My QD and Spray Wax Technique--Many pics

[Shawn T.]

After reading what Mike Phillips said about QDing (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/23128-tips-techniques-using-spray-detailer-remove-light-dust-fingerprints-smudges.html) I decided to document my process.


Alright, so I grabbed my QD of choice right now which is Meguiars Last Touch at 1:1. Why 1:1 when it's recommended at full strength for QDing? Every time I use it at full strength I experienced streaking. I experimented with sun and no sun and hot and cold but I always had streaking. Since switching to 1:1 it has worked beautifully with absolutely no streaking.

I also took out 6 Eurow Microfiber towels. These are fantastic towels for their price and they have not marred my delicate BLACK Honda paint. I bought a 36-pack for $25 two months ago and it was well worth it. I also took out 2 Meguiars Supreme Shine microfibers for appliyng Ultimate Quik Wax after QDing.

Then, I have my Black and Decker LED for swirl finding.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/219.jpg



One problem I have always had is jusging how much QD to use. I have finally figured out the how much to use on a dusty/dirty car. You want to spray enough to cover the entire section with proudct. When your car is as dirty as mine which you will see, you want to ensure there are no dry areas that your towel will wipe over. Dry dirt and towels leads to swirls.

You want a surface that will allow the dirt/dust to slide off the paint. If you have to rub with pressure to remove the dust then you are increasing the potential to add swirls. Regular applications of a quality wax allows the surface to remain slippery and make QDing that much safer.

Look at the picture below for an example. Notice the beading of the QD.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/318.jpg



This is where my technique gets interesting. Many people will say that you can only use one side of the quartered microfiber per swipe. However, only one edge of the microfiber is actually acruing dust on the wipe. So, how can I use this idea to use less towels and still QD safely.

First, here is how I hold the microfiber on wiping.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/4.jpg



By holding it this way I focus all of the dirt on the folded edge. Now, if you hold it flat I find it harder to gently wipe the paint. This technique allows me to wipe the paint with as little pressure as possible thereby reducing the potential to inflict swirls.

When QDing, I always swipe in the direction of the panel. In other words, I swipe in the longest direction of the panel. If the panel is longest left to right, I will swipe left to right. If it is longest up and down then I will swipe up and down.

Now, here is what the edge of the microfiber looks after a single swipe.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/5.jpg


Now, the dirt line is not perfect but there is clearly one folded edge that I wiped against the paint. So, on my next wipe I set this dirt edge so that it is right above the folded edge that will perform the next swipe.

That looks something like this.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/6.jpg





After doing several swipes like this, we have a good 50/50 showing just how dirty the car was.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/74.jpg



Some people would have chosen to wash the car if it was this dirty but I wanted to prove that this technique can work. Plus, it was 42 degrees out............


Here is another shot of how much QD I use. This is on the decklid. Notice the water spots around the flashing indicating not only dust but a dirty film on the car.



http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/82.jpg



If that wasn't enough to prove it then the back and front of this microfiber should be enough proof. I went through 4 microfibers and all of them looked like this when all sides were used up. That is 32 sides worth of quartered microfiber.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/91.jpg



http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/104.jpg



Look at the dirt lines and how they are successive and in perpendicular in some cases. I use up as much of the microfiber as possible because I feel that it's the most efficient. Why use 12 when I can use 4 with great success?









The next step was to apply Ultimate Quik Wax to the car. I applied a coat of NXT 2.0 about 2 weeks ago and have since applied two coats of Ultimate Quik Wax. This constitutes the third coat.

I used a Meguiars Supreme Shine microfiber to apply.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/118.jpg



It is best to spray two spritzes of the product onto one side of the towel. If you simply spray UQW on the car and start wiping it around then the towel will absorb the product while you are trying t spread it making the job more difficult. Priming one side of the towel like this aids in spreading the product because the towel won't want to absorbas much product.



http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/128.jpg



2 sprays onto the hood is all I need to cover the area. With UQW, you should apply it thin enough that you don't have to buff off any residue. It dries almost instantaneously and streak free. I always turn the towel over to a dry side to lightly buff the area to ensure it's streak free though.

Here is 2 sprays on my hood.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/134.jpg




Remember, the car is clean when you apply UQW or any spray wax so there should be no need to refold the towel and use a new side. As you keep spraying and wiping, more UQW will accumulate on the towel and you can use less and less as you go along the car. Two sprays per panel like a door is the most you should need. As you work your way around, 1 spray may only be needed. Evenutally, you will be applying very little product to the surface because the towel will be moist with UQW.

