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I got set of 3 microfiber cloths, small size, for appx Rs25 a piece from DMart, but they are nowhere as good as the 3M one. They are useful only for household dusting, not polishing or glass cleaning.

My thought too. Rs.25 a piece microfibre cloth can be used for cleaning wheels and door jambs and other basic requirements, i doubt they'll be able to absorb much water or leave behind a streak free finish when wiping glass.

Cheap microfibre can be pretty good. I have a stack of hand-towel-sized cloths from London's 99p shop, some of which get used as hand towels, but a couple of which are kept for the car. I also have a few five-for-99p cloths, including glass-cleaning cloth

The most expensive microfibre I have is reserved for... me! :D Bath towels that came from Singapore: they are soooo sofffft, mmm!

Those who are interested in buying Jopasu duster, I found a deal on PayTM.
You will get an effective price of Rs. 330
https://paytm.com/shop/p/jopasu-micr...ign=Paritycube

Note that cashback is credited to your PayTM wallet, which means you can use that to buy something else, but cannot encash it to your bank account.

Edit: 3M microfiber cloths from Autofresh at Rs. 175 per piece.
https://paytm.com/shop/p/pack-of-6-3...O38103F809886D

With the help of you guys, I have finally been able to dust off some lazy-ness & get to "washing" the car.
Special thanks to Harry10 & MunnabhaiMBBS!

I will not write much (since, I have spent a lot of effort washing the car already :p)

I just got the Proklear Rinseless wash concentrate, this week.
Had to use 500ml sprayer that we have + 5ml concentrate as measured from the Proklear bottle.
It took 2 sprayer-fulls to do the whole car.

For very first wash attempt, this, seems to be a decent output (self-attestation).
Let me improve upon the application skills & report further.

Oh, and by the way, I only did like half the car.
With equal (or possibly more) enthusiasm, my fairer half was on the mission too!
(I know, I'm lucky.. :) )
We both, collectively took about 90 minutes to do the whole car (+some cleaning of my bike).

Some inputs regarding the concentrate/waterless wash:
1. As discussed already, I went for panel-by-panel method of washing. It is the ONLY way, since the product dries up real quick. Many panels needed to be done half at a time!
2. If you are like me & want to get maximum possible results with minimal efforts - product like Proklear definitely would do the job.
My point- this is not something like a skyshop-product which works on TV but doesn't do much in real life.
3. 6+ Microfiber cloths are definitely required. I guess, it's okay to use home/cotton cloths for plastics/lower trims/dirt laden lower half.
4. Less spray for less dirt, wetter spray for more dirt was my formula this time. It worked.

Photos & description below:
----------------------------------------------------------------
Products used.
Microfiber (3m, Jopasu Magic wipe, Jopasu pack of 3, Jockey-used-vest-cloth- pack of 3)
Proklear Rinseless wash.
Proklear washer fluid (topped up the washerfluid tank with this - report later)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 3700710) In hot, humid weather, the condensation/fogging forms on the outside of the glass. One small point here. It is stating the obvious, but sometimes we miss the obvious! When you clean the glass, do you clean the wiper blades as well? This is important to help avoid that haze-wipe effect. Is the glass cleaner you bought a clear liquid or a cream?.. A good additive in the screen wash is a great help too.

Thad E Ginathom,
Thanks for your inputs.
This time, I have removed the wipers & cleaned them with the concentrate washer.
Glass cleaner I have is a liquid - Meguiar's Glass clean.
Have also put in windshield washer additive, will check & then use further products if required.
Before that, I think, I will change the wiper blades in the coming month.

Before:

After:


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End result:



Thanks,

Ace.

Need some help. When trying to fix a bent door plastic panel with feviquick, the glue accidentally opened up and splilled down. See below photo. I thought I should be able to clean up with thinner/alcohol, but its not going. Can you help giving some idea on how to clean??

CarPro tar x and other commercial tar and bug removers will be able to remove the glue. Not much clue about other methods that might help, I'll let the more experienced guys suggest better and more cost effective methods.:D

Most Cyanoacrylates (Fevikwik/Superglue) dissolve in Acetone. You can try using nail polish remover (acetone based - check the label, some are not). Use a face mask while doing this. The Acetone might just haze the clear coat if left for more than 30 secs. so keep a cloth handy to wipe the surface. In any case if you are successful, a little polish will get the shine back.

The white-ish residue that you are looking at is more due to the exothermic reaction when the glues like feviquick dries up. Try with a coat of liquid/paste wax to see if the whiteness can be reduced.
Thinner/alcohol should be the last resort as too much rubbing can worsen the situation instead of helping it. Please try with a coat and polishing of waxpol or 3M wax and share the results.

Regards

Just watched this and felt like I've committed a grave sin so far. I thought I was cleaning my car correctly all this time :D Even the 3M detailing blah-blah sounded like a sin as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_vd6oKKMws

Guys - Recently our apartment complex was painted ( exteriors ) with some water based exterior emulsion paint. Since I have an open car park, there are many paint spots on my car. These spots are going off if I rub the spots with a damp cloth with some effort. But the number of spots is just too much and its painful to go spot by spot and keep rubbing them off. Is there any chemical or additive I can mix with water or use as such to remove these with lesser pressure ? Thanks

damp the area with a water sprayer and wipe with a cloth by applying a slight pressure, usually any acrylic based paints will go off else use clay.

Use clay bar over the surface after lubricating the surface properly and then use a mild polishing compound to bring the surface back to glory.

Off late I've come to realize that buying a red colour Punto is one thing and maintaining it in good finish without a covered parking is a test of my skills.
All these days I used to cover it at home even if it's for only 15min. I didn't want that bird using my car to test it's shooting skills. Yeh, it might cause swirls but I was fine with the hope that I'll take it to 3M and they'll polish away them.
But then I got into reading about detaling and the bug bit me. I forgot to cover the car and for 7 days it lay there at the mercy of unseasonal rains, summer heat and birds which just eat and drop. All these days I was reading and then yesterday went to 3M and bought Meguairs car wash, water magnet, washmitt and 3M wax.

As I'm a novice I didn't expect splendid results. I live in the 6th floor and the tap in our block only works in the morning. So I took two buckets of water in the lift and washed the car using the 2-bucket method. As expected the bird droppings left some spots on the bonnet.

I've read that using clay will remove the sealant as well. Is it true? Also there are quite a number of swirls and some rub marks. Is there any way I can remove them? I've taken some snaps but they're not clearly showing them clearly. Also please advise on some general tips for parking in the open. I'm currently using the Recaro car cover.

Claying does remove wax and also all particles embedded on the surface of paint. Swirls can truly be removed only by polishing. I would suggest buying a clay bar, some microfiber towels, a small bottle of compound or polish depending on the swirls and bird drop etchings and a foam hand polish pad which you can use to remove swirls. A bit of elbow grease might be necessary, another option is to give the car to 3M or some other place where they'll polish out the swirls for you and then you can use a proper wash and wax method to keep the paint shiny. Applying wax on top of the bird drop etchings won't help remove them. Parking a car in the sun is not generally advised. Use your car cover to protect the car from natural elements but be informed that if you put the cover on the car when the car is dirty, it'll tend to scratch the car while the cover is being put on and removed. Hence wiping the car with a quick detailer and a microfiber cloth is advised every time you put on the cover.