Detailing Questions-Answered

byouells

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A quick FYI. Zaino just came out with borderless 100% cotton towels. Not the cheapest thing out there but no synthetic fibers to scratch your paint. I have been using Zaino for years and have always had great results.

Also thanks for the tip on Goo Gone to get rid of the polish on the plastic parts. Dealer must have had a field day with the wax on my Black 2010.
 

DKS

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A quick FYI. Zaino just came out with borderless 100% cotton towels. Not the cheapest thing out there but no synthetic fibers to scratch your paint. I have been using Zaino for years and have always had great results.

Also thanks for the tip on Goo Gone to get rid of the polish on the plastic parts. Dealer must have had a field day with the wax on my Black 2010.


Thanks for the heads up
 

scrib

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just have a couple questions that might be dumb

like your stang mine is garaged and cared for pretty well so this is more pertaining to my truck. the stang only has about 5k on it so i haven't brought myself to doing a full detail on it yet, but probably this spring

but i have done my truck twice now, with less than expected results. i typically work on gelcoats on boats and have good results there but i was somewhat disappointed with how my truck came out, using the porter cable DA (though it was my first 2 or 3 times using it)

i am using ultimate compound (truck has always been waxed and sealed since new only 37k on it no deep marks or anything) then i am using the m205, a glaze, tech wax 2.0 and then usually gold class wax between details

the truck does look great in my opinion afterwards, but theres still some swirls that i expected to come out. i am using hexlogic pads from chemical guys with the flex backing plate as well. i think i might be putting too much product on the foam pad?

also, how crucial is the citrus wash before the clay bar on a car with such low mileage? does the compound strip old wax?

and i cannot find a grit guard anywhere here in MA. what i do instead is use the shower setting on my hose to rinse the micro mit after every panel before putting into soap bucket. also leave the lower trim/ behind the wheels until the end

and is drying not with a leaf blower really harmful even with microfiber??? what about the terry towel that i use sometimes??

sorry for so many questions, but the truck is black... had a black stang and swore never another black car, now i have a black work truck and a grey stang that shows no scratches haha
 

DKS

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I've not used the pads you speak of personally. I stick to the LC products most times.

But are you sure you're spending enough time in each place? Are up applying enough pressure?

To remove swirls and scratches you have to have heat which comes from the friction. You want to put enough pressure to mash the pad to the surface, but not so much that it stalls or slows the buffer.

I highly recommend you get a grit guard or 2. They sell them online all day long, lol Try http://www.detailedimage.com
With a black truck you for sure need to use one to keep from scratching the truck more. You method is good, but do the same thing and use a grit guard and you'll drastically help your outcome.

As far as a citrus wash, it's important to strip the old wax. However, if you're doing a complete detail and actually using compound on the car, the compound should get rid of the wax, too.

If you are just going to strip the car and put on new wax then I'd say it's pretty important. A clay bar will remove some wax, but it's not designed specifically to remove wax. So, depending on how much wax you have on the car and how durable the wax is, the clay bar might take it all off and it might not.

I'd use a good citrus wash as directed before the clay bar, to be sure.

As far as drying. . . . .

A leaf blower does not come in contact with the paint, so it is the best method, period. Any time you touch or rub on the paint it's possible to put in scratches. However, with PROPER technique you can use a MF to dry and be ok. You just have to be careful with your pressure. You also want to go in straight lines to prevent swirling. Using a QD during drying is a good idea, too.

You want to make sure with a dark car that you are not in the sun during any of the washing and drying process or you WILL have waterspots. Drying in the sun will also cause streaking on dark cars.

With that being said, I use MF to dry everything but my Mustang (it's my only black vehicle) MFs are just way quicker than a leaf blower.
 

billgtx

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Hi DKS. Read both this thread and the car washing thread. Might have missed it but I didn't see any thoughts one way or the other on using brushes to wash the car instead of a mitt.

I just bought a black 04 Cobra and want to maintain a swirl free finish as long as reasonably possible.

A buddy of mine (who I would trust to build me a car from the ground up) swears by using a soft bristle brush. His logic is that dirt gets sucked up into the brush and not dragged across the finish.

Seems reasonable to me. But brush vs mitt seems to be almost a religious war.

So - your thoughts on using something like a boars hair brush?

I actually use the same blue fiber sponge from Walmart you mention in your OP. My buddy had advised me to toss it with extreme prejudice. Haha.