In fact, if the towel is moist with UQW, try wiping it across the panel. You should see streaks that disappear almost instantly as you wipe across the panel. This is the UQW drying on the surface. That is all you need to use this product effectively. Less is more with this product IMHO.

I have used this bottle three times now as I bought it new a few weeks ago. It comes with 15.2 oz of product.

Here is how much product I used for three times around my Civic including windows.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/202.jpg

The lower black mark is 12 oz and the higher is the 13 oz. I poured out the UQW bottle into this measuring apparatus and found about 12.5 oz of UQW still in the bottle. This comes out to 0.9 oz per use for the entire car.


Now, let's see some afters! Im the MAN



http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/142.jpg


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/163.jpg


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/152.jpg



http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/172.jpg


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/984/medium/182.jpg



Yes, I know. My license plate is there but I don't anticipate anyone from Autogeek wanting to find where I live. If they do, it's already in my profile. :laughing:



Anyway, there is my write-up for how I QD my car. Please leave me feedback on how this was so I can make the corrections in the future. Feed back please



THANKS FOR VIEWING!

[BobbyG]

Shawn,

I think you did a tremendous job of showing how a little thinking and ingenuity can make a product work and work well! Technique is always part of the solution and it easy to see why yours products some outstanding results!

I like the way your photos show the progressive improvement in cleaning and ultimately a gorgeous reflective shine....

Nice review! :props:

[Old Tiger]

Shawn,

I think you did a tremendous job of showing how a little thinking and ingenuity can make a product work and work well! Technique is always part of the solution and it easy to see why yours products some outstanding results!

I like the way your photos show the progressive improvement in cleaning and ultimately a gorgeous reflective shine....

Nice review! :props:
Bobby said it better than I could. Very well done! I would recommend you try one of the new waterless washes when you run out of QD. The Ultima is crazy cheap when you buy the concentrate. Around $3.50 per gallon and IMO its better than any QD Ive ever tried and that;s a lot. Just my $.02 FWIW.

[Rob T]

I'm not a fan of using a qd to clean a car that's this dirty.

[Dubbin1]

There is no way I would use a watered down QD on a car that dirty. They should only be used on a slightly dusty surface.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[BobbyG]

Bobby said it better than I could. Very well done! I would recommend you try one of the new waterless washes when you run out of QD. The Ultima is crazy cheap when you buy the concentrate. Around $3.50 per gallon and IMO its better than any QD Ive ever tried and that;s a lot. Just my $.02 FWIW.

I'll have to agree with this as well.

Some of the new waterless washes do work surprisingly well! I bought some of the DP Rinseless Wash & Gloss and as much as I'm not fond of this type of product I have to say it worked very well.

Ultima is another product that works incredibly well, in fact the Ultima line offers some of the finest product available and there all here at Autogeek.

These products are designed to be used when normal washing with water isn't possible. Typically you'll see these are very popular in areas where cold and snow is the norm for several months out of the year.

As you clearly demonstrated quick detailers will work but there are products available to us that work better..

[Shawn T.]

Shawn,

I think you did a tremendous job of showing how a little thinking and ingenuity can make a product work and work well! Technique is always part of the solution and it easy to see why yours products some outstanding results!

I like the way your photos show the progressive improvement in cleaning and ultimately a gorgeous reflective shine....

Nice review! :props:

Thanks Bobby. I've been testing this technique for a while now and it works very well. I've done this about 10 times to this car when it has been this dirty and it still shines!

I actually wasn't even planning that progression. It just kind of happened as I took pictures of the process.


Bobby said it better than I could. Very well done! I would recommend you try one of the new waterless washes when you run out of QD. The Ultima is crazy cheap when you buy the concentrate. Around $3.50 per gallon and IMO its better than any QD Ive ever tried and that;s a lot. Just my $.02 FWIW.

Thanks. I am definitely going to look into Ultima. It looks really good. At $3.50 a gallon, it would a very economical quick detailer and clay lubricant. Thanks for the suggestion!


I'm not a fan of using a qd to clean a car that's this dirty.

I'm not saying that you should use it when the car is this dirty. I would have preferred a two-bucket wash with my lambswool wash mitt but at 42 degrees I didn't want to do this. I just wanted to show what can be done with a certain technique.


