I need to wash my car already! Any reccomendations

I bet!... if you do not want to deal with the complexities of some of the car products offered... an easy one is "silicone nufinish".. you can pick it up anywhere, its in an orange bottle... its much easier than wax and last alot longer.. removes oxidation and road grime and even tar... Can go one hot or cold and you can do your whole car, then wipe it off.
http://www.autobarn.net/chnfp-80.html

Its called the "once a year car polish", but I like to do it more. Once you use it.. your car won't get as dirty. Dirt will have a hard time sticking to it and when it finally does.. a simple rinse with the water hose will do wonders "not as good as actually washing though".

It cost about 8.00 a bottle and should last you several years.

 

After seeing what a car wash does to paint I'll never take my Prius to a car wash. Not even touchless. Not even one that does it by hand. Not even a detailer.

I use the Meguiar's five step plan.

Meguiar's Five Step Paint Care System

I make sure I wash and detail my car in the shade. That may mean I wash it at dusk, dry it and then detail it in the garage.

I wash my car using Gold Class but will be switching to NXT because I have hard water. I use two buckets, both with grit guards. One for clean soap and one to rinse only. There are different colors so I don't get them mixed up.

Two Bucket method

I dry the car with The Absorber.

I use detailer and a clay bar to clay the car. I don't do this every wash, just every few months. (I keep my car garaged.)

I don't have a problem with swirls yet. When I do I'll either use ScratchX by hand or use #80 with my dual action polisher.

It is important to use your pads/applicators for only ONE product and not mix them up. Not even washing and then switching. I mark all of mine.

I use a dual action polisher to apply Deep Crystal Polish with W8006 yellow soft buff foam polishing pad at 3-5. Small sections. Remove while still wet with microfiber towel.

I use the dual action polisher to apply NXT tech Wax using either another W8006 yellow soft buff foam polishing pad or a W9006 Tan softbuff finishing pad at 2-4. Do entire car and let dry.

Remove using the dual action polisher with W7006 cutting pad and microfiber bonnet at 2.5.

I use the NXT glass cleaner, interior wipes and Tire spray.

If needed I'll apply another coat of NXT wax in 24 hours.

In between washes I use NXT detailer.

When my microfiber towels need washing I wash them together and with nothing else. You shouldn't wash microfiber with anything else because it picks up lint. Use a very good quality microfiber towel. Check the edges. Sometimes they use polyester thread to bind the edges. If the binding could cause scratches during use, cut it off.

A really good towel I've heard about is the D.F. Concours towel. Just bought one and a bonnet and it looks great. Concours Towels

You can register for free at the Meguiarsonline forum. Lots of great information there. And if you're ever in So. Cal you can attend a Saturday class, learn a lot and get free stuff. All of their products are available online if you can't find them locally. Occasionally they do have classes on location. I think they're trying to set something up in Texas right now.

I know plenty here swear by Zaino. I just prefer Meguiar's. I've used it since they released their consumer line over 20 years ago.

And I never wear a bikini. I might wear a T-shirt and shorts in the summer but in the winter I wear sweat pants and a hoodie.

**********
What I own:

Absorber (2)
bucket (2)
Grit Guardâ„¢(2)

Meguiar's:
PlastX
Gold Glass Leather cleaner
Hotshine Tire detailer
Protectant wipes
Dash trim detailer
NXT glass cleaner
Microfiber towel (5)
Gold Class applicator pad (3)
NXT applicator pad
Chenille applicator pad (2)
Sponge
Lamb's wool mop
G7101 Gold Class wash Gallon
G12664 NXT car wash
Quick Clay white bar
NXT speed detailer
G104 Dual Action polisher
W8006 Yellow soft buff foam polishing pad for A2116 Deep Crystal polish
W8006 Yellow soft buff foam polishing pad for NXT Tech Wax
W9006 Tan Softbuff finishing pad for Gold Class wax
W7006 Burgundy softbuff cutting pad
X4003 Gold Class Clear Coat Safe Microfiber bonnet (2)

 

Asking for information here is just going to get you more and more confused because everyone has a different way of caring for their vehicles, and only a couple of them (sorry guys but its true) are even close to correct.

