Zinda

iTrader: (1)

I am new to cleaning cars but I have been washing my other cars for the last few months using the wax and wash mixes. Now I want to take it to the next level so if you guys know any guide then post them up here. I want to know how to wash and wax the car and anything else like claybaring.

Also if you could recommend me some high quality products and tips.

Much appreciated...

ArmyofOne

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=131273

clicky^

Chris@GlimmerGlass

iTrader: (3)

Where in NJ are you? I can go over everything with you in person if you're close by.

What color car are you going to be primarily working on? Also, do you want to do any polishing? If so, by machine or hand?

Heres what your layout looks like:

wash
clay
re-wash if a lot of clay residue is present
compound/polish/paint cleaner
wax

Washing: http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/exshbure.html

For washing, there are some essentials, as well as a few "toys" you can add to your routine.
Some of the optional equipment you can use to wash your car include a foam gun and water softener. A foam gun does a few things, mainly, speeds up the wash process, but more importantly, provides a layer of soap for your wash mitt to glide on, thus reducing the chance of wash induced marring. The water softener also does a couple of important things. It will reduce the amount of calcium/mineral deposits in your water, reducing the chance of water spotting, and it also helps the water run off the vehicle, reducing the amount of water left over to dry.
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/accessories.html

Start by washing your wheels. I hit them with a stream of water first to knock off any loose and heavy debris. If the wheels are very dirty, I will prespray with a wheel cleaner such as P21s or premium blue and hit the tires w/ Poorboys APC or Optimum Power Clean.
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com...-cleaners.html
Using a stiff bristled brush, and some soapy water, will agitate and clean the tires, before moving on to the wheels. For the wheels, an ez detail brush is awesome for reaching inside the wheels and for fitting in tight spokes. For the face of the wheel, I typically use a wheel-dedicated wash mitt.
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/accessories.html

From here, you can move on to the paint. Again, I first hit it w/ a stream of water to knock off the loose debris. Prespray the front grill, mirrors, etc with a bug/tar remover like poorboys Bug Squash to help loosen any stuck on bugs. I will also prespray the wheel wells, and in front/behind wheels w/ poorboys APC to help loose and break up the debris in those areas.
Now, if you should so decide, you can use a 2 bucket method. One bucket for clean wash water and one for dirty rinse water. With the two buckets filled, insert a grit guard in to the bucket(s) to help separate the grime from your wash mitt. Seriously a great little tool to have that I consider necessary.
If you'll be using a foam gun, you can begin to foam a section of the vehicle and begin to wash. I start at the highest point (roof... duh), and work my way down. You should only need to use light pressure.
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/exshbure.html
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/wamiandappa.html

At this point, you can dry the vehicle. Using a waffle weave drying towel, gently dry the surface. For larger cars, you might consider grabbing 2 towels.
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/drying-towels.html

Now, if you plan to clay, heres a brief how-to.
I always tear the clay bar into a couple of pieces. This way, if you drop one, you can always grab a new piece and not have to worry about the clay having picked up some debris that may scratch your surface. A gray bar (light abrasive) is the most common bar to use. A lighter bar can be used on well maintained surfaces and a heavy clay should really only be used for spot work since it can leave some marring.
Using a dedicated clay lube (LUBER or Spray n Wipe), spray a good amount of product on to a small (2'x2') section. Using light/moderate pressure, work the clay back/forth. You should feel the clay picking up the surface contaminants. Obviously once the area is clean, you wont hear/feel the clay picking up any new contaminants. The clay shouldnt "stick" to the pain eithert. If it does, that means you need more clay lube in that area. Then just move around the whole vehicle until completed, kneading the clay to keep a fresh side against the paint as often as possible.
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com...ubricants.html

You can then polish or go right to waxing. I'll recommed some wax once you let me know about your vehicle.

Zinda

iTrader: (1)

How do I take care of the leather and vinyl in my car?

And take out minor scratches out of my paint job...

Chris@GlimmerGlass

iTrader: (3)

Heres a link to leather care:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=380709

How bad are the scratches?

