hold the can about 5 inches from the tyre and apply the foam almost as if you're painting the tyre with a spray paint can. Soon your tyre will have a white rim and look like a tyre from an old Ford Model T (unusual look as it may be…).

Step 2:
Leave the foam to dissolve on the tyre, the white foam soon turns into a liquid and starts to run off the tyre. The can says that it can stain drive ways so might be a good idea to do it on the road (Hey we pay our road taxes right?)

Step 3:
After leaving the foam to do its thing for around 10 minutes, take an old cloth (I find an old Kent microfibre towel does the trick) and wipe off any excess, revealing your new back to black tyres.


I normally run a damp cloth over my alloy wheels just to make sure there’s no chemical residue, albeit the can says nothing about this.
Carplan Tyre Shine Foam really is a great product and at the price makes it hard to want to use anything else.

Citrus Pearl AutoWash Shampoo and Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner

I've just recieved a couple of products from my friends over at Ninja Shine! The very well respected Citrus Pearl AutoWash Shampoo and some Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner. Reviews for both coming soon....

Autoglym Super Resign Polish Review

I've been enthusiastic about car detailing for the last 3 years or so, learning more with every wash of my car and always keeping a close watch on other car detailing product review sites and forums, as well as speaking to friends about products that really stand out. As I’ve mentioned before I normally try and purchase more budget end products. This isn't because I think they're as good (although similar results can arguably be achieved) it's more the fact that I don't want to spend hundreds on items where I think alternatives can be found. Perhaps it's my want to find a value option, or to believe that you don't have to be a huge name to make a great product. It's perhaps for these reasons that the Autoglym range has been largely missed by me in the past. I've seen their glossy adverts, noted their superb recommendations from the likes of McLaren, but believed their premium price tags might be a little out of reach.

A friend of mine was given a bottle of Autoglym Super Resin Polish as a gift and like many people, he wasn't prepared to put it to use, favouring one of the many hand car wash companies' quick and convenient solutions instead (I'll talk about them in another review perhaps). Long story short I was handed the bottle as he knew I’d put it to good use (he is a good mate :-) ).

Now a quick read of the label put me in mind of a shampoo made for humans, very glossy terminology and it really does make you believe it's a product that will look after your car's paintwork. So far, so good. I washed my car using the two bucket technique (full washing stages review to follow) and dried the car off using a Kent water blade and a chamois leather. I then took a cotton pad and as the bottle suggests rubbed the product onto the car in a circular motion, finishing with straight lines. I did the whole car, allowing the Autoglym super resign to haze, which takes a couple of minutes. The product applied very smoothly and looked nice and waxy, as opposed to thick and gloopy.

Taking a Kent microfiber towel I then began buffing and polishing the car, removing the haze. Instantly the polish brought the surface up to a deep rich shine, rivaling anything I’ve previously used. I completed the whole car in around 20 minutes and when I stood back, I was thoroughly impressed with the results. As with many cream polishes it's important to either tape off the plastic un-painted plastic areas, or use a product like Turtlewax Ice to remove any over spilt wax.

I would highly recommend this product to anyone wanting an easy to use polish/wax that I truly believe will help to protect your paint work, as well as making it look superb. It has certainly prompted me to take the Autoglym range more seriously and try other products they make. Car Detailing Junkies certainly recommend.

Update: Not long after washing the car the heavens opened and covered the car in water, the Autoglym Super Resign Polish beads water extremely well and looks to provide a good barrier to the elements.

AEZ Alloy Wheel Video

Well if you follow my Blog I’m sure you'll remember my review of the AEZ Raver Alloy Wheels a month or so back. I'm still really impressed with the wheels and continue to recommend them as an alternative to some other well known brands. Here's a promo video from AEZ showing off their complete range. Some great looking wheels here and if they're all as well made as the AEZ Raver then they should be great quality as well.

Meguiars Quick Detailer Review

I have previously mentioned Meguiars Quick Detailer when I was reviewing it along side the Meguiars quick clay starter kit a few posts back, but then I was reviewing it as a lube for the clay bar as opposed to a quality quick detailer in its own right. Firstly I guess we should learn why you would use an occasional detailer as opposed to giving your car a full wash and wax, or just wiping over with a wet microfibre cloth etc. Well the other day I came out to find my car had been blessed by a passing bird by virtue of a dropping. Let’s just say I was less than pleased, but it did give me chance to try out the Meguiars Quick Detailer. The reason for using a detailer, is that if you’ve recently waxed it saves you doing a full wash that can strip the wax off meaning more time waxing again.

