Finally moving into a better place... Review my weekly maintenance?

[shiumai]

Originally Posted by Yanbags

I'm surprised nobody else mentioned this - why not use sealant instead of wax?

I did, a few posts up.

[Yanbags]

Originally Posted by shiumai

I did, a few posts up.

Apologies, didn't notice. Corrected my post.

[ajcarson11]

Originally Posted by MrDinkleman

Power rinse with a 2,000psi power washer? Aren't you afraid of blasting the paint off? I use a garden hose (60psi?) with the "fan" style lawn watering nozzle to knock off loose dirt/dust and I still cringe at "blasting" it with that.

I've never had a problem and research suggests that high pressure rinsing is just fine for paint. I've got the power-washer at my disposal, so seems to make sense to use it.

I do a lot of highway driving and its amazing the junk that I pick up on the front of the car. Additionally I tend to pick up dirt around the fenders as I have quite wide wheels/tires.

At any rate, i'm used to washing once every 2-3 weeks or less. So I may find that I don't need the power washer if I can wash more frequently. Thanks for your input!

[AdrianSaldana]

Originally Posted by ryoma

I don't really see a need to wash your car every week. wash it once it gets dirty; I haven't washed my car for about a month and half and it still looks pretty clean.

however, when I do wash my car, I do the wheels first with Sonax cleaner. then I use a foam cannon and let the soap sit on the car for a bit before rinsing. if my car is relatively clean, I only use 1 bucket but if it's really dirty I use 2 buckets with a microfiber mitt and I just dump my left over soap from the foam cannon into the bucket and fill it up before going down the car. rinse it off again and dry. then, depending on how long ago it was, I apply Carnuba wax by hand (usually once every 3 months). if I don't use the Carnuba, I use a spray-on sealant after washing my car. then I use a window detailer afterwards on both inside and outside windows (and anything else). tire dresser comes in at the very end. don't apply too much dressing though since it might fling off when you drive it

this is the soap I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
this is the sealant I use (plus it smells great): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
window cleaner: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
wheel cleaner: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
foam cannon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I buy all my car towels from theragcompany.com. they're cheap and good quality

does that spray sealant/retailer attract dirt?

[ajcarson11]

Originally Posted by ajcarson11

Thanks for the tips! I may not wash every 7 days, but here in Indiana we get so much pollen and rain that the car gets dirty every 3 or 4 days easily.

Originally Posted by Yanbags

I'm surprised there aren't more advocates for using a sealant. Protection from a wax really doesn't last longer than a month or two. A good sealant will last you for a good 4-6 months, so you can basically refresh it before winter & before summer; I personally use Menzerna PowerLock - really great stuff. You can top it with a wax for more shine but I just stick with the sealant. This should avoid the need to spend money on quick-waxes all the time.

RE: your question about having dirt left over after a 2-bucket wash, have you ever clayed the car? It sounds like you possibly haven't, so before doing a full seal/wax initially you should clay-bar the paint to get all of the difficult-to-remove contamination and smooth out the clear coat. That would prep the paint properly for any correction or wax/sealant.

Thanks for your input -- I'm currently using Ultimate Liquid Wax, which I believe to be a sealant. I'll definitely give the clay bar a try. I haven't clayed yet!

[ryoma]

Originally Posted by AdrianSaldana

does that spray sealant/retailer attract dirt?

nope.

[NLS8520]

Always cool to hear about people stepping up their wash game. A few thoughts and recommendations:

In regards to the pressure washer, 2000psi is sort of on the high side for a vehicle, I would prefer something in the 1600-1700 psi range if possible. A foam gun looks cool, it may or may not actually show any improvements in grit removal and to be honest just a pressure washer rinse should be enough but it can never hurt. I am surprised your having grit still on the surface after washing. I think there is a possible kink in your technique or materials. What type of wash mitt are you using and what type of soap? Are your jambs completely clean? sometimes the hood or trunk jambs can leak dirty water on a clean car when you rinse.

I would also recommend to you to get a mild clay bar and clay the car at least 1X per year maybe more depending as needed.

In regards to protection. I would certainly recommend a paint sealant and possibly a wax topper. Two combos I have used in the past before moving on to coatings. Probably one of the easiest to apply is Optimum Opti-Seal and topped with Opti-Wax. Both preserve the clear coat with UV protection which is very important, will keep the paint clean and both are extremely easy to apply and maintain.

