“Hello, this is Rich at Polished Bliss, and in this video I’m going to tell you a little bit about Meguiar’s Hyper Wash, and in particular why it’s a great product to incorporate into your regular pre-wash rinsing routine.

Hyper Wash is a pre-wash snow foam suitable for use in any foam gun or foam lance system. Like other pre-wash foaming agents, it is designed to cling to exterior automotive surfaces and loosen fresh dirt and grime, making your pre-wash rinse more effective and leaving treated surfaces cleaner and ready for a low risk hand wash. Unlike many rival products, Hyper Wash does all of this without stripping existing paint protection, and without harming the environment either, thanks to its biodegradable formula.

However, the real benefit Hyper Wash offers is value for money. Its highly economical dilution rate means that as little as 100 ml is required to make up a litre of ready to use foam, which is more than enough to treat the average sized car. Therefore, in comparison to ready-mixed pre-wash grime removers, Hyper Wash offers nearly forty times as many treatments for just four times the price or less. Given these impressive cost-benefit figures, you may be asking why would anyone ever buy a pre-wash grime remover instead?

The answer lies in cleaning power. While Hyper Wash offers unbeatable value for money, it is only capable of removing fresh dirt and grime. This makes it ideal for enthusiasts who wash their cars on a weekly basis, but less useful for those who wash their cars once or twice a month, or less. In these latter cases, where dirt and grime goes through more wetting and drying cycles and becomes more firmly bonded, the extra cleaning power afforded by a ready-mixed pre-wash grime remover will often be needed to gain the same result.

In summary, we rate Hyper Wash very highly. It loosens far more fresh dirt and grime than rinsing alone and offers tremendous value for money compared to ready-mixed pre-wash grime removers, particularly given that it can be used as a shampoo too. Providing that you wash your car regularly, it’s an ideal product to incorporate into your pre-wash rinsing routine.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch using the details provided on the contact us page of our website.”

Finally, if the above video has whet your appetite, you can find out more here – Meguiar’s Hyper Wash | Wax-Friendly Pre-Wash Snow Foam Concentrate

For the benefit of anyone with hearing difficulties, here is the audio transcript in full; if there is anything else we can do to make our videos more accessible, please don’t hesitate to let us know…

“Hello, this is Rich at Polished Bliss, and in this video I’m going to tell you a little bit about Auto Finesse Citrus Power, and in particular the performance benefits it offers during the winter months.

Winter is a horrible time of year if you’re a car care enthusiast. Thick grime and road salt readily coats your car, not only making it look filthy, but also increasing the risk of causing wash marring. As an extreme example, this what my car looked like after four months of winter driving without a wash. In this condition there’s no way I would wash it by hand without trying to remove most of the grime in a touchless way first. The question is, how can we achieve this?

If, like the majority of enthusiasts, you don’t have access to a hot water pressure washer, then you’re going to need a little bit of chemical assistance, and this is where Citrus Power comes in. Its strong citrus-based formula cuts through salt and grime with ease, leaving only firmly bonded contaminants, such as tar spots, behind. Despite its phenomenal cleaning power, it doesn’t strip off or otherwise degrade existing paint protection, which sets it apart from rival products and gives it a uniquely beneficial selling point.

If all of this sounds too good to be true, then check out this time-lapse demonstration sequence. Using a basic cold water pressure washer, you can see that pre-wash rinsing alone is highly ineffective; very little salt and grime is removed. However, if we spray the same area with Citrus Power and allow it to soak for a few minutes, then the situation changes dramatically. Now our cold water jet is able to remove virtually all of the salt and grime, leaving the treated area much cleaner and ready for a low risk hand wash.

In addition to serving as an outstanding pre-wash grime remover, Citrus Power is a fantastic multi-purpose cleaner, and can be used to clean badges, trims and shuts to great effect. Furthermore, it is also the most effective bug remover we sell, which makes it indispensable during the summer months too.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch using the details provided on the contact us page of our website.”