So. Am I setting myself up for swirls using this sponge? I would think the main issue with using a brush is getting enough suds to the car and keeping them there.

Thanks!
 

DKS

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Hi DKS. Read both this thread and the car washing thread. Might have missed it but I didn't see any thoughts one way or the other on using brushes to wash the car instead of a mitt.

I just bought a black 04 Cobra and want to maintain a swirl free finish as long as reasonably possible.

A buddy of mine (who I would trust to build me a car from the ground up) swears by using a soft bristle brush. His logic is that dirt gets sucked up into the brush and not dragged across the finish.

Seems reasonable to me. But brush vs mitt seems to be almost a religious war.

So - your thoughts on using something like a boars hair brush?

I actually use the same blue fiber sponge from Walmart you mention in your OP. My buddy had advised me to toss it with extreme prejudice. Haha.

So. Am I setting myself up for swirls using this sponge? I would think the main issue with using a brush is getting enough suds to the car and keeping them there.

Thanks!


I don't like brushes for washing cars.

I don't see a lot of other detailers using brushes.

I don't see a lot of professional detailing shops selling brushes, either.

IMO, I'd rather use a MF spong or a sheepskin mitt. With either of these you need to use as little pressure as possible to avoid scratching.

If you're washing in a straight line like you should, you don't have to worry about "swirling" anyway, though.

If you're using a grit guard and proper technique you should have nothing to worry about.

Most brushes will scratch the car themselves, anyway. I know which ones he's talking about, but they are like $100 and I can't see them being much, if any, better than using a MF sponge or Sheepskin mitt.

That being said. I'd never use just a normal sponge on a car that doesn't have the MF strings on it. Even though some detailers use what's called a "grout sponge" with good results.

Blue-Grout-Sponge-P293
293_1_lw_4625.jpg



And as far as you setting yourself up for problems. . . I use the same thing as you and if I don't get lazy and quick detail the car I can go a LONG time before I get any microscratching showing up.
 
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billgtx

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Thanks for the insight. The paint on my car isn't great. It's been a DD for several years. Lots of rock chips and some micro marring / swirling.

I'm trying to work on my technique as this is the first car I've had in 20 yrs that I actually care about the finish. :)

One more question. When using the PC to do correction or apply waxes do you use the PC over all the car? What about the front side "rails" between the front windshield and the side windows? What about ridged or curved surfaces like the 03/04 Cobra hood or the S197 door panels?

Thanks again!! I've learned a lot from your threads.

Bill
 

DKS

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I use the buffer on 99% of the car. I use low tack masking tape and mask off any of the trim, emblems, etc. I mask around the windows, windshield, roof, etc.

Then I go to town. I have to hand polish a few parts like under the mirrors where the buffer wont fit and around the wing, the lip of my front bumper, etc. But I use the buffer on any place I can fit it.
 

NastyStang113

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Hi DKS. Read both this thread and the car washing thread. Might have missed it but I didn't see any thoughts one way or the other on using brushes to wash the car instead of a mitt.

I just bought a black 04 Cobra and want to maintain a swirl free finish as long as reasonably possible.

A buddy of mine (who I would trust to build me a car from the ground up) swears by using a soft bristle brush. His logic is that dirt gets sucked up into the brush and not dragged across the finish.

Seems reasonable to me. But brush vs mitt seems to be almost a religious war.

So - your thoughts on using something like a boars hair brush?

I actually use the same blue fiber sponge from Walmart you mention in your OP. My buddy had advised me to toss it with extreme prejudice. Haha.

So. Am I setting myself up for swirls using this sponge? I would think the main issue with using a brush is getting enough suds to the car and keeping them there.

Thanks!

Yes, I'd say you're setting yourself up for disaster. I know the exact mitt you're talking about and it's fine for the soccer mom who doesn't care about her car. The best mitt out there, hands down, is the SM Arnold Sheeps Wool mitt as below.

http://www.autodetailingsolutions.net/85-340.html

Personally, I don't like brushes. The cheap ones will without a doubt wreck havoc on your finish. The quality brushes, and I'm talking about some pricey brushes, are decent but still not my choice. I rank microfiber mitts and sponges right up there with brushes. I will not use them. I have used them in the past and they are not a good option. These both simply do not have enough 'nap' in them, like the Sheepswool, to capture dirt instead of simply rubbing it back and forth on the surface. In fact I've got about 20 Meguiars MF mitts that are brand new in the package that I'm selling to someone this weekend.