Second combo I would recommend Sonax Polymer Net Shield as the sealant and Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer as the topper. Brilliant Shine is actually a spray sealant so don't let the name fool you. Now they are grabby to apply and require more technique but they bead water like a coating.

One of the big reason I recommend both the Optimum products and Sonax products is that they can be applied to ALL areas of the car, paint, trim etc. I personally like that I can protect everything with one product. Feel free to ask any questions and good luck.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by MrDinkleman

Power rinse with a 2,000psi power washer? Aren't you afraid of blasting the paint off? I use a garden hose (60psi?) with the "fan" style lawn watering nozzle to knock off loose dirt/dust and I still cringe at "blasting" it with that.

It is a car with car paint the sun causes more damage than a pressure washer ever will. Pressure washer pressures are measured directly at the nozzle exit. If used on a fan setting you are nowhere near the rated pressure if even a few inches away. If you are washing your car any closer than about a foot you are going to take forever anyway. You do want to be careful around chips on the plastic parts though since they do not hold the paint as well as the metal and you can peal it off in a hurry if the water can get under it.

[ajcarson11]

Originally Posted by NLS8520

Always cool to hear about people stepping up their wash game. A few thoughts and recommendations:

In regards to the pressure washer, 2000psi is sort of on the high side for a vehicle, I would prefer something in the 1600-1700 psi range if possible. A foam gun looks cool, it may or may not actually show any improvements in grit removal and to be honest just a pressure washer rinse should be enough but it can never hurt. I am surprised your having grit still on the surface after washing. I think there is a possible kink in your technique or materials. What type of wash mitt are you using and what type of soap? Are your jambs completely clean? sometimes the hood or trunk jambs can leak dirty water on a clean car when you rinse.

I would also recommend to you to get a mild clay bar and clay the car at least 1X per year maybe more depending as needed.

In regards to protection. I would certainly recommend a paint sealant and possibly a wax topper. Two combos I have used in the past before moving on to coatings. Probably one of the easiest to apply is Optimum Opti-Seal and topped with Opti-Wax. Both preserve the clear coat with UV protection which is very important, will keep the paint clean and both are extremely easy to apply and maintain.

Second combo I would recommend Sonax Polymer Net Shield as the sealant and Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer as the topper. Brilliant Shine is actually a spray sealant so don't let the name fool you. Now they are grabby to apply and require more technique but they bead water like a coating.

One of the big reason I recommend both the Optimum products and Sonax products is that they can be applied to ALL areas of the car, paint, trim etc. I personally like that I can protect everything with one product. Feel free to ask any questions and good luck.

I figure that the pressure washer i've got doesn't put out the rated power of 2200 -- It's probably closer to 1500, especially when I throw on the angled nozzle. There has been a time or two when i've had sap or something still stuck to the car after the wash was complete. Mainly on the front bumper or right above (I drive a lot of highway miles). I'm working with Mcguairs Gold Class for soap and just a traditional wash mitt. I probably just need to pay a bit more attention as I'm going through the routine.

I'll definitely give the clay bar a shot -- as well as the sealants/wax boosters you suggest. Thanks!

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by ajcarson11

...............I'm working with Mcguairs Gold Class for soap and just a traditional wash mitt. .................Thanks!

I've found (learned back on the farm, watching my mother "soaking" baking dishes ......) that if you start by lathering up the buggy front clip, and let it "soak" while you wash the rest of the car ...... by the time you get around to the last part (the front clip) the bugs will just about fall off.


humfrz

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by ajcarson11

I'm working with Mcguairs Gold Class for soap and just a traditional wash mitt.

Do you have grit guards for your wash buckets? If not, you really really need them.

[AdrianSaldana]

Originally Posted by ryoma

nope.

i'll try it out

[radroach]

Everybody's needs are different depending on where you are in the states. The Socal folks are always going on about your waterless washes and detail sprays, but in the Southeast that doesn't work because we have way more pollen and bugs.

So I say use a detail regimen that works for you in your environment. For me, my car sits outside 100% of the time and needs a weekly wash for all the dirt, pollen, brake dust, bird poop, grass clippings, mold growth (yeah ew), and bug guts etc. My car has a few marks and scratches so I always keep a fresh coat of wax to keep them from showing up too much.

And I just got on the grit guard bandwagon. Man what have I been doing without these! So much dirt!

[Xxyion]

You can always try a Ceramic coat. it's expensive from the getgo but eliminates the need to ever wax your car again and all you need is a power washer to get off any dirst or pollen.