ssokol91

This might sound lame, but I never handwashed any car that I have. Even though I worked at the carwash for 2 years when I was a kid, the only thing I did was vacuum and take care of interior. May be because I didn't have good cars that I cared about and always took it to the car wash.
My Aegean Blue looks like a very delicate color to take care of.
Please throw me some thoughts on hand washing the car yourself. What products to use, how to avoid water spots on hot weather.



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2002 TL-S Aegean Blue Pearl. Underbody Kit, Spoiler

"260 Horsepower of maximum performance. This is BLUE SUNSHINE!" - Thunderkiss '02
Sweet!!!

Fins^

I've had good results with this method:
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/perfectshine.html

I use a microfiber wash mit and Pinnacle Body Wash to wash the car and a Water Sprite Plus (Synthetic Chamois) to dry the car.

If you get a some protection on the paint, i.e. wax or acrylic coat, it will be much easier to keep clean. The Klasse stuff in the "Perfect Shine" is easy to use and looks really good.

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Fins^
2002 TL-S w/Navi
Satin Silver
Debadged

Closer

Always wash in straight lines front to back. Never circles or X's.

Guest

Don't wash it in the sun.

Use a soap that rinses easily.

Use the softest cloth you can find.

Dry it immediately.

Don't play your music too loud...

TLwiz

I use 'Dri-Wash' ONLY. Always have, and always will. in my opinion, it is THE best stuff, and the ONLY stuff to use.

Darla

I really should talk to this site operator for some residuals on referrals, but;
http://carcareonline.com/howto_articles.html

I've not yet tried either the products or the recommendations/tips, but they do seem authoritative and well written.

Hope some good comes of his/her advice!

azndrgnkid

Dont wash it the sun...the reason being that the when the sun beats down on all those water drops...the water drops act as a magnifying glass to intensify the sun light...just think of when we all use to use the maginifying glass to burn leaves...or even poor lil bugs...now...those bugs being your precious Type S.
Another is what's known as clay bars. After every so often...I'd say about a month or two...little microscopic residues stick on to your car. Not even water, wax, soap..get these off that well. Thats what you feel when you run your hands across the car surface and it feels non slick and kind of rough. With the clay bar...which you can purchase at any Pep Boys or stores like that...it'll take off these residues. Try it for yourself...take a look at the clay bar AFTER you finish...you can actually see the small residues...they look like little spikes. Then feel your paint job...should be alot more smooth as you run your hands right over.

Darla

My understanding of clay bars is that they literally sand down the finish. I would think a regular application would be doing more harm than good. http://carcareonline.com/overspray_clays.html

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

This is what I've been reading too. Even all of the guys who use Zaino only use the claybar once, maybe twice a year. I plan on doing that whole process, but I'm only using the claybar once a year (probably spring). After that, all the coats of Zaino should protect my car until the next spring....




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1998 Acura CL 3.0 (Iced Blue) ** Some mods, but who cares,
I want a Type-S... (CL or TL)!!

Moderator - 1st Gen Forum @ www.acura-cl.com

FlyingPig

There are tons of things you can't get rid of unless you use the clay bar. This is especially true if you have a lighter color car, since the bugs show up easily.
I haven't had any side effects for using clay bars. I use Clay Magic™.

azndrgnkid

My experiences with them have been great myself....I havent had problems with the clay bars. Depending on which one you get...some of them are actually very soft...so I'm not sure about them being harmful to finishes. You just wet them down...and then glide it over your car. I will look more into it...but as far as I know...it's not harmful.

azndrgnkid

"Overspray clay is a double-edged sword. It can be a scratch waiting to happen. It must be used with only on a well-lubricated area and must be continually checked for contaminants. If you rub it on areas of the paint that have not been well lubricated or a piece of grit lodges in the clay, you have made "sandpaper" that will scratch the paint. The trick to properly using a clay is use copious amounts of lubricant and "float" the clay over the surface. The clay works best when it hydroplanes over the paint surface. You must continually refold the clay to expose a fresh clean surface."

I read over the links you have provided Darla...and I think here's the catch. Lot's of lubrication between the clay bar and water...and you have to keep folding it. Like I said before...the bar remove little spike like residues...and folding it would to just keep that away from the car. Following those steps carefully...then it should be a useful tool.

bluefrank

Use only white 100% cotton terry cloth towels.

I use Fieldcrest towels myself, there very very soft. You can buy them at Mervnys and at Bed Bath and Beyond.

They'll run you about 10 bucks for a bath towel but you can real feel the difference.