clay every two weeks and wax every week
dunno if anyone else uses one but waterblades are the future!
Noooo clay every 6 months maybe less if you keep the car clean enough or it will mar the paintwork.
Must agree ditched the sponge a while ago best move ever! Clean your car website eats my money on there now lol!
It can get quite addictive cant it?
I cant believe people clay as often as every 2 weeks!! Thats madness!
I did mine last weekend for the first time since sept/oct and it didnt feel that bad and there was hardly any dirt coming off onto the clay. And thats on a car thats my daily driver and lives outside!
clay every two weeks and wax every week
dunno if anyone else uses one but waterblades are the future!
after buying a proper drying towel i would never use them again, used to think they were "ok", wouldnt say they were brilliant, gave mine to my mum for cleaning the bathroom tiles with now
It can get quite addictive cant it?
I cant believe people clay as often as every 2 weeks!! Thats madness!
I did mine last weekend for the first time since sept/oct and it didnt feel that bad and there was hardly any dirt coming off onto the clay. And thats on a car thats my daily driver and lives outside!
Yes once you start cleaning properly it can! Gonna try Megs mirror16 paste wax saw some amazing pics of beading on DW! Yeh I have not clayed since the the same kinda time actually stuck a post up on DW asking if it's too soon and maybe I should try a more aggressive clay as only ever used Megs smooth surface.
You would understand why I do it if you saw the roads i drive down they are just awful! Like a flaming rally stage with lorries on it my clean car lasts about 2 days if that :/ stupid work. It's like loose tarmac and gravel! Luckily getting re done soon!
It's not every two weeks without fail. I use zymol paint cleaner every now and then. Just takes flipping ages to do.
It's not every two weeks without fail. I use zymol paint cleaner every now and then. Just takes flipping ages to do.
People seem to get very anal about sponges and blades
You can still damage your paint if you don`t know what you`re doing, it`s more about method than equipment.
I have a blade always wash it then dry it with a cloth if I use it as I find the water doesn't run off the roof very well just sit there they use most of the towel absorbing the water only on the damn roof. Don't use it much thou normally forget.
I dont think people get anal about anything to do with cleaning / detailing a car PROPERLY... they are just trying to give people that ask the best and safest advice they can.
I think the problems start when people come onto a thread and give their advice which in some cases can be misleading or just wrong.
If you are happy using a sponge or a blade then fine. Thats your choice but if someone is asking for the safest and best way to maintain the best possible finish on their car then dont be telling them that a sponge or blade is the way forward... its simply not and all i can say is that you have been lucky... very lucky that you havent caused damage to your paint already.
I'd be willing to bet that your paint although clean and shiny it laden with fine scratches and swirls. My last car was properly maintained to a very good standard on a bi weekly basis and that had fine swirls and scratches on it which needed to be polished (via DA machine) once a year over the 3 years i had the car.
You only need to clay a car when there are high levels of surface contamination on the paint. The easiest way to gauge this is to put your hand in a thin plastic food bag or similar and lightly run it over the paintwork. The bag exagerates the surface imperfections.
You should only really need to polish the car once every 6 months or so and in most cases that is extreme. Polishing using micro abbrasives to remove contamination, swirls, scratches and oxidation from the paint. it also (when used via machine) removed microns of the clearcote so needs to be done with care.
After polishing the car you need to consider protecting the finish. You can use sealants or waxes or a combination of the two.
For maintaining the finish you achieve you should be looking to wash the car on a fairly regular basis with the most careful method you can. for the majority of "detailer enthusiasts" this means 2 buckets with grit guards and wash mitts. it also means drying the car with plush MF towels or waffle weave towels (these have thicker pile surfaces so any small particles are trapped in the towel away from the surface of the paint).
Sorry for the war n peace and the rant...
HTH, Nige
I think the problems start when people come onto a thread and give their advice which in some cases can be misleading or just wrong.
If you are happy using a sponge or a blade then fine. Thats your choice but if someone is asking for the safest and best way to maintain the best possible finish on their car then dont be telling them that a sponge or blade is the way forward... its simply not and all i can say is that you have been lucky... very lucky that you havent caused damage to your paint already.
I'd be willing to bet that your paint although clean and shiny it laden with fine scratches and swirls. My last car was properly maintained to a very good standard on a bi weekly basis and that had fine swirls and scratches on it which needed to be polished (via DA machine) once a year over the 3 years i had the car.
You only need to clay a car when there are high levels of surface contamination on the paint. The easiest way to gauge this is to put your hand in a thin plastic food bag or similar and lightly run it over the paintwork. The bag exagerates the surface imperfections.
You should only really need to polish the car once every 6 months or so and in most cases that is extreme. Polishing using micro abbrasives to remove contamination, swirls, scratches and oxidation from the paint. it also (when used via machine) removed microns of the clearcote so needs to be done with care.
After polishing the car you need to consider protecting the finish. You can use sealants or waxes or a combination of the two.
For maintaining the finish you achieve you should be looking to wash the car on a fairly regular basis with the most careful method you can. for the majority of "detailer enthusiasts" this means 2 buckets with grit guards and wash mitts. it also means drying the car with plush MF towels or waffle weave towels (these have thicker pile surfaces so any small particles are trapped in the towel away from the surface of the paint).
Sorry for the war n peace and the rant...
HTH, Nige
I use layers of wax, my cupras currently wearing Collonite 476s as a base layer, followed by a later of Raceglaze 55 wax. Weekly washed are finished by using either Megs last touch or Zaino Z6. This has lasted about 3 months so far and still beads nicely
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lets not get in the debate about grit guards then lol!
Yes point made well. I think that it unless you are really into detailing you won't bother keeping it tip top just a good clean whenever you are bothered. Trying to explin to people who are not bothered in the first place about sponges and grit guards and upkeep they don't really care.
My Dad and I went to Ikea in his brand new car he said oh I think I will get them people in the car park to clean my car it has never been cleaned yet. I begged him not to, said I would do it for him. He had a go at me saying he doesn't care just wants it clean. He didn't go and I will clean the car as soon as the weather improves (and the beezer gets done first!)
See this has now moved to right section!
Yes point made well. I think that it unless you are really into detailing you won't bother keeping it tip top just a good clean whenever you are bothered. Trying to explin to people who are not bothered in the first place about sponges and grit guards and upkeep they don't really care.
My Dad and I went to Ikea in his brand new car he said oh I think I will get them people in the car park to clean my car it has never been cleaned yet. I begged him not to, said I would do it for him. He had a go at me saying he doesn't care just wants it clean. He didn't go and I will clean the car as soon as the weather improves (and the beezer gets done first!)
See this has now moved to right section!
Ive been on detailingworld.co.uk for a while now ..... and spent a small fortune . its well addictive when u start detailing properly, i cant beleave i used to wash my car with 1 bucket! I wouldnt worry about how often u polish, but how often do u use the sealant after it?!? LOL!
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