jtk
06-09-2012, 06:41 PM
I got a new car last week, and today was the first wash & wax (I can't do it in my condo lot, so I have to wait until my parents' driveway is available... otherwise I would have done it last week).
The joy: I managed to not leave swirl marks. It's a dark grey (Graphite Mica) car, and my past experience with a black car and less than optimal techniques made me think I'd have swirls right from the get go. But, I used to use a sponge, a single bucket, old bath towels, etc. This time I used Griot's microfiber mitts and various other microfiber towels, two buckets, Turtle Wax Ice soap, and Meguiar's Gold Class liquid wax (on sale @ Target for $9.99 btw) and it worked much better.
The frustration: First, my hose was not long enough (:)). Second, my paint is not perfect (to be expected, but getting up close made me notice more). Third, various equipment let me down: my microfiber drying towel left lint on the car, my other towels were too small (I need a dedicated wax removal towel), and the car wash soap was not the best (but I knew that going in). Also, on my rear bumper there are some white specks that are very hard to remove. Kinda like what you get after driving through rain. I used a wd-40 and reduced the spots a bit, but I felt like I should be using something else and decided to stop. What should I be using on these?
All in all, a good Saturday. I'm happy with the results.
The joy: I managed to not leave swirl marks. It's a dark grey (Graphite Mica) car, and my past experience with a black car and less than optimal techniques made me think I'd have swirls right from the get go. But, I used to use a sponge, a single bucket, old bath towels, etc. This time I used Griot's microfiber mitts and various other microfiber towels, two buckets, Turtle Wax Ice soap, and Meguiar's Gold Class liquid wax (on sale @ Target for $9.99 btw) and it worked much better.
The frustration: First, my hose was not long enough (:)). Second, my paint is not perfect (to be expected, but getting up close made me notice more). Third, various equipment let me down: my microfiber drying towel left lint on the car, my other towels were too small (I need a dedicated wax removal towel), and the car wash soap was not the best (but I knew that going in). Also, on my rear bumper there are some white specks that are very hard to remove. Kinda like what you get after driving through rain. I used a wd-40 and reduced the spots a bit, but I felt like I should be using something else and decided to stop. What should I be using on these?
All in all, a good Saturday. I'm happy with the results.