Finally, if the above video has whet your appetite, you can find out more here – Auto Finesse Citrus Power | Citrus-Based Bug & Grime Remover

Sadly, our budget hasn’t quite stretched to sub-titling software, so until such time as it does, here is the audio transcript in full; if there is anything else we can do to make our videos more accessible, please let us know…

“Hello, this is Rich at Polished Bliss, and in this video I’m going to tell you a little bit about our Wheel Woolies, which are one the bestselling items in our store.

These cleverly designed brushes combine ultra-soft polypropylene fibre heads with non-scratch, flexible plastic handles to give maximum levels of safety and access when cleaning wheels and other exterior surfaces. Unlike other brushes, our Wheel Woolies do not feature a metal core. This makes them a safe choice for use on delicate surfaces that are easily marked.

Our Wheel Woolies come supplied as a set in three handy sizes. The largest one, which is just under half a metre long, is ideal for cleaning inner rim surfaces on even the widest of wheels; 12″ deep rims can be cleaned right through to the back with ease. The polypropylene fibres are also chemically resistant, meaning that strong wheel cleaners can safely be used, if required.

At over a foot long but with a much narrower head, the medium sized Woolie is perfect for tighter spoke gaps, and for situations where brake caliper clearance is tight. The smallest Wheel Woolie really is very short and slender, but excels at cleaning badges and plastic grills, and enables even the most awkward shaped panel gaps and engine bay components to be easily cleaned.

After use, our Wheel Woolies should be rinsed out thoroughly in order to release any trapped dirt, and then left to dry naturally. Although somewhat pricey, they perform better than any other type of wheel brush we sell, and have a long life expectancy too; the ones used in this video are well over a year old and are still in excellent condition, despite regular professional use.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch using the details provided on the contact us page of our website.”

Finally, if the above video has whet your appetite, you can find out more here – PB Wheel Woolies | Metal-Free Wheel Cleaning Brushes

It’s fair to say that Auto Finesse has been the brand of 2011; it’s made everyone in the UK detailing community realise that top quality performance and great value for money aren’t mutually exclusive terms. Hot on the heels of excellent new additions to the line in recent months (Finale, Mint Rims and Revive) is an exclusive wax blend that money currently can’t buy – Desire. This funky coloured, fruity flavoured über wax is the result of attempts by the Auto Finesse team to push the existing Spirit formula even further in terms of looks and durability. It may not turn out to be viable to put this amazing blend into production, but fear not, because we’re offering you the chance to get your hands on a limited edition test pot for free. Okay, not for free; we need you to do just one thing for us…

To enter our free prize draw, simply answer the following question by leaving a comment below; full answers would be appreciated, as it will allow us to make better videos for you next year!

“What specific products and topics do you desire us to cover in detail in a forthcoming series of product demonstration and car care training videos?”

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The Rules

1. Only one entry per person please; multiple entries will be disqualified.

2. Automated entries, bulk entries or third party entries will be disqualified.

3. The draw is open to residents of the UK, the Channel Islands, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Monaco, Austria, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Norway and Switzerland.

4. Entries from residents of countries not listed above will be disqualified.

5. The draw will run with immediate effect until 10 am (GMT) on 19^th December 2011.

6. The winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries at 11 am (GMT) on 19^th December 2011.

7. The winner will be contacted using the e-mail address they use to enter their comment.

8. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to.

9. Your name and e-mail address will be used strictly in line with our privacy policy.

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This video shows the results of a Correction Detail performed on a 2005 Porsche 911 (996) GT3 Club Sport in our studio in Kintore. The total work time was 40 hours and the car was finished with Swissvax Crystal Rock. We hadn’t originally planned to share this video, as it was only made to learn new editing methods in readiness for features we plan to produce next year (it was created entirely from still images taken with a Canon 60D DSLR; all of the pans and zooms were created digitally in Adobe Premiere Pro). However, we were so delighted with the end result that we decided to share it!

Following on from Rich’s timely blog about the importance of winter preparation, this next batch of frequently asked questions will focus on other aspects of detailing that become more prominent during the winter months. As always, if you have any additional questions please feel free to fire away below and we’ll do our best to help.

