Found Myself Browsing DIY Guides for Detailing Cars - sad ... 2

OK.

1 
Boring Background Bit

I have been practicing/experimenting with various preparations on my VW Tiguan (2009; 125TSI; automatic; 4 Motion)

About 4 years ago, I cleaned and waxed this car (the first and only time) and it was made very shiny for a few weeks

Other than washing it at the DIY car wash, I'd done nothing more

But recently I purchased a variety of 'quick detailing' sprays to correct blemishes that formed on the paintwork after the wash

I learned that the mineral content of the water you wash the car with is the key influencing factor; more minerals, more blemishes

I thought waxes and polishes were the same thing

I thought that a wax was a wax and that a polish was a polish; that there's only one type of everything, varied only by the branding ...

WRONG!



2 
Current State of Play Bit

Steps
1. Wash car.
- I wash at the local DYI car wash place, but I don't use the foaming brush (as it may contain grit etc) or apply any post-wash wax
2. Turtle Wax Bug & Tar Remover
- to remove post-wash blemishes and other ingrained 'dirt' n bugs
- this is relatively inexpensive and easy to apply and buff off
- it is less costly than clay and less messy too
-- but clay could be better if the car is really splattered
--- and I found a clay cloth at the car markt today, which I will keep in mind, as it seems better than using lumps of clay
- you could also use a quick detailing product if there's not too much to remove e.g, Meguiar's Quick Wax
3. Meguiar's Ultimate (rubbing) Compound +/- Meguiar's Scratch X2 before
- not necessary for each wash, but good for deeper scratches and whirl marks/holograms
4. Meguiar's Ultimate Polish
5. Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax
- this is not a carnauba wax product, but a 100% synthetic liquid
- I've read that carnauba wax leaves a deeper, wetter look vs synthetics; so I may change from time-to-time to evaluate this

Important note re application and buffing
- I've purchased a mechanical polisher
-- It's another Meguiar's product, but it attaches to most drills and this reduces costs significantly
--- it's very important that a mechanical polisher be what is termed dual-action
---- basically, the aim is to avoid polishing in a simple circle, as this can leave whirl marks
----- dual action refers to a wonky/elliptical rotation
-- the Meguiar's polisher has a velcro system and allows 3rd-party foam pads to be applied


PS
Not an advert for Meguiar's!
I have chosen a particular brand so that I can get familiar with its detailing products

Found Myself Browsing DIY Guides for Detailing Cars - sad ... 1

Brand Names I tend to use

1. Meguiar's
2. Mother's

I consider most products interchangeable

But I use the clay bar supplied by Mother's as Meguiar's tends to be too soft/less effective

External

General tips

1. Don't wash your car if its been in the sun and gotten hot
1. Cool it down; park in shade/garage
2. Use warm water, not hot

1. Google "Washing & Drying using 2 Bucket Method
1. Use only products designed for cars, not cleaners from the kitchen and bathroom!
2. Avoid bristles & grit and keep high-pressure water hoses at least a meter from the car
1. the large brushes you find at the DIY spots could scratch the car badly
1. The bristles may scratch the car's surface
2. Grit in the bristles could also scratch the car's surface
2. If you drive through an automatic cleaning system, make sure there is no direct contact between rollers etc and your car
3. Use microfiber or terry towelling to wipe-on/wipe-off product
1. Best to use products supplied by company's such as Meguiar's and Mother's
1. Incl consider Meguiar's woollen mit
4. Start by washing the roof of your car

Typical sequence

1. Wash
1. Self-explanatory
2. Use a shampoo and conditioner
2. Clay bar
1. Removes grit and other particles that could affect the paint (inc tree sap, which appears to be one of those "hidden problems" that require consideration)
1. And which tend not to be removed by washing and polishing
2. I like to use Mother's vs Meguiar's as it's a little firmer & easier to use
1. Mother's clay kit consists of a spray bottle of Showtime + terry towel + 2 clay bars
3. Polish
1. Often called "paint correction"
2. Don't polish too often; Polish new paint even less often
3. Helps remove paint imperfections incl minor surface scratches and swirl marks
4. Also adds a layer of paint protection
4. Wax
1. Most car manufacturer's recommend waxing every 2-3 monthsWindows
5. Windows
1. I tend to use Meguiar's product
1. Brand products claim to remove "pollutants" more efficiently  vs household products such as Windex

Helpful links


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