For those of you who wash/detail your car(s) yourselves what kind of supplies do you use and where you get them? Any recommendations?
Auto Washing/Detailing Freaks
- Thread starter dc724
- Start date
Dawn dish soap to remove all contaminants/bugs/etc. Clay bar the whole fusker. Coat. NOT wax. Coat with zaino.
http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=FAQ&Store_Code=Z
It will shiiiinnnneeeee.
After zainoing follow there instructions and use their car wash, then re zaino. NO more clay barring, zaino protects it so well.
http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=FAQ&Store_Code=Z
It will shiiiinnnneeeee.
After zainoing follow there instructions and use their car wash, then re zaino. NO more clay barring, zaino protects it so well.
Autopia Car Care Lots of auto deatling tips and supplies available here. Never ordered from here just browsed the catalog and read the tips they provided.
Proper Auto Care / Classic Motoring More auto detaling tips and supplies.
Stay away from the big blue drying towel. They claim it's really good and doesn't scratch but I found out that it does the exact opposite. I was only able to dry half my car before it started streaking water and I started noticing swirl marks all over the place so I was pretty pissed about that.
Poor Boy's World
Never used anything from Poor Boys World, but I've seen the end results from a couple of people on my acura legend forums and it came out really nice. So I'm anxious to try some of the products from here.
First clean your rims with simple green, rag, and bucket of water. Spray the simple green on your rims let it soak and wipe it off. Most of the brake dust and other stuff should come off fairly easily. If you have machine finished wheels it will look bright and new. Apply a tire shine to protect and make your tires look good. I use Eagle One Tire Shine in a Aresol Can. Make sure not to go crazy with this stuff other wise it will start dripping and running. Let it soak for about 30 minutes to an hour and wipe it off with a rag or sponge. Tire shine will make your tires shine as well protect against dry rott.
Wash your car with dawn dish soap (original formula). 1oz of soap to 1 gallon of water. Use a good quality sheepskin wash mit, remember to rinse it frequently or you may end up with swirl marks. You should always go in a left to right or up and down pattern never in circles.
Dry off your car with a good quality cotton bath towel or a sheep skin chamois
They recommend using the Clay Magic clay bar kit (not sure where you can find one maybe K-Mart or Target) because the clay is softer and easier to fold and reshape. It's also cheaper than most kits by about 7 dollars. I used a mothers claybar kit which worked fine for me and I found it at Kragen Auto Parts. The mothers kit cost about 17 dollars. It comes with a yellow slab of clay, bottle of lubricant, and a small bottle of cheap carnuba wax. The lubricant is nothing more than just a quick detailing spray used for bird turds and other quick touch ups. They sell this in stores so if you run out you can get more. The mothers lubricant has a strange peppermint / spicy smell to it which makes me kind of nausiated (some people like it).
Basically the claybar will remove paint contaminants, old wax, and paint over spray. You spray a small section of your paint (1'x1' area or so) with the provided bottle of lubricant and rub the small piece of clay over the lubricated area and at first it may feel like sandpaper as you rub but that's the clay removing the paint contaminants. Once you've gone over a 1'x1' area wipe off the excess lubricant with a soft cotton terry cloth towel and feel it with the back of your hand, it should feel a lot smoother than any un-done section of your paint and it will have a nice shine to it.
Re-wash & dry your car with a good quality car wash soap to remove any of the lubrication residue left behind. I used Meguiars Gold Class car wash shampoo works great. I've heard good things about the NXT Car wash shampoo as well as some others.
Now it's time to apply the wax. Choose your wax carefully and remember each wax has it's benefits and flaws. Most synthetic waxes last longer than your typical carnuba waxes but it doesn't give it that deep shine and bring out the color like a carnuba waxes. Carnuba waxes will make your car look real sharp but it doesn't last very long especially in hot climates. Average lifespan will be anywhere between 2 - 4 months before you'll need to rewax your car. I've experimented with lots of waxes and have mixed results. I recently tried the 3M Pefect It Show car wax and Swirl Remover (for dark colored cars) and I was quite surprised. It's available over the counter at most auto parts store (I was only able to find it at Pep-Boys) and it's been looking good for the past 3 months. Picture of My Hood
Zaino Bros
This is some great wax but it's expensive and it's very time consuming to apply.
