Club 80-90 Forums

Has anyone come across the notion of adding a few drops of paraffin into your car wash bucket, I have recently been told that somebody whom somebody knew was a driver for a town mayor whom had a classic 1950`s vehicle for attending functions, his job was also to keep it clean, apparently the paraffin would work into the side of the panels and stop the car from squeeking and corroding. I wondered if this might help us from the dreaded seam rash.

Nope. Besides, paints have changed. All you're doing really is leaving an oily surface and it will attract grime. A good wash n' wax shampoo is a better bet. Carnuba wax excellent - for the price. Even pound shops sell it now.

I have started to use Showroom Shine https://www.greasedlightning.co.uk/prod ... 8753674627
and a cheaper, https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1thinner version, to clean my van.

I know it's counter-intuitive to wipe the dirt over before washing it off, but provided you do it regularly, use lots of microfibre cloths, and the dirt is not excessive, it seems to work well.
The carnuba wax layer seems to build up over time, and rainwater beads up really well.

The advantage for me is that I can clean the van in stages. I can spend 10 or 15 minutes cleaning a few panels, then come back to it a day or two later to finish it off. And no need to mess about with leathers, buckets, shampoo and water.

I also keep a bottle of the stuff in the van so I can clean it when I'm on a campsite.

I would still use water if the van was really minging, or in winter when I need to hose salt off, but to keep the van looking good, and used regularly, this system works for me.

NicBeeee wrote:Has anyone come across the notion of adding a few drops of paraffin into your car wash bucket,

That's how they used to clean trains.

Paraffin will remove polish, i'd not bother

I remember using coolant mixed with edm dielectric (paraffin) to clean machines in the toolroom when I was an apprentice, it was surprisingly effective.

I was talking to a retired bodyshop painter about looking after the matt finish on my ex-army truck and he told me the army would just wipe them down with diesel.

For anyone who, like me, finds this thread because they're a complete noob and they were looking for advice about what product to use just to wash their van and pop top, here's what I ended up learning:

All the advice I saw on the internet was about posh shampoo, special caravan cleaning products, things you wipe on without water, etc. I bought my van with some pretty heavy mouldy green slime on it, black spots all over the white roof, it has rusty bits... thought I'd need something special. Spent ages googling.

Today I washed the whole van with Aldi's 75p washing up liquid, hot water and a little green scrubby sponge thing for the black spots. It's come up beautiful!

Whether I should have then added some sort of wax product to then help address future rust... I have no idea! I definitely didn't add paraffin! Any advice welcome...

I thought washing up liquid was full of salt and not reccomended?

itchyfeet wrote:I thought washing up liquid was full of salt and not reccomended?

Yep quickest way to get seem rash and fade the paint.

Can't tell you how much this made me laugh. OKAY NOT WASHING UP LIQUID THEN. Thanks for setting me straight. You wouldn't think anyone could be SUCH a beginner that they can't even wash their car properly.

Come on then people, what should I have used?

itchyfeet wrote:I thought washing up liquid was full of salt and not reccomended?

Taste it and see?

I remember my dad used a few drops of washing up liquid to wash his work van every day. Never faded!







It was white to begin with though. And this was 45 years ago.

Aspetc wrote:Can't tell you how much this made me laugh. OKAY NOT WASHING UP LIQUID THEN. Thanks for setting me straight. You wouldn't think anyone could be SUCH a beginner that they can't even wash their car properly.

Come on then people, what should I have used?

If It's a one off to remove grime then no problem but not a good thing to wash regularly, I'd add some wax or use wax shampoo now because the washing up liquid has taken all the wax off.

Go easy with polish too, my tin top has origional paint for alot of the panels and in places like sharp edges it's almost gone through to primer

Thanks Itchyfeet, just what I needed to know. I doubt this van has seen wax from at least its last couple of owners so I'll give that a try when I find the time.