Now when this type of thing has happened to me previously and I have just taken a damp warm Kent Microfiber Towel to the area and left it at that. However in this instance I noticed a few finger smudges on the roof as well and decided to wash the roof using turtle wax zip wax, rinse it over and then dry it over with a kent water blade. I could see there was still a good layer of wax, by the way the water was beading, so grabbed the detailer and gave the roof a liberal spray. I then wiped it over with a soft Kent microfibre towel. The roof was once again brought up to a deep lustre and shine.

I can't recommend Meguiars Quick Detailer enough and for in-between waxes it's ideal. I should also mention it smells great, kind of like sweets!

CarPlan Flash Dash Shine Pad Review

I've never been a big fan of products that make your dash shiny, but then my car's dash wasn't really designed to look that way. However a friend of mine who doesn't clean their car interior was taken with the idea of a product that simply wiped over the dash making it look clean. The other big selling point is its £0.79 price tag.

On inspection the shine pad is well made. It sits in the lid and opens up to reveal a pad not unlike those ones you see to clean shoes. Taking the CarPlan flash dash shine pad, I liberally wiped it over the dash. It's doesn't appear to make the dash wet like some sprays but it leaves a waxy like shine behind it.

Now my friend’s dash is inside a Punto and is a grey coloured dash and it certainly brought it up a treat. My complaints are minor but worth mentioning. As stated before I’m not a fan of a shiny finish and personally I would go for a matt gloss product. My friend has also said that the dash now reflects in the windscreen on a sunny day which can create glare.

I would recommend this product but only if you’re not prepared to use a more through product like the gloss dash shine products from car plan.

Astonish Car Care crystal clear wash and wax car shampoo

Astonish Car Care might not be the most well known brand, in fact I hadn't heard of them until I saw a bottle of their wash and wax crystal clear shampoo in a discount warehouse. A decent sized bottle of this stuff was priced at 99p! At that price I couldn't resist. The bottle promises a crystal clear finish and a coat of wax at the same time, not the first time a product has made this claim.

The liquid inside is yellowish and quite thick, smelling citrusy. Mixing half a cap full with a bucket of warm water soon turns it into a bucket of suds, so far so good. After washing the car over with water, I applied the suds to my car with a Kent Microfibre noodle mitt. The astonish wash and wax removed the dirt easily bringing the paint up to a good shine. Now as with other wash and waxes like the Turtle Wax Zip wax I would use this product purely as a shampoo. Although it does give a waxy shine, I don't believe it'll protect like a wax.

I would highly recommend this product as a budget shampoo and one that cleans very well. I'm soon going to be reviewing a shampoo from my friends over at Ninja Shine and it'll be interesting to see how it compares to a budget end car shampoo.

Trico Neoform Beam Blade Windsreen Wiper Review

In a slight departure from my normal car detailing product reviews I thought I'd review the Neoform Beam Blade wiper blade from Trico, as I've recently purchased them and they're fantastic!.

Ok before I get ahead of myself I’ll tell you why I think they're great in a little more detail. Firstly this is the first type of beam or arc wiper blade I’ve used. If you’re not sure what I mean by that, take a look at the picture to the right. Traditional wiper blades from companies like Bosch (Bosch do a new beam blade style now, so may be worth a look) have essentially a two piece design. They have a rubber blade which is held to a straight metal strip that is then fixed at four points to a plastic frame that connects to your car's wiper arm (sounds complicated, so I’ve added another pic). The Trico Neoform Beam Blade on the other hand is a one piece unit which naturally arcs. When this arc is fixed to your wiper arm on the car and placed against the screen it forms a very close seal which when in operation shifts a great deal more water. I’ve previously seen cheap blades that always left a streak on a screen or even seen some windscreens that have scratched from old blades. This will not happen with the Neoform. They are also very aerodynamic, I believe to be more so than the cheaper style with a spoiler.

The fitment is straightforward (well my Toyota has a hook fitment) and took about 5 mins for all three. The next time it rained I couldn't believe the difference. If you take the time to wash your windscreen and then apply something like CarPlan Screen Clean to your glass, I think you’d be impressed.

