I'm new!! - please advise on protecting car paint

Welcome! Take a deep breath. There are many treatments. I just use a liquid wax myself. But I do clay bar. That stuff is wonderful!!!!!! I had it done just weeks after getting the car as I had rail/industrial dust embedded in the paint. Read the instructions carefully though and keep it wet.

 

I use Meguiar's liquid cleaning wax. It helps prevent build up like paste wax.

I also use Meguiar's Clay Bar kit. I now do it before every wax because it is the only way to truly clean my Blizzard Pearl. It doesn't add a lot of time to the process really once you get good at it:

 

Slightly off topic..but fundamentally related.

When I was young, I owned several vehicles that I obsessively cared about keeping as clean and protected as possible...

Then about 6 years ago, I got a 11-12 year old used Honda Accord. Well I still cared, but since it was already "old" appearance maintenance often was just a ride through a automated car wash. ( I do NOT recommend this if you have a new vehicle and care about appearance) but anyway I had about 6+ years where I did not keep up with car care products or advice.

Recently with my new car, I'm back to caring....and shunning the automated car wash. What I have discovered is that in my 6 year hiatus...suddenly everyone is Clay Baring and everything you buy that touches your vehicle is Micro-Fiber.

Well call me the middle aged sceptic...but I remember being able to keep my vehicle looking IMO almost showroom quality clean and shiny, when almost nobody clay barred and nobody owned a Micro-Fiber wash mit.

Now suddenly if I don't periodically commit to rubbing clay all over my vehicle so that I can look at the lump afterwards and go "Golly...look at them specs!" or put my hand in a plastic bag and go "Oooh smooth" as I run it over the surface of the vehicle..then I'm just not keeping up with the hip crowd.

I've waxed and polished since I've bought my vehicle. But I just can't get into clay bar and why I need microscopic removal of particles that aren't even visible.

Plus visit your local auto supply center...you'd think you could never clean a car without Micro-Fiber...I don't know how I used to do it?

Alright end of rant.

Clay Bar enthusiasts can tell me how wonderful rubbing clay all over their vehicle is, and how it leaves them with a finish rivaling the shine of the Hope Diamond. But 6 years of driving a vehicle where my only decision was $5.00 for the straight drive thru, or $10.00 for the super deluxe drive thru that made the extra row of nozzles spray some type of extra foam on my vehicle...has left me complacent and lazy.

Turtle Wax Ice..a few buckets...a good brand name car wash...and a few hours and I'm happy....

 

I only clay bar prior to buffing.

I am not a fan of Turtle Wax Ice. I bought some to try and hated it. I do use it on my 32' camper though since there is so much surface to deal with!

The most protective wax is Collinite. That stuff will still bead water after a year!

 

Listen, I think I just need more coffee today. Really? You want to clay bar...it's probably great.

As far as Turtle Wax Ice...well I'm using the Wax Ice Polish PASTE...and I like it. But I admit that it's not as good as Zaino, and probably not as good as many Meguiars or Mothers products.

But Turtle Wax Ice is incredibly easy to use. No white residue. And while perhaps if I took identical cars and placed them side to side, I might see the difference...my just polished Turtle Wax Ice vehicle looks good enough for me.

 

Oh please, this is very simple. Of course everyone uses something different and each individual swears by it. For years I've been using NuFinish "once a year car polish". Instructions are apply it and wipe it off. Then wait a month and do it again. This stuff really works and is available at Wal-Mart, AutoZone, and most auto parts stores. It's a silicone-base and really lasts a long time.

I know you want to keep your Prius looking tip-top all the time, but remember it's a car and it will get its due from tree sap, stone chips, bird poop and everything else. But seriously, save yourself some time and use the NuFinish. You'll be pleased.

 

Answers in blue below.....

 

If it is "once a year" then why do you have to repeat it in a month? NuFinish is the one exception to "use whatever you want" that I have run across. If you are happy with it, great! But it uses chemicals to remove oxidation instead of abrasives and that is great IF you need to remove oxidation. If you don't, then you are needlessly removing part of the paint each and every time you use it.

Almost all products for the car are fine, if they work for you. Ice has its advantages, but I found it hard to remove. Not that it requires muscle, but it hazes sometimes and you end up having to remove it a couple of times before it is really all shiny. Zaino's is the best. Too much like a cult for me, but it really works and lasts longer than any other polymer and almost all the easy applying polishes and waxes on the market. I like the Meguiars products, particularly the NXT. Just so you use something. It is not brain science or rocket surgery!

 

Everybody knows that "once a year" is for marketing purposes and nothing lasts that long, not even Zaino. Nufinish is a first generation polymer sealant and has been around for at least 20 years. Customer Reports tested it and found it to be the longest lasting, and it should last more than a month so yeah doing it monthly is too much, but that was like 20 years ago and there are better products now like Zaino.

I have a bottle of Nufinish from 20 years ago and still use it occasionally for marring caused by bird droppings, etc. before moving to something stronger like Nufinish Scratch Doctor or Zaino Z-PC Fusion if necessary.

 

One word - Zaino - http://www.zainostore.com/

Click on the link, learn, and enjoy.

 

There are a couple of small things you can do to maintain your paint.

1. Anytime you see bird droppings on your car, wipe them off asap! That stuff eats into the clearcoat. Just get a damp paper towel to clean it off.

2. Another thing is to watch for dead bugs on the hood, front bumper and side mirrors. Here in the South, we have bugs whose guts will leave bright yellow, purple or green splats on your car. Particularly if your paint is a light color, these splats can actually stain your paint. You can use a product by Meguire's, Last Detail. It should only to used if the paint is relatively clean and you only want to spot clean the bugs. If there is a noticeable amount of dust or grime, do not use this product. You will likely scratch the paint if you do.

But your best protection is to keep your car as clean as possible and waxed.
Congrats on the new car!

 

What is the difference between dumping your bucket in the sink compared to the sewer? Just asking because my sink water goes to the same sewer where I can dump my water outside.

 

Another Zaino user here....stuff is great:rockon:

 

It probably depends on your area, but in some jurisdictions, the gutter goes directly to ocean whereas water/waste from within the house goes to the treatment facility where it's treated. That's why we have laws against dumping hazardous material in the gutter.

 

Yet another vote for Zaino. One of the beauties of Zaino is that it actually loves sun -- so, no problems putting it on outside.

I did four coats over a two-day period last weekend. The most important thing is paint prep. Zaino's website has good information. Like anything else, you need a solid foundation before you start building on it.