Go to www.autopia.org and read, read, read. There are enough articles there to keep you busy for DAYS reading about how to properly wash a car, how to properly prep a car for waxing, how to properly seal and wax, the differences between polishes and waxes, what Zaino is (and no, Zaino will not remove swirl marks) and what it can be used for, its endless.

Any questions you have, ask them there not here because those guys probably have 1000 years of detailing experience amognst them. Most members on auto entusiast boards aren't detailers, those guys are.

Since yours is black, if you really want to learn to take care of it properly, thats what you need to do. Its more difficult than if it were silver, but once you get the process down it'll be pretty straightforward.

All this spraying down then wiping, letting wax dry and then buffing it off with a buffer, YIKES :blink: :wacko: Go to Autopia.

 

It can be fun, I love it. The ideal saturday morning for me is washing and waxing my car, I find it very relaxing and rewarding. Its not hard to do really, to do it right like anything else there is a learning curve though.

It wont happen on Autopia because they all pretty much know what they're doing and they all pretty much agree on one proper process. You should read first, then ask questions afterwards though because you'll then have a better framework to put the advice they give you into.

I'll get you started on washing though.

Buy two 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot.

Buy 1 microfiber wash mitt or sponge

Buy 1 or 2 Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying towels

Buy a good carwash, Meguiars NXT Wash comes to mind and you can buy it locally.

Thats all you need. I like the microfibers from www.pakshak.com

Fill one bucket with soapy water, one with clean. Rinse the car down well with the hose, spray off as much visible grime as you can. Start washing from the top down. Do one panel at a time. Wash using the soapy water in long straight strokes, never in a circle. Rinse the mitt in the clean water before putting it back in the soapy water. Rinse each panel as you go.

Work your way down and around the car and do the wheels and tires last. Then give everything one more rinse and wipe off from the top down with the waffle weave towel.

THATS how to properly wash a car in 500 words or less lol

If you find it too daunting you can always hire a professional, it'll cost between $20-35 per wash. You should learn to do it yourself though, I bet you'll enjoy it.

Claying, Polishing, Waxing, and interiors are all different and they'll be covered on Autopia.

 

I get all my Microfiber stuff from www.pakshak.com. Look around on there and look for their waffle weave drying towels. Sometimes you can find pretty nice Microfiber sponges at places like Advance Auto Parts, but I know Pakshak has a MF mitt which is fine.

No need to wax every time you wash, the vehicle probably needs to be waxced 4 times a year, sealed 2-3 if you go that route.

If you want to add a little bit of slickness you can use a Quick Detailing product after the wash. I also use and like Eagle One's Wax as U Dry. Doesn't take the place of waxing but it helps restore that just waxed look.

Here are the drying towels:

http://www.pakshak.com/waffle-weave-micro-...el-16x24-1.html

You really need 2.

And here's a good sheepskin mitt:

http://www.pakshak.com/eurow-genuine-sheep...-wash-mitt.html

 

You might also need a stepstool or ladder -- there's an area on the top of my car that I can't reach standing on the ground.

 

Try Pep Boys, Kragen, etc. auto stores.

They'll either have Meguiar's NXT or Gold Class car shampoo.

They'll probably also have microfiber towels and wash mitts and sponges. Don't get really cheap towels.

I like the Meguiar's sponge that has a white chenille cover on it.

I also like The Absorber for drying the car. It's $9.99 and they should have it in any auto parts store. I even saw one at Target.

I might put up a washing page with pictures. Good idea. I'm about to wash my car right now.

 

for those of you that tell me im wrong and dont know what im talking about.

Find one professional detailer that uses these off the shelf consumer products.

You are trusting the meticulious paint job of your car to something that costs $5.99. Be my guest, but I have had 8 cars, of various types and colors and I can tell you many of these products will scratch or swirl your paint.