Available at most motor stores they cost around £10.00 per blade and are well worth it. Interestingly I saw a cheaper copy in a discount warehouse the other day for £3.00 each, and purchased them to compare. I'll be fitting them to another car at the weekend and will update the Blog with the results.

Achilles ATR Sport Tyre Review - Part Two

Well if you've been following my Blog you'll know that I purchased a set of Achilles ATR Sport Tyres a couple of months back and at the time I was really pleased at how they were performing and taking the price point in to account I thought they were excellent. This leads me nicely into the review - part deux.

I went on a long holiday where I took my car via the ferry to France and back, in total covering around 1000 miles in both the dry (France) and the wet (back home ;-) ) and I'm happy to say the tyres are excellent. They give me confident grip in all conditions (Not snow or ice yet) and didn't make the steering feel twitchy even at motorway speeds in high spray conditions. I will stress that I don't take my car above recommended speed limits on the roads, however I believe the tyres would remain capable. I said last time that I would buy the tyres again should I need to and the verdict remains the same, although as I run a review Blog I may feel compelled to try something different by way of comparison. The Achilles ATR Sport remains a firm favourite in their price range.

Kent Alloy Wheel Brush Review

As I’ve recently purchased a set of AEZ Raver alloy wheels I thought it only right to buy a decent alloy wheel brush. Like most of my purchases it was made whilst doing a regular weekly shop in the supermarket and the Kent Alloy Wheel Brush was on offer for around £1.00. At that price I thought it was well worth a gamble. On first inspection the brush looked to be very well made, a sturdy plastic handle and relatively soft bristles mounted on a strong but bendable twisted wire structure. Something that I always check is if the brush could scratch or damage my wheels, however the packaging was reassuring and the bristles looked to cover the metal wire sufficiently.

 

I used the brush on each wheel carefully moving it over each spoke and it did indeed shift the road grime and brake dust. I will say however that I have previously washed my five spokes using a Kent microfibre mitt and similar results where achieved,

In short I do really like the product but it would be far more effective on multi-spoke alloy wheels with hard to reach places, as opposed to my AEZ Ravers which have a big wide 5 spoke design. I also know that Kent are offering a no metal microfibre alloy wheel brush that may serve my needs better. All in all another strong product from Kent, at a competitive price.

Ken Block Gymkhana 4

Ok this isn’t so much a review but definitely car related and something I recommend. Ken Block is a name quickly becoming a household name and he is without a doubt someone who knows how to drive.

He’s had a mixed level of success with WRC but his ability to impress in his Gymkhana series is unrivalled. This is his 4^th outing now in the Ford Fiesta (I preferred the Subaru, but I’m Jap car bias). Enjoy.

Kent Microfibre Noodle Wash Mitt Review

I've been using the Kent Microfibre Noodle Wash Mitt for some time now and this is a product I find really hard to fault.

One of the first rules of car detailing is to stop using a traditional 50p sponge. Why, I hear you ask. Well a sponge is actually more coarse than you might think, rub one against your arm and you quickly feel it start to itch, now imagine if your arm was covered in dirt and dust (I hope it isn't ;-) ) and you can imagine how swirls and scratches can appear in your paint. The Kent Microfibre Noodle Wash Mitt has microfibre noodles which make sure dirt is drawn up into the sponge and away from your paint. Coupled with the fact it's a mitt so it's comfortable to use and it also retains a good amount of suds meaning less trips back to the buckets.

The Kent Microfibre Noodle Wash Mitt can be bought for well under a fiver and is a great wash mitt. Also available in many colours, I seem to like the bright green ones!

CarPlan Dash Valet Review

Ok another CarPlan review, I know I’ve reviewed a lot of products by this brand, but I’m constantly impressed by there quality and price point that makes it hard for me to choose anything else at the moment.

On with the review...

The interior of my car was starting to look a little dull, my car coming up to 10 years old and keeping the interior plastic nice and clean is important. I purchased a can of CarPlan Dash Valet matt finish from ASDA that cost me around £2.00 which is ridiculously cheap for a product of this quality. Importantly i choose matt as there are products available from companies, including CarPlan that leave the dash very shiny, this is a look some people want but I prefer a matt finish.

To use the product you just liberally spray it directly onto the plastics, I spray it on as if I’m spray painting the car if that makes sense? Then wipe it over with a dry microfiber cloth.

The interior plastic come up to a rich matt gloss and look in some ways better than new. I'll try different products to compare, but I really can't fault CarPlan Dash Valet

.

