1.) I'm looking for a wax or some sort of treatment that will protect my car TL from the sun down here in Florida. We get a lot of cars in my shop that have faded paint due to the sun and due to the salt water, but seeing as I'm not a detailer, I don't know of anything that will protect my car from such weather.

2.) I'm also looking for something that will act as a dust deterrent for my dash and center console. I have black on black interior, and keeping the dash dust-free seems impossible. Does anyone have any recommendations?

 

2) dust is from pollen, plants, dead skin, hair....
so, to keep it dust free is IMPOSSIBLE, unless you dont ever sit it in the car and keep the windows rolled up FOREVER.

the most important thing to do is maintenance. wipe the dash down with a dry or damp microfiber towel EVERY WEEK.


1) you will need to learn how to detail. you're going to need to keep the maintenance level HIGH! first, always wash with the two bucket method with grit guards. one bucket is for soap, the other is for a rinse. this will ensure that your car will be kept free of debris at all times, when you wash.

then, you'll need to learn to clay bar, which is VERY easy.

then, you can either choose to correct paint by machine or forego this step(no one in their right mind will ever skip this step) this step ensures that the paint will be free of defects, ie: scratches, swirls, and other paint uglies...

the last step is to wax/seal the paint by hand.
this step will keep a wax or sealant on your car at all times, protecting it from the sun.

or you could just head to your local detailer to get all of this done for you..


the main thing is maintenance, you will need to up keep the paint and the interior on a weekly basis...

 

Thanks man, maybe I overstated "dust free"; I know that's impossible. I mean a product that will help reduce dust buildup.

 

no such thing. wipe your dash down, EVERY week..



think about it. you open the doors and sit in the car EVERY day. dust will happen and settle regardless of product on dash. you need to be proactive here and wipe it down, BEFORE it gets to the point of visibility.

 

Forget about the wax in Florida. It won't deal with the heat etc , use a sealant. A couple good ones that are easy to use are Meguiars #21 or Duragloss #105 . With both wipe the surface down with a 50/50 mix of IPA and water before applying . Sealants like a clean surface to bond to. Down there I'd do it every 6 weeks

As for the dust. No magic solution. Just keep it dusted. I use a microfiber cloth misted with a 6/1 solution of water and Woolite to wipe .. Acts like a dust magnet.

 

What is IPA?

 

^Isopropyl alcohol, you dilute it with water, 50/50

wiping down the car with IPA solution after each polishing stage ensures that you're wiping away all of the polish. its beneficial to see the paint without any of the polishing filling in the scratches so that you can take the appropriate actions to correct the defects

 

I have never heard of putting a mixture of IPA (I see why you use initials) on a car. There is probably a whole discussion of this, but why not just apply the sealant after you wash the car normally? Is there a specific reason for wiping it down with IPA/water? Thanks.

 

it leaves your canvass clean of product. product tends to "fill" in scratches and you want your scratches Visible so that you can take the correct action to fix the paint defects.

 

Biggest reason for using a IPA wipe is if you using a sealant the sealants unlike waxes need a good clean surface to bond to as they actually crosslink with the paint surface. 99% of people aren't polishing to perfection but the clean surface will help with the longevity of the sealant. Also you will find that applying the sealant will be a lot easier and the residue isn't contaminating the sealant. Same with removal.

 

So its wash, dry, clay, then IPA/Water to remove old wax residue, etc. Then sealant. I heard people then put a wax on top of the sealant. Ok, I think I heard that anyway. Thanks for your advice. Learn something new everyday it seems.

 

IPA removes wax residue, polish residue, QD residue from claying and even the residue from the soap you use. As far as wax over a sealant .. Some do BUT you have to know what your doing here because some waxes will remove some of the sealant .. I wouldn't bother ..