 

Hi Tracy,

I would agree that the most professional products are probably the best and of those Zaino would be my recommendation. It costs a little more but for good reason.

To do the best job, maybe twice a year, do the full 2-3 stage process and between those there are Zaino products that 'fill-in' between major waxes.

Have a look at: The Zaino web site and all the directions for their product application is laid out for you.

 

I"m sure Zaino is probrably close to the best on the market, but its a bit much hype for my blood... they want 8.95 just for shipping?... kinda makes me think the markup on the rest is astronomical too?

I'm sure its good... maybe even really good, but I doubt its near that much better according to its increase in price.

True its hard knowing what products scratch your car.... alot of that is alleviated if you make sure you car is washed well before you start rubbing something in so you are not rubbing road grime and grit in like sand papar.

sometimes people who spend alot for a product also take special care to wash thier car well first, and by the same tokem many that don't care too much and buy a 3.95 product may not be too meticulous on washing thier car well before starting.

I have always used Silicon nu-finish... you wet a soft rag and rinse it, then apply the product and rub it in 'very easily", it takes no muscle.
They call it the "once a year car polish"... I like to use it more often, but it is quite amazing for 8.00 a bottle.
It bonds with the paint on a molecular level and makes the surface so smooth that light bounces and foreign materials fall off. Its actually hard to get it dirty!

when this product first came out, it was very expensive... if I remember right, it was first on TV.. they would take a car in a junkyard and do 1/2 of the hood and leave the other and show how it turned oxidized beaters into showroom car looking finishes.

Take that same product...add a little Dr. Greezys majic juice and call it by another name and presto!.. you have a 100.00 product!

I'm sure technology is better now, but with a new product there is always alot of hype.... from hair products, to cleansers.....

But one thing you can bank on.. if a product is really worth anything.. and if it stays around for very long.. it usually will end up at walmart etc.....

Most products that refuse to allow thier sale at regular stores find they can make more profit by remaining elusive and elite and not mix thier product with others so as to become "common".

Its a marketing scheme. Oxyclean started that way... many glues, cleansers, vegomatic, ronco items, .... some were crap... others finally lost thier novelty and sales dropped, but were really good products so marketing allowed them to move to the department stores.

I'm sure zaino is an awesome product, but tracy don't feel like your going to ruin your car if you don't buy a 100.00 product.

Just use some common sense. Your a smart girl... its smart of you to ask advice, but your answer has turned into a study of elegance rather than "how to wash your car"

 

Wow. The link from the Zaino site to the Guru Report's Wax test shows their favorite car detailing tool is...the Porter Cable 7336 random orbital buffer.

I've got the Meguiar's Dual Action G-100 that is a Porter Cable 7335 with a Meguiar's logo and a lifetime warranty...not a one year warranty.

Hmmmm. I'm pretty sure there are other companies that make a diminishing abrasive...not just Zaino. And I'm not sure Zaino was the first to make one.

I'm not so sure about using Dawn to wash your car. This is what Procter and Gamble say "Your car surface and the dirt that gets on it are a lot different from the food soils and dishes that dishwashing liquids clean effectively. We don't recommend them for cleaning your car. "

Okay, so I did a Google search for Professional Car Detailing Products.

I went to:
http://www.detailsupplyoutlet.com/ They carry "Pro" and "Allbrite".
http://www.topoftheline.com/ They seam to carry their own brand too. Wonder who supplies them? Their "high end" products are: Lexol, Leather Master, RaggTopp, P21S, 303, One Grand, S100, English Custom Polishes, Pinnacle, Menzerna, Optimum, Forever Black, Jet Stream
http://www.professionalcarcare.com/ They've got their own brand too. No telling who makes it.
http://www.autopia-carcare.com lists Sonus, Meguiar's, Autoglym, Stoner, Klasse, P21S.

Here's an interesting website by a professional detailer: Auto Detailing tips and tricks for the Driveway Detailer.

