Car Cleaning, What is your lineup? Options

[bojangles_8686]

I was tired of not being able to find all of my cleaning stuff so I went out today and bought a whole new lineup. Pretty much everything is Meguiars so I am hoping to get a good result. Here is a pic of what I have. I dont have soap because the water pressure at my house is messed up so I take it to the self washes around my area then take it home to wax it and everything.


What does everybody else use? Has anybody ever tried the Meguiars 3 step wax thing? I was thinking about getting it but want good feedback on it to justify spending that much money lol

[johny]

Well, it's been a long time since I've visited you all on 6GC, so i'll make up for lost time with this post - excuse any English references, I realise some Meguiars products have different names in the UK, and Tesco is the UK equivalent of WalMart !
The text below is a brief ( ) guide I posted on Celica-Club.co.uk and has been well recieved by our members -

Johnys Guide to Detailing.


This article is not intended to be an extensive guide and I make no apology for using Meguiars products only. I have found Meguiars to be the best but respect anyone's decision to use alternative products.
Detailing can involve hard work but the benefits are great. Your car will look good, you will feel good, people will look at your car more and you will increase the value of your car.
To get the best results preparation is the key. This is followed by using good quality products and hardware.
I will try and keep this guide as simple as possible and mention products that are readily available.

There are 5 steps to getting your car looking special and I will attempt to explain each one. Steps 2,3 & 4 only need to be done when you detail your car for the first time and then on an ‘as necessary ‘ basis. I suggest Step 2 twice a year and Steps 3 and 4 when the car looks dull and rain water no longer beads.

Step 1.- Washing.
Here we go. First of all rinse your car off with running water to remove any loose contaminants. Then throw away your sponge – these can cause extra swirl marks due to minute pieces of grit getting trapped on the surface of the sponge. Get a Lambs Wool Wash Mitt as any particles of dirt will be trapped in the wool rather than on the surface. Get 2 clean buckets and in one of them pour a small amount of shampoo. I use NXT Generation Car Wash, but Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo And Conditioner is good. Fill both buckets with water.
You now have a bucket with shampoo in and a bucket with plain water. Use the shampoo mix to clean your car with and the plain water bucket to rinse your Wash Mitt in. This is called the ‘2 bucket method’ and effectively cleans your Wash Mitt, preventing damage to your paintwork.
When you have covered all your car then rinse off with a steady stream of water. Do not spray water over your car to rinse off as this creates more work in the drying process.
To dry my car I use a Water Magnet Drying Towel. I simply drape the towel over the paintwork and drag it off to remove most of the water. To get into smaller areas you can fold the towel up and gently wipe. Wring the towel out often to remove excess water from it.
When your car is dry it is time to move to the next step.

Step 2. – Cleaning.
This is where the hard work starts but also where your preparation will start to pay off. There are 2 main paint surface problems. Above-Surface contaminants and Below-Surface Defects.
Attacking the Above-Surface problems first you could use either the Quik Clay detailing System or gold Class Bug And Tar Remover. To use the clay effectively is a quickly learnt art. Divide the clay bar into 3 pieces. Place 2 pieces in a protective covering to use in the future. Take the remaining piece and warm it up in your hands. Gently knead the clay into a flat shape, approximately the size of a matchbox. When the clay is nice and supple it is ready to use. You will need to apply Quik-Detailer to the paintwork first, spray plenty on as this is acting as a lubricant. You can use a mix of water and car wash shampoo to a ration of 10:1 instead and this is cheaper as well.
After spraying your paint you should then gently rub the clay over your paint using light pressure and the palm of your hand. If the clay feels like its dragging then you need to spray more lubricant on. Work a panel at a time and inspect the clay regularly. Remove any hard particles and then fold the clay , dirty side to dirty side and knead it out to matchbox size again. Keep turning the clay in this fashion to prevent rubbing dirt into your paintwork. If you drop the clay on the floor then discard it (another reason for splitting the bar into 3!). Remove residue from the paint with a Terry Towel or Microfibre cloth (or similar). Your paint should now feel as smooth as glass.
Bug And Tar remover is similar to a ‘liquid’ clay bar. It will strip any old wax or polish and general traffic film off your paintwork but won’t give it as deep a clean as a clay bar.
The next part is to attack Below-Surface problems such as swirl marks and mild scratches. Don’t expect miracles here, if you can ‘feel’ a defect when you gently run a finger nail over it then a professional polish is required. But, Scratch X is a useful product to use. Apply some to a sponge applicator and work this into the paint, a small area at a time. Remove the product with a towel/microfibre cloth. Scratch X is not a cutting compound and is safe to use. Meguiars Step One Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner is an alternative but is probably more suited to newer paintwork. Again apply using a sponge applicator and remove using a towel/microfibre cloth. Then there is Body Scrub. This uses mild ‘diminishing’ abrasives to remove stains, blemishes and oxidisation. Work into paint using a sponge applicator and remove using a Terry towel or Microfibre cloth.
Your car is now ready for the next step.

