RJT

You are wasting your money.
Over priced.
Over hyped.
Glorified Turtle Wax!

slicky rick

Have a bucket with wash wand sponge and brush for the wheels and tires. After these are done i have a hose with running water, not too strong but just to maintain running water through the microfiber wash mitt. Clean the whole body, flipping the mitt over if i felt i passed throguh dirty areas. Rinse whole body again and dry with chamois follwed by a big microfiber towel. Thats it folks.

RWP997

I just ordered some of his products. The videos are awesome and really helpful. I'll post about the products next week after I try them out.

McCulla

Maybe this has been said, sorry if I'm repeating someone else's suggestion...I gave up the chamois years ago in favor of the nice waffle weave microfiber towels for drying. All black cars, all the time. These things are super absorbant, super soft. I take really good care of them (separate wash, hang to dry, etc.) but they last forever and don't leave streaks. Pak Shak, among others. They are about 2'X3' size. Chemical Guys, Autogeek.
Pak Shak in Hawaii is direct order. Just my 2 cents but these things changed my drying ease dramatically.

hankcah

Wash my car about every 5 days.

I'll wash my car at night, as there are less people. The local car wash near me has a foam cannon, and a hand dryer built in. I use two wash mitts. Foam the car, then 1 mitt on each side (but will turn mitt sides halfway through).) Rinse of course. The hand dryer is awesome for around the side mirrors, and I'll even do the water hiding in the door jams. And also the lug nut areas on the wheels. Sure you're paying for air, but it makes the drying process much more efficient and can get to the nooks and crannies that you can't reach.

I purchased a gallon of Chemical Guys spray wax, which is used everytime I dry my car. I used to use those polishing blue microfiber towels, but upgraded to those waffle weave, microfiber drying towels. It does a much better job at soaking up the water, rather than smearing the water 5 times over to eventually become dry. Only need two of them after using the hand dryer. But most of the soak up is from the spray wax.

Keeping the towels and mitts clean is top priority. So I wash them frequently.

I lean towards the Black Light Hybrid Sealant and Wax. I'm sorry but many carnauba waxes don't last. I'll do a the Black Light, then P21S wax the next morning as another layer. It' amazing seeing beading soap a month or so later during washing.

I feel washing the car weekly is half the fun of owning a sports car.

Dark Helmet

I should feel ashamed.... but I don't.

Touchless automatic once every other week (-ish).

Pro detail when I can't handle it any more... probably in a couple weeks.


biggest issue is the invertebrate carnage on the bumper, I try to knock that off at least once a week at the DIY power-wash.

JRoz

Hey Guys, just some feedback on some of the products I picked up...

Mothers Microfiber Performance Drying Towel

These were pretty bad in my opinion. Two towels barely got half the car dried. Besides the Metro Master Blaster which seems pretty awesome, anyone else have any good recommendations on a blower? I'm a little iffy on using a leaf blower...won't that pretty much pick up the dirt in the air and blow it on the car? Unless they have some good filtration ones out there?

Ezkill

I have the master blaster and it seriously barely ever gets any use. Can't remember the last time I pulled it out of the garage. It's just a pain in the ****, the hose isn't very flexible and I have to go turn off everything in the garage or it will start popping breakers after a few minutes.

Takes longer to pull it out then to dry the car with a towel. Look up some videos on sheet rinsing. One small towel should dry the car. Even if you can only half do it correctly it will minimize standing water and again one small towel will take care of the entire car. I use the swissvax towels. They are pricy but they are the best ones I've found.

Hit wheel lugs, and brake disks with leaf blower. Rear tail lights and door jams as well. Little 40 dollar portable battery operated black and decker blower. All of that is still less time then just setting up and taking down the master blaster.

Ynot

- Once every other week unless it rains on me, can't stand a dirty car so I'll wash it more when dirty.
- Normally once a year, since I have a black car, doing it twice now
- Bucket of Soap/Water with a sponge, different sponge for the wheels and I washed the wheels last. Rinse with regular hose.
- I used a California water blade to get rid of most of the water
- Dry with microfiber cloth from Costco, I go through 3 or 4 of them, I should buy bigger and more premium microfiber cloths so I can clean it all with one towel.
- Black and decker electric leaf blower I brought for $25 on ebay to dry the wheels, side mirrors, cracks, and all the little spots that a towel can't reach.
- I can do all this in less than an hour. I usually washed in the morning when it's cool and the sun isn't shining on the front side of the house.

TheMule

* Once a week or when it's dirty.
* Every 6-8 weeks.
* Bucket of soap and a mitt. Rinse with the hose if I'm feeling lazy, if not my power washer.
* Wash in the morning or late evening. Don't wash a hot car. Keep the entire surface wet while your washing until you're ready to dry.
* I use a backpack blower to dry the majority of the car. I get on a small ladder and start with the roof and work my way down and around. I have not tried a microfiber for drying so I use a chamois.

BTW - I'm glad to see other people on here using a leaf blower to dry the car. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm the biggest redneck on the block but I now know I'm in good company.

9114Scab

This thread should really be called the "OC Disorder Thread"

You wax your car every 6-8 weeks? sorry, something is wrong there, lol

SpeedyD

Any thoughts on putting a synthetic product on before carnauba wax (P21s)? Is it necessary or overkill? Looking for a high-gloss. Not sure if I will clay first -- I have never clayed a car before, so the concept is a bit new (and my BMW paint looks fantastic, despite being a 14 year+ old car).

For cleaning the inside (I know, I know, this is a car washing thread)... any suggestions on special care for ventilated seats?

Thanks!

Ezkill

All the synthetic coatings(sealants) have their ups and downs versus waxes. This has been debated endlessly for years now but what it basically comes down to is - your choice. Deeper and glossier shine versus longevity. Ease of application versus protection values.

You're looking for gloss so your paint prep is absolutely key. To put it simply - Smooth is shiny. The smoother and more immaculate your paint is the glossier, deeper and wetter it will appear after applying your wax or sealant of choice. When you clay half a panel the difference is immediate and tangible versus the half that hasn't been clayed. You can simply run your hand over it and feel the difference.

Most people that are just getting started out believe that a sealant or wax will make their car look fantastic. I've heard professional detailers say that 80% of the ending appearance of a vehicle is due to the prep work. I'm not sure that's a quantifiable number but I wouldn't be surprised if it's more or less accurate. When I was starting out years ago and buying some of the best and most expensive products available I always wondered why I was so underwhelmed by the results. A few months into my efforts I discovered that I was underestimating the value of prepping the paint.

I haven't owned my car long enough to say wether the ventilated seats need any special care. For now they just get cleaned and moisturized like every other leather seat. Seems to be working well.

SpeedyD

Thanks! Sounds like it's worth going the extra mile and claying the car first.

TheMule

OCD might be the correct diagnosis..

Mother's has a nice two-bar clay starter set available at most auto parts stores for around $20-$25. Take your time and keep the surface wet. Work in small areas and if you happen to drop the clay on the ground, toss it in the trash.

Do a google search for detailing with a Porter Cable 7424xp.