Self-service car washing consumables and equipment

[XMA Simon]

Hi folks, please can I get some advice? I need to restock on car washing equipment. (I prefer washing my cars myself).

I already have a Karcher K7, but I need a new foam wand, some foam, maybe a water decalcifier, new wash mits, car soap, alloy wheel cleaner etc. Obviously I can check out the offers at Halfords, but can anyone suggest any good independent online stores that have a good range of products at sensible prices?

Thank you.

[Time4another]

Bilt Hamber for snowfoam and wheel cleaner. Wouldn't hesitate to try some more of their stuff.

[ChocolateFrog]

Bilt Hamber do good stuff. A little more expensive typically than the likes of Autoglym but it's good stuff and you usually need less of it to get the job done.

[blueg33]

XMA Simon said:

Hi folks, please can I get some advice? I need to restock on car washing equipment. (I prefer washing my cars myself).

I already have a Karcher K7, but I need a new foam wand, some foam, maybe a water decalcifier, new wash mits, car soap, alloy wheel cleaner etc. Obviously I can check out the offers at Halfords, but can anyone suggest any good independent online stores that have a good range of products at sensible prices?

Thank you.

[blueg33]

This is what I use:

MJJC Canon - consistently good reviews



Gyeon Snowfoam (my car has a ceramic coat), or Bilt Hamber for an uncoated car (it can be aggressive if you get the panel impact ratio wrong)

Gyeon Q2m wheel cleaner

Bilt Hamber car shampoo (very concentrated, you need 1 tsp per bucket)

I also use a ceramic detailer (both spray on and polish off, or spray on and rinse off - Q2M Wetcoat), depending on my mood)

You will also need good drying towels (I use a blow dryer that blows heated filtered air, but I am a anal about halo's on the black car), but there are some great towels available online

I tend to buy all this stuff online from Clean and Shiny, In2Detailing or Cleanyourcar

[XMA Simon]

Thanks for this advice. Particularly blueg33's comments about suitability for snow foam: my car also has a ceramic coat, so that is really helpful.

Thank you all. - Simon.

[blueg33]

XMA Simon said:

Thanks for this advice. Particularly blueg33's comments about suitability for snow foam: my car also has a ceramic coat, so that is really helpful.

Thank you all. - Simon.

The Bilt Hamber snowfoam is ok on a ceramic as long as you get the concentration right. My detailer suggested I avoid it. The gyeon snowfoam is more expensive but IMO nicer to use, but it needs a good cannon, I used to have a crap cheapy snowfoam cannon and it didn't aerate the gyeon enough. The MJJC is great though

[Belle427]

Filling your boots at Halfords with stuff from the Autoglym range may work out cheaper when offers are on.
In reality it will perform as well as anything else out there for the money.

[blueg33]

Belle427 said:

Filling your boots at Halfords with stuff from the Autoglym range may work out cheaper when offers are on.
In reality it will perform as well as anything else out there for the money.

It won't - hence my first post.

See the Forensic Detailing youtube channel for comparisons

Some AG products are great - I really like the Fast Glass and Active Insect Remover, but if the op has gone to the trouble of ceramic coating his car, he would be best to use products designed for coated cars

[XMA Simon]

Yeah, I've not been particularly impressed with Autoglym products in the past. From the mainstream brands I'd actually preferred Meguiars on the value for money stakes. I'll use the Meguiars from Halfords for my Mini. But I'm prepared to get some more premium products for my Porsche. To be precise the front up to the doors plus the mirrors are PPFed; the rear of the car, roof and alloys are ceramic coated.

[Belle427]

I have a mixture of Garage Therapy and Bilt Hamber stuff on my shelves, both make some great products. Garage Therapy edge it for me as all their products are top notch and just work so well.
There are many to choose from though and it is a minefield.

[vikingaero]

I use probably 7-8 products from different manufacturers to clean the keeper cars - from BH for wheels to Autoglym Carbon Body Shield for a twice yearly ceramic/carbon treatment, to Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray for the post-wash top up.

For my extended family I have a 15 litre drum of Turtle Wax shampoo bought from Costco that I dilute to use as snow foam, put in the wash bucket and decanted into a spray bottle for the wheels and door jambs. In fact Costco do sometimes do some decent car cleaning products in bulk.