Yet another Noob...

B

BlueNiteDragon

New member
Hello all!



I've got a 2000 Dodge Intrepid ES with leather seats. The car looks great- was maintained very well by the previous owner. I'd like to continue on that note.



I live in an apartment with no garage or shelter for my car. There's no garden hose access or out-door power outlets. My options for washing my car are the automatic brush washes (which I hate), touchless automatic car washes, or the manual power wash bays.



I have no delusions of my car ever becoming the center attraction at a car show. I just want to protect her so she'll last as long as possible and still look great.



What are the essentials I would need to keep my car clean without spending bukoo bucks on show-room quality products? I'm talking AIO type things, easy to apply without power tools, and doesn't take all day long with endless steps and prep/waiting time. Also, it'd be nice if some/all of the applicators and other such supplies had multiple functions, instead of having a whole drawer full of specific cloths, towels, sponges, pads, and brushes.



I see a lot of these pre-treated disposable wipes on the shelves. These would fit the bill for convenience and price, but are they any good?



I did get Mother's California Gold Clay Bar System, which includes an instant detailer and cleaner wax. I also grabbed Meguire's leather cleaning & conditioning wipes because the seats looked a little dry from winter.



Simple, quick, inexpensive, and effective. That's what I'm looking for. Any suggestions?
 
hey welcome to autopia. I think ONR (Optimum No Rinse) would be a good car wash because you don't need a hose. It's not super cheap but it will work well in your situation.
 
If I was in your position, I would get:



Optimum No-Rinse for washes (order online)

1Z Metallic PolishWax to clean the paint by hand (order online)

Collinite 845 to wax the car (Carquest)

Meguiar's Interior Quick Detailer for the interior (any auto parts store)

Mother's Reflections Tire car for tires (any auto parts store)



Lay out 45 or 50 bucks and you'll be set for years. Unless you get bit by the detailing bug :).
 
I'm in a similar situation regarding the apartment. For my weekly washes I use Optimum No Rinse (ONR) and the Optimum Car Wax which is a spray on wax and that combo works pretty well for me. I generally only use the wax ever other wash or even just once a month.



I just fill up a 4 gal bucket with warm water throw in the ONR along with my wash mit. I put my wax, tire dressing, and glass cleaner in a bag with a few micro fibers and an applicator for the tires and then carry those downstairs to my car and wash it wherever it's parked. The spray wax is pretty nice because I just mist each panel after I'm done washing and then dry it off with the MF like normal. My wheels have a pattern that's kind of a pain to clean so those take a little extra time, but the rest of the exterior I can do easily in 30 min and I'm still working on getting my process and technique down.
 
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