Friday, April 10, 2020

Banged up in Devon

Certainly no chance of a motoring story now. One month in solitary and only allowed to make essential trips to the supermarket - but it does mean that I am so bored I washed the car!

I've never been a fan of the automatic car washes, nor the 'do-it-by-hand' offerings which always seem to have dirty water, and cloths that have washed a hundred vehicles before they get to mine. So I do it my self, which means not very often.

I have a method. Ideally the day is not too sunny and hot, nor windy and cold. Picky eh!
First, with luke warm (tepid) water and a clean sponge, I wash off the heavy accumulations - a mud and cow shit combo mostly. Sometimes I can use three or four buckets full. This reveals the colour of the paintwork below - already she's looking better.

Next, more tepid water with either a specialist car shampoo (if I've had a gift), or domestic washing-up liquid, not too strong. Most enthusiasts would not recommend the Fairy approach, but it does cut through the grime and grease nicely. I start with the roof, then work round the car at window level, bonnet, down to door panels and grill and bumpers. This keeps the dirt moving downwards. I wash the wheels last as they are the dirtiest. A stiff brush is good for getting between the spokes on the alloys.

Finish the washing process with a rinse with clean water and a fresh sponge, drying with a chamois leather as you go. Super job!

I don't usually bother with polish, but this time I did. It said on the bottle it was for motorcycles, but one shiny body panel is the same as any other, so I used it. A real good shake to get the creamy liquid nicely mixed and we were off. I do one panel at a time, spread the cream on with a circular motion - wax on! Once it has gone cloudy, polish it off with a soft microfibre
cloth - wax off!

By doing the job my self I get chance to inspect the condition of the paint close-up. I get to notice small scratches and blemishes that have been caused by normal day-to-day use, and I get to clean the parts others can't (or don't) reach - door shuts, bonnet edges, wheel arch edges, etc.

So that filled about three hours, I still had time to sit in the garden with a cold beer and admire my handiwork.

Stay safe, stay home, wash your hands, and wash your car - Happy Covid-19 lockdown!

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