Zinda

iTrader: (1)

None of them are deep enough that you can feel them the one on the trunk is very thin but if you look right above it you can see it clearly. The one on the side is barely there and you have to know its there to find it.

Chris@GlimmerGlass

iTrader: (3)

Working by hand, I'd say to hit it w/ ssr2 & org ccs followed by ssr1 on a wht ccs. Then just glaze/wax or seal once you're done. Should do the trick
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/ssr3.html
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/ssr.html
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/ccsorfoandep.html
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/ccswhfoandep.html

jfelbab

I've posted this before but its been updated recently and you might find it useful.

This is what I do. I've developed my "best practices" over 47 years of detailing and they are constantly evolving as new products come to market. But, bear in mind that there are a lot of right answers and a lot of good products to choose from. This is what works for me and I'm of the opinion that you should to find what works for you and stick with it. An important fact to remember, it is the process that is the key to stunning results and the products are secondary to the process.

Typically, every 3-4 months I do a complete detail on my personal cars. The timing depends on the environment and how the car was kept. The detail entails a Wash, Clay, Polish, (optional Glaze) and Wax or Sealant. Once I have done a complete detail I maintain by washing every week and applying a gloss enhancer product after every wash.

Washing - An occasional run through a touchless Laser Automatic Wash won't damage the finish during periods of inclement weather but I avoid any cloth automatic wash or washes that towel dry your car. I prefer washing it myself using a good car wash like Meguiar's NXT Tech Wash.

I never use a dishwashing detergent on my vehicles as it is not as good as a car wash. It is designed to remove grease from dishes, not dirt from paint.

I use two 5 gallon buckets with grit guards (one for soap and one for rinsing the mitt) and I measure the precise amount of car wash concentrate to use. Using too much will shorten the life of the wax or sealant.

I always wash my car in the shade when the paint is cool to the touch so that I don't develop water spots which can be difficult to remove.

I buy new sheepskin wash mitts every few months and keep them spotless. I don't use the same mitt on my wheels and rocker panels that I use to wash my paint. Older mitts get this dirtier task.

I dry my vehicle using an open hose and low pressure flow to sheet off as much water as I can then I gently dry with waffle-weave microfiber towels (Meguiar's Water Magnet). I consider these much better at absorbing water and not marring the paint than a chamois.

I now inspect the paint to see what steps are needed to perfect the paint.

Clay - Even new cars can benefit from clay. I lightly draw my dry fingertips over the paint on my hood after it has been washed and dried. If it doesn't feel as smooth as glass I clay. I prefer Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit but others (Mothers, Clay Magic, etc.) also make good kits. I like the Meg's kit because it comes with a premium Microfiber towel as well as a plastic case to store the unused clay.

I cut the clay bar into two or three pieces and put the unused pieces in the plastic box. If (when) I drop a piece of clay when using it I throw it away and fetch one of the unused pieces. I use lots of the supplied Quik Detailer lube. I clay a 2' x 2' section at a time and test with my fingertips to insure that the contaminants are gone. As the clay gets dirty I fold it and re-kneed it into a pad and continue the process.

I clay my paint then move on and clay the windows and finally the wheels. I toss the piece of clay when I have finished with the wheels as it is now qute contaminated and should not be used back on paint again.

Cleaning and Polishing - I use a paint cleaner or a combination cleaner/polish product to remove stains and grime that is imbedded in the paint pores. I like Meguiar's #80 (Speed Glaze) for this but the Megs Deep Crystal #1 Cleaner and #2 Polish are also fine if you prefer OTC products. IF you have deeper marring you might try Meguiar's ScratchX.

On a new car these cleaning and polishing steps might not be needed.

If you can afford a buffer look for a good dual action orbital type. Don't expect much from the cheap $30 stuff on the market. They might apply wax ok but they don't have the power needed to correct defects in paint. A rotary buffer can damage your paint if you are not skilled in it's use and paint repair costs a lot of money. OTOH, it is virtually impossible to harm your paint with a good DA orbital buffer and the proper foam pads. You can use a DA buffer to polish your paint very frequently with no fear of removing too much paint. I use a Porter-Cable 7336 that is now 11 years old and still going strong. One of the best detailing tools I ever bought, it cuts the detailing time by a factor of 10 over polishing by hand.