Here's another nice one with a cleaning chart:
Car Cleaning and Detailing

 

I wasn't slamming any products.. just trying to raise the awareness of true value.

I good example is that there are many "good" vitamins and natural products that cannot be copywrited or marketed because they are not created in a lab or manufactured. As a result, they are not promoted by the drug companies. Unless a profit is involved, its not worth anybodys time to market it.

By the same token... there are alot of good products out there that were good in thier day and they are still good, but they have been out-hyped and out promoted by other products so you don't hear about them much anymore.

Much of the new stuff is no better than the old stuff. Some may be "or not" better and you can pay a nice fat price for them!.. I guess until you try them yourself there is no way to really know.

As for me, I expect I will stick with what works for 8.00 a bottle and has enough to treat several cars for years.

 

The detailing products used by enthusiasts are usually much better than those used by pros. Most pros use whatever their distributor will sell them cheap, in one or five gallon jugs are larger. That usually means Meguiar's or a brand used only in the trade, like P&S. Some of this stuff costs as much for 5 gallons as two 8-oz bottles of Zaino. Also, most pros do not want to apply sealant to your car that will last six months. Getting you to come back every 60 or 90 days means a larger revenue stream for him.

If you're using Zaino, or Klasse, or Blackfire, or Pinnacle, or 4-Star, you're using a better product than probably 95% of the professional detailers in your city. Maybe all of them.

 

The reason professionals don't use off the shelf consumer products is they can't afford them. They buy products in bulk that cost much less than consumer products. I also agree with priusenvy in his assesment of the products professionals use.

If you really did know as much about detailing as you think you do you'd know that ANY product will scratch and swirl your paint if you use it improperly, and any product can be used properly and safely and will not mar the paint.

Detailing is a skill. Skills must be learned. The products don't make the result, the skill does. You can give a detailer who knows his process and techniques Scratch X and Nu Finish ($4.00 and $8.00 from Pep Boys) and give a novice who has no idea what they're doing a polisher, Menzerna Intensive Polish and Fine Polish and Pinnacle Souveran ($15, $15, $70 from boutique stores) and the detailer's car is going to look better than the novice's car.

No offense to anyone who doesn't have the skill or know what they're talking about, I can't for instance build a house, or rebuild an engine, or paint a masterpeice, but I can detail a car.

There aren't a lot of great off the shelf, buy them at PepBoys, consumer products that work well, but there are a couple of them nowadays. Meguiars NXT is one of them, Mothers SynWax is another. If you're not interested in trying new matchings and getting into the whole detailing "thing", either one of these products are fine, provided you use them correctly.

No offense, but NuFinish is not only archaic, its FULL of abrasives and solvents that I personally would never let touch my car.

You can buy much better products for $8 a bottle.

Trust me, go to Autopia. No offense towards PriusChat, my Lexus board is the same way, but the people that REALLY know detailing are there, not here.

Diminishing abrasives have been around for many years, Zaino just recently came out with a line of real polishes. Of course to hear Sal Zaino talk you'd think he'd invented the holy grail.

Personally, I don't care for Zaino. I think its hype, I think its expensive, difficult to use, and doesn't look very good on cars that aren't silver or white.

 

Or blue or red or black or yellow

 

Disagree, I think it makes reds, blues, and blacks look depthless and plasticky. Don't have any experience to judge on yellows.

I think there are a lot of much cheaper products that have much of the longevity of the Zaino and add in the depth and richness Zaino lacks.

This can somewhat be remedied by topping Zaino with a good quality carnuaba, but its not the same as using a rich polish and then a long lasting wax like say Meguiars #16 if you must have longer life.

I do however realize that the Zaino zealots will chase me until the ends of the earth to prove that I'm stupid for not liking this product, and that they will never give up or accept that I have an opinion that differs from theirs, and that makes me dislike Zaino even more.

 

fact: i am happy with the way my black car looks with zaino.
opinion: i think it's worth the money for what it does.

feel free to have your own opinions. that's all i have to say.