Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Easy Guide to Washing your Car

With water and a bucket, probably, but I was wondering:

I've only ever used Autoglym, mainly for ease of use - that and I never had anything where I was truly worried about the paintwork. Previously I've used their bodywork shampoo/conditioner and Aquawax to put a coating on. It's *fine* but I know it could be better - the shampoo could foam up better and I should probably be polishing to take swirls out etc.?

I can't afford a detailer so what do you use and what are your results like?

You'll find everything you need here
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/

Think this had been around already but this is the way

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=183518&highlight=morgan

this has been around before as well -
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=178849&highlight=morgan+4.6

Hello chaps,

I was a professional detailer for a few years. Safe to say my Morgan will be ridiculously pampered when it arrives in June! Hope the following advice is of use to you all.

1. Before getting the buckets and mitts out, it's a good idea to use a pre-spray foam to loosen all the dirt. Meguiars Hyper Wash is a thick, clingy foam that will dwell on the surface and dissolve some of the dirt. If your windscreen and headlamps etc are splattered with bug residue, use something like Poorboys Bug Squash on them. Don't let this product dry on your car and don't use it in direct sunlight. Rinse them off with a hose.

2. Start with the wheels. Use a non-acidic wheel cleaner and a little brush to agitate it with around all the spokes. Rinse if off before the next stage.

3. I would never recommend a sponge. Splash out on a nice soft microfibre or lambswool mitt and a couple of buckets - one for suds and one to rinse your mitt in once you have used it on the car. Don't go for the really cheap shampoos either as they are too aggressive, but anything is better than fairy liquid which some people still use. Don't get me started on that!!!!!!

3. Don't wash the car in direct sunlight if you can help it. If you can't, wash one side, rinse it, then wash the other side and rinse that. If the suds dry on the car it'll look all streaky.

4. Once you have rinsed the suds off, it's best to pat-dry the car with a specially made large drying towel. Wiping causes swirl marks and marring (hellishly obvious on dark coloured cars in the sunlight). Ok, this is time consuming but you wont get rid of swirls without machine polishing which can be dangerous in the wrong hands.

5. Waxing your car should never, EVER be done in the baking hot sun. It will bake on and it'll be a nightmare to remove. Darker coloured cars should be treated with a wax made especially for darker colours. This is not a gimmick - it makes a hell of a difference. Apply with microfibre pad and remove with a microfibre cloth. A little spray of water makes it easier to remove.

6. Leather. Don't use normal cleaners on leather. They will remove the dirt but they will also make the leather dry out and eventually go all sticky. A damp cloth is fine to try first. If it's still dirty or needs a bit of a lift, a leather cleaner should be used. I wouldn't recommend anything marketed as a cleaner AND conditioner as it will do neither thing very well.

Hope this is of some use to you all. I'm more than happy to answer any specific questions you may have!

Some good advice there, U2C1

Much of the advice can be used for boats too!

One of the reasons for not using dish washing soaps is because it contains salt, right?

Thanks U2C1 that's a great 'idiots' guide which suits me down to the ground especially as it appears bugs are 'attracted' to white cars

Great advice - thanks.

Took me years to stop my Dad from using the old Fairy Liquid for washing cars. Didn't matter when he washed my old Land Rover, but he wasn't allowed my MGB with it

Lots of good advice, Thank you. I use a sheepskin mitt but it goes hard when dry (no comment) and is difficult to get your hand inside until it is thoroughly soaked again. I have also only used Zymol products with some Poorboys metal polish and Bilberry wheel wash. Love the smell of Zymol - sure you could make a pina colada with it
The Morgan pack of interior cleaner products is also very good, don't need to use much at a time- I'm halfway thru my pack after 5 years and 18k miles.
I also find late afternoon as best time for polishing as it is usually cooler and less glare to hide the swirls.

Polishing =

Yes, it contains lots of salt. It's also far too strong for cleaning a car with. It will strip a car of any wax it might have on it. Use it a few times and your paint will be dull and cloudy and in need of professional help.

I always say "metallic paintwork is really quite different from the inside of your kitchen pots!"