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1. “My car windows mist up quite a lot and with it being so cold (and usually dark!) at this time of year, it’s really starting to frustrate me. Also, with snow and ice expected, and my car sitting outside, I’d like to try to avoid scraping the glass every morning. Are there any products you sell which can help?”

The misting up of windows is a common problem during the winter months and typically arises as wet clothes and footwear bring moisture into the car and low temperatures prevent interior surfaces from properly drying out. This moisture disappears into vapour form when the heater is on and the cabin is warm, but quickly reappears as condensation on glass surfaces when you leave the car and the temperature drops.

Obviously, the first thing to check is that your air conditioning system is switched on (assuming your car has it) and working properly. This might sound silly at first, but air conditioning systems harvest moisture very efficiently, and running it continuously at a comfortably warm temperature (18 °C) throughout the winter months will help to remove fresh moisture and greatly reduce instances of misting up.

The next thing to check is the cleanliness of your interior glass. A film of grease or grime on an interior window encourages moisture to condense onto it and gives it a ‘hub’ to cling to. The cleaner the glass is, the less likely it is to mist up. And just because it looks clean don’t fall into the trap of assuming it is clean – films build up over time regardless, so regular cleaning is necessary.

Glass cleaners have really moved on in the last few years and many, such as 3M Glass Cleaner and Auto Finesse Crystal, produce entirely streak free results, if applied properly. In all cases, spray the product onto a folded microfibre towel (PB Super Buffing Towels or Microfiber Madness Cloudbuster Towels are ideal), as opposed to the glass, and then work it in methodically. Finally, refold the towel and buff the glass down lightly. To check for smears or streaks, use a point source of light (the ideal tool is the 3M Sun Gun, but a high intensity torch will do) and carefully look over every inch of the glass, rebuffing if necessary.

To help prevent moisture soaking into interior fabrics, we recommend the use of a fabric or textile sealant. Both 303 High Tech Fabric Guard and Nanolex Textile and Leather Sealant are strongly hydrophobic and repel water, preventing it from soaking in and forcing it to bead on the fabric surface. As well as using these types of product on seats, they’re also ideal for waterproofing carpets and floor mats; it’s almost impossible to keep snow and slush out of the car completely, but these products allow melted water to be vacuumed up or soaked up with towels.

Moving on to the exterior glass, the glass sealants we offer, from Nanolex and Wolf’s Chemicals, all go some way to preventing the formation of frost due to their ultra slick, hydrophobic nature. Whilst they won’t completely inhibit ice from forming, what does form will be thinner and easier to remove. We also recommend using lukewarm water to remove frost, as opposed to conventional scrapers. This is because scrapers can easily damage both glass and surrounding painted surfaces. Just remember to use lukewarm water, as hot water could crack cold glass in extreme cases.

Finally, if the above measures aren’t working and misting up is becoming a serious problem, it’s worth checking for leaks. Drain holes in body panels and rubber seals can be become chocked with debris and grime during the winter months, leading to water building up and leaking into places it shouldn’t. Doors and door seals are particularly susceptible to this problem.

John @ PB

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2. “Last winter, with the state of the roads, I found it difficult to wash my car without feeling I was damaging the paint. I use a pressure washer and a foam lance and I think I’m pretty careful with my washing; using two buckets, good shampoo, changing the rinse water regularly, etc. Is there a product I can use to help strip off even more dirt before I start handwashing?”

We covered the importance of pre-wash rinsing and foaming in our recent blog entitled “Questions of the Month (October ’11)”, but it seems like you already use the techniques described. I know from personal experience how tricky it can be to clean a very dirty vehicle carefully; if you miss a couple of weekends, the level of dirt and grime quickly builds up and coupled with salt and mud it can be quite tricky to remove. My own vehicle is often used off road and ends up filthy if it’s not washed for a few weeks.