CarPlan Interior Valet Review

I recently got back from a long trip abroad where I'd taken my car and the inside was in need of a freshen up. I decided to clean all my car's upholstery, and although it wasn't too bad I decided to purchase a can of Interior Valet.

A quick look at the products in Halfords outlined that there is a lot of choice. I decided to go for a can of CarPlan Interior Valet. I made my decision based on three things. The first is that many products feature a plastic bristled top for scrubbing the upholstery. However I don't like the idea of scratching away at my seats with stiff plastic bristles and although CarPlan Interior Valet can be bought with such a lid there is an option to get a can without. Secondly the price was excellent, if I recall I paid around £4.00, which compared to some other products is very good. My final reason was that I trust CarPlan’s range and feel they are always good value.

A quick read of the instructions tells you to spray the foam onto the seats leave for around a minute then wipe off with a clean damp cloth. As well as cleaning it also adds a protective clear barrier to your seats that will help them to repel grime and grease etc. I decided to use a damp Kent microfiber cloth as I know they're great at picking up dust and don't mark or scratch surfaces, they also don't get too sticky like some J-cloths which can pull at the seat's fibres.

I sprayed the foam all over the seat and waited as instructed. The CarPlan Interior Valet has a pleasant orangey citrus scent which was a bonus. I wiped the foam off and it left my driver’s seat looking slightly damp but very clean.

I moved onto the rest of the car and was really pleased with the results. I would definitely try this product again and would recommend it to anyone looking for a reasonably priced fabric and upholstery cleaner.

Dodo Juice Tooled Up Detailing Bag Review

For ages now I’ve had my various waxes, microfibers and shampoos taking up an increasingly large amount of shelf space and while this was ok I found it annoying having to keep going into the house between washing stages. I don’t like to leave products on the floor etc as they can come into contact with grit and grime, in particular the cloths need to be kept off the floor at all times.

So then it was on an evening much like this one that I set about looking for a box or bag that I could keep all my car detailing products in, but I also wanted a solution that would let me take them all outside and off the floor.

The product I came across was the Dodo Juice Tooled Up Detailing Bag. It was at a very competitive price of £20.00 on Amazon and I’ve been impressed with Dodo Juice before so I went ahead and bought it.

2 days later it's at my door and my first impressions are fantastic. It came well wrapped in a plastic bag and packed flat. The bag is made from a very tough material and has an incredibly sturdy metal handle which sports a foam grip. The bag folds open and a stiff base velcros into place making it very solid feeling. On the under side of the Dodo Juice Tooled Up Detailing Bag are several rubber feet which is a nice touch. All around the sides inside and out are material pouches ideal for holding clay bars and microfibre towels.

The bag comfortably holds all my various car detailing products and I wouldn't hesitate to buy the Dodo Juice Tooled Up Detailing Bag again.

Meguiar's Quik Clay Starter Kit

I recently decided to try the Meguiar's Quik Clay Starter Kit. I haven’t ever used car clay before and was always slightly reserved in trying it out. After watching several very helpful Meguiar's YouTube "how to" guides though I was ready to take the plunge.

I purchased the Meguiar's Quik Clay Starter Kit from Amazon at a very reasonable £10.00 and it was delivered a day later. I waited for the weekend and then finally had the opportunity to try it out.

Now I carefully read the instructions first and went through the following steps.

Step 1: Washed the car fully using Turtle Wax Zip wax and a Kent Microfibre noodle mit wash mit, I also used the two bucket technique which was outlined in an earlier video post on my car detailing blog.

Step 2: Rinse the car off with clean water.

Step 3: I then used a Kent Flexi Blade to take off the majority of the water but the paint still wasn't bone dry.

Step 4: I then used the Meguiar's Quik Clay Starter Kit. Taking the clay out of its wrapping it feels like a piece of hard-ish putty. I then sprayed the provided Quick Detailer over a section of my bonnet and directly onto the clay bar its self. In side to side motions I rubbed the clay over the quick detailer lubricant and could feel it getting smoother until I was satisfied the area was clean. I repeated this process over the whole car and took around an hour.

Step 5: I used a Kent microfibre towel to buff off all the excess Meguiar's Quick Detailer and dried the paintwork to a dullish shine.

Step 6: I then used CarPlan Triplewax to bring the car up to a protective shine.

Step 7: As a final touch I gave the paint work a quick going over with Carplan Demon Shine.