Waxing/Sealing - Now that the finish is looking it's best, I seal it to protect the look. It is important to note that a wax or sealant imparts surprisingly little to the overall look. Most of the appearance (85-90%) comes from the previous polishing steps in your preparation. Waxing or sealing just protects that look.

It is commonly believed that if you live in a very hot area of the country, a polymer sealant may be a better choice than a carnauba wax. Tests show that pure carnauba wax begins to evaporate at 160° F, a temperature paint surfaces easily can reach. Most carnauba waxes are not pure carnauba but polymer sealants do have a much higher resistance to heat.

For sealants, I like Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax 2.0. The wetlook shine is as good or better than any other product I've used. If you prefer the warm glow of a carnauba by all means use it. Plan on applying carnaubas more frequently in hot climates to keep the protection intact. Meguiar's Hi-Tech Yellow Wax (#26) is my choice for a very nice carnauba that leaves a warm glow to the paint.

A polymer sealant is a great product for wheels too. It resists brake dust and wheels stay clean longer and clean up easier. I like Meguiar's Quik Wheel Detailer for this purpose as it is extremely slippery and brake dust hardly sticks to it. I spray on a MF applicator and apply to the wheel and buff.

Leather - I use a leather cleaner and a conditioner at least quarterly to keep it clean, supple and to prevent it from drying out.

Interior - For interior detailing I prefer Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer. This is a product that does not add gloss or leave an oily residue. It leaves the interior looking like new. It doesn't make the dash glossy so that it produces glare. This product also has UV protection to slow aging and prevent sun damage.

Tires - It is important to clean the tires well prior to application of any dressing. I don't like chemical tire/wheel cleaners as they will remove most or all of the wax or sealant on the wheels. Instead I use either a stiff brush and car wash soap. I let the tires dry fully then apply a thin coat of tire dressing. I pay particular attention to keeping the coating thin and even. I spray it on a foam applicator and wipe down the tire with a clean terry cloth to remove excess. I carefully wipe out the tire sipes to minimize any potential for it to sling onto the paint.

Maintenance - Finally, I maintain the exterior paint with a spray gloss enhancer. There are several products here that work well. I use Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer (UQD) after every wash. Zaino Z6 also works well. This stuff applies in about 10 - 15 minutes and leaves the paint very slick with that freshly detailed look. The added slickness afforded by this approach greatly aids in preventing bugs and dirt from sticking to the paint and makes the car almost self cleaning.

I also keep a bottle of Quik Detailer and a few microfiber towels in the car to use to remove bird droppings, bugs or other messes as soon as they occur. Bugs and bird droppings will often permanently etch paint if not removed promptly.

As a last note, swirls and cobwebs are easier to prevent than to remove. Everything that touches the paint has the potential to cause marring so I take great care to use impeccably clean towels and applicators and minimize, as much as possible, any unnecessary contact with the paint.

Zinda

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for all the help so far dude!

I got a centimeter large rock chip today and 2 scuff marks to go along with it. This is the worst day of my life! Please, advise!

I live by Edgewater but I know where Cranford is as my Grandparents live close to that area over in Scotch Plains.

Stokdgs

There are alot of paint chip products out there; the one that works for me is made by Dr ColorChip.com I believe. It is a 2 stage process- the original color and another batch of color mixed with a product that is thinned I believe. I used it on my wife's SUV when she ran into the garage door, and it made the big gouge in the paint, just disappear. The repair was smooth, shiny, and pretty much undetectable. It didnt fall out after awhile either, like some paint chip products do. It comes in a nice wooden box, with an assortment of brushes, the 2 bottles of material and a nice micro fiber cloth.
The URl is - Drcolorchip.com Good luck with your project ! DanF