Auto Cleaning/Waxing

[kenstogie]

I am going with a Sealant because as I have read it is superior protection and duration. If I am so inclined I could throw some actual Wax over the sealant for a superior shine.

--Kelly, if you seal it well when new would you need to Polish it?

--Any good resources for 100% cotton towels? Or are there other drying options?

[replicant_argent]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

I am going with a Sealant because as I have read it is superior protection and duration. If I am so inclined I could throw some actual Wax over the sealant for a superior shine.

--Kelly, if you seal it well when new would you need to Polish it?

--Any good resources for 100% cotton towels? Or are there other drying options?

Picture sealant as a dress shirt and a wax as the jacket....


Ok , just kidding a little, but the wax is like a sacrificial layer over the sealant, so you can use both. And the wax helps it give some paints that incredible "depth," especially with a pearl coat or a micro flake paint. Some people actually "layer" different waxes.... I dunno if I am gonna buy that, or the time, but hey, if you wanna play, some evidently lay on top of each other well....

Also, a GOOD microfiber towel is softer, and easier to use than cotton towels or chamois.

[poker]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

I am going with a Sealant because as I have read it is superior protection and duration. If I am so inclined I could throw some actual Wax over the sealant for a superior shine.

--Kelly, if you seal it well when new would you need to Polish it?

--Any good resources for 100% cotton towels? Or are there other drying options?

I cant say much about the sealants (Menzerna comes to mind) since I like traditional carnuba wax.

The only towels I use are microfiber. Pretty good deals all over the web. I used to use autogeek.net for most of my stuff

[MikeyC]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

I am going with a Sealant because as I have read it is superior protection and duration. If I am so inclined I could throw some actual Wax over the sealant for a superior shine.

--Kelly, if you seal it well when new would you need to Polish it?

--Any good resources for 100% cotton towels? Or are there other drying options?

The sealant and/or wax doesn't really protect the paint from mechanical abrasion only environmental hazards (bird poo, acid rain, etc.). Even if you don't wash your car right you can scratch it resulting in the need to polish. Most dealers have NO idea how to wash a car and most new cars are delivered with their finish scratched to heck. The dealer then uses a glaze loaded with fillers to temporarily hide the scratches.

Also, re: cotton towels. No one uses cotton anymore. Sometimes, I use my old cotton towels on my leather interior but that's about it. Microfiber towels are more effective and less abrasive.

Read this auto detailing guide I wrote a number of years back:

http://www.thedetailinghandbook.com

Originally Posted by MikeyC

The sealant and/or wax doesn't really protect the paint from mechanical abrasion only environmental hazards (bird poo, acid rain, etc.). Even if you don't wash your car right you can scratch it resulting in the need to polish. Most dealers have NO idea how to wash a car and most new cars are delivered with their finish scratched to heck. The dealer then uses a glaze loaded with fillers to temporarily hide the scratches.

Also, re: cotton towels. No one uses cotton anymore. Sometimes, I use my old cotton towels on my leather interior but that's about it. Microfiber towels are more effective and less abrasive.

Read this auto detailing guide I wrote a number of years back:

http://www.thedetailinghandbook.com

I've seen your chart around, but it seems autogeek has expanded on it with newer products.

http://www.auto-geek.net/charts/wax-...art-master.htm

Also there's been a lot of talk about whether polishing your glass via a PC doesn't cause distortion from the heat buildup. It's not as hard as one would think to warp glass.

[MikeyC]

Originally Posted by Mindflux

I've seen your chart around, but it seems autogeek has expanded on it with newer products.

http://www.auto-geek.net/charts/wax-...art-master.htm

Also there's been a lot of talk about whether polishing your glass via a PC doesn't cause distortion from the heat buildup. It's not as hard as one would think to warp glass.

There's always a lot of debate in detailing just like there is in cigars. I've polished glass 100 times and never distorted it. It's pretty hard to develop any heat with a PC and a 5"+ pad.

Also, I can't full credit for the chart. Like Autogeek expanded the chart, I expanded it based on one I had found done by someone else.

[tsolomon]

I have a Porter 7424 and will spend a whole weekend detailing the car. I have used Medzerma with good results but recently switched to the Blackfire products. I finish with the Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax as my final coat and I'm real happy with the results. I have a friend who uses the Zaino products and I was impressed with the results she got. If I'm short on time I'll use the Klasse All-in-One product.