Six month's review

[libtech]

Well, it’s been a while since I posted here…life has kind of gotten in the way, plus I was “testing” my new products. Six months after learning here at Autogeek that detailing could be such a complex yet rewarding undertaking, I have some first-hand observations that may help some newbies. People who are more newbie than me, anyway. Some of these observations will have the vets smacking themselves in the forehead in dismay (or perhaps wanting to smack me ) since they're things they’ve been saying for years, but it can't hurt to reiterate.

• DO NOT go for more than a month without washing your car if you can help it! This one is so obvious that it will probably have Meghan, killr, and Jenn, et al., grinding their teeth in frustration, but I simply had to find out for myself. I went three months without washing, just to see how my car products held up and I am very, very sorry I did . Going that long between washes gives dirt and grime a chance to stick and “dig in” to your clear coat. I know people who live in places where the winters are bad don’t have much choice, but if at all possible avoid doing going this long. After just three months I’m rather taken aback at how tacky my paint is, even with all the layers of protection on it. I’m going to have to clay again next month when I finally have the time for it. I could probably have avoided another marathon two-weekender detailing session (for a few more months, anyway) by simply taking the time to wash more frequently.

• Five-six coats of Klasse SG is AWESOME on wheels. Even though it’s a finicky product to apply, on wheels it’s much less of a PITA b/c of the smaller surface area, and if you use this many coats dirt and brake dust simply DO NOT stick. Your mileage may vary, since I don’t have nice wheels (yet), but I suspect that what holds true for my stock wheels and hubcaps will hold true for any wheel out there. Even after 3 months without a bath there was simply no brake dust or road grime to speak of sticking to my wheels. I was amazed. My poor car was much grubbier than my wheels!

• Collinite makes fantastic products. 845 is my go-to wax from now on, although I plan to try Super-Double Coat in the near future. I waxed again yesterday to renew some protection, and my car looks like she’s been dipped in Vaseline. Excellent shine, reflectivity, and durability. On my car this product seems to look every bit as good as Souveran paste. Granted, my car is a gold color that Souveran is not recommended for, but still.

• Six months is too long to go without waxing, even if you’ve treated with long-lasting products like Klasse SG and Collinite. You’re probably not getting the best protection past this point. Wax at least every 2-3 months even with very high durability products, and of course more frequently with less durable products like pure carnauba. Use a paint sealant under the wax at least every 6 months.

• A PC really is an excellent investment in the beauty of your car. I don’t have one yet but I will in the near future because no matter how careful you are, the swirls will appear!

• 303 Aerospace Protectant the best for tires and plastic. Granted, I haven’t tried much else but I’m so pleased with this product I just don’t see the need at this point. Intensively coating your tires every time you wash will protect and keep them dark and black for months and months, even through rain and road dust. With sufficient treatment (frequently applying the product at first seems to saturate the rubber) even the nice “just detailed” matte finish will last through three washes. 303 isn’t very shiny, although it looks as good as most tire-specific detail products I’ve seen, IMO. Even if I do try other products in the future, I will always use 303 as a foundational treatment for protection. I think it really is “all that”.

• For headlights, the combo of polishing with Plexus followed by protecting with Wolfgang Plastik Surface Sealant can’t be beat. I couldn’t see any scratches at all in my lenses. Pretty cool. Wish my car’s paint had held up that well!

• The all-white Schmitt is not that great for really dirty cars that have not been washed in a while…in this situation, a microfiber mitt or something a little heavier than the Schmitt is better. I started off with my white Schmitt yesterday, and my car was so dirty I had to fall back to my old microfiber mitt to get the dirt off because Schmitt just wasn't cutting it. Schmitt is, however, fantastic for cars that have been kept up. I've used it before and loved it. Can’t beat the Schmitt for suds!

• AIO can't be beat for windows. Cleans and protects, and even removes some water etching if it's not too bad.

Well, I guess that’s it for my wisdom and insight. I may add more stuff as it occurs to me, since I feel like I forgot something.

I’m glad to see a lot of the same “faces” here. And a lot of new ones!

[Nica]

Hey that's a very nice review, will definitely help out any kind of member (experienced or not).

Thanks for sharing. I'm saving this info on to my computer.

[orngez]

you are right...most of us cringe when we read the not washing your car for months part...

[Grimm]

Mine didn't survive too badly. When I washed it with my newly purchased ONR two weeks ago that was it's first bath in about six weeks. I washed it Friday and did a QD and though I can tell the Collinite is just about done for, the paint is still nice and smooth, albeit with a lot more swirls added at no charge from our Michigan winter.

[Nuke33]

Nice review!

[The Edge]

• The Schmitt is not that great for really dirty cars that have not been washed in a while…in this situation, a microfiber mitt or something a little heavier than the Schmitt is better. I started off with my Schmitt yesterday, and my car was so dirty I had to fall back to my old microfiber mitt to get the dirt off because Schmitt just wasn't cutting it. Schmitt is, however, fantastic for cars that have been kept up. Can’t beat the Schmitt for suds!

Can you elaborate on this a bit more? