Paint Cleansing

To start off with we had better clear up one simple point; cleansing the paint is not the same as polishing the paint. Cleansers should be exactly that, tough, cleaning agents that remove blemishes and mild oxidisation with a combination of chemistry and a bit of elbow-grease.

Polishes are generally a one step cleaner/protectant that rely heavily on abrasives to get the cleaning side of the job done and use either silicones or polymer resins to handle the protecting bit. We do make a Polish that we use on our cars that are raced regularly, as they are great for touch ups on the go and creating a bit more aerodynamic slip (that's what we tell ourselves anyway!). But on anything that won't get a new coat of paint every 10 years or so, we don't allow polish near them.

Why? You may ask. Well, whilst I don't want to knock them as they do have their time and place. I'll cut to the chase; if you have a collector car (that's a very broad term, covering past/present and future classics) with an original coat of paint, you don't want to use a polish, as the harsh abrasives found in most polishes do a good job of what they are employed to do; strip off an ultra-fine layer of paint, to expose a new layer underneath. Given that paint is on average 50 -150 microns thick (that makes a bee's look big, trust me!), this should only be done as a last resort, if at all.

Polishes, along with most "one step miracle" products ("Cleaner Wax" is just re-named polish.) tend to either do one of their two tasks well at the expense of the other, or do both poorly.

The one step method that uses cleaning and protecting in one easy action, either protects too much and builds residue up on itself or does not supply enough of a protecting barrier and your paint goes backwards, you naturally use more of the polish to gain back some of your shine, this works just for long enough, before you lose your glow again and before you can say "Killer Shine", your back in the auto store buying more polish.

A balance can be reached...I'll tell you when we get there!

Don't get us wrong, not all polishes are bad, especially if you have a car that only needs quick 'one-step' maintenance. Please, just think whether or not your car is suitable. We own a 1967 XRGT Falcon that still has it's factory paint on and is in pretty good order. If the previous owner of that car chose the polish path of cleansing and protecting, instead of the separate cleansing and waxing method. She would be like 95% of the other XRGT's out there and re-sprayed therefore, in our opinion, devalued.

The majority of the cars in our collection fall into two categories; either immaculately restored, or entirely original. So when we created our pre-wax paint cleanser, we formulated it to deal with either new clear coats or old fragile acrylic coats, these range from our 1940 Ford Business man's coupe through to our freshest coat, the Beechey HT GTS 350 Monaro. Gentle but effective is definitely the motto of our pre-wax paint cleanser.

Few car care companies understand just how important it is to retain original coats of paint. We do, and we want the motoring enthusiast's of Australia to know that they can now buy a product from a local manufacturer that is focused on the goal of paint longevity. We know not everyone wants a new coat of paint on his or her car every 10 years and when you regularly use the Bowden's Own range, this only becomes an option, not a necessity.

Bowden's Own Auto Body Cleanser has a dual purpose; to renew your cars original lustre and to prepare the surface for Bowden's Own Auto Body Perfection. In applying the Auto Body Cleanser the rubbing action combined with active ingredients create a positive charge on the surface of the paint. This enables the Auto Body Perfection to bond to the surface with tenacity, ensuring an even smooth surface that lasts. If you follow the directions on the bottle and follow up with the Auto Body Perfection, expect your car to glow and most importantly, expect your paint to last.

"How We Paint Cleanse Our Cars"

•  To start, we ensure that the car has been thoroughly washed and dried. It's surface is cool to touch and is out of direct sunlight.

•  Then we assess the cars paint; does it really require a thorough going over? Run your fingertips gently over your paint, does it feel rough and look as though there are particles bonded to the cars surface? If so, it needs cleansing. Then you have to assess the paints condition; Is it fragile old paint? If your answer is "yes", then only give the car a mild once over to develop a bonding agent for the wax. If the car has been re-sprayed, or you are planning to get a new coat in the near future, go as hard as you want. If it is the original coat and that is the way you want it to stay, then only use reasonably gentle strokes when applying and buffing off the Auto Body Cleanser. Remember, this is clear coat safe and very gentle, so short of going ballistic with a buffing wheel, your car is getting cleansed by the safest paint cleanser you can buy!

•  Shake Well! Apply a flat, 50 cent piece size dollop of Auto Body Cleanser to a micro fibre applicator pad, or if you can't get one of those a 100% cotton terry towel cloth will do. Fold the cloth into quarters or halves depending on size. If you bunch the cloth up in your hand, the Auto Body Cleanser is not evenly distributed over the paints surface. TIP; Really make sure the car is dry, why? Well water actually compounds how effective the cleanser works, meaning it makes it a tougher cleanser. It can also be annoying when your nice even strokes are broken by a droplet, escaping from behind that beautiful chrome badge. So dry that car!

•  Remember; The less you use, the easier it is and the better the results! Work on one small area of the car at a time, I like breaking down large panels into quadrants. This minimizes the chance of missing a section. Please start on a small inconspicuous area to assess suitability. We have never had a complaint, other than when people have used the Auto Body Cleanser thinking it would have some real cutting "oomph". Make no mistakes; this is the baby shampoo of the paint-cleansing world. For the record, we are working on a tougher paint cleanser to cater for those whose cars need more attention.

• As with all car care products, when first applying, find an out of direct eyesight panel, to test suitability on.
  
• Then use either a back and forth motion, (just imagine the manner in which the spray painter applied the paint to your cars surface and mimic this.) or use the traditional circular method you are comfortable with. Remove with a clean micro fibre/ terry towel cloth. The drying time will vary with your climate and the conditions under which you are cleansing. Our chemist likes to remove the cleanser whilst it is still wet, we let it haze a little bit. If it dries completely it is more difficult to remove. All depends on what your into really.

• Inspect the car to ensure all the residue is buffed away. Then gently run your dry fingertips over the paints surface to ensure it feels smooth and ready for the Auto Body Perfection.

Well done! Feels good doesn't it?! But don't rest on your laurels now.

The paint is currently exposed and if you don't protect it with a nourishing sealant before it gets exposed to the elements, you're in for a degenerating paint job.

This leads us on to our next section; Paint Protecting.