Self Cleaning/Waxing 101?

[Reflex]

What's an efficient method of removing dead bugs constantly??? I want to start wiping off the front bumper of my car each night after I get home from work so it's fresh for the next day.
I was thinking Meguiar's Quik Detailer + a microfiber cloth. And to be efficient, wash the cloth once a week or maybe biweekly. What do you guys think?

[russv]

Originally Posted by Re~Mix

As much as I am interested in the discussion of the Opti Coat option, nobody has really taken a stab at the real question I posed.

Meguiars, Turtle Wax..? What list should I have in hand when I go shopping

Meguiars NXT wax is pretty good, but I use Prima Epic which is a great synthetic wax and easy to use.

[EsoBOFH]

I find the liquid turtle wax works fantastically... I've tried mothers, and it doesn't compare to your basic turtle wax with regard to covering scratches and swirls etc...

[Re~Mix]

Great, what about products to wash, rinse, foam gun!? etc. Not detailing a $100K ferrari here so its not a spare no expense job, but I would like to have quality products.

[russv]

Originally Posted by Re~Mix

Great, what about products to wash, rinse, foam gun!? etc. Not detailing a $100K ferrari here so its not a spare no expense job, but I would like to have quality products.

Meguiar's Ultimate Car wash is great, feels very slippery when washing and dries nicely. About $10 a bottle and lasts about 15 washes.

[Re~Mix]

Gave it a quick first wash, using Meguiars Wash n Wax formula, wheel cleaner, tire cleaner and polish, and some brand new microfiber clothes.

I think it looks OK. (had the benefit of using a neighbors power washer)

[was385]

Optimum no-rinse is a god-send

[n2oinferno]

The best thing you can learn to do is to properly wash your car so you don't create swirls. Two bucket method works well, grit guards if you have em.

Machine correction isn't something that needs to be done often, since you have to remember that you're removing layers as you do it. It's a tiny amount, but if someone were overzealous enough to do it all the time, eventually they'd be working the bare sheetmetal.

However, it's not something to be scared of at all. Any of the popular random orbital polishers (Porter Cable 7424XP, Griots Garage ROP, Meguiar's G110v2) will get the job done and won't harm your paint if you do it correctly. And you don't have to spend a ton of money on different products to get started. I started off with Meguiar's Ultimate Compound, Ultimate Polish, and Ultimate wax on their 7" polishing pad. After doing a handful of cars I have not yet felt the need to step up to M105/M205, but it's there if I have to.

If you haven't ever seen any of Junkman's videos on Youtube, I suggest you take a look at them. Lots of good stuff on there.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Junkman2000

[lili5689]

just as n2oinferno said,the best thing you can learn to do is to properly wash your car so you don't create swirls..totally agree..

[Re~Mix]

One question, how often should I wring out the soap mitt (or how big of an area should I attack)? This might be semi dependent on how dirty the car is.


Also, what is the best way to attack bird poop. Clearly, NOT with scrubbing of any sort. Almost created some scratches on my car that way.

[Draco-REX]

Originally Posted by Re~Mix

One question, how often should I wring out the soap mitt (or how big of an area should I attack)? This might be semi dependent on how dirty the car is.


Also, what is the best way to attack bird poop. Clearly, NOT with scrubbing of any sort. Almost created some scratches on my car that way.

I don't have a foamer, so I tend to rinse out pretty often.

I divide the car up into sections: Greenhouse, hood, trunk, rear bumper, one side, other side, front bumper. I'll rinse the mitt out every panel/window, and twice for the roof/hood (due to size), and twice for the bumpers (due to dirt).

[celica73]

Yep, divide in sections. They really can't be too small. Wash using two buckets. One with the good soapy water, one to rinse the sponge in. Look into "Grit Guards" for the buckets. I just got some, and they are totally worth it

[F1point4]

Originally Posted by Re~Mix

Also, what is the best way to attack bird poop. Clearly, NOT with scrubbing of any sort. Almost created some scratches on my car that way.

Not an expert. After a proper wash and wax/sealant spray some quick detailer on the area and wipe off with a microfiber towel. the idea is to do this ASAP before any etching in your paint happens.