Have some good quality soft plush white cotton bath towels (cut up into smaller sheets) to remove the wax once applied and a few good microfiber towels to do the final wipe down. Make sure not to wash them with fabric softner otherwise it will leave a chemical residue on your pant. If you want to cut the time in half get a Porter Cable 7424 Random Orbit buffer and a foam pad kit from Proper Auto Care.
-You need to buy Z2 Polish w/ ZFX or Z1 (Pre-applied to your car) let it cure for an hour and remove.
-Apply a coat of the Z6 Ultra Gloss Enahancer spray
-Apply a coat of Z5 Swirl Reducer
-Apply a coat of Z6 Ultra Glossy
-Repeat as you desire. The more you apply the better the results or so they say. I applied the process above twice and it looked fantastic afterwards.
Then there is the soap, which they say to only use the Mr Clean stuff because it will plug up your auto dry unit if you use other soap. This soap has a very sticky texture when it starts to dry off, so you have to wash your car really fast. You pre-rinse your car, then you spray the car with the soap using the auto dry unit. Then you spray a sheepskin wash mit or plush towel with some soap and wash the car (so you really don't need a bucket of soapy water, just spray and rinse off your wash mit every now and then to get rid of the dirt).
The first time I used it was happy how the soap removed a lot of the dirt and made it stick to the mit like a magnet but I started noticing the car had soap residue when I rinsed it off. I had to re-wash the area again because it would not come off just by spraying it with water. Once you've rinsed all the soap off you use the special filtered water and re-spray the whole car with this special de-ionized water. It sprays out like a very fine mist so it takes a long time to do the whole car and you have to remember when you've covered other wise you'll have lots of water spots.
First couple of times you'll be happy with the results but after 3 or 4 uses you'll start finding water spots here and there. Over all if you just want to wash your car and aren't a detailing freak like me you'll probably like this. It's rather expensive to maintain though because the soap and filters cost about 18 bucks (almost as much as the unit cost itself). Also the soap smells really good.
Proper Auto Care / Classic Motoring More auto detaling tips and supplies.
Stay away from the big blue drying towel. They claim it's really good and doesn't scratch but I found out that it does the exact opposite. I was only able to dry half my car before it started streaking water and I started noticing swirl marks all over the place so I was pretty pissed about that.
Poor Boy's World
Never used anything from Poor Boys World, but I've seen the end results from a couple of people on my acura legend forums and it came out really nice. So I'm anxious to try some of the products from here.
This pretty much sums up what you're gonna have to do. The clay bar is the real trick to getting that perfect shine. If you've never done it to your car before be prepared to spend some time detailing because your car will be filthy. You'll probably want to start early in the morning to beat the early morning heat while washing because you'll end up with water spots unless you have some place to park in the shade. I would still start early because you'll be outside for a long time.
First clean your rims with simple green, rag, and bucket of water. Spray the simple green on your rims let it soak and wipe it off. Most of the brake dust and other stuff should come off fairly easily. If you have machine finished wheels it will look bright and new. Apply a tire shine to protect and make your tires look good. I use Eagle One Tire Shine in a Aresol Can. Make sure not to go crazy with this stuff other wise it will start dripping and running. Let it soak for about 30 minutes to an hour and wipe it off with a rag or sponge. Tire shine will make your tires shine as well protect against dry rott.
Wash your car with dawn dish soap (original formula). 1oz of soap to 1 gallon of water. Use a good quality sheepskin wash mit, remember to rinse it frequently or you may end up with swirl marks. You should always go in a left to right or up and down pattern never in circles.
Dry off your car with a good quality cotton bath towel or a sheep skin chamois
They recommend using the Clay Magic clay bar kit (not sure where you can find one maybe K-Mart or Target) because the clay is softer and easier to fold and reshape. It's also cheaper than most kits by about 7 dollars. I used a mothers claybar kit which worked fine for me and I found it at Kragen Auto Parts. The mothers kit cost about 17 dollars. It comes with a yellow slab of clay, bottle of lubricant, and a small bottle of cheap carnuba wax. The lubricant is nothing more than just a quick detailing spray used for bird turds and other quick touch ups. They sell this in stores so if you run out you can get more. The mothers lubricant has a strange peppermint / spicy smell to it which makes me kind of nausiated (some people like it).
