Team-BHP - All about Car Waxes & Sealants

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Myth_sx (Post 3409903)

Hi TBPians.

Thanks for this great thread here. Lot of information and photos for inspiration. This thread and my new black color car have got me motivated to upgrade from the basic car washing and drying.

....

Please advise.

Regards,
Myth

Welcome to Tbhp!

For starters, you should get the following items (assuming you would not do a water wash at all at home) :

1. A bottle of ONR or UWW concentrate, to be used as waterless wash / quick detailer / clay lube.
2. A nice spray bottle with trigger head in which you can mix and use the above.
3. A stack of (atleast 6-8) good microfiber towels.
4. Skip the clay, get opti eraser (numerous reviews available) or nanoskin autoscrub towel / foam. May take a higher investment up front than clay, but advantages include that they last far longer and can be simply washed and used if dropped.
5. You cannot do much for scratches/swirls removal by hand, so a glaze based polish with fillers should be your best bet. Try Sonus swirlbuster.
6. As for wax / sealant - I would suggest C845. Easy to buy, easy to use, and has proven it's worth.
7. Jopasu duster (budget) / California duster (splurge) for daily dusting sessions.
8. Meg's perfect clarity glass cleaner.

Pros - please add anything I might have missed.

Lots of helpful people here - only would request you to search the threads before popping in a question.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myth_sx (Post 3409903)

Apart from the washing, I am thinking of polishing and waxing atleast once a month also.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myth_sx (Post 3409903)

Microfiber : Meguiar's Supreme Shine Microfiber Towel, suggest me a drying MF.
Clay : Bilt Hamber AutoClay Medium 200g(works with water as lubricant)

blackasta has covered almost everything. Here are some more suggestions:
Towel for drying:
DC Basics Blue Giant. Inexpensive, but very effective good quality drying towel. I've used it to dry 2 sedans without wringing it even once. You can buy it here
Claying:
I totally agree with blackasta. Get yourself a clayblock like Optimum Eraser or Nanoskin Paintprep sponge or Ultima Elastrofoam Block. Also, I have used Nanoskin and Ultima foamblocks with car wash soap water suds as lubricant and succeeded without any scratching/marring. Soap water lubricates like crazy. Save yourself from buying expensive clay lubes.

Apart from exterior painted surfaces, you might also want to clean/protect other areas like wheels, tyres, wheel wells, interior/exterior plastics, upholstery, etc. Believe me when I say that these also add up significantly to the looks and feel-good factor.
APC:
I use Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner (D101) and I like it very much. I use it with 1:10 dilution ratio for upholstery and very dirty interior plastics and 1:4 ratio for wheels and tyres. Get a brush each for wheel wells, wheels and upholstery.

Dressing/Protectant
I recommend CarPro PERL since it is reasonably priced and very effective.

Glass cleaning: I have moved away from expensive glass cleaners and started using Sonax Clearview 1:100 Windshield Washing Concentrate. Only 10ml of product creates 1 liter of glass cleaner. It cleans really well and I've always managed to get crystal clear streak free windshield with it. At this dilution ratio, it is extremely economical.

Can someone please advise if the Wax (I use Carnauba F1) is good for non-metallic surface as well. My Toyota Superior White color is non-metallic and even though I wax it once in 3 months, I do not find great effect after waxing.

I have been using Wax ever since I bought silver metallic Santro, which had great effect after waxing

Thanks for your advise.

Has anybody tried CQuartz? Is it worth it? Does it really last 2 years? Or avoiding minor scratches? ALl reviews I have read have been from interested parties.

If CQuartz is fine, who is a good detailer to take it to for prepping/ protecting a new car - black?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanderers (Post 3411253)

My Toyota Superior White color is non-metallic

I would use a sealant on this instead of a Wax.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackasta (Post 3409982)

My current place doesnt allow me to give the car a full scale wash, so ONR is a great idea. This is it, right ?
There is a steam cleaning place near my place which will take care of the washing part. The subsequent activities will be done by me personally.

Point 4 is a good idea. Could you please link me to an Indian site where something like this can be purchased?

My car is quite new(2 months so no swirls or scratches as of now) so can i skip the polish and move on to the wax/sealant (c845) ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by amazer2013 (Post 3411215)

Polishing is not at all needed to be done every month. It's not as easy as it sounds. You'll have an aching arm after this. Don't invest unnecessary time and energy in what is not required because you'll eventually lose interest. Polishing once in 4-6 months would be sufficient (My 2 cents)
If you use a good synthetic sealant, one application last at least 3 months. So waxing every month is also not needed.

blackasta has covered almost everything. Here are some more suggestions:
Towel for drying:
DC Basics Blue Giant. Inexpensive, but very effective good quality drying towel. I've used it to dry 2 sedans without wringing it even once. You can buy it here
Claying:
I totally agree with blackasta. Get yourself a clayblock like Optimum Eraser or Nanoskin Paintprep sponge or Ultima Elastrofoam Block. Also, I have used Nanoskin and Ultima foamblocks with car wash soap water suds as lubricant and succeeded without any scratching/marring. Soap water lubricates like crazy. Save yourself from buying expensive clay lubes.

