ISFC6

Well, when I bought my ISF at the end of this year, I had it completely detailed by a very reputable company. When I asked the owner what I needed to maintain my car, and not cause any damage to the paint, here is what he recommended:

1) 2-bucket method with grit guards

2) grout sponges from Home Depot. THIS is the big controversy, as he said that these have been tested with all others, and will not do any damage to the paint. I reasearched and asked others about this who have subsequently detailed my car, and they said no way. Now here is the confusion: Some recommended other sponges, others only to use sheep skin mitts, and others to use good quality microfiber mitts. So what gives? This has to be more than a personal preference, and one product has to be better than the other, in terms of not causing any damage to the paint or drag dirt through it.

3) Drying: I was recommended by the original detailer to use the SM Arnold Water Sprite. Other have said that this can still scratch the paint, and that only a good quality waffle weave microfiber towel should be used, but I have also heard of microfiber scratching surfaces as well.

4) What about the Stoner Tarminator to remove bugs, tar, and grime? Is this too harsh on the paint? Does it remove polish and sealant?

5) Do you all prefer the P21 wheel gel cleaner ot the Sonax wheel cleaner for wheels? I have used the P21 for the wheels, and it works great, but also have seen here that many use the Sonax with great results.

6) I have been using Megiuars APC for the wheel wells and barrrel.

7) I have been using Meguiar's microfiber towels to apply and remove Zaino detail spray. Is this a good quality microfiber towel? I also use the Zaino cotton applicator pad to apply their clear seal.

Please help me clear the confusion. I see that a lot of PRO detailers here post about their accomplishments, sales, and projects, but do not post to answer questions, so your input would be very much appreciated.

Jetfire

iTrader: (3)

i'm no pro, but i'm a shine loving enthusiast.

the grout sponges from lowe's are much better. i think the brand is proline. but i only use them with ONR washes. for regular washes, i use a lambswool mitt. 2 buckets with grit guards are important.

a high quality waffle weave works well. just blot instead of drag.

if p21s works well enough, stick with it. from one of the vendor's results, sonax was better.

most of meg's over the counter stuff is pretty good.

eyezack87

iTrader: (4)

ANYTHING you use to wash your car must be soft enough to not marr it with light pressure but "stiff" enough to glide over the crap you're trying to remove. I personally went from high quality sheep skin mitts to grout sponges from HD and now I'm on high quality silicone-free sponges from Zymol. Its all about personal preference but most importantly, its about technique. If you think it'll scratch, don't use it and get something softer. Just don't go crazy with the pressure and you'll be fine. I glide any wash medium over the surface repeatedly to wash my car. No swirls yet other than the dealer instilled ones on my car. Its been about 6 months and over 100 washes

As for wheel cleaner, I use P21S but I'll be giving Sonax a try eventually. I usually use normal soap/water with a tad bit of APC mixed in to clean my wheels.

For microfibers, get some quality ones. You want them to have the least potential to scratch your car.

DetailMan

1. Correct
2. Never used a grout sponge, dont plan on it. Get a high quality sheep skin mitt.
3. Flooding method + electric blower + high quality waffle weave.
4. Yes, but anything to remove bugs will remove sealant or wax as well.
5. I recommend Sonax over P21s, Ive used both. But try soap and water, you shouldnt need a specific wheel cleaner to maintain your own wheels.
6. Any cheap APC is fine.
7. Never used Megs MF towels. I use PakShak.

Greg@DI

1.) Two bucket works great, check out our washing and drying section of our detailing guide for specifics.

2.) The Lake Country Blue Grout Sponge and the DI Accessories Sheepskin Wash Mitt are both safe options to wash with. Both are very good and will work. If I had to pick one option and safety was my biggest concern I'd probably pick the sheepskin wash mitt.

3.) I HIGHLY recommend the DI Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towel. This towel is paint safe, very gentle, super absorbent, washable, durable, etc.

4.) The Stoner Tarminator is great at removing tar, bugs, etc. It will remove any sealant or wax so I try to use it during a full detail when I want to remove all the protection. It is safe on the paint and clear coat.