There is no way I would use a watered down QD on a car that dirty. They should only be used on a slightly dusty surface.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

I just wanted to show what could be done when weather forces your hand.


I'll have to agree with this as well.

Some of the new waterless washes do work surprisingly well! I bought some of the DP Rinseless Wash & Gloss and as much as I'm not fond of this type of product I have to say it worked very well.

Ultima is another product that works incredibly well, in fact the Ultima line offers some of the finest product available and there all here at Autogeek.

These products are designed to be used when normal washing with water isn't possible. Typically you'll see these are very popular in areas where cold and snow is the norm for several months out of the year.

As you clearly demonstrated quick detailers will work but there are products available to us that work better..

I am definitely getting some Ultima soon. It looks too good to pass up. Better products at less cost. What could be better? :props:

[Pats300zx]

Great write up. However I agree with Rob T that the car is way to dirty to use a QD. I would have switched to Opti Clean or Ultima to take care of that dirt.

Thanks for putting that together...

[WestEnd]

I really liked your write up. Thanks for taking the time to post it. Everyone has opinions and it's fun to see others experiment and show what results can come from different techniques. As Mike P. says, find something that works and use it often (or something like that, haha) :D

[Dubbin1]

Ultima is another product that works incredibly well, in fact the Ultima line offers some of the finest product available and there all here at Autogeek.


Sadly they are not all here at AG.

[Dubbin1]

I just wanted to show what could be done when weather forces your hand.


Sure it "can be done" but the real question is should it be done. One of the main problems I see is that you took a product that wasn't made to do what you're doing with it and watering it down even more.

A rinseless wash would have been a much better choice and wouldn't have taken any longer.

[Silverstone]

Great technique and .... well Detail.

But I'd have two things to say. One is that the WG Detail Spritz I use never streaks on me, for two years straight now. And, I have never come off my paint with a towel that looks like that. The towel never has anywhere near that much dirt on it. In fact it's hard to see most of the time. Either I'm doing it too soon or you're waiting till it gets too dirty. I know I'd sure like to know which one it is.

[Dr Oldz]

Sure it "can be done" but the real question is should it be done. One of the main problems I see is that you took a product that wasn't made to do what you're doing with it and watering it down even more.

A rinseless wash would have been a much better choice and wouldn't have taken any longer.


:iagree: Use that method about 3 more times and then show us some sun pics!!!

[Shawn T.]

Alright, I am aware that it shouldn't be done if it can be avoided. However, it was 42 degrees out and I used what I had on hand.

Did I inflict some swirls? Most likely.

Am I looking for a swirl-free finish? No. I am looking to maintain a finish that looks very good. I do one full detail a year which comes in the spring. After that, I deal with any swirls I get.

In my post, I don't believe I ever mentioned this being a swirl-free technique. I said that the methosd I used in conjunction with the products I used removed the dirt from the surface in a way that reduced the potential to inflict swirls. If I had Ultima Waterless Wash I would have used it.

[Shawn T.]

Sure it "can be done" but the real question is should it be done. One of the main problems I see is that you took a product that wasn't made to do what you're doing with it and watering it down even more.

A rinseless wash would have been a much better choice and wouldn't have taken any longer.

I mentioned in the post that I was using it a non-recommended dilution. But, I make it work with my technique.

A rinseless wash would have been a far better choice and I whole heartedly agree with that.


Great technique and .... well Detail.

But I'd have two things to say. One is that the WG Detail Spritz I use never streaks on me, for two years straight now. And, I have never come off my paint with a towel that looks like that. The towel never has anywhere near that much dirt on it. In fact it's hard to see most of the time. Either I'm doing it too soon or you're waiting till it gets too dirty. I know I'd sure like to know which one it is.

You are doing the orthodox method which is the better choice. Don't wait for your car to become this dirty to use a QD. However, I haven't had much time lately and I finally found some time hence the filth of the car.

Thanks for the response.

In a usual case I would say that you should come up with a relatively clean towel each swipe.


:iagree: Use that method about 3 more times and then show us some sun pics!!!

I've already done it about 10 times so I accept your challenge! :xyxthumbs:

Next time we have a sunny day, I'll wipe the car down again and see if I can get some good sun pics. You'll see my car is not swirl free by any means.