Team-BHP - Simplified: The Idiot's Guide to keeping your car clean & shiny

Quick question, I am using 3m car shampoo to wash my car. So here's what I do, I first pressure wash the car with pipe and then proceed to wash it with shampoo water using micro fiber cloth panel by panel. But by the time I am done with all the panels the initial one's dry up and I see the shampoo marks on the panel. They do get removed when I wash it down with pipe but is it harmful for the paint of car?

I dont do something very special in terms of paint surface maintenance but have managed to keep both my 8yr old XUV and 11yr Figo looking in good shape. My routine is

- buy cars with light color first :D. Silver and White respectively for current cars
- have covered car parking both in office and home
- Car cleaner cleans them with wet cloth and not dry daily. I dont control what cloth he uses in the apartment
- Get the car pressure washed/shampooed 2-3 times in a year including the annual service
- I use Meguiars Ultimate quikwax spray polish which is very easy to apply post the car wash 2 times a year
- For interiors I use 3M dash shiner once in 3-4m

So far this regime has helped keep both cars looking much better than their actual age. Swirl marks are present but not crazy. Light shade plays a big role in keeping that in control.

Not sure if this is the right thread but I have one question regarding this monsoon season. I have open parking in my home which I occassionally visit. Currently it is monsoon season and sometimes it rains. My hometown doesn't receive too much rain and is dry place. Even when it rains it is likely for couple hours of medium showers rather than heavy ones. My question is should I keep it out in rain. Because when am covering with cover then all that hidden dirt from cover is getting sticked to the car.

Is it safe to keep your car in the open during occasional rains or do I have to worry about rusting?

@Revvatron, Don't have to worry about covering your car on occasional visits. If there are no exposed areas on any of the body panels then all that you could do is to dislodge stubborn dirt/bird droppings by spraying soapy water and cleaning with a soft cloth.

Apply a good wax and buff prior to the monsoons and that wax cover will protect the paint.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hothatchaway (Post 5592479)

If there are no exposed areas on any of the body panels then all that you could do is to dislodge stubborn dirt/bird droppings by spraying soapy water and cleaning with a soft cloth..

Can I just mix some car shampoo in water and remove the bird droppings and insect splatter from specific areas? Will this affect the paint quality as I go on cleaning different areas as required and not the whole car? For the whole car, like many other people staying in apartments, I will have to use Proklear rinse less wash.

Hi Friends,
Two weeks ago bought Audi A4, Metallic Grey and started reading this forum on how to maintain the paint shine.
This seems to be the best thread on this topic and I sincerely thank all the contributors!

Based on readings in so many threads in this forum, I do NOT plan to do any PPF/Ceramic/Teflon.

Now, considering:
a) I have partially covered parking at home (will cover with some plastic uncovered area soon)
b) will be using this car only maybe once a week
c) am quite busy/lazy

I plan to do following:
1. No "Detailing" like paint sealant / waxing for next 3 months as the car/paint is new
2. Clean dust 2-3 times a week using Jopasu duster
3. Wipe the car once a week myself using 3M Microfiber clothes
4. After 3 months, go to 3M for 4a) paint sealant 4b) waxing
Then:
5. Full car wash at 3M every 3 months OR after every long trip
6. "Detailing" at 3M every 6-12 months depending on status of shine. This will include a) paint sealant b) waxing c) any minor paint repair job

My questions:
7. All best practices mentioned in this thread: Are they good enough for all cars in general OR slightly premium cars like A4 require more/less care?
(This is a genuine newbie question, so please don't think I am a snob - this is my first expensive car!)
8. Home clean/wash: I want to use minimum water. What should be mixed in water spray bottles? "ONR Wash and Wax" OR "ONR Wash and Shine" OR something else? (Is ONR an example of what experts here are calling "a quick detailer"?)

Any other advice will be most welcome and appreciated!
Thanks again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LifeIsTravel (Post 5661493)

My questions:
7. All best practices mentioned in this thread: Are they good enough for all cars in general OR slightly premium cars like A4 require more/less care?
(This is a genuine newbie question, so please don't think I am a snob - this is my first expensive car!)
8. Home clean/wash: I want to use minimum water. What should be mixed in water spray bottles? "ONR Wash and Wax" OR "ONR Wash and Shine" OR something else? (Is ONR an example of what experts here are calling "a quick detailer"?)

Any other advice will be most welcome and appreciated!
Thanks again.

My 2 Cents:-

7.Most if not all the suggestions on the forum are generic and will apply to any brand of vehicle . All we are trying to do is protect the paint and minimize any wear tear.So the suggestions are focused on that.

8.Since your vehicle is not protected I would suggest ONR Wash and Wax(Green One).
It will give some protections so no harm.
The regular ONR doesn't have any wax in it so it will just clean the paint.
The dilution ratios of ONR vary depending upon the what the use it.
I have mentioned the same below.ONR is the name of the product (Optimum No Rinse) and is usually the de facto standard for Rinse less washing .

Optimum No Rinse Dilution Ratios (water: product)

Rinseless washing- 256:1
Water softener – 256:1
Glass cleaner – 256:1
Clay bar lubricant – 64:1
Quick detailer – 16:1
Drying aid – 16:1
Interior cleaner – 256:1
Before pre-rinsing – 256:1
Engine bay cleaning – 16:1