Basically the claybar will remove paint contaminants, old wax, and paint over spray. You spray a small section of your paint (1'x1' area or so) with the provided bottle of lubricant and rub the small piece of clay over the lubricated area and at first it may feel like sandpaper as you rub but that's the clay removing the paint contaminants. Once you've gone over a 1'x1' area wipe off the excess lubricant with a soft cotton terry cloth towel and feel it with the back of your hand, it should feel a lot smoother than any un-done section of your paint and it will have a nice shine to it.
Re-wash & dry your car with a good quality car wash soap to remove any of the lubrication residue left behind. I used Meguiars Gold Class car wash shampoo works great. I've heard good things about the NXT Car wash shampoo as well as some others.
Now it's time to apply the wax. Choose your wax carefully and remember each wax has it's benefits and flaws. Most synthetic waxes last longer than your typical carnuba waxes but it doesn't give it that deep shine and bring out the color like a carnuba waxes. Carnuba waxes will make your car look real sharp but it doesn't last very long especially in hot climates. Average lifespan will be anywhere between 2 - 4 months before you'll need to rewax your car. I've experimented with lots of waxes and have mixed results. I recently tried the 3M Pefect It Show car wax and Swirl Remover (for dark colored cars) and I was quite surprised. It's available over the counter at most auto parts store (I was only able to find it at Pep-Boys) and it's been looking good for the past 3 months. Picture of My Hood
Zaino Bros
This is some great wax but it's expensive and it's very time consuming to apply.
Have some good quality soft plush white cotton bath towels (cut up into smaller sheets) to remove the wax once applied and a few good microfiber towels to do the final wipe down. Make sure not to wash them with fabric softner otherwise it will leave a chemical residue on your pant. If you want to cut the time in half get a Porter Cable 7424 Random Orbit buffer and a foam pad kit from Proper Auto Care.
-You need to buy Z2 Polish w/ ZFX or Z1 (Pre-applied to your car) let it cure for an hour and remove.
-Apply a coat of the Z6 Ultra Gloss Enahancer spray
-Apply a coat of Z5 Swirl Reducer
-Apply a coat of Z6 Ultra Glossy
-Repeat as you desire. The more you apply the better the results or so they say. I applied the process above twice and it looked fantastic afterwards.
I've tried the Mr. Clean Auto Dry and I have mixed feelings about it. Yes it does work to the point where you don't really have to dry your car off but it's rather expensive and a pain in the ass to use. They claim you can use the water filter up to 10 times before you need to change it (3 times if you're using the one from the kit when you first buy it). I was only able to use the filter about 7 times before I had to change it because it started leaving water spots everywhere. The filter cost about 8 - 10 dollars if I recall.
Then there is the soap, which they say to only use the Mr Clean stuff because it will plug up your auto dry unit if you use other soap. This soap has a very sticky texture when it starts to dry off, so you have to wash your car really fast. You pre-rinse your car, then you spray the car with the soap using the auto dry unit. Then you spray a sheepskin wash mit or plush towel with some soap and wash the car (so you really don't need a bucket of soapy water, just spray and rinse off your wash mit every now and then to get rid of the dirt).
The first time I used it was happy how the soap removed a lot of the dirt and made it stick to the mit like a magnet but I started noticing the car had soap residue when I rinsed it off. I had to re-wash the area again because it would not come off just by spraying it with water. Once you've rinsed all the soap off you use the special filtered water and re-spray the whole car with this special de-ionized water. It sprays out like a very fine mist so it takes a long time to do the whole car and you have to remember when you've covered other wise you'll have lots of water spots.
First couple of times you'll be happy with the results but after 3 or 4 uses you'll start finding water spots here and there. Over all if you just want to wash your car and aren't a detailing freak like me you'll probably like this. It's rather expensive to maintain though because the soap and filters cost about 18 bucks (almost as much as the unit cost itself). Also the soap smells really good.
Another :thumbsup: for Zaino. Can be a bit time consuming depending on how many layers you want to apply. I usually do 3-4 layers a day over a weekend, every 6 months. But supposedly even on a daily driven car, 1 or 2 layers is enough to protect your finish for months if properly applied to a clean car (i.e. having clayed it prior).
I wash with a natural sea sponge and the Zaino car wash. Dry with a california water blade to get most of the surface water off, then I use two microfiber chamois - big one for most of the remaining water, and small one for glass/trim/door handles/etc.
I wash with a natural sea sponge and the Zaino car wash. Dry with a california water blade to get most of the surface water off, then I use two microfiber chamois - big one for most of the remaining water, and small one for glass/trim/door handles/etc.
