Alright, couple of questions;

1) How often do you wash your TL?
2) What products do you use? What order? (wax, soap, etc etc)
3) Do you ever have it hand-washed or run it through a car-wash?
4) What products do you recommend for someone with an SSM colored car, or is this the same throughout?
5) Do you use a leather conditioner?
6) What other stuff do you use/recommend for keeping the inside (interior pieces, leather, etc) clean?

Thanks for the answers! Have no idea what to get, and would really appreciate some responses.

 

1) every saturday interior, every sunday exterior
2) all maguiars for exterior, that's the soap and wax, lexol for the leather, ca duster for dash, invisible glass, windex, and armor all glass cleaner for windows - can't seem to get those f-ing water spots though
3) i hand wash. don't think i'd ever use a car wash. i just love people looking at me when i wash my car as they drive by
4) i have ssm
5) lexol conditioner and cleaner. it's a must here in california as the weather is starting to be above 90 degrees. i use lexol once a month
6) i use micro fiber towels from walmart. got 6 of the small ones and 2 of the big ones. do not use high pressure water from the hose, wash early in the morning or late afternoon or somewhere shady, put food in the trunk, if you have all weather mats use them unless you have a special guests riding with you, if you're hand washing eat and be hydrated since you'll probably be washing her for about 3-4 hours. i guess use claybar since it's new. many here have but i haven't and i already waxed her onced. i also have ca duster for the exterior, different from the interior.

 

Thanks a ton. What does claybar do?

 

it's supposed to remove the tiniest dirt that regular washing won't get. after the claybar then you would wax the car so that there are no dirt underneath the coat of wax. i didn't do it coz i found out too late, couldn't find any around and probably won't have the patience to do it. besides i clean the car weekly so i figured i didn't need it

 

Ah, sounds good, thanks for your help. Would appreciate other responese too

 

duh-ble post

 

after you clay your car, you should wash it again.
When you use clay - you usually get a kit that includes the lubricator spray bottle. You spray this on an area and then wipe the clay bar over it nice and gentle. Once you have done a section - rewash to remove clay residue/lube spray.
http://www.mothers.com/products/

go there and look at the clay bar paint saving kit.

 

Come this weekend, when I get stuff to clean the car with, what order do I do it in?

 

Gale, the purpose of clay is to remove embedded dirt and brake dust, be it from a car, or rail during transit. The majority of the brake dust comes from vehicles on frwy's, highways. It can be damaging if left alone, after all its metal, and we all know what metal does with a little water. It rusts',and begins degrading the paint. You can use the lubricant it comes with, or save the lubricant for quick detailing. I prefer using the soapy water i wash with, or just plain water (I really prefer using just water during the rinse cycle of my wash). In my opinion, its really not necessary to rewash, if claying is done correctly. (It may take you a couple times to do this) A lot of people feel the need to use the lubricant because its included in the package, go to a paint supply store and you wont find it included with any lube, its marketing, another way for Mothers, and Clay Magic to introduce you to their products. So, your all done claying, your car is sitting there soaking wet....What do you dry with ? A Waffle Weave drying towel, thats all, throw the chamois away, and this is why. Chances are, your not going to get 100 of the dirt or particles rinsed from your cars surface. Now you could take a real absorbant chamois, and soak up all the water, and drag any dirt or foreign particle along the surface, and risk scratching, or use the "WW", which is thick enough to hide the particles in the nap, is more absorbant than a chamois, needs no wringing (If correct size is bought). SO now your dry, whats next. A new car, needs nothing more than a light polish, which should be applied in a front to rear, or vice versa motion. In other words, apply and remove products the way the wind travels. Chances are you can avoid seeing any scratching from all but 1 angle when applied/removed this way. Ever notice how easy it is to see swirl marks, from any angle? Get the point ?
Ok, so youve clayed, washed, dried, polished, now you need to seal. With what you may ask. Well, depends, you can buy what every homeowner has access to at the local auto shop, or shop online, and explore many other options and products. If you care to venture into cyberland, PM me and i can give you some addresses of various suppliers.Keep in mind, waxes and sealants arent what they used to be, there much easier to use these days. Instead of a $5.00 bottle of Turtle wax, spend 15 and get what you pay for. If it was me, i would shoot straight for a Polymer protectant, every bit as visually stimulating as any carnauba, but last about 3 times longer. Use one product for one specific use, youll find the results much more stimulating....PM for questions if youd like...I could rant and rave all night....lol