Apart from exterior painted surfaces, you might also want to clean/protect other areas like wheels, tyres, wheel wells, interior/exterior plastics, upholstery, etc. Believe me when I say that these also add up significantly to the looks and feel-good factor.
APC:
I use Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner (D101) and I like it very much. I use it with 1:10 dilution ratio for upholstery and very dirty interior plastics and 1:4 ratio for wheels and tyres. Get a brush each for wheel wells, wheels and upholstery.

Dressing/Protectant
I recommend CarPro PERL since it is reasonably priced and very effective.

Glass cleaning: I have moved away from expensive glass cleaners and started using Sonax Clearview 1:100 Windshield Washing Concentrate. Only 10ml of product creates 1 liter of glass cleaner. It cleans really well and I've always managed to get crystal clear streak free windshield with it. At this dilution ratio, it is extremely economical.

You are right. Polishing/waxing every month is a bit too much. :D

I am just trying to figure out the step by step process (including what products to use at every step). I am starting with the exterior for now then later once I get a better understanding, I'll move onto the other aspects of car cleaning.

There is way too much information here. And everybody has their own way of doing things including using a variety of products. I am just trying to figure out a pattern to suit me and run it by you guys so that I dont end up doing something wrong. :eek:

Thanks for helping.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myth_sx (Post 3419140)

Yes you can either use the blue ONR (wash) or the green ONR (wash and wax).

For clay bar alternatives, check out the items here - http://www.keystoneenterprises.in/optimum.htm or here - http://www.autofresh.in/exterior-car...20-91303177877 or here http://bringingbest.in/index.php?rou...product_id=156

you can skip the polishing and go for a paint cleanser if your car is brand new, and then move on to sealing.

disclaimer - not commercially involved with any of the above sites, Just an end user of the same.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myth_sx (Post 3419140)

ONR is of course a great alternative and you can buy online instantly in several different sizes directly from the all India distributor and importer of Optimum products in India http://optimumcarcareindia.com/WASHI...id-474430.html

Fantastic bunch of helpful people and very professional in their dealings.

ONR works very well as clay lube with their Clay block and the clay block can be used several times unlike a conventional clay bar http://optimumcarcareindia.com/PAINT...48-page-1.html

Disclaimer: I am not associated in any way with Optimum but I am a very satisfied end customer.

Ok, looks like I am ready to start. I'll follow the steps posted by blackasta and use the below items.

Jopasu duster(already bought )
Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax
Opti-Eraser fine grade (With ONR as clay lubricant)
Collinite 845
DC Basics Blue Giant Drying Towel / Meguiar's Supreme Shine Microfiber Towel

In addition to the above MFs, I think i'll try these as well. Better to have sufficient MFs around.

Is there any way to clean beige colored fabric upholstery ? During the servicing, i found a small light grease stain on the front arm rest. I tried wiping it with a clean white cloth partially soaked in concentrated detergent solution. It works but requires a lot of rubbing.

@amazer2013: Can i add an optimum amount of the SONAX - Clear View in the car's wiper wash water container ?

Thanks for replying guys :thumbs up

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myth_sx (Post 3421524)

Is there any way to clean beige colored fabric upholstery ?

Try Meg's carpet and upholstery cleaner.

I've been using megs apc 1:10 solution with great success

I am looking for a good sealant. Please advise which product should I go for and where can I buy it? Buying online is preferred :)
Another question - Would I be correct in assuming that a sealant is far better than wax?

Quote:

Originally Posted by v_2rahjo (Post 3426160)

Four star upp..one of the Best. Buy online at ultimate detailerz website. It's costly. But one bottle will last 20 to 30 full car application.

But ensure that u decontaminate the surface before applying. Otherwise no sealant will last long.

A cheaper option is the ever green collinite 845

Quote:

Originally Posted by v_2rahjo (Post 3426160)

I recently bought this - http://www.poorboysworld.com/exp.htm

Have read very good reviews about this and its affordable too. Will post a detail review after the first application soon.
You can buy it from detailedclean india website.

Also, its not like sealant is better than wax or vice versa. As per my research sealant is considered to be more durable than wax. Most enthusiasts prefer applying both for added protection but you can also choose one as per your preference and it will be fine.