Step 3. Polish.
Polish gives your paint that rich, vibrant colour. It is polish that gives that sparkle, that shiny finish you really want. Do not confuse it with wax – that’s the next step!
Meguiars Step Two Deep Crystal Polish is a pure polish and again gives excellent results. Application technique needs to be effective to get the result you desire. Working a section at a time apply a small amount of polish onto a sponge applicator pad and work the polish into the paint until you can hardly see it. Remove immediately before it has chance to dry out, using a towel or microfibre cloth. Your paintwork has now been nourished and should be looking great. Time to Wax !

Step 4. Wax.
Wax is used to protect the paint finish from fresh contaminants.
Meguiars make several waxes. They can be either in paste or liquid form. Personal preference comes into play.
Firstly there is Step Three Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax – a good all-round wax. Next is Gold Class Clear Coat Liquid Wax, long lasting, this wax has gives great reflections and depth of colour. NXT Generation Tech Wax gives a deep, clear shine and is at its best on dark coloured cars.
To apply wax, again use a sponge applicator and put a very thin layer over the paint. Leave the wax on the paint as long as possible to allow it to dry (or cure). Remove using a towel/microfibre cloth.

Step 5. Maintenance.
Your car should now be looking amazing. You want to keep it looking at it’s best. This is where maintenance enters the fray.
Quik Detailer and NXT Generation Speed Detailer are products that you can use to spray on fresh contaminant. Spray it on and remove with a towel/microfibre cloth.
Quik Wax and NXT Generation Spray Wax are 2 products you can use to top up your Wax protection after washing. You can use them on wet paintwork as well. Simply spray on the paint and wipe off when dry.
Once you have cleansed, polished and waxed you only need to wash and top-up protection on a regular basis. Using paint cleaner should only be necessary under usual conditions twice a year, polish and wax can be applied as many times as you feel necessary. As a rule, when water beads start to merge together after its been raining it’s time to reapply.

A few tips.

A little product goes a long way – don’t use to much, it’s expensive, wasteful, time consuming and makes it harder to do.

Use a wash mitt – not a sponge

Use the 2 bucket method

Don’t spray water when rinsing

Keep equipment clean – check regularly when using it

Use a new applicator and cloth for each process – you can’t have too many!

Don’t let Polish dry

Do let Wax dry

Work from the top of your car down

Clean your wheels first, not after you've detailed your paintwork

Take photos when you’re finished and show-off your hard work!


Well, that’s your paintwork looking great, now lets go that bit further !

Wheels & Tyres.
To get those nice alloys looking great use Hot rims All Wheel Cleaner. Spray it onto a cool alloy, allow it to work in and if the build up of brake dust is heavy then use a good quality wheel brush - one with bristles that wont damage the metal. Rinse off with running water and then dry.
Clean tyres with a deep black finish really make a difference. Meguiars Endurance High Gloss Protection Gel is long lasting and very safe. After cleaning your tyres apply using a cloth. Hot Shine Tyre Spray is easy to use, just spray onto a clean, dry tyre and you will have a ‘wet look’ tyre.

