Newb Needs tips on washing car

[xshortd]

Well im getting a new camaro soon, ive always had a work truck so I never really bothered with keeping it EXTREMELY clean, especially the outside. I really dont know how to wash car properly. I want to preserve my paint and make my car look great. I dont know if I shoud just wash it with soap and water, soap with wax in it or just go all out and wax it all the time. Thank you for your answers! Greatly appreciated

[xshortd]

Also leather maintenance aong with dash maintenance products to use would be helpful as well. THANKS ALOT!

[Gloss-it]

Okay this is an excellent question. I'm glad to see you ask this because this is where all the problems and potential scratch's and swirls are caused!

The right products, towels, water and equipment used will help eliminate paint damage.

I would recommend the following wash program:

1) Always used soft or clean water. depending on where you live the water can contain hard minerals ( Alkaline, calcium and sulfur ) These can leave hard water spots due to the acidity etching your clear coat. If you don't have a water softener you can look online and a portable soft water cleaner that will purify your water. (pm me for a good one I can recommend )

2) Always pre-rinse your car for a good five ten minutes breaking down heavy dirt & grime that you could potentially rub into the paint finish.

3) Two bucket system. Apply a non detergent soap one that will not strip your waxed finish, (so I don't recommend using house or dish soap which contains high amounts of detergent). Gloss-it makes non detergent car soap that is mild in sud-sing and does not leave a heavy soap or film residue and enhances the paint finish by adding gloss to the paint finish via our gloss-it polymer. So start with One bucket with your soap ( one cap full per 5 gallons ) and water and the other bucket with clean water for rinse. Wash one section at a time ( top to bottom ) always taking your foam wash mitt and rinsing in the plain water before dipping back into the soap bucket. This will eliminate the potential of redepositing dirt from you wash mitt back onto the car that would or could potentially scratch. ( gloss-it sell's a wash screen that help catch the grit, also highly recommend )

4) The towel used to dry. The best choice would be micro fiber that contains 100% percent pure micro fiber. Gloss-it has studied the difference in drying towel's and they are huge! Select the wrong drying towel and you will be polishing your car often to remove towel marks & scratch's. Gloss-it makes a double plush drying towel that has been tested at our corp detail studio of hundreds of cars and washed and dried and still feel soft and want scratch!

5) Use a quality quick detailer for removing residual streaks, soap residue and water spots. Also look again for a quality micro fiber towel used for removing polish & wax. Gloss-it makes a premium micro fiber double plush towel that maintains a soft feel after multiple wash's and has been proven not to scratch when kept clean.

* When going over the car with a quick detailer this will help maintain gloss retention, extend wax or sealant durability and significantly reducing future scratching due to a slick and glossy finish is help's maintain

There are many choices for quick detailer's on the market. Gloss-it makes a quick detailer called gloss enhancer that will clean and protect and offer a just waxed look in minutes due to the polymer it contains and NO silicone!. I would a look for a QD that contains no silicone and is not temperature sensitive. Some quick detailer's can streak and leave a film on the car making more work so don't scrimp on price for a quality quick detailer because this is a key to a great looking finish that is swirl free.

For a quality leather cleaner & protectant, again no silicone, or Armour all. Anything with high content of petroleum distillates will actually accelerate drying and cracking. Gloss-it makes a leather cleaner that will not leave a residue and works excellent for removing scuff marks. The leather protectant leave a satin finish that is non greasy and also helps keep leather & Vinyl supple and soft!

In closing a good wash program and the rights products will maintain a beautiful finish for years to come

[xshortd]

Originally Posted by Gloss-it

Okay this is an excellent question. I'm glad to see you ask this because this is where all the problems and potential scratch's and swirls are caused!

The right products, towels, water and equipment used will help eliminate paint damage.

