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-   -   A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/102011-superb-car-cleaning-polishing-detailing-guide-742.html)

Gyeon Q2M Clay

Valet Pro Clay

CarPro Clay

Bought the Valetpro clay. Thank you all for the suggestions :)

But wouldn't that cause rapid yellowing of the white paint?

The paint in itself will not yellow however the dirt and debris over time will accumulate on top the same way it does to the clear coat.

Solution is the same - remove it either using polishes or clay etc, followed by a wax.

White paint which is non clearcoated is bound to get yellowed due to rapid oxidation for UV exposure.
So the only way to restore that AFAIK is to polish it and remove a micron layer of paint.

Paints like the diamond white shade does not have a separate clear, these things don't yellow with sun exposure and needs no separate spray of clear over. Machine polishing such paints is a risk as you said, hand polishing just to remove the dirt and debris once a year will keep the paint dirt free and as white as the day it came out of the factory. On my vehicle its on its 7th year, wherever its BASF, its as good as brand new.

Ever since I got my new Polo, I've been on the lookout for solutions to detail the car with as few products as possible. I am at home with a considerable amount of free time thanks to the lockdown but that won't be the case soon and I'd like to keep my car looking tip top with the least amount of effort. I used to take care of my old car but it still managed to built up swirl marks over the 3 year ownership. They were pretty light and not visible to everyone but they still irked me quite a bit. I didn't want the same fate for my new car.

I am guilty of having spent quite a lot on products, as I had to try them first to know how well they really perform. I experimented on our old car and it has been turned from off while to brand spanking new white car, despite being 11 years old. I have tried Meguiar's products extensievely.

I tried Meguir's compound, polish, glass cleaner. I got carnuba wax for the waxing but the results seem temporary. Iron X is extremely useful for older cars! I'm not much of a photos person and I don't even keep my phone around much. I forgot to click pictures in action of the products, before-after of using products and so on. Having spent quite a bit on supplies and various products, I thought I'd write a small guide for detailing with only the necessary products and avoiding others that didn't show ideal results.

So here's the guide for detailing on a budget.

1) Car wash - 3M Auto Speciality Shampoo

Link: https://www.amazon.in/3M-IA260100432...dp/B00S5SBS9G/

It's pretty effective. I don't have a pressure wash, and not even two buckets for following the two bucket wash method. I live in a dusty area and the car keeps getting dirty WHILE I'm washing it, so I move panel to panel. I fill up a bucket with fresh water, use the mug to first wet the dirty surface. Then I use a sprayer to spray on the shampoo and use a wet microfibre sponge to agitate the dirt. Then wash the panel and wipe clean with a microfibre towel. Not ideal, but pretty easy logistically.

2) Claying

Meguiar's claying kit is pretty expensive, perhaps because it is imported and we'd be paying in dollars. Whatever it is, it is not a practical option. I tried clays from two sources, one Wavex and another which can be found here - https://www.amazon.in/HSR-Vehicle-Pr...dp/B07XP65X1S/

Using the same shampoo+water solution in a sprayer as the lubricant, the second clay produced very good results. It managed to removed every contaminant off of the car's paint. Do make sure to keep it lubricated, as the clay seems like it could be harsh on the paint if used carelessly. I didn't experience any negative impact.

Here's a before and after picture I did manage to click.

Before:

After:


A couple of rock chips but everything else looks great! I have used the same clay on the new Polo and compared it to Wavex's, this one is more effective.

3) Polishing

This is a tough one. The above pictures of the Ritz are an outcome of Meguiar's compounding followed by Polishing. I used the same Polish on the Polo before waxing but I was not as happy with the results. The dealership always surprises me with Swirl marks on the car whenever it goes for a service. I also didn't feel like compounding and polishing over again, so I found a product from Wavex which they claim has diminishing abrasive compound - i.e. it does the job of compounding initially and finishes it off with polishing. I've found the results to be pretty good.