AutoDetailingSolutions.com and AutoGeek.net both carry Grit Guards. I suggest you use a two bucket method when washing as well as the grit guards. One bucket for your soap and one bucket for clean water rinse your mitt before putting it in the soap bucket.

http://www.autodetailingsolutions.net/grit-guard-2-pack.html

http://www.autogeek.net/grit-guard-2pack.html

As far as what products to use... I'd recommend ditching those pads. I'd go Lake County or even the Meguiars pads. I find the Meguiars pads very simple and effective. Lake County for more 'specialization pad'.

Than I'd go with the M105, M205, a quality glaze like Poorboy's Black Hole, a sealant like Poorboys EX-P, followed by any high quality carnuba wax for a perfect finish. There are tons of high quality carnubas out there. How much do you want to spend?

http://www.poorboysworld.com/blackhole.htm

http://www.poorboysworld.com/exp.htm

Obviously claying before this whole process. The clay will remove any prior wax. If you're really concerned use some Dawn in the wash prior to claying as your car wash soap. Another thing I wanted to touch on.. I saw you mentioned that because the vehicle was new you didn't need to clay. This isn't exactly true. Vehicles will get rail dust on them during shipping and it's always a good idea to clay. It will be a very easy process on a new vehicle but it will pick up containments.

I also noticed you mentioned about keeping enough suds on the vehicle. Have you thought about investing in a foam gun? I religiously use it every wash and love it!

http://www.autogeek.net/auqufofogun.html

Also in terms of you not seeing a noticeable difference in micro-marring removal with the PC. What speed are you using on the PC? How fast are you going? It needs to much slower than what you would typically do with a rotary. 50% overlap. On a rough finish you'll end up wanting to be using 90-100% power on the PC. Just remember, always use the least aggressive method possible to achieve the results you're after. If you don't get the results, bump up the power until you get what you're after. I'd also recommend using the M105 and M205 and you'll really have an amazing finish. Trust me, amazing products!

I hope this novel helps you.. :boobies:
 

DKS

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Maybe I have such good luck with the MF sponges because of all the meticulous care I take during the process. After the foaming and pressure washing, the car is pretty clean, hell it's usually pretty clean to start with since I don't drive it in the rain, etc, anyway. Then I'm very careful to hardly put any pressure and I rinse my sponge very well, etc.

I also only use the MF Sponges a couple of times and then I toss them. I started using these instead of sheepskin because I was paying more for the mitts then was having them fall apart after a few washes. Never could find a brand that held up for me. The MF sponges are disposable at that price and I don't even have to worry about trying to clean them.


But, I'm going to invest in one of the mitts that you recommended, I trust your judgment, I'm sure it will help that much more. (Thanks for all the links, Nasty)

Speaking of waxes, how about using some Natty's Blue for a good carnuba that isn't crazy expensive?? I think it's about the best bang for the buck if you're not wanting to spend $50-$60 bucks on some wax. I just picked up some more yesterday. I love the way it looks layered on top of the wet diamond sealant.

And +1 on the LC pads and the M105 and M205, best combo out there IMO, too.
 
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NastyStang113

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Maybe I have such good luck with the MF sponges because of all the meticulous care I take during the process. After the foaming and pressure washing, the car is pretty clean, hell it's usually pretty clean to start with since I don't drive it in the rain, etc, anyway. Then I'm very careful to hardly put any pressure and I rinse my sponge very well, etc.

I also only use the MF Sponges a couple of times and then I toss them. I started using these instead of sheepskin because I was paying more for the mitts then was having them fall apart after a few washes. Never could find a brand that held up for me. The MF sponges are disposable at that price and I don't even have to worry about trying to clean them.


But, I'm going to invest in one of the mitts that you recommended, I trust your judgment, I'm sure it will help that much more. (Thanks for all the links, Nasty)

Speaking of waxes, how about using some Natty's Blue for a good carnuba that isn't crazy expensive?? I think it's about the best bang for the buck if you're not wanting to spend $50-$60 bucks on some wax. I just picked up some more yesterday. I love the way it looks layered on top of the wet diamond sealant.

And +1 on the LC pads and the M105 and M205, best combo out there IMO, too.

