Waxing the 2023 Prius

The ceramic coatings definitely sound interesting; it also sounds like something I can apply on my own. Maybe someday.

My LSP (last step protection) of choice a few years ago was Wolfgang Spray on Sealant, but it looks like that product was discontinued and replaced by this. I don’t know if that is a true ceramic coating, but something to think about in the future if I end up unhappy with the products I’m using now.

Protection aside, I think my favorite thing about experimenting with different waxes or sealants is the effect they can have on the paint, lightening or darkening the existing colors. This is in addition to the varying levels of slickness and gloss these products provide. The discontinued Wolfgang sealant I mentioned earlier had a wonderful habit of darkening paint I was applied to and looked pretty awesome (imho).

 

Detailing: Auto Detailing, any activity that focuses on maintaining or improving the cosmetic condition of a vehicle. Can include washing; application of waxes or sealants; and paint correction.

PPF: Paint Protection Film

 

My Vote:
No on Armor All
Yes on water wipe.

Detailing can be a fun, relaxing, and satisfying hobby.

 

Get a good brand all purpose cleaner or rinseless wash type car cleaning product. Tons of stuff out there that is significantly better than armor all. It has silicone in it or something and it makes things look slick/wet, plus it seems to dry out plastics over time. I got griots interior detailer on sale and I like it. Cleans well, smells nice. Wipes on, wipes off and claims to offer some UV protection though most of the time car is garaged, or if its in the sun, I have a sun shade on the front.

 

You need wax.

I use Turtle Wax ICE Seal N Shine Hybrid Sealant Wax.

ICE Seal N Shine hybrid sealant wax | Spray wax & protect | Turtle Wax

Wax ratings:

Wax-shootout results—v1.0 (EOL)—Dmitry’s Garage

Wax-testing results—v2.0—Dmitry’s Garage

 

Definitely would NOT use Armour All on any vehicle interiors. Besides the fact that it adds a "greasy" feel to the surfaces it is applied to, it also outgases when heated and leaves a coating on your interior windows. I've also heard that once applied, you will need to keep applying otherwise you WILL experience cracking and drying.

Personally, I use a damp microfiber towel to wipe down interior surfaces.

The softex seats should hold up pretty well, but you could apply something specifically for them. Other peeps may want to chime in on this. I haven't used anything on my 2018's softex seats yet.

Apply a good quality ceramic tint, especially on your windshield (use 90% tint or lighter on the windshield for safety and to avoid getting hassled by cops) and a damp towel will be all you need.

 

Actually, I was referring to applying a layer of tint to the interior front windshield. It's often overlooked when having your car tinted. A good ceramic tint will block out a significant amount of heat and UV even it it is almost transparent (i.e. very light as in 90% or lighter). This will preserve the interior of your car by keeping most of the sun-based damage off of your dashboard. Tinting the side and rear windows will of course help preserve the rest of your interior and these can be darker (according to your local state laws).

The end result will mean you don't need to apply surface protectants like Armour All. A damp microfiber cloth will clean up most messes effectively. Of course, as mentioned before, never use anything like Windex or any ammonia based cleaner directly on window tint. It's fine outside, but I would just stick to a good product like Stoner Invisible Glass which is completely safe for tint and can be used on both interior and exterior glass. I've been using it for at least 10 years.

 

Both of our Prii have dashboard covers. No need to worry about the sun cracking or fading the plastic. They keep the cabin a tad cooler too.

 

The only area I will use ArmourAll on is the tire sidewalls. Looks nice for a couple of days....

 

Funny enough most bigger dealerships here have their own car wash which is usually not brush-less and way less sophisticated compared to huge automated car wash streets. So the chances are high, they put the new car through the wash before they sell it - and as service during every inspection.

 

Our 2024 Prime came with the Toyoguard Platinum protection plan. One of the features of the plan is an "exterior paint sealant". Anyone know what that is and if any maintenance of that is required other than regular washing?

On a separate note, does anyone have a recommendation for a spray cleaner to remove white sunscreen stains from the leather seats and interior panels?

KH

 

That sealant is probably a temporary spray on wax type coating.

They sell it in spray cans at auto stores. Some are ceramic/wax hybrid and can last up to a year.

No clue what the dealer used but wash often and wax (or sealant of some other sort) 2x a year is a generally good approach.

 

Professionally applied ceramic coating is better than any store bought wax/coating.
Has a 5 yr guarantee from most. That's a lot of wax applications if you do it every week or 2

 

I just got Gtechnic Crystal Serum Ultra applied last week. Can't believe how slick it is. (It's my first ceramic coating of any type.)

 

I've always shied away because of the cost but did my prius after I bought last year. So happy I did.

 

Same. Plus I never was in that sweet spot before of owning a vehicle that was worth it while also being able to comfortably afford it. By the time I could afford to do it to my old Prius, it already had enough dings and dents that it wasn't worth it. I eventually got all that taken care of, but the gen5 was announced before I got around to coating it. I wanted to coat my 2023 last fall, but I also wanted to wait until all my upgrades were done first, and that only happened a few weeks ago.

And it's so much cheaper to coat a new vehicle because they don't have to do a 2 or 3 stage polishing process to prep for the coating. I went with a single stage just to knock off a year of oxidation and that saved me nearly a grand.

Now I want to do the glass, but I plan to do that myself. I'm going to take advantage of that youtuber meet up in Chicago next month to get advice from detailing professionals(the meetup is in the parking lot of Car Supplies Warehouse and they're going to be open). I plan to come home with at least a few hundred in detailing supplies.