Cleaning The Car

[blackdragonaudi 10+ year member]

Thats why I tap my feet before getting into the car and also have a ton of paper matts that i lay down i steal them from my local dealer.

 

[ppazz1101 10+ year member]

california water blades are your friends. works way better than any sort of drying cloth. save your chamois for the really hard to reach places.

Have fun scratching your clear coat! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/thumbsupwink.gif.129404938effda6ad9cca39e7f4b58a3.gif

Agreed. Blades trap dust and debris. They'll scratch the clear like crazy.

Also, all clay bars are made in the same factory before the detailing manufacturers package them. They are all virtually identical with the exception of color. If you find the clay bar is smearing, you're not using it correctly.

False. Different clay bars have different hardnesses. Most of the ones you find in the local auto stores (like Mothers) are softer so average Joe can't do that much damage. The downside is that they won't pick up the really stubborn embedded debris. The kind that professional detailers use (ie. the kind you can buy online) are a different compound. They'll pick up more debris on the clear coat, but they also have more potential to drag that debris and scratch if you're not careful.
At least that's what my friends that are professional detailers tell me.

 

[Proximity 10+ year member]

Very similar to my techniques except for a few things:
1) Don't use a chamois (shame in your post). They can be rough and trap dirt. I use an "Absorber". It's great. Synthetic chamois-like cloth. Much softer.

2) Don't use dish detergent! Let me repeat that: DON'T USE DISH DETERGENT!!! It is NOT good for the paint. There are additional chemicals in there that will have adverse effects on your finish. I use Meguiar's Gold Class wash. It's the best available in the local auto stores. If you want, you can find higher end washes online, but it's really not worth the extra cost for a daily driven car.

3) Mother's Clay Bar is ok, but nowhere near a normal clay. It's manufactured as a less aggressive clay for the average Joe. If you're serious about detailing, visit an online store and get a clay from there (I like Autogeek).

4) I usually wax by hand. I don't know why, but I just prefer it. I feel like I take more care getting even coats. I usually use a Meguiars wax just for the daily driver. Multiple coats work best.

Usually I get a decent result:

Nice car.

 

[ppazz1101 10+ year member]

Nice car.

Thanks!

Can't say the same for the right side of your sig... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/verymad.gif.3f39c5c2fd57527b671fad3efdfac756.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[BoomBoomBoy 10+ year member]

Sham-Wow!//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

/thread