I would recommend the following wash program:

1) Always used soft or clean water. depending on where you live the water can contain hard minerals ( Alkaline, calcium and sulfur ) These can leave hard water spots due to the acidity etching your clear coat. If you don't have a water softener you can look online and a portable soft water cleaner that will purify your water. (pm me for a good one I can recommend )

2) Always pre-rinse your car for a good five ten minutes breaking down heavy dirt & grime that you could potentially rub into the paint finish.

3) Two bucket system. Apply a non detergent soap one that will not strip your waxed finish, (so I don't recommend using house or dish soap which contains high amounts of detergent). Gloss-it makes non detergent car soap that is mild in sud-sing and does not leave a heavy soap or film residue and enhances the paint finish by adding gloss to the paint finish via our gloss-it polymer. So start with One bucket with your soap ( one cap full per 5 gallons ) and water and the other bucket with clean water for rinse. Wash one section at a time ( top to bottom ) always taking your foam wash mitt and rinsing in the plain water before dipping back into the soap bucket. This will eliminate the potential of redepositing dirt from you wash mitt back onto the car that would or could potentially scratch. ( gloss-it sell's a wash screen that help catch the grit, also highly recommend )

4) The towel used to dry. The best choice would be micro fiber that contains 100% percent pure micro fiber. Gloss-it has studied the difference in drying towel's and they are huge! Select the wrong drying towel and you will be polishing your car often to remove towel marks & scratch's. Gloss-it makes a double plush drying towel that has been tested at our corp detail studio of hundreds of cars and washed and dried and still feel soft and want scratch!

5) Use a quality quick detailer for removing residual streaks, soap residue and water spots. Also look again for a quality micro fiber towel used for removing polish & wax. Gloss-it makes a premium micro fiber double plush towel that maintains a soft feel after multiple wash's and has been proven not to scratch when kept clean.

* When going over the car with a quick detailer this will help maintain gloss retention, extend wax or sealant durability and significantly reducing future scratching due to a slick and glossy finish is help's maintain

There are many choices for quick detailer's on the market. Gloss-it makes a quick detailer called gloss enhancer that will clean and protect and offer a just waxed look in minutes due to the polymer it contains and NO silicone!. I would a look for a QD that contains no silicone and is not temperature sensitive. Some quick detailer's can streak and leave a film on the car making more work so don't scrimp on price for a quality quick detailer because this is a key to a great looking finish that is swirl free.

For a quality leather cleaner & protectant, again no silicone, or Armour all. Anything with high content of petroleum distillates will actually accelerate drying and cracking. Gloss-it makes a leather cleaner that will not leave a residue and works excellent for removing scuff marks. The leather protectant leave a satin finish that is non greasy and also helps keep leather & Vinyl supple and soft!

In closing a good wash program and the rights products will maintain a beautiful finish for years to come

THANKS ALOT Really appreciate that!

[Darth_Emma]

I watched the Junkman's videos that he links to from these forums. Here is one to start with:
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59171

They are very good and entertaining too!

Also, I watched the videos at adamspolishes.com

BTW, I am in no way affiliated with adam's plolishes, but the stuff gets great reviews and I'm going to buy some of their products when the weather warms up and I can wash my Camaro.

[2LTRS]

I've used quite a few different products on my cars through the years. I always come back to adam's. The products are just easy to use, no nonsense; they do what they say.

A lot of the guys here like the Zaino products, I've used them; they work great. But the process is such a pain in the a$$! I get the same shine out of Adam's and its a lot less hassle.

(no i don't work for Adam's, i'm a telephone man)

If you don't want to mail order or you cant find them at a local shop, I recommend meguiars NXT or Turtle wax ICE product line for over the counter care care products.

Your probably going to want to invest in a new set of Microfiber towels. I personally like the cobra towels available from autogeek.net, I havent tried any of the adam's microfibers yet but I would assume they are as good as their products. Here's a good thread for microfiber care:
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...icrofiber+care

I recommend Junkman's series of videos they are all available on YouTube under "Junkman2000." You can also watch the Adam's videos at adamspolishes.com.

I'm a car care fanatic so you can always PM me for any questions.