alright..

I have questions as to...the methods on washing my car.. lol..

I normally just put my body wash in a bucket, wash the car..dry.. ect.

Then I use a Color Brite...some non abrasive stuff helps give the car a "wet look"

Then a caranuba wax..

But I see you guys using..Dial? Dove? Some dish soap, then doing extra on it...so I'm wonder..why? Will it help me?

I've got a darker car, its exposed to the elements, rain, extreme heat (110+ during the summers) and dust..

The Color Brite helps smooth out my surface, helps removing surface scratches, swirl marks, water spots, ect.

Wax helps with UV protection.

Also, right now I'm using Armorall for my interior, any other recomendations? Need help with cleaning up my engine bay as well..and the black trim along my windows, and the plastics on my mirrors, I like to bring the color out in it all, I just need some good direction on all of this..

 

Well, the best thing you can do for the look of your car is claying with a clay bar.

I never used to clay my cars until I got my Mustang. Then I heard some people talking about claying and I looked into it. I have to say, you will be SHOCKED at the dirt, grime, and crap that is left on your paint after you wash. Its quite amazing.

Clay kits are relatively cheap, I use Meguiars clay kit. It includes two clay bars, a microfiber towel, and I bottle of quick detailer which you use as lubrication for the clay (I picked it up for $24 and it will last you about 4-6 clay jobs) I makes my paint reflect like a mirror, and my GT is red. If you have a dark car, claying is a MUST. I clay it about once every two months.

When I detail, I follow this...

1. Rinse
2. Wash
3. Rinse
4. Wash
5. Rinse
6. Dry
7. Clay
8. Wax
9. Wipe w/ microfiber
10. Smile

Oh and for your other questions...

Armorall is fine. Thats what I use. There is better stuff but not for the price that you get AA at.

For the plastics, I use Turtle Wax Ice. It is their newest wax product. A lot of people don't like it for their paint, and neither do I (I use poorboys but it is hella-expensive) BUT for plastics it is awesome. Because it is clear, it can be used on plastic surfaces (window moldings, mirrors, ect...) unlike other liquid and paste waxes that can not. It runs about $13 bucks a bottle. I just spread it on and wipe it off with a microfiber and it blackens up my mirrors great.

As for the engine bay, the best way is to wash your engine with a hose or pressure washer, but you have to unhook and remove some parts (such as air filter, other things that can not get wet) Some people do this, but it sounds kinda like a pain (I have never tried it) I use Meguiars quick detailer (the same stuff used with the claybar above) and a microfiber to wipe down the painted surfaces under my hood. As for the hoses and plastics , I just use a wet towel, and then dry it with a microfiber.

Also, I wouldn't use dish soap. A lot of people do but I've heard it can lead to problems. Just grab some soap from your auto parts store, I use Meguiars.

Hope that helps!

 

You arent removing anything using that Color Brite stuff. Its just temporarily hiding the imperfections.

Dish wash soap has no place in car detailing. Its not needed at all.

AA is pretty crappy stuff, definitely get something new.

For cleaning trim I like to use ClearKote Vanilla Moose Wax Hang Glaze. You can use it on exterior plastic too.

I could recommend products, but it depends on how much you're willing to spend, your experience, and how much work you're willing to do.

 

Work I'm willing to do: Spend about 2 hours on the car.

So use some.. Moose whatever the hell you named for exterior trim/plastics..

Interior as well I assume??

And clay bar for the imperfections or what?

And..price wise..well...I like to be halfway cheap..most I'm willing to spend is maybe $20 per bottle of whatever... maybe even a little less depending on what its for... if we're going higher then that...I'm not too sure...it just really depends.

 

How you wash and detail the car depends too on how you drive it and how much time you have. A DD needs to be treated differently then a weekend summer car. Also, where you live matters too. So, no one should be giving advice on what products to use w/o at least asking those questions.

As far as dish soap, people like it because your car won't spot. It has wetting agents that work terrific. It also removes oils and greases and .....wax.

If your car is really full of grease and lots of other crap, then using dish soap is probably not a bad idea. But, you won't find anyone with an exotic using it that is for sure.

Also, clay bars are nice, but they only need to be used once in a blue moon. They are abrassive. They are supposed to be, but they are not for regular use. The kit may say so, but that is because they want to sell lots of them.

I had a car that I used to put 6,000 miles a month on it. I put 4k on my Mustang in an entire year. What you do with the one is way different then the other. My mustang gets waxed twice a year....and that is probably too much.

 

Shoot me a PM and Ill give you some recommendations.


Dish wash soap is alkaline and will dry out weather stripping. Wax/ sealant and some other containments can be removed with a stronger car wash soap, a body wash chemical such as P21S Auto Wash, or a clay bar.

There are different grades of clay bars, and how you use them will make a differences if they mar the paint or not. They should be used before polishing a car. How often you use it depends on how you keep up your car and other factors. Not using a clay bar can affect how the polish reacts, so to say it should only be used once in a blue moon is too general of a statement.

Even though you only drive 4k miles a year on a car, doesnt mean you should only wax once or twice a year. Its just too general of a statement.

SnTBakosFinest- You must learn how to have an eye and feel for paint and judge what needs to be done to it.

 

See, I haven't quite learned..you know..what to do on imperfections that I see..

My car is a daily driver, like I said its exposed to extreme heat, sunlight, a lot of dust (because of where i live..its a shitty valley.) And other elements such as rain.. no snow, minor hail..maybe..35 deg. temps in the winter...

 

That is because the wax mysteriously vannishes off the surface sitting in my garage.

Actually, when I wash the car, I generally use a detail spray or a little spray-on Carnuba.