hello everyone, i like to wash my car once a week. I had wash it, i'm scared to use the machine wash....because this TL is my baby.

my question is, i'm always afraid to dry it. i'm scared that a microfiber towel or a a chame(sp?), will put swirls or scratches in the paint? Any suggestions.

Anyone wax their car, if so , what product do you use and how often?

this is a great website, thanks for all the help.

 

I use the California Water Blade to get most of the water off and then complete the drying with an Absorber. Has worked well for me so far.

 

Leaf Blower and then pat dry with a Waffle weave and associate towel

 

Two waffle weave drying towels............Let the towels do the absorbing.
If your wondering why two, one is to absorb the majority of water, and the other is to lean on with, and wipe away any streaks. You have two hands you might as well use both!
After washing, raise hood and rear deck while you dry the roof and vertical panels. This way the water runs off while your drying the remainder.
Also, consider adding some quick detailer while drying. Helps add a little protection and gloss.....
As mentioned above, some like using a leaf blower. I have a 6 Gal compressor I take with me on details that I blow out door handles, wheels, tires, emblems and moldings with. Works great!

 

The silicone blade should only be used for windows. You'll definitely ruin your paint's finish if something gets caught in that blade and as a result, gets dragged across as far as you take the blade. Use waffle weave microfiber towels or just normal microfiber towels that pass the "CD test". You'll also want to employ either the water sheeting method or leaf blower (just for cracks/crevices) before you use your waffle weaves.

As for waxing goes, you can use whatever wax you prefer. They all generally provide protection, it's just a matter of how long it lasts. Good practice to reapply is generally about every month or so.

 

Denzil, i didnt want to say anything about that CWB. I know its not widely accepted here at the Azine, but to each their own. Totally agree, stick with glass work for those.....

 

Hehe, that's fine Patrick. I have no problem stepping in to say what needs to be said for the better of the forum and general public. I'm here to help educate others and if people want to drag debris across their car's paint, that's totally fine by me.

 

You're right, but after every "swipe" I wipe the blade off to make sure that it is clean and debris-free. So far, I have had no problems. The only slight surface scratches I have is from my dealer's free after service car wash. They hand dry with cotton towels.

 

Hey Patrick, I've noticed after applying some Meguiar's Nxt geration quick detail after a wash, the slickness goes away? Does the QD spray take away some of the wax, or is that just the wash taking the wax away?

 

Thing is a wipe "after" you have already drug the debris over the surface is like closing the barn door after the horse left.

 

Well any detail spray shouldnt take away from an already slick surface. You do have base protection right?

 

that is the wash removing the nxt....when i was using nxt, i would follow up about every two weeks with nxt spray wax booster....then i would get that fresh slick feel...

if you want a really slick finish that will last for months, try 4 star ultimate paint protection....serious protection and serious slickness...ofcourse you cant get it at autozone or walmart, but its worth the price....

nxt doesnt last very long, maybe a few washes, 2 months max....unless you do like i said and hit it every few weeks with the spray wax....

 

Just for the record I ordered UPP today .. you guys better be right or this old bugger is going to be pi$$ed.

 

 

Ouch........

 

This is exactly my point. Sure you can wipe it after each swipe but what about mid-swipe, 1/4 swipe or even 3/4 swipe? The silicone blade does not have any nap to trap the dust/dirt/debris particles that it comes across.

However if it works for you, then that's fine but I forewarn other users that are thinking of using this method without any negative consequences.

 

its about time you stubburn old fart!!! i think someone is going to be happy with his new product....

 

Hey .. I'm just over 9 in dog years....

 

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No worries Dale, you no likey, ship it back for $ back!

 

No worries ... I have a 1000% confidence in your recommendations, so far you been dead on ...

BTW .. 1000% is way more than 100% so you must be good.

 

Finally Dale... we converted you!

I'd be really shocked if you weren't too happy with UPP. Let us know what you think of it.

 

we are all waiting for dales opinion....your on the hot seat bro....

 

Guess I've been lucky so far. However, now I'll probably run out of luck and drag a hunk of debris over my paint and scratch it up next time I use it You know how sometimes ignorance is bliss. Well I can't claim ignorance anymore.

 

Besides my TL-S, I also drive a white Honda Civic. I can get away with some laziness and skip a few steps and the paint will still look great. I know white hides many flaws. My black TL hides nothing and the paint is so soft I HAVE to follow my maintenance and wash protocols 100% or else the finish will suffer. I bet if your RL was black you would have given up the Water Blade a long time ago. It all comes down to how much time you willing to sacrifice to ensure the paint is at it's best? Patrick can hook you up with some waffleweave towels.

 

I used the spray wax...it rained today.

Didn't really bead off...am I doing something wrong?

I washed with ONRW...applied Four Star Spray Wax.

Missing steps?

 

maybe i missed something, what are you using for your base protection....you cant just wash your car and spray some 4 star spray wax on it...you need a base sealant first, then you can use the spray wax....

 

AFAIK, your order of looks correct but maybe your technique was off? I'll have to check it out.

 

I suck @ detailing...

I don't know what I am doing...

 

It's alright Noah, once you have me detail your car, I'll set you straight, haha.

 

Ha ha...yes if I can afford it.

I'm going to.

 

Griots Garage offers some waffleweave towels, are they the same towels?