Here’s a few suggestions that may help. If a vehicle is very dirty, after the rinse, foam, rinse process, I sometimes foam again, and leave this foam on the car whilst I hand wash; the foam provides further lubrication on the panels, helping to minimise marring. We’re lucky here at PB HQ that we have a hot pressure washer to hand, and this is definitely a great benefit as hot water removes more grime throughout the rinsing and foaming process), but they are quite expensive to justify for domestic use.

After rinsing, foaming and rinsing, you could also consider spraying a general purpose cleaner over the most badly affected areas; usually the rear end and lower sills. Auto Finesse Citrus Power is excellent as it uses powerful citrus-based cleaning agents to loosen and suspend dirt and grime, but doesn’t strip existing sealant or wax protection. To reap its benefits, you simply spray it over affected panels and allowed it to dwell for a few minutes before pressure washing it off.

An alternative option is to use R222 Total Auto Wash, which has long been one of our favourite cleaning products and again uses citrus-based cleaners. It will partially strip existing sealant or wax protection but if you’re going on to re-apply protection this isn’t so much of a concern. Meguiar’s All Purpose Cleaner also falls into this category and comes in concentrated form, meaning it offers excellent value for money when used at the dilution ratio of 10:1 (water:product) specified for safe exterior use.

Interestingly, all of the products mentioned also work well through a foam lance; bear in mind that they may still partially strip existing paint protection when used like this, but if a vehicle is very dirty and you require the additional cleaning power and you’re going to re-apply protection, they can be very effective when used like this. Citrus Power, Total Auto Wash and All Purpose Cleaner are all ideal for use under wheel arches and on exposed suspension parts too.

Of course, having a really slick surface and trying to prevent dirt sticking in the first place will make routine washing much easier. Waxes do tend to be less slick than sealants so it might be worth looking at your LSP (last step product) choice; if you have the right facilities (warm, dry indoor work space) to apply it, one of the newer nanotechnology sealants from either Nanolex or Wolf’s Chemicals would be worth considering; their partial self cleaning properties can make life much easier!

John @ PB

Continuing our series of blogs focusing on frequently asked questions, we’re going to present two e-mail enquiries concerning the wash process; specifically about the role of pre-wash foaming and shampoo choice. We receive a lot of enquiries about these topics, so hopefully what follows will be useful. However, as always, if you have any remaining questions please feel free to fire away below and we’ll do our best to help.

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1. “I’ve seen foam lances on your site that attach to pressure washers: are these safe to use on paint and glass? Does using a foam lance mean I don’t have to wash the car with a mitt and buckets?”

The role of pre-wash foaming is a stage of detailing that, if not quite vital, is extremely important. We always rinse the car thoroughly before foaming using a pressure washer, if available, to remove as much loose dirt and grime as possible.

We have seen some detailers argue that pre-wash foams should be applied to a dry car, the theory being that on a wet car the foam will slide off too quickly. While there is some logic to this, if you foam a dry car, the foam’s not getting a chance to work on the more deeply layered dirt bonded closest to the paint. Hence why we blast off loose dirt first, working top-down, and then let the foam go to work on anything remaining.

Our regular pre-wash product of choice is Meguiar’s Hyper Wash; it cleans effectively, doesn’t strip paint protection and has a dilution ratio of 400:1 (water/product). Many other foam products have dilution ratios as low as 25:1, so whilst they may be cheaper to buy, in the long term they work out more expensive. Furthermore, some are quite aggressive; whilst they may clean well, their excess strength can strip wax or sealant protection and, in some cases, stain plastic and chrome trims.

In use, an appropriately diluted Hyper Wash solution should be applied to the car, again working top down, and allowed to dwell on exterior surfaces for 5-10 minutes. It’s ideal to use on wheels, tyres, glass, under the arches and on plastic trims, so long as it’s not allowed to dry fully onto any surfaces. In hot weather, or if working in direct sunlight, rinse the foam off before it dries out completely.