Plastic Trim.
Gold Class Trim Detailer is useful for the rubber surrounds to windows and the grilles below the windscreen. Simply apply with a cloth to regain the original colour and freshness.

Glass.
NXT Generation Glass Cleaner leaves no residue and makes glass crystal clear. Just spray it on and wipe over with a microfibre cloth. Allow to dry then give it a final wipe.

Interior.
Many products are available here. Meguiars NXT Generation Tech Protect and the Natural Shine Vinyl And Rubber Protectant are used for keeping your dashboard clean and nourishing the plastics to prevent ageing and cracking. Simply wipe on and rub in.
Carpet And Interior Cleaner is ideal for removing stains from upholstery. Spray on, leave it work and then remove.
Car Odour Eliminator smells lovely – simply spray onto carpet or roof lining for a long lasting aroma.

Hardware.
There are a myriad of products out there so I will just list the ones that I use.

Sponge Applicator Pads – the best way to apply Polish, Wax etc,etc

Wash Mitt – safer than a sponge.

Vers –Angle Tyre Brush – to clean tyres without damaging paint work or alloys

Ultra-Safe Wheel Brush – to make cleaning alloys easier

Water Magnet Drying Towel – I find this better than a Chamois in every way

Microfibre Cloths – makes product removal easier – buy them from Tesco though!

Terry Towels – handy to have – buy from Tesco as well!

Detailing Swabs – useful to get to hard to reach areas

New Meguiars products tested! -

The Grit Guard and Bucket - I have bought both these items - together they eliminate the 2-bucket method. Debris falls through the guard to the bottom of the bucket and the guard stops your wash mitt from picking the debris up again. You can buy the grit guard seperatly but it is American made and they have different size buckets to the UK (true!). The guard will fit some UK buckets but may sit too high inside to be of practical use.

Versa-Angle Body Duster - a great piece of kit. It may seem pricey compare to similar products available in Supermarkets/DIY Centres but their quality is by far inferior and the head is a lot smaller. I tried mine at JapFest to remove dust and it worked a treat.

Even Coat Applicator Pads - bought a pair of these and have finally got round to using them. Much better than the applicator sponges, they are easier to hold, spread the products over the paintwork with less effort and leave a nice thin, even coating.



There are other products that Meguiars make that deserve a mention.

Cleaner Wax – a wonderful products if you are bone idle or short on time. Its like a cleanser, polish and wax all in one! It isn’t a replacement for Steps 2,3 & 4 above though.
Quik Suds Car Wash Strips – used instead of shampoo. Loads of bubbles and that’s about it really. Tear a strip in half and use half to one bucket of water
Soft Wash Gel – Not as good as NXT Car Wash or Gold Class Shampoo
Quik Detailer Interior – ideal for a quick freshen up of your dashboard, it doesn’t leave as much shine as NXT Tech Protect or Natural Shine Protectant
Gold Class All Metal Restorer – needs to be worked in really well but gives excellent results.
Ultimate Wash Mitt – a microfibre wash mitt. I prefer the Lambs Wool one as it fits your hand better and has a safe dead-fly remover on the reverse.


What do I need to buy?
This is a question I am asked often and there is no definate answer.
If your car isn’t brand new then I suggest the following as a good starting point. Again I will apologise as all the products are Meguiars.

A Lambs Wool Wash Mitt
4 Applicator Pads
Water Magnet Drying Towel
4 Microfibre Cloths (Tesco’s!)
Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo And Conditioner
Quik Clay Detailing System
Step One Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner
Step Two Deep Crystal Polish
Step Three Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax

The above will give you great results that you can then build on in the future.

If you have any questions about detailing then please post in this thread. My answers will probably involve Meguiars products and all the above really is a ‘potted’ version as I realise the whole ‘detailing’ thing can become scientific – I have only mentioned the products that are readily available!
I will, from time to time, add extra tips and information.
Above all, enjoy detailing your car, it can be theraputic!

Please feel free to sticky this post if need be.

Enjoy!