A few newbie questions

[Bumperjazz]

First, to all who contribute, fantastic site! I stumbled here from I-club... I have a silver WRX wagon, and want to keep a nice car looking as such



I live on a dirt road--how do I keep from going insane dealing with the daily dusting the car receives? I don't have a garage or non-dusty area to detail the car either (but I'm working on finding the least-dusty area to work on it).



A Dawn wash--only Dawn, or ? I understand the idea of using Dawn, but would a more aggressive soap "strip" better?



Layering wax--if you have to wait 24 hrs, do you rewash the car between applications (may seem like an obvious thing, but you never know); if you are rewashing the car, aren't you removing a bit of the wax??



I'll leave it at that for now. Thanks for all the help--nice to get info from the pros/people who know the real deal, not just "I like this product" :bow





Jon

 

[imported_BretFraz]

First, to all who contribute, fantastic site! I stumbled here from I-club... I have a silver WRX wagon, and want to keep a nice car looking as such

Hi and welcome to Autopia. Spend some time searching the archives and reading; you'll find this place is an incredible resource of info. Also consider purchasing the Autopia Guide To Detailing if you're new to this. It's a great reference for anyone looking to expand their knowledge about car care. Find it at www.autopia-carcare.com . OK, your questions:



I live on a dirt road--how do I keep from going insane dealing with the daily dusting the car receives? I don't have a garage or non-dusty area to detail the car either (but I'm working on finding the least-dusty area to work on it).

There's really nothing you can do here. The dirt and mud can ruin all your hard work in a flash. My only suggestion to getting your car looking great is detail where you can, when you pull off the dirt road and onto pavement pull over somewhere and wipe down the car with a QD. Living on a dirt road w/o a garage is probably the toughest environment, and during winter its worse. I feel for ya.



A Dawn wash--only Dawn, or ? I understand the idea of using Dawn, but would a more aggressive soap "strip" better?

Any soap with a high alkaline rating will suffice. Dawn is easy to recommend as it's available everywhere and is well known. But if you have a detergent that is good a stripping grease and oils then that will work fine for a one-time wash.



Layering wax--if you have to wait 24 hrs, do you rewash the car between applications (may seem like an obvious thing, but you never know); if you are rewashing the car, aren't you removing a bit of the wax??

Carnauba waxes can't really be layered. Added applications just even out the protection and shine. At any rate, do not rewash; just QD the paint prior to adding another coat. You could also rinse lightly to remove light surface crud like dust or dew.



I'll leave it at that for now. Thanks for all the help--nice to get info from the pros/people who know the real deal, not just "I like this product" :bow





Jon