That's a big no no from what I've read. It strips the wax/clear coat and will eventually deteriorate the paint.
MasterAndCommander
Diamond Member
- Feb 1, 2004
- 3,656
- 0
- 71
Same here (Mr. Clean Autodry and Black Magic - both products work well) . Datt - I wouldn't clay bar a new car...shouldn't have too unless you live in an extreme environment.
RE: Dawn.
To properly clean the car it's a good idea to strip existing wax and start anew. Obviously you don't want to wash the car with Dawn every time. Once a year is good enough to establish a nice clean base for your prep work.
To properly clean the car it's a good idea to strip existing wax and start anew. Obviously you don't want to wash the car with Dawn every time. Once a year is good enough to establish a nice clean base for your prep work.
43st
Diamond Member
- Nov 7, 2001
- 3,197
- 0
- 0
Zaino dies fast, use Klasse. Clay+ AIO + SG = showroom car. Dish liquid will strip the old wax, only do that yearly at most. Other times use a mild car shampoo of some sort.
EDIT:
Supply list:
- several different soft brushes for wheels and seams.
- microfiber towels
- buckets
- AIO (for body, side windows, headlights, wheels)
- SG (for body, headlights, wheels)
- Mequire's wheel cleaner (wear eye protection)
- Mequire's quick detailer
- any brand clay bar (for body, windows, headlights)
- Mequire's shampoo
EDIT:
Supply list:
- several different soft brushes for wheels and seams.
- microfiber towels
- buckets
- AIO (for body, side windows, headlights, wheels)
- SG (for body, headlights, wheels)
- Mequire's wheel cleaner (wear eye protection)
- Mequire's quick detailer
- any brand clay bar (for body, windows, headlights)
- Mequire's shampoo
daniel1113
Diamond Member
- Jun 6, 2003
- 6,448
- 0
- 0
meguires.
I've used all kinds of crap though. That Black Magic stuff is good ...
I've tried the rainex wax ... it's nice ...
The biggest boost to my detailing was when I spent some $ and got a nice black and decker 2 speed buffer.
WHOA BABY!
I've used all kinds of crap though. That Black Magic stuff is good ...
I've tried the rainex wax ... it's nice ...
The biggest boost to my detailing was when I spent some $ and got a nice black and decker 2 speed buffer.
WHOA BABY!
Ryan
Lifer
- Oct 31, 2000
- 27,519
- 2
- 81
I wash and detail the outside myself, but man, I had to drop my car off at a local detail shop to take care of the inside last week. Working at a pizza place, the flour for slapping dough comes off my clothes and into my seats/carpet.
That, coupled with my being a lazy fvck and not cleaning my car, say, for about 6 months made the inside pretty nasty. I wasn't going to waste my time cleaning it.
That, coupled with my being a lazy fvck and not cleaning my car, say, for about 6 months made the inside pretty nasty. I wasn't going to waste my time cleaning it.
Kelemvor
Lifer
- May 23, 2002
- 16,928
- 8
- 81
I always heard that running them through a decent car wash was actually a lot better than washing yourself because washing frmo a bucket means you are using dirty water to clean the car, plus most people dump the soap and stuff down the drain which isn't good, etc.. Car Washes use always clean water, they have to dispose of it properly, etc....
And these days it might actually be cheaper since it's only like $5-$7 for a basic wash at lots of places.
But of course if you use fancy products to do the cleaning then it may be better to do it yourself.
And these days it might actually be cheaper since it's only like $5-$7 for a basic wash at lots of places.
But of course if you use fancy products to do the cleaning then it may be better to do it yourself.
I buy most of my stuff from carcarespecialists. I think they have a website with the same name, although there might be a dash somewhere in there.
If I run my car through a car wash, claybar it, then wash it again, would all that be done for nothing or does claybarring work wonders?
JulesMaximus
No Lifer
- Jul 3, 2003
- 74,550
- 940
- 126
Why don't you just use wax? It takes much less time and the results are just as good. Add a professional glaze and a swirl remover (if necessary) and you get show car results.
wash, dry, NXT for the exterior
lexol cleaner, lexol conditioner, invis glass on windows, 303 on non-leather for the interior (or just 303 across the board if i am lazy)
lexol cleaner, lexol conditioner, invis glass on windows, 303 on non-leather for the interior (or just 303 across the board if i am lazy)
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