Pre-wash foaming isn’t designed to replace a proper hand-wash, but will remove a good proportion of dirt and grime prior to starting the hand-wash process. This is the critical benefit that pre-wash foaming offers; the less dirt there is on the surface when you start hand washing, the lower the risk of marring or swirling the paint.

Through the winter months, when the car is subjected to increased contamination in the form of road salt, general grime and traffic film and tar, pre-wash foaming becomes even more important. This is because increased contamination leads to a higher likelihood of marring or swirling of the paint when it comes to washing off all this grime.

Foam will soften and partially remove road salt, making the hand-wash process both faster and safer. Foaming and very careful washing, taking care to change the water in the rinse bucket regularly, will go a long way to keeping your car’s paintwork defect-free. My previous blog about Safe Washing covers this in detail.

You can perform pre-wash foaming with stronger products to strip more dirt and grime, but only at the expense of existing wax or sealant protection. Meguiar’s All Purpose Cleaner is a powerful cleaning product, as is R222 Total Auto Wash, and both of these products excel in this role. However, both will, to a degree, strip existing protection on the car – bear this in mind from the outset.

Foaming with stronger cleaning products is usually safe for all exterior surfaces (with the exception of convertible tops) but care should be taken not to work in direct sunlight or let the foam dry out – if in doubt, read the instructions carefully first. In summary, although foam lances are a valuable part of the detailing process and certainly do lessen the risk of inflicting paint defects, they aren’t a replacement for careful hand washing.

John @ PB

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2. “I’ve always used whatever shampoo is cheapest from my local motor store, or, more often now, from the supermarket. Is there really that much difference in performance between them and the shampoos you sell? The price difference keeps me buying the cheaper ones.”

Shampoo choice has a strong effect on the overall ease and safety of the wash process, and the durability of sealant or wax protection on the car.

Many cheaper shampoos, often found on the high street, are really quite strong; they’re designed to strip dirt and grime quickly. The problem is, they can often strip paint protection, undoing all your hard work applying waxes or sealants. Furthermore, they can also streak badly and, in some extreme cases, stain plastic trims slightly.

When testing a shampoo, we look at a number of key factors. Slickness is one; when washing, the shampoo should help the wash mitt glide easily across exterior surfaces. In the overall scheme of things, this is perhaps the most important point. A properly lubricated shampoo greatly lessens the risk of causing marring and swirling; if a shampoo doesn’t feel very slick, it’s probably not worth using.

Overall cleaning power is also an important point, as is the ease with which the shampoo rinses off. Shampoos that rinse poorly typically streak, particularly when used in warmer conditions. This is often most evident on black or darker coloured cars. We monitor the longer term effects of shampoo usage on the durability of paint protection too; as you would expect, stronger shampoos typically strip paint protection more quickly than their weaker counterparts.

The amount of suds produced by a shampoo is often considered to be an important point. However, in our experience this is not so. Some shampoos that generate lots of suds are actually poorly lubricated, and vice versa. We tend to always look for proper lubrication first, as this is more critical. However, if you prefer lots of suds, use a jet of water from your hose or pressure washer to agitate the water in your suds bucket.

The ph value of shampoos seems to crop up online regularly, with some detailers insisting that shampoos must be ph neutral (7) if the stripping of paint protection is to be avoided. This is untrue; one shampoo we stock (Nanolex Reactivating Shampoo) has a ph value of 5 (making it mildly acidic), yet it doesn’t strip waxes or sealants and, in fact, actively adds fresh protection as it washes. In most cases, the type of detergent used is a more critical point, so look for a shampoo that, in light of real world testing, has been proven not to strip waxes or sealants.

Another factor to consider, and this one is completely objective, is dilution ratio or, more accurately, cost per wash. Some shampoos appear to be very expensive, but when their high concentration and dilution ratio are factored in, turn out to offer excellent value for money. It might be worth checking the dilution ratio of your current shampoo and working out the cost per wash; if it’s a cheap affair bought on the high street or in the supermarket you might be in for a surprise!

