Focus Paint + Wheel care

[#Russ#Es#]

I thought it might be helpful to have a central place to post any tips, advise or products on anything Focus detailing. Although everyone doesn't have the time/money to keep their Focus in showroom condition, learning the right way to wash and detail the car can save a lot of money in the long run and save yourself some work.

I found a heap of really handy tips here:http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-d...ed-thread.html
Plenty in there are common sense, but I guess we get in a habit of washing/detailing a car in a certain way and don't think about what we're doing at times.

Wash tip: Many people know already, but using the two bucket method is a must. A cheap way to minimise swirl marks. More about the two bucket method here: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1582275_31.html

Wash tip: clean the wheels first - you want water to be sitting on the paint for as little time as possible to reduce the risk of water marks. I also find washing the remainder of the car a lot less of a drag when you get the most fiddly cleaning done first. Just remember to rinse your buckets out well before moving onto the paint.

Wash tip: the thing to remember when washing and drying your car is the less you actually touch the car, the better. There are plenty of detergent foamers on the market, many are expensive. I bought a garden sprayer from Big W and put my car wash in that (and use it only for washing the car), as well as use two buckets. I use it to get behind the spokes of my wheels, as well as in the guards (which isn't easy on a lowered car!). After the wheels are clean, I wet the roof and soak that with soap. I clean with a lambs wool mitt, rinse off, then do the windows only. Wipe, rinse, then wash above and below the door mould in the same way. Wash the dirtiest part of the car last, but don't use the same mitt/chamois/etc to clean the paint as the wheels.

Detailing tip: Although I haven't used every product out there and don't mean to make this sound like I work for them, but I can definitely vouch for Aerospace 303 Protectant for the rubber and plastic trim around the doors. The rubber especially fades a little with sun and washing - I've used this protectant once, over 2 months ago, and the rubber still looks great. My car stays under cover a lot though, so the more its in the weather, the more you use.

Please add your own tips or advise. If there are any particular products that you find work well with your Focus, please post it here. If mods want to sticky, please feel free.