Wash and Wax

[Whitt937]

It has been a while since I have had a car that is nice enough to care about a good wash and wax.

In the past I would wash my car (or even drive it through a car wash) come back home to wash and listen to baseball on the radio for a couple hours. That wax included, clay bar, Klasse AIO, Klasse sealer, and then Meguire carnuba paste wax.

I am completely overwhelmed with some google searches and wonder if anyone has any success stories with their new Stingers. Chemical guys make cool video, but i think they might be just a sales pitch and auto geeks seem behind the times.

I think i need some grit guards for my wash buckets, want a foam gun just 'cause it looks cool, and am back to 15 years ago when i was on the fence about a random orbit buffer.

Thanks for the help...

 

[Stump]

It’s just a personal preference. Most waxes on the market are pretty good. You want a wax/ceramic wax that will last 4-6 months. Some of the cheap products out there you might get lucky and get a month out of it. I use a ceramic wax and the same brand name ceramic shampoo. Pick what you think that will make your paint pop/shine. Google what wax is good for whatever color car you have and you will get a lot of choices.

 

[westcoastGT]

I personally think foam cannons/guns are a wank . If you lived close by I would give you mine !

 

[nhcowboy28]

Don’t use/reuse contaminated micro fibers. Even after washing. If it’s hit the ground. Toss it. Same with your wash sponge / mitt.

if the finish is pristine, like others said. Use a quality wax / ceramic coating / ceramic hybrid (my current preference).

if kept clean and protected, you won’t require clay, polish, etc.

Be gentle and it will look good.

 

[Flameangel]

It's important to look after your tools of the trade so to speak.After every wash I wash the microfibre wash mitt, cloths and towels with microfibre wash solution so they will be all clean for next wash.And like what nhcowboy28 mentioned I'm careful not to use anything that has fallen or touched the ground. I always do the 2 bucket wash method.

 

[Stump]

It's important to look after your tools of the trade so to speak.After every wash I wash the microfibre wash mitt, cloths and towels with microfibre wash solution so they will be all clean for next wash.And like what nhcowboy28 mentioned I'm careful not to use anything that has fallen or touched the ground. I always do the 2 bucket wash method.

I never believed in the 2 bucket wash method. I use a guard which keeps all the dirt down in the bucket plus my wash pads never hits the bottom of the bucket. I lay it across the bucket if need be.

 

[CKeeler]

I use two bucket method. I’ve used Meguiars carnauba wax with good results. I finish off with Meguiars spray wax on top and I love it. I’m not looking to win any car shows, so I’m real happy with it

 

[Flameangel]

I never believed in the 2 bucket wash method. I use a guard which keeps all the dirt down in the bucket plus my wash pads never hits the bottom of the bucket. I lay it across the bucket if need be.

I never heard of the two bucket wash method until I came here. After my car had paint protection the detailer recommended it.Both the wash bucket and rinse bucket has a grit guard in them.
My Optima, which I traded in for my Stinger used to get washed by the people at the local hand wash drive in's but the detailer advised me not to take the car there as it will end up with swirl marks and scratches.
I never noticed any scratches etc on my Optima but it was Silver and that colour is good at hiding things like that. Where as I drove past a blue Honda and it had really noticeable scratches and swirl marks all over it a few weeks back.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I'm thinking of using the two-bucket wash. But my particular method probably doesn't need it. I've described how I drop six terrycloth towels in the bucket of hot, soft water; then lay a pair of them on the hatch window, the sunroof and windshield or hood. Each towel does c. a sixth of the total car surface and gets tossed in the bucket, to not get used again except for the wheels and door sills.

I'm about to receive 32oz of ONR (Optimum No Rinse) concentrate. I will continue my method, but with the ONR added in. This I expect to improve cleaning and especially drying without affecting the clearcoat. The reason (if the hype is real) is that the concentrate lays down a layer between the towels/mitt/cloths, during the washing AND drying part: so they never actually touch the clearcoat. Further, the concentrate contains a wax that remains and protects, while also masking swirls. I gather that the more you've washed with ONR, the more the protective/masking layer is renewed or even built up.

The solution that I have in my spray bottle, water with a dash of ammonia for cleaning bugs off and assuring spot free glass cleaning, is going to be replaced with ONR in the place of the ammonia.

Finally, soft water is a must. But if you use distilled water only for filling your bucket(s), that should eliminate the need for soft water; it's like soft water-plus (no minerals or contaminants: soft water from the tap can contain both, it's just that soft water makes them "float" instead of adhere "magnetically" to the paint surface; but any of that junk goes right into your microfiber towels or mitt). So, I am planning on having a few gallons of distilled water on hand: even though we have a water purifier that gets 95% of all minerals out; and soon will have a "distiller" filter added which will bring the purifying up to 99.9% pure. The gallons of distilled water are, of course, created by steaming-boiling water in bulk so that it can be marketed (no way that filtering through a "distiller" is going to make affordable distilled water!).

So, to recap: the combo of ONR, soft and distilled water, will accentuate the cleanliness of the wash and spot-free drying; ONR will assure the best possible sheeting action, maximize cleaning and lay a protective/masking layer to the clearcoat. With all of that, no waxing or other surface "preservatives" should be necessary.

 

[Cyrus Duong]

ONR is some magical stuff. It really does pick up and break down dirt. I plan to use it a lot in winter but since I have got a pressure washer, foam cannon, and two buckets with grit guards. I'll use that until it's too cold.

I think the regular ONR actually is not as good as a dedicated drying aid/wax. In their newer videos they've been recommending you use a drying aid/spray wax while drying to help lubricate and protection of the wax while you dry (so you don't have to do it after you dry).

They also have ONR with wax (it's a green bottle instead of blue). I hear it is much better at 'layering' and 'protecting' since there is actually a sacrificial layer in addition to the stuff ONR might leave behind.

I use Turtle Wax ICE Seal and Shine. It is an amazingly good spray sealant (like wax but synthetically formulated) that's light, easy to apply while drying and protects for a very long time. It's chemically resistant and extremely hydrophobic. Look up some reviews. Probably the best bang for buck spray sealant/wax. I cannot recommend it enough and you can pick it up at your local Walmart. I got like 4 bottles on sale for 6 bucks, normally 8 or so. Just 2-4 (depending on size) sprays on each panel and dry. As you dry with microfiber towels, it'll spread the sealant out.

Here's a picture of the Turtle Wax ICE Seal and Shine in action. The water literally just runs off the car from its own weight. Really fun to watch while driving. Right after some rain.



After a maintenance wash the sealant (wax) is still there and doing strong. Notice how the beading starts right at the top of the door where the window starts.


I'll put in on half a month or so since it's just so damn cheap but honestly, it's been good/lasts up to 5-6 months on my GF car which I use as a testbed for all the products I try.

Oh for the windows I use just off the shelf 2-in-1 RainX Cleaner and Rain Repellant. Matches beading properties of the Turtle Wax ICE Seal and Shine. (Don't use this on the inside of your windows. It'll apply some residue that's meant only for exterior use, might cause fogging and smearing later if you try to clean it later).

 

[Tangent52]

I was looking to find out what the good coating is, ceramic is what I want to try on my wife's car. My Stinger is 3M clear wrapped, no waxing required, but only for the next 5 - 10 years. All that it is supposed to need is a wipe down (after washing) with a detail spray, I use Perfect Detail for that.