Alexbenz

steps i took to detail my cars

wash
carpro ironx
clay
chemical guys v36 with orange hex pad
v38 or M205 with a white hex pad
chemical guys jetseal, 2 coats and followed by wax and chemical guys hv7

i will do maintain washes weekly or as weather permits but how long will the sealant last? do i need to clay in another few months and do the polish process again?

new to detailing by the way

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Sealant/wax durability is dependent on many factors such as your geographical location, how the car is stored, type of product, etc. You will notice the product starting to degrade overtime... The usual indicator is that the car is more difficult to clean and the paint is less hydrophobic. Some sealants can last 6 months on one vehicle and 2 months on another... Just depends.

Clay/decontaminate as needed. Typically this is done once or twice a year, but again, there is no right or wrong answer as it varies. Use the Baggie test to determine how contaminated your paint is.

As far as polishing goes, you only want to polish when needed. Typically once every 1-3 years depending on how your paint looks. During the polishing process, you are utilizing micro abrasives in the polish to actually remove a thin layer of your paint in order to reduce or remove the amount of surface defects. You do not want to polish too frequently as the clear coat paint is very thin and polishing too frequently may lead to premature paint failure.

This is why it is important to use careful wash procedures to minimize the risk of scratching the paint. After all, the vast majority of swirls and scratches come from improper washing and drying.

-Zach

Alexbenz

the plastic baggie over the paint, correct?

would M205 be bad to do twice a year?

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Click here to read about The Baggie Test


M205 on a fine finishing pad would most likely be fine to use for light polishing fairly regularly if your paint is showing light swirls or marring, but again... only polish as needed. Unless you've got soft, black paint... I'd typically say you wouldn't need to polish any more frequently than once a year when using proper washing methods.

Alexbenz

I do the Garry dean 1 bucket method with onr...

huyz13

apologies for thread jacking, i just detailed/paint correction and have the same question. but here is my scenario:

1) compounded, polished, sealed with Menzerna Powerlock (2 coats), and then applied Meguiars Black Wax paste.
2) car is garaged. I probably drive it 2/3 times a week.

My plan to maintain is to:

1) quick detail every few days or after driving using concentrated Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine in a spray bottle
2) rinseless wash using ONR, followed by Optimum Car Wax spray every week or so, as needed.
3) two bucket regular wash every 3 months or as needed
4) polish (as needed), clay, apply sealant, apply wax every 6 months.
5) repeat

I considered OptiCoat but I don't think it is worth it in my situation (maybe?). Would appreciate any advice/feedback/comments. thanks

rustyd

You can either re-wax or re-seal without having to clay again during the winter months. I usually only clay mine once a year, and it wears multiple layers of sealant during the year.

rustyd

If you keep it wiped down with QD after each time its out...you should be fine. Optimum Spray wax lasts forever...so would only do that once a month. Only Rinseless or two bucket wash it if it really gets dirty.

Alexbenz

So it'll be best to use a IPA just to make all the sealant is off and reseal?

rustyd

I don't and don't see why if your using the same sealant.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Agreed... IPA is not needed if you're just applying a new layer of sealant. Just wash the car with a citrus wash, decontaminate if needed, and re-seal.

Alexbenz

gotcha. thanks guys and excuse the spelling in the last post.. late night on my cell...lol