Yes if you haven't tried the SM Arnold Sheeps Wool mitts than you're missing out on the gravy train! I'm not kidding you, they are one of my FAVORITE detailing products. I get ridiculous amounts of washes out of them. I'm talking about months and months. When I do toss them out it's not because the are falling apart, more just as a precautionary measure. When I'm done washing, I rinse them until 100% of the soap is gone, than shake them to they are only damp, than hang them on a hanger inside my house.

Poorboy's Natty Blue is a good wax. The Blue or Red is a good choice. Personally, I use the Red. It's an awesome 'maintenance' wax or even LSP. One of my favorite carnubas of all time is Meguiars #16 (Discontinued due to VOC Regulations) but it's such a bear to remove. It increases application and removal time by at least double compared to a easy off wax like Nattys Red/Blue. This is another favorite...

http://www.pinnaclewax.com/souveran.html
 

DKS

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I just ordered 3 of the mitts.

Yeah, the pinnacle wax is epic. Too much $$ for my wallet though, lol
 

DKS

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Oh, by the way, Summitt Racing has a better deal on the same mitts. I got 3 for $25 dollars shipped. It would have been $33 shipped from ADS.
 

INDESTRUCTIBLE

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Hey DKS i got a quick question, i asked for some advice for you in another thread as to what would be the best technique for keeping my car clean, its not a daily driver, only comes out on the weekends and i just hit it with the quick detailer every week but was starting to notice micro scratches, and you told me to use some extra plush mf towels, so i went out and bought some super plush mf towels and hit the car with the detailer, but it was leaving smudges. i was rubbing and rubbing and rubbing and it would not take the swirls/smudges out. so i had to hit it with a cotton towel and it worked beautifully. did i do something wrong?
 

DKS

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Well, smudges and swirls are completely different issues, for one. Smudges can be removed with a QD and a MF. Swirls are going to have to be buffed out.

If you were having to "rub and rub and rub" then you probably did more damage than good. The more you rub, the more issues you are going to have. You should be using very light pressure so to not scratch the car and cause swirling.

And if you used a cotton towel and it fixed it, then you must be in some sort of a parallel universe, lol. I would never touch my car with a cotton towel under any circumstances. What exactly do you mean "worked beautifully"?

And, as always, it's better to wash the car than to use a QD. But if it's just sitting in the garage and you're just getting the dust off (no road grime, etc.) and you're doing it with good MFs, using good technique, and light pressure you should not be having these issues.
 
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INDESTRUCTIBLE

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LOL!yea not even like that. Just curious cuz DKS knows hit shit when it comes to keeping it clean and i always compliment his car whenever i see it around the forum, i was just curious as to what i was doing wrong. And to be a little bit clearer, they were smudges, i just said swirls cuz with the motion of the rubbing thats just the shape they were taking, and when i hit it with the cotton towel it removed the smudges but i agree with you it probably did more damage in the long run to the paint.
 

J.Cagle

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Do you have a complete write up on what you do to clean and "shine" the engine compartment? I have read over everything a couple times and didnt see anything.
 

DKS

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Thanks for the kind words. If its smudging, I'd say you're using too much detailer. Are you doing it inside or in the sun? Sounds like maybe its the detailer itself that is maybe streaking. Then the towel is removing the streaking of the excess since its more abrasive than the microfiber. Just a thought, not sure if that's it or not.

By the way, Nasty is the pro here, I'm just a very motivated hobbyists, lol

Cagle, I don't have a writeup for under the hood. I do a lot of different stuff and I'm still going through an experimentation phase so I have no advice except don't let it get dirty, lol


LOL!yea not even like that. Just curious cuz DKS knows hit shit when it comes to keeping it clean and i always compliment his car whenever i see it around the forum, i was just curious as to what i was doing wrong. And to be a little bit clearer, they were smudges, i just said swirls cuz with the motion of the rubbing thats just the shape they were taking, and when i hit it with the cotton towel it removed the smudges but i agree with you it probably did more damage in the long run to the paint.
 

INDESTRUCTIBLE

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Well i always do the waxing in the garage, ive never waxed under direct sunlight, and im using the meguirs ultimate quick wax, and yea i may be using a bit too much, im very liberal when applying it to say the least, and i think it also may have to do with my actual technique just gotta see what works best. and no matter who the expert may be, your always giving out some good advice so thanks alot for all the help bro, i may not having the fastest car when cruizin around but ill make damn sure to have the cleanest one out!
 

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