Now I have to say that the Meguiar's Quik Clay Starter Kit was fantastic and never before have I seen my car look so clean and the paint work so deep. I think the next time I do it I will try a different wax product, perhaps one from the DoDo Juice range to compare.

Turtle Wax Ice Liquid Wax

Well if you’ve read my car detailing Blog before you’ll see that I’ve already reviewed a wax, CarPlans Triple Wax to be precise. However as I’m recommending products it’s only fair that I add different products that essentially cover the same needs.

On with the review….. I came across Turtle Wax Ice around a year and a half ago. I was looking for a wax that was easy to apply, could be used on all areas of my car (including plastics) and that wasn’t white and chalky. It’s easy to see why I selected Turtle Wax Ice Liquid Wax then as it says it’s safe and doesn’t mark or leave white marks. My choice was further impacted by 2 rather good American type adverts / demonstration videos I found on YouTube (please see below). I bought the product in Halfords and it came complete with an applicator sponge pad and microfibre cloth, all costing around £12.00 which seemed good value.

I washed the car as normal, dried it off with a chamois and then squirted about a thimble full of the wax onto the blue pad. The process of applying the wax was very easy and once I’d rubbed the pad over the whole car I folded up the provided microfibre and polished the whole car up to a very good shine. Now the main difference I found using this over other waxes was its ability to darken black plastic back to a new like shine. Even on a friend’s car which has solid black bumpers it brought them up to a new looking standard, something other waxes have failed to do in the past and in fact most waxes say avoid plastics at all cost.

My car is silver and it’s relatively easy to miss streaks, my friends black car however took more buffing and polishing than I’ve found with traditional white paste waxes however, albeit in the end it did come up to a brilliant shine.

I still use this wax in conjunction with CarPlan Triple Wax as I now use it for the black plastics only, simply because I still prefer the traditional white paste style. If you’re new to waxing a car though I would recommend starting with the Turtle Wax Ice Liquid Wax as it’s a brilliant introduction as to just how good your car will look if you’ve not waxed it before and if you're to believe the video professionals are standing by it as well.

CarPlan Screen Cleaner

Part of any thorough car cleaning is making sure the glass is left clean and clear. If you use Sat Navs you can find unsightly rings and fingerprints appearing on this inside of the window and you park under trees or near buildings sap and bird lime will need removing before it becomes ingrained.

The product I use the most for cleaning my car windows is CarPlan Screen Cleaner. CarPlan Screen Cleaner is an affordable product only costing around £3.00 and certainly lasts a fair few washes. It's slightly blue in colour but wipes off clear and can be used both on the inside and outside of the car which is a bonus.

To use CarPlan Screen Cleaner you simply need to spray it onto the glass surface, wipe it over the glass with a microfibre towel and they dry it off to a clear shine with an additional microfibre (I like the Kent microfibre towels). CarPlan Screen Cleaner brings the glass up to a fantastic clearness and on top if its cleaning properties helps the glass mist less, which is particularly helpful in the winter months.

Another important factor that I take into consideration is how it reacts to other parts of the car's body work, I have seen some screen wash products that say they can harm the rubber seals or any overspray onto bodywork should be washed off immediately. With CarPlan Screen Cleaner you can rest assured that your paint work will be safe and glass will remain both clean and clear.

The product is well worth buying and it removes any wax or other chemicals that have found their way to the glass very well. CarPlan Screen Cleaner is available from most stores.

Carplan Tyre Shine Foam Review

Well if you’ve been reading my reviews you’ll know I’ve recently added a set of AEZ Raver alloy wheels to my car and some new Achilles ATR Sport 17 inch tyres. Well it’s been raining a bit here recently and as a result my new tyres have started to look a bit tired.

I guess what I mean by tired is that they're no longer the brand new glossy black they were and instead have an almost brown tint to them. Well after a quick look at the products available I was eventually swayed towards Carplan Tyre Shine Foam. My decision was based on 2 main deciders, the first was the price at around £2.50 a can its great value and the second was that I’ve used and trust Carplan products.

The foam is straight forward enough to use. Shake the can; hold it about 4 inches away from the tyre and spray. You only coat the outside tyre wall profile and be careful not to spray it onto the tread, as I guess it could make the grip slippery. Leave the foam on the tyre for about 10 minutes, then wipe of with an old microfibre cloth, or rag.

