Very newb questions

B

black06

New member
I have several newbie questions...



1. I accidentally got scratch-x excess on plastic trim...it came off with water so I didn't think much of it, but it comes back when it dries. What consumer (something I can buy in a chain store) product will take care of that?



2. I just washed my car, then used paint cleaner on it. I'm about to polish it, but the terry cloth from using the paint cleaner left it's dust all over the car, do I need to run to the car wash (I have no hose where I'm at), wash it and then continue with the polish or can I just polish with the lint stuff on the car?



3. Can I polish using a terry cloth? The mequiars foam applicator pads seemed to cause little scratches when I used it with scratch-x...



4. What do I do before waxing? Spray the car down with compressed air to get the surface totally clean or something else?



5. Are the foam applicators really safe to put on wax? I assume I can't use terry cloth due to the lint/dust that comes off them.



Thanks in advanced
 
i only know the answer to the first question, use black-to-black or megs trim detailer. you can find them at walmart
 
I would suggest for you to use MF towels as opposed to terry towels, which, as you have seen, leaves lint on the surface. Terry cloths are also not very soft, and may possibly damage or produce swirls on the paint. I'd try to get the lint off before doing any further detailing, if you want to prevent swirls :)



For polishing, I think regular foam applicators are fine. Just make sure, as in any other detailing, that the surface is clean of any dirt/particles, which will cause damage to the paint no matter what you use.



Before waxing, I would try as much as possible to get the surface clean to work with. Otherwise, again you would be dragging particles on the paint.



I use foam applicators to apply my Turtle Wax. I don't find that it causes any scratches or anything. If other members could chime in and say otherwise, I think foam applicators are fine. Otherwise, I would get a MF applicator which also works very well and usually doesn't scratch very easily, like any other MF products.
 
Thanks for the replies. The foam applicators didn't scratch and I used MF cloths, took a long time but I finally got it about done and it looks great. Just need to get that back-to-black product and should be finished one of these days!
 
Have you tried a 50/50 dilution of isopropyl alcohol? That might work.



A QD is helpful for getting light dusting off before waxing. There are too many to mention, but for over-the-counter you could just pick up some Meg's Mist and Wipe Quik Detailer at any Target or Wal-Mart, or Meg's Final Inspection at many auto supply stores.



Also, with no hose, I would highly suggest buying some Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine (or QEW). It's really indispensable and does an excellent job. I live in a condo with only one hose/wash station for everyone, so ONRWS has become a really good friend.
 
I ended up using compressed air to blow off the dust after the paint cleaner, then usied MF cloth for the polishing, then I went over it final time, then there was hardly any dust but I used compressed air again to make sure. Took a long time!



Thanks for the suggestions, I will have to check them out tomorrow.
 
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