5.) I haven't used the Sonax product yet so I'm honestly not sure about it. I do like the P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner and the Chemical Guys Diablo Gel Rim and Wheel Cleaner. The Diablo is hands down the best value amongst pH neutral wheel cleaners. You can use it as is, or dilute it up to 6:1 for enhanced value from this premium wheel cleaner. I use it at a 3:1 ratio so it still remains a gel based product that won't run like liquids do.

6.) The Meguiar's Super Degreaser D108 is a great value and top quality product you can use on those surfaces and more.

7.) To remove the left over product (i.e. wax, sealant), clean the interior, apply interior dressing, etc. I like to use the DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel. I've searched through so many mfgs and it's the best towel I've found for virtually any detailing function. We offer quantity discounts with this towel and you can use our coupon codes on top of it. For applying products we offer several good applicators. The Lake Country Red Foam Applicator Pad is my favorite because it's slightly larger, extremely soft and very durable. If you want a less expensive option try the DI Accessories Foam Applicator Pad.

As always you can save 10% off on virtually all of these items with the coupon code 10offCL. If you have any questions please feel free to PM or e-mail me I'd be happy to help as well. Take care!

Greg @ DI

ISFC6

Thank you for your replies so far. I have already purchased most of the products that I mentioned (grout sponges are cheap to replace though), so I only want to replace what is necessary. I would also like to hear from Phil @ Detail Domain and Moe from Glistening Perfection as well.

What is the flooding method?

What about the Arnold Water Sprite? I have two of them. Are these OK for drying, or could they damage the paint? I obviously make sure that the paint is completely clean, before drying. I also use MF towels for the bumpers and lower facia.

bigbwb

Greg,

I am thinking of snagging some of your MF rags for detailing and removing polish, plus one for drying. (and also the sheepskin wash mitt)

I will probably order the MF waffle one for drying, and what are the best ones for detailing and removing polish? I hear mixed reviews about MF rags causing swirls/marring, so I want the best/safest ones I can get for this. Currently I use 100% cotton towels(very soft and not cheap) but many feel they cause swirls too.

Thanks for your help in advance!
Brandon

eyezack87

iTrader: (4)

FRICTION causes swirls/marring. Don't ever touch your car after its perfect and it'll stay that way...though very dirty...and if something poops on it . I can take the softest, "scratchfree" microfiber and still scratch my car. Paint isn't hard enough to prevent scratches at the microscopic level yet. The only reason why you don't see those is because they are so small. We only see the big picture with our eyes, not the smallest detail

You will like DI's mitt. I used it in the past and it worked very well

gengar

I will second the DI Waffle Weave. It absorbs a lot of water and has never scratched my car. I also like that it's a light color so it's easy to see when you screwed up and managed to pick up some dirt along the way.

Greg@DI

Brandon,

I take great pride in the towels we have selected to carry at Detailed Image. I assure you we could have picked up tons of different towels at much cheaper prices but our top concern is quality towels. We've tested them and really love their ability to clean safely and effectively. In my experiences they are much more effective than cotton. For drying the DI Waffle Weave Towel is outstanding and I'm confident you are going to love it.

DI Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towel


For most other tasks the DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel is perfect. I use it to remove left over polish, sealant, wax, etc. and I like to use it on the interior and so much more. We offer quantity discounts plus you can use the 10offCL code for an additional 10% off (does not apply to packages or sale items). If you want to apply a quick detailer and do a quick cleaning the DI Microfiber Ultra Plush Two Sided Towel is my towel of choice. I sometimes use these to remove the left over glaze, sealant or wax, but not usually polishes, those are better off with the All Purpose Towel. Again these towels are very thick and extremely plush. The other towels we have a great as well these are just the ones I use most commonly.

If you'd like to try all of our towels try the DI Packages Microfiber Starter Kit. It gives you one of each of our towels and a great value. If you want an awesome selection of towels at a great price check out the DI Packages Microfiber Starter Kit.

If you have any other questions please let me know I'd be happy to help.

Greg @ DI