The results are I’m pleased to say new looking tyres and they stay new looking for quite a while too. Another benefit of using the Carplan Tyre Shine Foam is that it helps keep the tyre wall in good condition, helping to prevent the tyre cracking.

There are other tyre shine products available that I will try and review at some point, but for now the Carplan Tyre Shine Foam works just fine for me.

Meguiar's How To Video

Ok today I was browsing YouTube and came across this video that really shows the difference between paintwork that's been treated to a clay bar and wax vs paint that hasn't. Now I haven’t used that many of Meguiar's products, but their reputation is excellent and I believe a similar result can be attained with different brands. Anyway I hope you enjoy the video.

AEZ Raver Alloy Wheels Review

Well as my last post focussed around the Achilles ATR Sport Tyres I thought it would be a good idea to review some alloy wheels, in particular the AEZ Raver Alloy Wheel, from AEZ.

Now AEZ aren’t the biggest name in alloys, which to some extent is a surprise, a quick look over their website shows a handsome range of designs and they look to be as at home on Euro built cars as they are on Jap style cars.

Now before I purchased the AEZ Raver alloys I did a great deal of looking round at wheels and the different alloy wheel styles. I decided that as my car isn't overly modified I’d go for a style that was simple and looked close to the standard wheels, albeit a little better looking and 17 inch as opposed to the factory filled 16's.

Another factor was I didn't want split spoke alloys as they can be very difficult to clean and I came across this video which shows they have a nano tec coating that helps repel dirt and grime, certainly a selling factor to me (see embedded youtube video).

I ordered the AEZ Raver alloys from a popular UK based alloy wheel retailer and they came complete with the Achilles ATR Sport Tyres fitted for around £500.

My first impression of the AEZ Raver alloy wheels was very good; the silver of the wheel was striking without looking cheap or overly bright and once they where no heavier than the 16’s I’d taken off (not that I could tell anyway, although perhaps an accurate weighing is in order).

I would recommend these alloy wheels to anyone who is looking for a simple yet good looking well made alloy wheel, although how they will look on your car is of course a matter of taste.

Achilles ATR Sport Tyres Review

I recently was faced with the prospect of getting new tyres for my Toyota and decided to upgrade my alloys from 16's to 17's at the same time. I decided to purchase a set of AEZ Ravers (review coming soon) and after doing a little research decided to get Achilles ATR Sport Tyres. Now Achilles ATR Sport Tyres are fairly unknown in terms of brand compared to the big names and I was initially attracted to them for their price tag. I don't do any track work and although I drive in a spirited manner, I don't drive excessively fast. For this reason I was happy to consider a budget tyre (every one is different and how they perform on your car depends on your driving style).

They arrived already fitted to the wheel and I paid around £55 per corner. My first impressions were very good. The Achilles ATR Sport Tyres have a substantial grooved surface and the blade design on the edges looked promising in terms of grip through bends and corners.

I'm happy to say that the Achilles ATR Sport Tyres have not disappointed. I have driven in wet, hot and dry conditions and they have proved to be excellent, giving me confidence to accelerate round corners and they didn't make the car feel twitchy even in heavy rain. I haven't used the Achilles ATR Sport Tyres in snow or frosty conditions yet so I will add to this post when winter arrives.

For the price I believe them to be excellent value for money and should I need new tyres in the future due to normal wear and tear I would purchase them again.

Turbozilla Air Freshener Review

This is just a quick review of an air freshener I picked up recently. The more you read my car detailing blogs the more you'll learn that my favourite cars are from the land of the rising sun, yes indeed I’m talking about Japan. I frequently check out Touge automotives website  as they have a great selection of car inspired T-Shirts and accessories and the one that caught my attention was a Turbozilla Air Freshener for a very affordable £1.50 (+ £1 postage). The air freshener smells nice and citrusy and isn't over powering like some other air fresheners I've had. It's quite large though, albeit it doesn't annoy me and I rarely notice it.

If you’re into Jap cars and like novelty character designs then this is a great buy. If not, well check out their website anyway as they've got loads of cool stuff.

Carplan Demon Shine Review

Well in a previous post I discussed the merits of using a car shampoo and today's review of Carplan Demon Shine follows on nicely from that. Now I would like to stress at this point that Carplan Demon Shine isn't a wax and doesn't offer the same level of protection in my opinion, what it does do though is provide an excellent wax like shine to your paint work with very little effort.