It can sometimes be beneficial to select your shampoo to match the protection on your car (e.g. using Meguiar’s Ultimate Wash & Wax to maintain finishes protected with Meguiar’s synthetic waxes), but there are many shampoos that will happily work in all cases, no matter what protection has been used on the car. If you’re in any doubt as to which shampoo will give you the best results, please feel free to email or call for one to one advice.

John @ PB

…is that it accelerates metal corrosion processes, which is bad news for cars. Add in the wider environmental damage it causes, particularly to waterways and man-made structures, and it becomes clear that its widespread use as a road de-icer during the winter months is controversial to say the least. Last autumn, we posted an article about road salt and the need for car care enthusiasts to protect their cars against it. Despite the unusually good weather we are currently experiencing, it won’t be long now until the nights draw in, temperatures drop and the gritting lorries make an appearance. With this in mind, we thought it would be useful to revive last year’s article and refresh your memory about the importance of proper winter preparation. So, without further ado…

…IS YOUR CAR READY FOR WINTER?

Continuing our series of blogs focusing on frequently asked questions, we’re going to present two e-mail enquiries about machine polishing issues; specifically machine choice and pad choice. We receive a lot of enquiries about these topics, so hopefully what follows will be useful. However, as always, if you have any remaining questions please feel free to fire away below and we’ll do our best to help.

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1. “I’ve been detailing for a couple of years now and want to make the step up to machine polishing to gain further improved results. I’ve read on the forums where some people have gone straight to a rotary polisher with seemingly no problems. However, I notice you don’t recommend a rotary for novices such as myself and recommend a dual action machine. If a dual action machine is the best option, which of the three you offer is the best?”

You’re right; we don’t recommend a rotary machine polisher for novices. A rotary machine is capable of a very high work rate and, as such, can remove a large amount of paint in a very short space of time. In comparison, a dual action machine will, generally speaking, remove far less paint than a rotary machine, due to its lower work rate. This is the main reason why a dual action machine makes more sense for the amateur user; it is fundamentally safer.

While it’s true that a dual action machine isn’t so fast when it comes to correction work, there seems to be a little bit of a myth on some forums that a dual action machine can’t correct paint to a very high standard. This is untrue; in fact, if used properly, and with the right pads and polishes for the task in hand, a dual action machine can correct just about anything a rotary polisher can – only deeper marks on very hard paints will prove tricky.

Going back to the higher work rate of a rotary machine; this not only results in a higher rate of paint removal and the risk of ‘strike through’ (complete removal of the uppermost layer of paint, usually the protective clearcoat) but also the rapid generation of a substantial amount of heat – excess heat build up on a panel can result in the pant being burnt; if this occurs the panel will need to be repainted.

Taking all these aspects into account, I’m sure it becomes a little clearer why we recommend a dual action machine for novices – the much lower risk, with the promise of very similar results, makes this a better option for a non-professional user. Regarding the three dual action machines we stock, there are some key differences between them…

Starting with the Kestrel DAS-6 machine; this is probably regarded as the benchmark dual action machine in the marketplace and with good reason. It’s tough, easy to use and quite inexpensive whilst also being capable of excellent correction work. The 500W motor is quite powerful and the machine is the ideal first step into machine polishing. For anyone on a tight budget, it offers excellent value for money, and comes with a standard twelve month warranty.

Next up is the Kestrel DAS-6 Power Plus machine; this is the newer, more powerful version of the standard DAS-6 machine. The key benefit of this machine is this extra torque provided by the 850W motor – on harder paints, where quite an aggressive polish and pad are typically needed for correction of severe defects, this extra torque keeps the head of the machine spinning, even under very heavy load. For softer paints, this extra power is unnecessary.

The Meguiar’s G220 V2 machine is the newest on the market, replacing the popular original G220 machine. This new machine is very nicely finished and quite lightweight. Whilst on paper it may seem underpowered (550W vs 850W) and expensive (£200 vs £149) compared to the DAS-6 Power Plus, it does feature ‘cruise control’, which ensures the head of the machine maintains the selected speed, regardless of the level of load.

