Products?
03-13-2007, 02:38 PM
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Products?
What i do now is take it to the car wash, wash with soap and water. Then after use my Armor All wax and then Black Magic Wheel Cleaner and Tire shine, but this doesnt seem to work that great. What i was wondering is ive seen the photos of other cars and they seem to be very detailed, what products do you use to clean your car to be shiny?
03-13-2007, 06:41 PM
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03-14-2007, 07:17 AM
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I'd suggest learning about the process first rather than worrying about what products you select. Without proper knowledge of what is happening during each step of the process you will never get the results of a professional detailer.
I encourage you to go through our step-by-step guide to read up on everything from wash to wax and every step in between.
I've used products from $.99 Turtle Wax to $500+ exotic waxes from Zymol and Swissol and process is definitely more important than products.
If you need any help or suggestions feel free to read up our how-to's and check out our product lines, which IMO will give you much higher results than what you'll find at your local automotive shops.
George @ Detailed Image
I encourage you to go through our step-by-step guide to read up on everything from wash to wax and every step in between.
I've used products from $.99 Turtle Wax to $500+ exotic waxes from Zymol and Swissol and process is definitely more important than products.
If you need any help or suggestions feel free to read up our how-to's and check out our product lines, which IMO will give you much higher results than what you'll find at your local automotive shops.
George @ Detailed Image
04-07-2007, 08:21 AM
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Surface preparation is the most important step in getting the stunning shine you 've seen on other cars. The basic steps include: wash car, clay paint surface, polish paint surface then protect with either a wax or sealant.
Information on claying: http://guidetodetailing.com/articles.php?articleId=14
Information on polishing: http://guidetodetailing.com/articles.php?articleId=47
It's going to take an investment in products/equipment and time to get the results you desire.
Information on claying: http://guidetodetailing.com/articles.php?articleId=14
Information on polishing: http://guidetodetailing.com/articles.php?articleId=47
It's going to take an investment in products/equipment and time to get the results you desire.
04-09-2007, 09:12 AM
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It doesn't take a small fortune to keep your car showroom shiny. Just a bit of elbow grease and time.
Car Wash - As long as you don't use dish soap or laundry detergent. Buy a bottle of soap specifically designed for car wash. Should run you anywhere from $7.99 upwards for a jug. (I use stuff called SUNDANCE which I buy at my local Canadian Tire).
Regular waxing with a good car wax. Don't get sucked in to buying high end products like ZYMOL, when a good quality wax at 1/2 the price will do just as good a job. At the moment I am using Turtle Wax Endurance and I get great results with it.
If your car's finish is neglected or dull I would recommend buying the Mothers Clay Bar kit (comes with Clay Bar, Applicator spray and Mothers Gold Wax), and clay bar the entire paint surface before waxing. The directions are in the package
For the interior (vinyl panels) Armour-All is fine except for that the fact it does attract dust after application. What I do is apply, buff then go back the next day and wipe the dash down again with a moist lint free cloth.
Any leather surfaces should be treated with a good leather protectant (not Armour-All as it is for vinyl). Seats and carpets can be cleaned with upholstery shampoo (Turtle Power-Out foam works very well for this)
Wheels, again if they have been neglected you will need a good wheel cleaner that cuts through the brake dust. (or if you have a steamer they work great). Once cleaned, (if alloy) I polish them with Mother's wheel polish. It's a white paste, just rub on and wipe off and buff. Not only does this shine the wheels it also helps keep the brake dust from bonding to the alloys.
For tires, the spray on foam cleaners are a waste of money as they don't last. Instead pay the little bit extra for the kind you wipe on. It will save you in the long run as the shine will last for weeks not days. Again I recommend Meguires Tire Endurance or even Armor-All Gel tire shine.
all told, if you spend about $40.00 to $50.00 on cleaning products and wax you will be all set. That's about 4 or 5 trips to the car wash, and yo u get the satisfaction of doing the job yourself. To me, one of the joys of car ownership is washing waxing and cleaning.
Car Wash - As long as you don't use dish soap or laundry detergent. Buy a bottle of soap specifically designed for car wash. Should run you anywhere from $7.99 upwards for a jug. (I use stuff called SUNDANCE which I buy at my local Canadian Tire).
Regular waxing with a good car wax. Don't get sucked in to buying high end products like ZYMOL, when a good quality wax at 1/2 the price will do just as good a job. At the moment I am using Turtle Wax Endurance and I get great results with it.
If your car's finish is neglected or dull I would recommend buying the Mothers Clay Bar kit (comes with Clay Bar, Applicator spray and Mothers Gold Wax), and clay bar the entire paint surface before waxing. The directions are in the package
For the interior (vinyl panels) Armour-All is fine except for that the fact it does attract dust after application. What I do is apply, buff then go back the next day and wipe the dash down again with a moist lint free cloth.
Any leather surfaces should be treated with a good leather protectant (not Armour-All as it is for vinyl). Seats and carpets can be cleaned with upholstery shampoo (Turtle Power-Out foam works very well for this)
Wheels, again if they have been neglected you will need a good wheel cleaner that cuts through the brake dust. (or if you have a steamer they work great). Once cleaned, (if alloy) I polish them with Mother's wheel polish. It's a white paste, just rub on and wipe off and buff. Not only does this shine the wheels it also helps keep the brake dust from bonding to the alloys.
For tires, the spray on foam cleaners are a waste of money as they don't last. Instead pay the little bit extra for the kind you wipe on. It will save you in the long run as the shine will last for weeks not days. Again I recommend Meguires Tire Endurance or even Armor-All Gel tire shine.
all told, if you spend about $40.00 to $50.00 on cleaning products and wax you will be all set. That's about 4 or 5 trips to the car wash, and yo u get the satisfaction of doing the job yourself. To me, one of the joys of car ownership is washing waxing and cleaning.
Last edited by boltuprite; 04-09-2007 at 09:15 AM.