Detailing and Waxing Tips, Pics for Your Prius (long read)

Just wanted to share some things that hopefully help with detailing your new or new to you Prius. Not that this is the only or best way to do things, or that's it even all 'right', but it has helped.

btw, I show a lot of Meguiars supplies, but not pushing that brand, it's what I use. This is a 'long read', 4 post.

I bought a brand new Prius in 2008, washed and waxed it with limited knowledge of detailing.

I started out with good soap, Meguiars Gold Class, a $4 sponge and possibly only one small bucket shown below. I might have started off using another bucket of rinse water for the sponge, but don't remember.



After a few months I noticed there were some very fine scratches in the outer clear coat over the dark blue paint. They were swirl marks and were most noticeable on the hood. I thought they might be caused by my drying towel. Turns out the scratches were from washing areas after fine dirt particles accumulated in the sponge. All it takes is one swipe over a dirty area, and particles are on the sponge.


I switched to a white sheepskin mitt probably a year and a half later, but the swirl mark damage was done....
[Edit - talked to a Toyota service advisor who's really into detailing. He did not recomnmend sheepskin wash media as they tend not to let the dirt come up into the material. He recommends good quality microfiber made for car washing - mitts / sponges / pads. Ordered 2 from Griots Garage, $14.99 total]

... Old habits die hard sometimes. The white mitt shows dirt more easily (see pic below) and I can flip it over to keep washing before a rinse in 2nd bucket shown below. I keep a close eye on mitt, sponge or brush and rinse dirt out often.


both swiped twice over a dirty hood

About the time I got the sheepskin mitt, I ordered two Grit Guards shown in the buckets below. They keep one from reaching down to the bottom and picking up grit into a sponge or mitt. They are inexpensive but have to be ordered and shipped. I bought them first, then shopped around for two 5 gallon buckets that fit the Grit Guards perfectly. I use 3 to 4 gallons of measured soap and water and 3 or 4 gallons of rinse water.

[Edit - Seems easier to wash all around the car, top to bottom fairly quickly, being careful to rinse wash media a lot after the dirtiest lower panels (doors). I change rinse water in 2nd bucket, then go over the car again. Seems better than trying to fully wash each section once.]



This last pic just shows the measuring cups and car soap.



continued...

 

I use detailing clay or claybar usually before waxing. For some, this is controversial, unnecessary or just plain scary. But, it is a mainstream type of product found in any auto parts store. If it scratched cars, it would be pulled off the market pronto, so it doesn't when used properly. I don't like to clay any more than is needed and I typically only use it twice a year because my car is garage kept.

As some of you know, I bought a brand new '11 Prius 4 days ago. I wanted to get wax on it very soon. While washing, there was a little red spot on the roof that did not come out with the wash mitt. I had planned to use claybar, but only as needed and I figured it wouldn't need much. And it didn't. However, the claybar easily removed that little red spot that the wash mitt could not.

Pic below shows some clay and Quick detailer which comes in clay kits. The spray lubricates the paint surface for the clay. There are other good kits too.



I don't follow Meguiars directions exactly. They say to spritz on quik detailer to lube, gently rub with clay, then wipe it up with a cloth. My goal was to clay, then get to a wax stage. So, what I did this morning was clay most of the car all at once.

To get ready for claying, I wash, sheet off the water using a small stream out of the hose with no nozzle. I use the somewhat controversial 'water blade' pictured below, but I only use it a little bit knowing it cannot dry a whole car. Before every swipe with the water blade, I run my fingers along the edges to make sure nothing is on it. I only use it to get big drops off and I leave the car somewhat wet while claying.



Watch some videos on claying and perhaps practice on another car if you can. I did very gentle and quick claying over most of the car, knowing that horizontal surfaces are most likely to get droppings from above. This morning, I sprayed and clayed and very, very little came up on the clay as expected.

If a new car has sat for a months before purchase or perhaps came out by train, it might have rail dust and therefore will need claying. My Accord did in January as it arrived the Sept. before maybe by rail from Ohio. Also, the Accord needed multiple claying over a few wax jobs because there was so much black dust like stuff embedded in the paint. Eventually I got it all. This was a brand new car.

