Car Cleaning/Care FAQ

What to do to keep your car looking and running like new, inside and out.
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mikebai1990
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Post by mikebai1990 »

Hit everything right on the spot, eaglecatcher!
Evaunits01
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Post by Evaunits01 »

Alright more questions for you detailing folks. Oh and thanks for the eaglecatcher, but i still got loads of questions before i do full detailing.
Ill try to make this short.

When i bought the car they should have put wax on it already i'm assuming. Yet you say that with layer of wax all crap comes straight off. Since my car is basically covered my spots of grasshopper crap... (stupid things...) its basically implying my car isn't waxed.

So my questions are....

1) Assuming my car isn't waxed should i still claybar?
2) Assuming my car isn't waxed should i use the bug remover thing even though its harsh.
3) How do i get rid of those "marring" on my paint? Polisher buffing?
4) How do i polish and buff?
5) What products do you recommend for the processes mention above?
(I already bought turtle wax and wash, just need polisher soon.)

*Note: My car was bought in April, so if my car was waxed, do i need to wax it again?
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mikebai1990
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Post by mikebai1990 »

1. Yes, definitely claybar.

2. Yes, use the bug remover if your car isn't waxed. The bug remover won't damage your clearcoat, if it's designed for paint. You don't have to worry about paint damage, but rather having protection put on after the bug remover.

3. Marring can only be gotten rid of with proper polishing with a rotary/orbital machine.

4. You can go onto autopia.org for more information on polishing. It's a time consuming process (a full polishing takes at least 6 hours or so), and requires a lot of research.

5. Again, you'll have to check out autopia. There are way too many choices for polishes. If you are serious about polishing, I can definitely help you out.

6. Yes, if your car was waxed in April, chances are the dealer didn't use any good/durable wax. Definitely wax it again.
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PureLife
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Post by PureLife »

Your best detailing tool is weather.com.

Keep that in mind ... it always rains a day after I wash. I think I'm just gonna stop washing for the rest of time.
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eaglecatcher
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Post by eaglecatcher »

PureLife wrote:Your best detailing tool is weather.com.

Keep that in mind ... it always rains a day after I wash. I think I'm just gonna stop washing for the rest of time.
whenever I decide to wax my car, it always rains right as I'm finishing up. I've waxed my car about 3 times since I bought it, and eachtime, it has started raining while doing the waxing.
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Evaunits01
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Post by Evaunits01 »

Alright guys. I'm going to wax my car this weekend and i need some tips of what to do exactly. Plus claybar

1) Wash Car, Clay Bar, Wax?
2) I still havent gotten rid of those damn pesky bug stuff even after washing and i'm wondering will claybar get rid of those.
3) How long does Wax take before it really settles in. Reason why is because if i wax my car and i'm called out to do something then i have to drive out there... ROAR!
4) What things do i need in order to do the things stated in #1.
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Post by Mcfly »

Has anyone heard of 5 Star Shine? I was looking at it because I park outside
in Central Florida, and it's murder on the finish. Waxing once a month is an exhausting option, especially when it's 92 degrees. http://www.5starshine.com is where you can find the stuff, and a friend said it's worth it.....
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eaglecatcher
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Post by eaglecatcher »

Evaunits01 wrote:Alright guys. I'm going to wax my car this weekend and i need some tips of what to do exactly. Plus claybar

1) Wash Car, Clay Bar, Wax?
2) I still havent gotten rid of those damn pesky bug stuff even after washing and i'm wondering will claybar get rid of those.
3) How long does Wax take before it really settles in. Reason why is because if i wax my car and i'm called out to do something then i have to drive out there... ROAR!
4) What things do i need in order to do the things stated in #1.
1)yeah. Unless you're gonna polish, which I highly doubt your car needs it (you have a fairly new car don't you?), then wash, clay, and wax. Personally, I wash it twice, and then clay, and then wax, and then I wait a day or two and wax it again (washing it first before waxing).
2) claying will most likely get it off, just use lots of lube lol
3) you can drive your car right after, but it usually takes about a day or two for the wax to cure
4) there should be a list either by me or by someone else that encompasses pretty much everything you need. Car washing supplies are expensive, but for the shine you get, a drive thru doesn't even come close.
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mikebai1990
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Post by mikebai1990 »

Evaunits01, look at the first page. It'll basically cover what you need.

Car wash: You need car shampoo and 1-2 wash mitts. If you have a Carquest near you, get the Duragloss 901 Car Wash Shampoo. Highly regarded by professional detailers. Otherwise I'd recommend Meguiars Gold Class. Read the first page about the 2-bucket wash. It's important

Clay Bar: You can get ClayMagic from Autozone or Meguiars Clay/Mother's Clay. I'd recommend ClayMagic. Cheap, and they were the ones who "invented" it in the beginning.

Wax: Yea you can get any of that Mother's/Meguiars stuff, but most of it just aren't durable enough for proper use. You're gonna need to reapply after 3-4 weeks, which is quite cumbersome IMO. If you must use over-the-counter products, check our your local Carquest and buy some Duragloss 105 sealant and some Duragloss 951 (Aquawax). Great products that will produce a beautiful shine and at least 5-6 months durability.

