How long does it take you?

[leggy]

Hey guys
Just curious as to how long you spend cleaning your Classic Audi's?...
and I'm not talking stripping/cleaning of engines, cleaning the engine bay or any under-carriage works here!

These being my usual time scales ->

A quick wash and chamois, either with Mer in hot water or with soapy water and rinse, (inc tyre gel & glass) usually takes me about an hour.

A good wash & wax, so soapy wash, rinse and chamois, followed by tyre gel, glass cleaning, black trims & waxing of bodywork, usually takes me about 5hours.

First full-on clean up of the year (inc tyre gel, glass cleaning, black trims & waxing) usually takes me about 6hours; baring in mind that my boy is used daily and is kept outside, doesnt get washed over the cold/wet winter months, and that I usually give the window rubbers, sunroof seal and black trims a good scrub with a toothbrush to get rid of any green algae build up before I even get started on the general washing and polishing!

For a pre-show/meet clean up, well everything gets a thorough going over then, including the interior, so it can take me anything from 6hours to a couple of afternoons, and that's without another wipe over with a micro-fibre cloth once at the show/meet venue!


NB. I should perhaps point out that I have to carry 5-6 buckets of water up/down a flight of stairs in order to wash and then rinse my boy (although 1-2 times a year one of my neighbours does let me use his hose-pipe for the rinsing!), and that I dont use any fancy polishing gadgets, just good old "wax-on wax-off" elbow grease (in other words, it's all done by hand!).


So who'd like to start?

[sinbin5t]

It takes me quite a while leggy as i can never remember where all the cleaning stuff is
but once i get sorted and start on the job it usually takes me a little longer than you.

[ovalking]

I haven't actually timed it, but I allocate a day for a full clean. Usually washing in the morning, polishing afternoon. You really need to polish the same day to avoid smearing dirt around.
I couldn't put up with all that up and down with buckets leggy! Two buckets is enough for me.
Also, for rinsing I use rain water (out of water butt) for less water marks.

[terrywindy1]

As it was so hot and sunny today got up at 7.30 am and washed all 4 Audi's by 10 am
But I did spend all day yesterday taking all the seats out and vax'ed carpets on the Audi 100 to get last winters mud and newfie slobber and fur out

[cjp0349]

Like your boy leggy mine lives outside too, so it's three quarters of an hour for the weekly wash and dry (five watering cans of clean water pre wash and another five to rinse) a couple of hours for the monthly interior vac, external wash/dry and QED Angel Wax and about four hours plus for the quarterly full monty.
All weather dependant of course

Terywindy1 that wasn't you who flashed me from the opposite carriageway on the M6 near Carnforth in your Avant just over a month ago was it?

[leggy]

Originally Posted by sinbin5t

It takes me quite a while leggy as i can never remember where all the cleaning stuff is
but once i get sorted and start on the job it usually takes me a little longer than you.

You should do what I do sinbin5t...
get yourself a plastic lidded box and store all ya cleaning stuff in it, in the boot!

I can understand the 5T and Stormtrooper taking longer as they're bigger cars, but Interlooper is about the same size as mine, right?

[leggy]

Originally Posted by ovalking

I haven't actually timed it, but I allocate a day for a full clean. Usually washing in the morning, polishing afternoon. You really need to polish the same day to avoid smearing dirt around.
I couldn't put up with all that up and down with buckets leggy! Two buckets is enough for me.
Also, for rinsing I use rain water (out of water butt) for less water marks.

Cant say that I'm too keen on the bucket situation either ovalking...
even after 16yrs of living in my flat, but my boy wouldnt get cleaned if I didnt do it, albeit I only clean him every 2-4weeks when the weather is good, making sure of course (like you say) that I give myself enough time to wash & wax the same day.

[leggy]

Originally Posted by terrywindy1

As it was so hot and sunny today got up at 7.30 am and washed all 4 Audi's by 10 am
But I did spend all day yesterday taking all the seats out and vax'ed carpets on the Audi 100 to get last winters mud and newfie slobber and fur out

Jeez terrywindy1...
2.5hrs to clean 4 Audi's?! like how? what's your secret? I think the fastest that I've ever managed to clean my boy is 40mins and that was only a quick wash without chamois as it started to rain!

Your V8 is looking pretty lush btw

[Isimmo]

No idea, can't be asked... Would sooner be out there thrashing the arse off the things and enjoying them before the world contrives to prevent fire breathing monsters on the public highway....

[leggy]

Originally Posted by cjp0349

Like your boy leggy mine lives outside too, so it's three quarters of an hour for the weekly wash and dry (five watering cans of clean water pre wash and another five to rinse) a couple of hours for the monthly interior vac, external wash/dry and QED Angel Wax and about four hours plus for the quarterly full monty.
All weather dependant of course ...

I'm guessing that you dont have stairs cjp0349...
10 watering cans and I'd be done in!

Takes me 1.5hrs just to get extension lead set up and put away when I hoover the interior, so it's not something that I do too often.

Agreed on the weather dependant bit too...
darn annoying when you see that the weather forecast is guna be good and you're all set for a cleaning session, and then wham, the grey clouds appear just as you've built up the motivation or drank a cuppa prior to even getting the job started.
[EDIT] And dont you just hate it when you get up the next day and a bl**** bird has pooped all over your lovely shiny paintwork?,