 

you didn't try the autoglym glass polish yet? it works great and you won't have those water spots anymore. here is what i use:

exterior
1)car wash: meguiars nxt wash
2)1Z bug and tar remover
3)1Z wheel cleaner(i usually use sonax wheel cleaner but could not get any)
4)plexus plastic polish.(i use this is for clear plastic like the headlights and brakes. it can be used with vinyl as well)
5)autoglym glass polish. this will give you a crystal clear glass
6)NXT car wax and booster wax. i wax about once every 2 months but use the booster wax every couple weeks on the areas where i notice its fading.
7)microfiber towels. i have lots of these for buffing and cleaning. i use the waffle weave version for drying.
8)oxo wheel brush, feather tipped and will not scratch the finish on your wheels when you are cleaning them.

interior
1) lexol leather conditioner. i use use a damp towel to clean the seats.
2) 303 Aerospace protectant. cleans and protects without the oily shine.
3) 303 carpet and upholstery cleaner. will clean nasty scuff marks on your carpet.

i have alot of car detailing products and get pretty anal about keeping it clean. i can't dedicate all my time to cleaning but here is what i do. about every couple of months i will do fully the exterior:
1)clean wheels
2)wash car with dawn
3)use bug remover
4)wash with nxt car wash
5)clean plastics(i.e. headlights)
6)claybar then nxt wax
7)when i am waitng for the nxt to cure i will use the autoglym glass polish on the exterior.
8)i usually wax the wheels with meguiars #26 but this time i also used the nxt on it. it didn't work as well so i am going back to #26.

this will be usually the first day, the next day i will clean the interior which is alot quicker.
1)remove carpets
2)vacuum interior
3)dust carpets out
4)use 303 carpet cleaner, use 303 aerospace on the dash
5)finally use the lexol on the seats

that is done about once every 2 months. sometimes i get lazy and will wait to 3 usually in the winter cause its too damn cold to do anything.

every week i wash the car(unless its raining that weekend) with nxt car wash and use the nxt booster on spots that need it. i clean the wheels plastic and glass as well. i give the car a quick vacuum. whenever you are detailing you car do not do it in the sun. it will not help the wax to cure plus you will get water spots when drying to dry the car. i have a SSM car as well and from what i have seen klasse All In One(AIO) provides a really nice shine. gives it a wet deep look. i have not ye tried this product on my car but i have seen people post pics on autopia and they look great. i never ever use auto car washes they will scratch you paint and rims. i also never use hand wash places because their towels are sometimes not microfiber and not always 100% cotton and will leave swirl marks.

 

Wow, seems a bit overwhelming for me. What would you recommend, if anything, for someone who is completely new at all of this? All I want to do is keep my car clean, looking good, and protected. Is there anything that isn't necessary or any products that do more than one part of the job? I was thinking I need a good soap for the car, some wax, and thats it. :o

 

Where do you pick up the Lexol?

Also I've been noticing some small scratches on the hood that will easily polish out. Any idea how they got there. I've been washing with a clean mit and I dry with a shammy. Want to make sure I don't cause any damage. I did use the car wash a couple times when I first got the car, but I didn't notice any scratches the first few time a hand wash. Any advice appreciated.

Abyss Blue Pearl/Camel/Navigation

 

ok if you want to keep it simple get the nxt car wash, wax and a clay bar. wash your car, then use the clay bar and then wax. simple, the clay bar is very important. if you do not use it you can actually trap dirt between the paint and the wax. use any kind of window cleaner. don't spray the window cleaner on the car. spray on a towel and then wipe the windows. you don't want the window cleaner on the paint. for the interior use 303 aerospace protectant, lexol on the seats and just vacuum the carpets. if there is a stain then use the 303 carpet cleaner. remember what i listed as a full detail i usually don't do often. normally i just wash the car and use the booster wax in certain areas. you do not need to clay bar the car all the time just before you use the wax to get the surface nice and clean.

 

could be the shammy, they cam trap dirt and when you swipe it will scratch. i advise to rinse the car with the nozzle off and a nice stream of water from the hose. hose from top down. the water will sheet and will leave about 25% of the water on the car. i just dab the water up with a microfiber waffle weave towel.

 

i'm barely gonna order it today - pay day ya know lol. spent my toy money on a new G5 computer last weekend so i couldn't hehe. i'll let you know the results, hope it works

 

Just ordered some:

http://www.properautocare.com/leatcarprod1.html

 

i got mine from pep boys. took 3 different stores till i found them

 

yep PB finally got some in - sells quick - I got last bottle...

 

GaleForce, you might wanna check out this thread also - Car Care FAQ contains a lot of info about what you're asking. Another source is Autopia - How To. Preparation is the key - allocate yourself some time. Have Fun!

 

Now THAT was a thread bump. Good info though Hawhyen51.

 

Everyone has already given good advice, but I will add one thing, once you get the paint slick with clay and a good coat of wax, I recommend a leaf blower for drying. Saves time and swirl marks. You'll still need one towel to get the left over water off, but you can prevent large water spots, get most of the water off, and prevent swirl marks (no matter how good your towel/technique is, the more you touch, the more you swirl).