In summary, there is no ‘best’ machine, only the best machine suited to a user’s needs and car paint type. In broad terms, the Kestrel DAS-6 and Meguiar’s G220 V2 are best suited to tackling soft to intermediate paints, while the Kestrel DAS-6 Power Plus is ideal for hard paints. However, whichever of the dual action machines you choose, so long as you match the pad and polish type to the job in hand, you should gain excellent results. As ever, if you’re not sure which is right for you; let us know and we’ll steer you on the right path!

John @ PB

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2. “I keep seeing new types of machine pads on the market. I’ve always had great results with my current pads – they’re still in good condition as I only polish the car once a year or so. Surely there can’t be that much difference between pad types, or am I missing something?”

Pad type is a vital aspect of the successful polishing equation, and should always be matched to the paint type being worked on and the polish being used. All automotive foam polishing pads are made from flexible polyurethane foam, but the nature of this type of foam can vary considerably depending on specific aspects of the manufacturing process. Cutting to the chase, what is important from our perspective as detailers is the grade and cell structure of the foam used.

Grade governs how soft or firm a pad will feel (at any given thickness), while cell structure affects flexibility and how air and polish behave on (and within) the pad. Two different cell structures are commonly used; closed cell and open cell. In closed cell foams (also commonly called pre-polymer foams and non-reticulated foams), air and polish are unable to pass freely through the foam (i.e. it has no discernable pore structure). This means that polish tends to be held on the surface of the pad during use, and that any heat generated during the polishing process is not readily dissipated. Closed cell pads tend to be dense and generally quite stiff and inflexible at any given thickness.

In open cell foams (also known as thermally reticulated foams), the faces of the individual polyhedral bubbles formed during the chemical mixing process are removed by secondary heating (leaving only the bubble skeleton behind), which gives rise to an open pore structure through which air and polish can pass quite freely. This means that open cell pads tend to soak up polish more easily, and are able to dissipate heat far more easily. In addition, this removal of some of the foam material during the manufacturing process also results in open cell pads being less dense and more flexible at any given thickness, and also, somewhat surprisingly, more tear resistant.

Applying these characteristics to the real world, if you’re trying to correct hard paint with an aggressive polish, you’ll be best off using a firm, non-reticulated pad, such as a Menzerna Compounding Pad or a Lake Country Hydro-Tech Cutting Pad. This is because such pads offer a high degree of mechanical cut and a lot of compression resistance, which forces the polish into the paint surface more and gives better correction. If a soft, reticulated pad was used instead, it wouldn’t work the abrasives in the polish thoroughly enough, and correction would be poor. Furthermore, the abrasives may not break down properly, increasing the risk of seeing micromarring in the finish (micromarring is the technical term for fresh defects inflicted during the polishing process as unbroken down abrasives are moved around between the pad and the paint, leaving a faint pattern of very tightly defined swirl marks in the finish).

Conversely, if you’re trying to correct soft paint using a mild polish, you’ll be best off choosing a soft, thermally reticulated pad, such as a Lake Country Constant Pressure Light Cut Pad or a Meguiar’s Soft Buff Polishing Pad. This is because such pads offer limited mechanical cut and a reduced working time, because polish is able to soak into the pad and away from where it is being worked against the paint. As a result, the rate of paint removal is minimised, whilst still allowing a high level of correction to be achieved. If a firm, non-reticulated pad was used instead, it would not only cut the paint more itself, but would also increase the work rate of the abrasives in the polish, and thus potentially remove too much paint.

Pad choice does sometimes tend to be overlooked and I find many people are keen to switch their polish when, in fact, a change of pad would be best. The two are equally, and vitally, important to achieving proper correction on any type of paint. Best practice is always to use the least aggressive pad and polish for the paint type in question, but sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start. Our online guide to paint hardness, which is based on our own long term experience in our detailing studio, gives an indication of which pads and polishes will be best suited for the task in hand. However, if you’re in any doubt, let us know what type of car you’re working on and we’ll be happy to advise you further.