I think new Prius' are shipped in cargo containers and don't pick up much stuff in shipment. Plus they have sheets of plastic to protect the hood and roof in shipment.

After claying, there is still Quick detailer lube all over the car, so I rinse it off and do a quick wipedown with wash mitt, rinse, sheet off and water blade before the next step.

continued...

 

I've found the electric blower pic'd below very helpful to get water out of those tricky little areas that always seep water while trying to dry. I'll blow the mirrors, trims, lots of places. I don't try to completely dry the car with it. It seems a pretty ineffective way to dry a car but it's great for getting water out of seams and stuff.



I find the car much easier to dry after using the leaf blower. Once it's all dry, then it is ready for wax.

I'm not going to talk about polishing because I have almost no experience doing it. And I don't want to get to the point where the car really needs polishing anyway. Not sure what to say about it, 'cause again, I've no experience with it.

I've been using Meguiar's 2.0 Tech wax because it's easily available and an easy price. It's not a carnauba wax, but a synthetic type which I think might be more like a sealant. I've heard carnauba wax is for a dazzling shine like for show cars, but doesn't last very long where synthetic waxes and sealants are not as shiny but last longer. Some put carnauba wax over a sealant.

I started washing about 8am and finished buffing the last wax off a little before 1pm. That's with some breaks in between, but hand waxing is a time consuming job.

I've found it easier to spread wax evenly but not leave it on thick. Applying thick makes it quite a bit harder for me to buff off. Below, I'll show something that helped keep more wax on when only washing / drying.

continued...

 

If not waxing, but only washing and drying, I add another step below.

Sometimes, I've found drying towels to leave streaks or not even really dry the car whether outside or inside the garage. It seems to happen more in damp weather. What happens is I will wipe with a waffle weave car drying towel (blue) shown below. Sometimes it just doesn't dry but leaves a film. Try again and leaves film. It's only a $10 towel and maybe that's a problem. My solution was to stop trying to dry and buff out the car with only a drying towel. Now, I also use a polishing cloth and Quick wax which is like any quick detailer wax spray available anywhere.

I like to dry large areas like the whole roof. I don't care if steaks are left over. Towel gets set down and I start with a little spray wax and polishing cloth. I'll spray onto large areas of the paint or onto the cloth as needed. Overall it takes a little longer, but the benefit is some wax is added back to the car and the results are very good.

I'm sure Zaino or others have some stuff that blows this Meguiars quick wax away and maybe someday I'll try Zaino. But the Meguiars stuff works well.



For the interior, I spray some interior detailer onto a microfiber cloth and wipe. Anything that is 'plastic glass' only gets wiped with a glass cloth. regular cloths seem to scratch these surfaces. Remember, touchscreens have special cleaning rules, see the owner's manual.



I used this handy little wheel brush on those fancy 17" Accord wheels. It will work well for the Prius wheels too.



So, that's about it. Told you it was going to be a long read. Hopefully not boring, but helpful.

btw, I posted this here because there are so many threads in the Gen III care and maintenance section.

 

Couple updates I'll add into first posts ...

Was talking with a Toyota service advisor yesterday, word is he's pretty heavily into car detailing.

- Doesn't recommend sheepskin for wash mitts. Says they don't allow dirt to go up into the material the best, away from paint surface.

- Does recommend microfiber for wash media - mitt, sponge, pad. I've got 2 Griots Garage MF mitts on order.

- Recommends Griots Garage products and buys stuff by the gallon. Not that its the cheapest, but says it's good stuff. Doesn't like Zaino stuff so much. Just his opinion though.

- Mentioned Meguiar's Gold Class as a good soap. Doesn't like the Meguiar's tech 2.0 wax much saying it has too many 'silicones' in it. Recommends Griots Paint Sealant for those who can't use carnauba wax every month. But, says can use sealant, then put carnauba wax over top a few times a year. Said to use Pre-Wax Cleanser before waxing or sealing.

- Washing this morning, it seems easier to wash all around the car, top to bottom fairly quickly, being careful to rinse wash media a lot as you hit the dirtiest lower panels. Change the rinse water in 2nd bucket, then go over the car again. This seems better than trying to fully wash each section once.