A bit of confusion for a first timer...

R

Redem

New member
Hi.



I recently brought my first new car and really would like to keep it that way. I have had the car about 5 months and have not done anything but your normal wash.



What exactly do I need to do here to get on the right track?



I figured I would wash, dry, and clay, but then what? Should I go right to waxing or is there another step inbetween? Do I need to clay everytime I wax? Do I really need to wash by hand or is a local car wash/DIY type thing ok?



I know this stuff is probably asked every day, I have been going through the articles and threads here and will continue to research.



Thanks for the help!
 
the paint is pretty new, so I would wash, dry, clay and apply some sealant or wax



doubt you'll need much polishing unless you have swirled paint already
 
first off... :welcome ! after you wash your car, check and feel for above surface contaminants & swirls/scratches as well, and evalute from there... by the way, what kind of car?
 
Redem said:
I figured I would wash, dry, and clay, but then what?
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I agree that the above link has some great tips, one thing I'll add: don't dry before you clay, it's a waste of time. You need plenty of lube while claying, and some people even just use soapy water as lube. Drying before you clay is just an unnecessary step.
 
All of the above. Also, use only a non-detergent car wash soap and sheepskin or microfiber mitts. Stay away from chamois, they are notorious for pulling and stretching the protective coating. Instead, use 100% cotton terry or 70/30 Microfiber waffle weave for drying the finish, the later is the best of the two.
 
Thanks for all the help, I have been reading a lot but still have some questions.



I need help picking a wax. It seems a synthetic/sealant is the best choice for me. I am looking for something quick and easy, hopefully a spay, and also something that will last me a few months atleast. Are the meg nxt waxes worth my time? Do they make any sort of spray on waxes?





I am also a bit confused on towels. I am in need of a good drying towel and something that will work well for the quick detailing inbetween washes. What brand and towel would you guys reccommend for this?
 
pigcorn said:
Not sure on that don't dry tip. Seems to me that you are giving the water too much time to dry on your car as you clay each panel.
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I guess it depends on how you clay... I leave the car wet, use lube, and then hose off each section after I clay it. So I always have the hose handy, and it's easier to give the car a few sprays with the hose to keep it wet while I work.



Just my $.02
 
jaobrien6 said:
I guess it depends on how you clay... I leave the car wet, use lube, and then hose off each section after I clay it. So I always have the hose handy, and it's easier to give the car a few sprays with the hose to keep it wet while I work.



Just my $.02
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In some areas, that would be considered a waste of water.

In fact, some cities fine people for washing with a hose bc of drought conditions.
 
Redem said:
Thanks for all the help, I have been reading a lot but still have some questions.



I need help picking a wax...



I am also a bit confused on towels. I am in need of a good drying towel and something that will work well for the quick detailing inbetween washes. What brand and towel would you guys reccommend for this?
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I'd use Collinite 845 Insulator Wax. Better durability than most and very easy to use.



I dry with waffle-weave micorfibers from places like Welcome to Exceldetail.com! or Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing Supplies & Accessories . Places like that also have very soft/fluffy MFs for your QDing, but I can't seem to QD a vehicle without instilling some degree of marring :(
 
Go to Odd Lots and pick up some turtle wax platinum car wash ($4), interior protectant ($3). Then go to Wal-mart and go the housewares section for your waffle weave MF towels ($3) for drying your car, also pick up some other MF towels in the car care section ($5). Another nod to Collinite 845 Insulator Wax for its ease of use and durability ($15). You can pick up a clay magic or mothers clay bar kit from any car care section of most major car parts or wal-mart ($15). As you can see I try not to spend too much money on maintaining a nice shine on my car. I hope this helps.
 
Balthazarr said:
In some areas, that would be considered a waste of water.

In fact, some cities fine people for washing with a hose bc of drought conditions.
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I use far, far less water keeping the car wet than I do washing/rinsing in the first place. Yes, if you're under drought conditions, and using something like ONR, then obviously this doesn't apply. :rolleyes:
 
Accumulator said:
I'd use Collinite 845 Insulator Wax. Better durability than most and very easy to use.



I dry with waffle-weave micorfibers from places like Welcome to Exceldetail.com! or Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing Supplies & Accessories . Places like that also have very soft/fluffy MFs for your QDing, but I can't seem to QD a vehicle without instilling some degree of marring :(
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+1 on the Collinite 845. Great stuff, and available OTC in some areas (not mine, though I haven't tried the boat dealers).



Get the best waffle weave drying towels you can, like the ones Accumulator recommended. Target has some pretty good general purpose MF towels for windows, dusting, and such. Somewhat bigger and fluffier than those from Wal-Mart or Auto Zone.
 
Well, I picked uo a cheap cheepskin mit and microfiber waffleweave towel. Hopefully they will do for the weekend...





I would like to get this all done saturday. What decent wax can I find in my local walmart, autozone, so on?
 
Redem said:
I would like to get this all done saturday. What decent wax can I find in my local walmart, autozone, so on?
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You might check the yellow pages for autobody/paint supply places, they often have a wide range of products on hand (including the DuraGloss, ProWax, and Meguiar's Professional lines). And boat/marine shops might have Collinite.
 
Well, everything went well and the car looks great. My steps were...



wash, dry, clay, some scratch remover for a scratch, and wax. All products were your average meg autozone type products.



A few more questions I have. Are wax and sealant the same thing? Since my paint is new I did not polish, glaze, so on. What do these steps add and in what order should I use them?





Is this the correct order? Wash,dry,clay,swirl/scratch/paint repair products, polish, seal/wax?



Thanks for the help guys. I will be reading up more on detailing and upgrading products asap.
 
Redem said:
Well, everything went well and the car looks great. My steps were...



wash, dry, clay, some scratch remover for a scratch, and wax. All products were your average meg autozone type products...
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Glad to hear it turned out so well. Give some thought to the "not broke/don't fix" approach ;) Being around this site can make you think you need bigger/better/faster/more when what you're already doing might be just fine.



A few more questions I have. Are wax and sealant the same thing? Since my paint is new I did not polish, glaze, so on. What do these steps add and in what order should I use them?
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Different manufacturers use words like "polish", "glaze" and "wax" in different ways so it can be tough to generalize. But, uhm, generally speaking :o



Waxes are based on natural ingredients like carnauba; sealants are man-made synthetics. Both do about the same thing and neither is necessarily better/worse.



Polishes are usually abrasive in the common parlance, and are used to remove marring (scratches, swirls, etc.).



Glazes are "nonabrasive polishes" that are like "makeup for paint". The fill imperfections temporarily and add gloss. They are often incompatible with sealants but work fine with waxes.



Using those definitions, the process would be: wash; clay; polish; glaze; wax.



If you use a sealant it'd be: wash; clay; polish; sealant; wax (optional).



But some newer glazes work OK under sealants too so you gotta know your products.



Repeat: if you like your current results, don't assume you need to make this a big, complicated process ;)
 
For good quality over the counter products, you can't beat Meguiars. They are so reasonably priced you feel ok using them more often. The Gold Class line does a good job. I currently am testing NXT on 2 vehicles (not the car in my avatar, it's Menzerna). Been about 1 month and so far so good on durability. Not the greatest shine, but not too bad.
 
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