Product Link : https://www.wavex.in/products/one-st...shing-compound

I first spread it using a microfiber applicator, rub it a bit and then wipe it off using a clean microfibre towel. The results, to my eye, have been better than using the Meguiar products on the Polo.

Applicator Link : https://www.amazon.in/SOFTSPUN-Micro...dp/B01N7MBDOP/

Microfiber cloth : https://www.amazon.in/3M-Microfiber-...dp/B06XBLK838/

4) Sealant

To wax or not? I didn't like the results of carnuba wax in terms of longevity. It looks amazing the first month, but it didn't even last the promised 3 months and my car's paint was full of contaminants despite a coat of wax. I was not happy and I knew I would not be able to wax every 3 months once normal life results. So I looked for solutions that would last longer and found this - Turtle Wax 53409 Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating

Link : https://www.amazon.in/Turtle-Wax-534...dp/B07XYPS3PS/

I always found the idea of DIY ceramic daunting but using this was pretty easy and it claims to last 12 months after two coats. I have tried this on the Ritz and am very happy with the results after 2 months. I also recently applied this on the Polo. I shall leave you with the pictures of the final outcome. While it is slightly on the pricier side, the quantity is sufficient for multiple coats. After having used it for 3 coats (1 on the Ritz, 2 on the Polo), there's still sufficient quantity left for more.

Despite the car only being 3 months old, it has seen its share of abuse. Our cars are parked in the open, we live in a dusty area with a lot of ash from the nearby sugar mill. The car has been driven extensively within city and has clocked ~2500kms. It's not been parked under shade even once, just not logistically possible for us.



I almost forgot about the glass cleaners! I have tried Meguiar's glass cleaner but the results for me have been underwhelming. I have gotten better results using ProKlear's waterless car wash on the glass area. I plan to clean my entire car using PK's warerless car wash for the foreseeable future, hoping that the ceramic keeps paint from getting contaminated. I will keep renewing the ceramic coating every 6 months, it should hardly take an hour max. This way, I can also keep the car clean while using as little water as possible.

^^ Good idea, Its Proklear or nothing since many many years, I have found US based brands to be very expensive but tried 3M once and it removed all the shine from the paint, therefore went back to Proklear as usual. Keeps the paint and plastic \ rubber bits in good nick. I use it on wheels and tires as well. The final wipe once the product dries is where the magic happens, its gives a nice shine.

Please buy a Jopasu Duster and a car cover(Nowadays there are car covers which have fibre inside as well to avoid swirls)
You can cover the car after using Jopasu duster. It will increase the interval of the detailing sessions IMHO.

I already have one but in my experience it becomes useless after a few uses. The rejuvenator was out of stock last I checked. Covering the car just isn't possible as I drive it every day, and not on a fixed schedule.

I bought the rejuvenator yesterday in the Amazon sale

Are you driving your car multiple times in a day? Then you would not want to cover and uncover each time: it would be a nuisance, and probably cause more swirl marks. Otherwise, it takes only a couple of minutes to cover/uncover, and greatly reduces the amount of dust you have to sweep off. Maybe cover overnight?

Indeed I am. Overnight would also be cumbersome as I often come as late as 10 and have to drive again in the morning. It's easier for me to just keep cleaning the car than cover/uncover it. My family also likes to go out on an impulse, the car's always got to be ready. :D

I've bought the PK waterless wash too and the first time I used it, it took me around 45 mins for the dzire and I went panel by panel with buffing and I found streaks.

I was spraying 3 times or so a panel. Is that too much? 1/4th bottle still left of the solution. Somehow I didnt get the results people talk about here and in videos.

Take about 5 ml, add it to a 500 ml spray bottle , fill with filtered water. Spray the roof , it should coat the surface wet and cover all the dust. Wait for about 30 seconds , wipe off in a straight line, don't worry about streaking. Move to the windshield and front clip spray at once and finish it. Now spray one side - clean it and then other side, lastly the rear clip.

Now clean the alloys and tyre with the same product, spray generously and wipe off.

Time to do a final wipe, keep a plush towel for this. Final wipe on the body and glass will remove all the streaking and give it the gloss.