John @ PB

Without intending to sound too downbeat, it’s fair to say that 2011 is shaping up to be a tough year. And not just in terms of the miserable summer weather; it seems that the continuing global economic problems are now affecting UK households more acutely than before. All of us at Polished Bliss have certainly felt our own purse strings stretched in recent months, and cost cutting has been the order of the day. From a business perspective, we’re certainly very aware of the need to focus on value for money in these testing times, and as a result we’ve been looking at new product lines that offer exactly that. And there is none more relevant than the brand new line up from Auto Finesse…

Auto Finesse is a specialist car detailing business based in Elsenham, right on the doorstep of London’s Stansted Airport. Originally established in 1999 as a one-man mobile valeting service covering Essex, Hertfordshire and northeast London, it has since evolved and progressed to become one of the leading providers of high-end car detailing services in the UK. In addition to services, Auto Finesse now also offers its own line of car care products, all of which were developed in-house over the last two years. This is a significant first for a UK-based detailing company, and reflects the burgeoning popularity of detailing as a hobby in recent years and changing market conditions.

Working from scratch, each product in the new Auto Finesse line was formulated and tested under both studio and real world conditions. After testing, feedback was given to the manufacturer, changes were made and further testing then took place. This process was repeated until owner James Batty was satisfied; some of the products were perfected in just a handful of test cycles, while others took literally dozens of iterations to get right. As James explains, “We set out to create a range of products for the public that would also be good enough for us to use in our studio and put our brand name to. It’s been a long haul, but all of the testing and refinement of the various formulas has been worth it. All of the products do a great job, are easy to use and are fairly priced.”

We’ve followed the progress of Auto Finesse for many years now, and we were more excited than usual when we were asked if we would like to stock their new line. Why, you may ask? Simply because we knew that Auto Finesse work to an extremely high standard, and that their development process had been thorough; in theory the products were always going to be good. However, theory is one thing and reality sometimes another, so we set about testing the entire line in our usual way, i.e. by using the products on our own cars and in our detailing studio over a period of several months. This approach allows us to check performance and usability under various conditions both at home and at work. As expected, the new line did not disappoint…

Whilst it’s fair to say that all of the products are very good, in our opinion there are a handful that perform far better than what their pricing would suggest. For starters, Citrus Power is the best pre-wash bug and grime remover we have ever used. You simply spray it on, leave it for five minutes and then pressure wash it off. In every case this will remove 99% of bug splatter and grime without stripping existing paint protection, which is quite frankly an incredible feat of chemical formulation. Moving on, Imperial works similar wonders on wheels. Like most non-acidic wheel cleaners, it requires thorough agitation, but its cleaning power is second to none – on more than one occasion we’ve felt the need to double check its pH! As an added benefit, it’s also available as a full strength concentrate, which is a bonus for professional use.

When it comes to paint protection, both Tough Coat and Spirit punch well above their weight in the marketplace. Tough Coat is a fully synthetic solvent-based paint sealant and, although no less expensive than its rivals, is ridiculously easy to use, and offers excellent durability. If you don’t have a garage and need a fuss-free product that will deliver outstanding products all year round, then look no further – it’s currently being used on several of our daily drivers for this very reason. Spirit is the premium flagship wax in the Auto Finesse range, and offers a proven six months plus of protection and easily rivals the most expensive waxes in the world for looks. Compared to the flagship products in rival wax brands, it’s a steal in every sense of the word at its current price point.

In summary then, the new Auto Finesse range has a huge amount going for it. It’s been said on several forums that it breaks no new ground and is just another formulaic new brand, but such comments are missing the point. True, none of the products are game changers in terms of what they are designed to do, but what they all offer with very few exceptions is class leading ease of use and performance at a very reasonable price point (and even when they are not quite class leading they are certainly not far off). Given the current state of the economy and that fact that we are all now feeling the pinch, it’s products like those in the new Auto Finesse line that are going to remain affordable and ensure that our love of car care and detailing endures.

Volkswagen Eos after being detailed with the full line of Auto Finesse car care products and finished with Spirit