Not trying to solely advertise Duragloss products, but if you really need/want to buy locally, Duragloss is the only product that will give you a good line-up with excellent products. If you were willing to buy online, I'd recommend a bunch of other stuff as well.
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Post by .insane »

my friend does a lot of detailing work for a exotic car dealership (bugattis,lambos, ferraris, and that type of stuff) and he swears by zymol products any of you have any experience with zymol cuz that stuff is expensive as crap
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Post by .insane »

paul34 wrote:
.insane wrote:my friend does a lot of detailing work for a exotic car dealership (bugattis,lambos, ferraris, and that type of stuff) and he swears by zymol products any of you have any experience with zymol cuz that stuff is expensive as crap
Many of Zymol's higher end products are indeed expensive and proven, but there are plenty of other products which can do just as well for much, much cheaper. In fact, Zymol isn't really about durability which is really what matters for a daily driver.
thanks paul you want to give me the best suggestions because I recently got a paint job and like to keep the car with a showroom finish, i mainly use turtle wax products but you have any good suggestions i have the cloths and buffers and water filters even though i have soft water but i need good product and don't want to spend more than $150 on them
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mikebai1990
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Post by mikebai1990 »

What kind of wax should I buy? Plus some Terminology

This question has been asked many times and can be a daunting task considering the plethora of products that you can use. I'll try to clarify everything as best I can.

First some definitions.

Polishing: Generally involves using a machine buffer to remove surface imperfections on the paint. Imperfections include swirling, scratches, or bird poo etchings. This requires at the very least lots of reading and research on suitable polishes. Note that regular waxes that claim to "hide" or "remove swirls" can't really do so. The closest you can get to removing imperfections by hand is using a product like Meguiars ScratchX. Even so, it is unrealistic and would take probably 30-40 hours for complete a full polish of a car by hand. A machine is the best way to polish, since their movement is significantly faster and more powerful. Good polishes: Optimum Compound/Polish, Menzerna, Poorboys SSR, Meguiars #83+#80.

Waxing: This is what you use to protect your car. While this may provide more shine, note that a full polishing and a good preparation is what really makes the car look good.

Alright, onto waxes. Note that there are generally speaking, two types of protection for car paint. One is a carnauba wax, the other a sealant. Generally speaking, sealants give more durability, while carnauba's are better in looks instead of durability. Notice that this is general, and there are exceptions.

Most waxes bought at local Walmart's, Autozone, Pepboys, Targets, aren't really good enough to provide proper protection. Examples include Mother's waxes, Meguiars waxes (there are a few that are quite good, though), Turtle Wax, NuFinish... They may claim 1 year of durability, but in reality, most of the waxes/sealants can only last 3-4 weeks. The looks are okay, but not great.

If you must buy over-the-counter products, I'd highly recommend you go to your local Carquest and try out the Duragloss lineup. Their sealant is 105, their spray wax is called Aquawax (951). The sealant will provide an excellent shine, can lasts up to 6-7 months. The Aquawax is a relatively durable spray wax and lasts up to 2 months by itself. I always use Aquawax as a "topper" after washes to maintain the slickness of the paint and to provide a sacrificial layer of protection on top of my base sealant. The 105 is about $8 for 16 oz, and Aquawax is around $7 for 22 oz. See, if anything, the prices are actually cheaper than that Meguiars NXT or Gold Class stuff..

For Meguiars products, I've heard that #26 (sold at Autozone) is an excellent sealant for darker colors. I'd definitely try this out before buying any of the Turtle Wax/Mother's waxes.

At some local NAPA's. they also sell Collinite #845 carnauba wax (15 oz). This is also a very durable carnauba wax (see, exception?) which provides around 5 months of durability. Looks great, though I don't think it looks as nice as Duragloss 105. Around $9.00.

If you can go online and buy stuff, here are some choices.

Awesome looks, not so good durability: Pinnacle Souveran, Poorboys Natty's Blue, Poorboys Natty's Red, Chemicals Guys 5050, Chemicals Guys Pete.

Great durability, pretty good looks: Ultima, Zaino, Jeff Werkstatt's, Meguiars #16

Whew... So as I said, there are many choices, but for most people, if they aren't willing to order online, I think that Duragloss will be the best choice.
Last edited by mikebai1990 on Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by .insane »

thanks bro really informative i think ill buy some mothers, ive heard of nanowax but i heard it peels
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Post by mikebai1990 »

What is the proper method of applying wax?

I think a major issue that many people complain of is that their wax is very hard to remove. What they don't realize is that they are applying the wax wayyy thicker than they're supposed to. Instead of lathering all that wax and smearing it all over the paint, the application of wax should be so thin that it is visible from only certain angles. The point is that the actual wax which bonds to the paint in on such a small molecular level that all that lather just gets buffed off in the end. You're just wasting time and product.

You can use a foam applicator or a microfiber applicator. If it's a paste wax, slightly rub it against the wax. If it's a liquid wax, put 3-4 dots of product onto your applicator. Apply the wax in a circular motion. Applying in a straight motion is fine as well, but I find it harder to spread the wax properly. Apply THINLY, and the removal will be just fine.
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Post by Evaunits01 »

So i just did my first full on detail (for the most part)
Included wash/clay/wax.

I noticed that i most likely used too much wax. So how do i go about removing it? Just let it do its business or should i remove it pronto?
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