Once you’ve washed and dried your car, you then liberally spray the Carplan Demon Shine over the paint work, buffing it off with a micro fibre towel. You can use the product on a wet car but I find using it on dry paint work gives a better result. Carplan Demon Shine comes in two varieties and I prefer to use the pump spray, although the demon shine available in a large bottle is mixed with water and poured over the car which some people may find easier.

This product is excellent if you're in a rush or if you've recently waxed your car and are just giving it an intermediate clean. It does seem to bead water as well, so perhaps there is a level of protection, certainly better to use it than no product at all.

Normally priced around the £5.00 mark it's a good value product and does last a long time.

Turtle Wax Zip Wax Car Shampoo Review

I mentioned in an earlier post about the amount of people still washing their cars with washing up liquid. To be fair I can see the confusion, washing up liquid is a good cleaning agent, it does bubble up to a good amount of suds and on the face of it, it will turn a dirty car clean. However I can't stress enough how bad washing your car with a washing up liquid detergent is. The problem with washing up liquid is that it is designed to cut through grease and food deposits and as such it's an abrasive cleaner. Washing your car once or twice might not make a big difference but continued use will lead to the paint lacquer being dissolved and in the long term will cause your paint to fade and corrosion will be likely.

This leads me on to my review. There are many car shampoos on the market and all are better that a washing up liquid. The car shampoo I'm currently using is Turtle Wax Zip Wax auto Shampoo.

 

Turtle Wax is probably the most well known car wax brand and they've been established longer than most. TheirTurtle Wax Zip Wax claims to deliver a powerful clean whilst depositing a coat of protective wax as it washes.

The bottle instructs that you should add around half a cap full to a bucket of warm water and it does indeed bubble up to a good foamy bucket full. It smells pretty good too! The suds transfer well to a wash mitt and it takes grime, insects and tree sap off the car easily enough.

After washing the car I dried the car off and it was a pleasant shine, but I couldn't help thinking that the wax was very thin, it did bead water though.

I would recommend using this product in conjunction with a polish or wax to ensure your car is protected from the elements. I would say that using this and nothing else will still be 100% better than a household detergent and at around £2.99 for a decent sized bottle you can't go far wrong.

Car Detailing Tutorials

It's amazing how many people still don't know how to properly wash a car. The amount of times I hear people tell me that they wash their car with washing up liquid is amazing. Even if you follow a couple of steps outlined in these videos your car will stay looking much better for longer.

Part Two.

Kent Microfiber Towel Review

I've been washing my car for many years and only in the past 2 or 3 years have I really started to look into the world of Auto detailing. A quick search online will give you a vast and somewhat overwhelming amount of information recommending everything from polishes to wash mitts. I'm not a professional car detailer by any means and I don't intend to show my car in any shows, so I'm not keen on spending the earth on top end products. I do however expect good results and truly believe that they can be achieved with products at the lower end of the price scale if chosen correctly, although I'm not in any way saying that top end products don't deliver better results.


While doing my weekly shop (bear with me) I tend to visit the car products aisle by way of a break from the normal boring grocery list. I also find some supermarkets have a fantastic range of car care products at brand leading prices. It was a roll of micro microfibre towels that caught my attention and upon closer inspection they were produced by a company called Kent and at a very reasonable £2 for 6 (although this price does vary depending on the offers different supermarkets run). Being at that price point I thought they'd be worth a gamble and added them to the basket.

Now it's at this point I feel I should explain what a microfibre towel is exactly. Putting it simply, they are a super soft towel that won’t scratch your paint work and they are excellent for either cleaning glass, applying polish and wax or for buffing polish and wax off.

Kent are no strangers to the world of microfibre and a quick look on their website highlighted the vast range of products they produce (expect more reviews soon).

As it was a sunny day I decided to take the Kent microfibre towels for a test drive and washed the car with soapy car shampoo, Chamois dried it and applied a layer of wax using a damp microfiber towel. The microfiber towel held a good amount of the wax and I was able to apply it evenly across the body work. After letting the wax haze I got another fresh towel and began to buff. The towel picked up the hazed wax effortlessly and brought the paint work up to a showroom shine, with far less arm ache than I have found from other polishing cloths. The microfiber towel stayed in good order and as long as it's looked after can be used again and again (they can be machine washed).

The pack of six Kent microfibre towels come in assorted colours which is helpful for assigning different coloured microfibre towels to different detailing tasks.