Dear Al
We are new owners to our Betty Pucker and need some advice on the cleaning and aftercare.Ive seen so many waxes, polishes, shiners etc.
Whats the best and safest product to get the dirt off the sides and top, what do you use after cleaning ?
Its all new as been trailer tenters and used to fabsil !
Thanks

Hi Annabel, I am unable to reply to your post in thread, not your fault sometimes these things happen, anyway here are my thoughts

I am not trying to teach "Granny new tricks" so forgive me if I go back to basics.

To clean your Eriba you need a plentiful supply of water, so a hosepipe with a control gun. Microfibre cloths (avoid sponges) soft brush, car cleaning detergent (not fairy liquid) a polish of your choice and a wax of your choice.

So the way I used to do our Eriba was to start at the roof (Lowered initially and then raised to enable cleaning of the canvas). Soak the roof and keep the hosepipe handy (keeping a wet surface stops scratching from contaminants) if your Eriba is very dirty, apply the car cleaning detergent direct to your microfibre cloth / pad, and work away. Remember to keep the surface wet! Let the car cleaning detergent sit on the surface for a while after you have worked it in, but don't let it dry! Complete the lowered roof in the same manner, remember to clean the gap between the rubber strip (bump stop) as this often holds algae! And also the rain gutters, I used cotton wool balls for this.

Lift the roof, this will allow you to clean under the roof and wet the canvas, use a clean damp cloth for the canvas and just lightly wipe it (do not use detergent!).

As for the sides, back and front it's simply a matter of more of the same.

When you are happy with the cleanliness of your Eriba, do it again! Seriously, thhe first "good" wash improves it so muchh you'll be happy with it BUT wash it again and you'll be even more iimpressed.

BE CAREFUL THE ERIBBA PAINT IS VERY THIN!!!!!

If your windows are scratched then you can re-polish them using Brasso, I did a thread on this and it REALLY is worth doing, took me about 20 minutes total.

When you have washed your Eriba if it looks dull you might want to polish it annd then wax (in that order)

I use a variety of detergents, polishes, waxes and can recommend some to you later.

I found the best most cost effective Microfibre cloths are the Asda orange £3 these are big and I can dry our car after a wash with 2 of these and it's dry.

I hope this helps, please comeback if you want more information, either in thread or by pm I don't mind. You might even want to put this pm in thread as it may help others.

Best regards,

Agger aka Gray

Is your puck smooth or dimpled?

I trust Autoglym products having used them for years on cars and bikes. Use Bodywork shampoo followed by Super Resin Polish to clean and shine and Extra Gloss Protection as a wax finish. These are fine on smooth finish, but on dimpled I have read on here that the polish gets stuck in the dimples when you buff and is a bugger to remove, although I have no experience with this.

Halfords have 3 for 2 at the moment and stock the full Autoglym range plus other top brands such as Mer and Meguiars.

I've posted this in here to ensurre you get it, I've replied twice by pm but it does'nt seem to want to acknowledge it!!!!


No problem, I have no personal knowledge of Fenwicks but I guess your thinking off Bobby Dazzler? The problem with these AIO (All In One's) is that they can seal grime in! They do a great job but I prefer a dedicated car shampoo, dont be frightened to use a small amount of bleach in the process after all your washing it to polish it to wax it😂

Auto Glym shampoo is very good I use it! It can and should be used diluted but don't be frightened of using it neat on a wash mitt to cleann stubborn marks.

Hope that helps if you need more please ask away,

Best regards Agger aka Gray



PS sent again as this new system seems to be playing up!!!!😈😈😈

Quote: Agger wrote in post #4

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I have no personal knowledge of Fenwicks but I guess your thinking off Bobby Dazzler? The problem with these AIO (All In One's) is that they can seal grime in! They do a great job but I prefer a dedicated car shampoo, dont be frightened to use a small amount of bleach in the process after all your washing it to polish it to wax it😂

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Quote: Pepé Le Pew wrote in post #6

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Quote: Wordspace wrote in post #5

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However, if you begin with Fenwicks Caravan Cleaner...

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I'd begin with just a hosepipe and my hand. You can feel dirt and grit with your bare fingers in a way you never could if they're stuck in a mitt or wrapped in a cloth, and it won't get picked up by or embedded in your skin.

I've rinsed cars before washing them this way for years, and I do the van like this too. It's extra faff, and you do get wetter, and occasionally you do end up with cowshit or scraps of roadkill on your hands, but your paintwork will thank you for it.

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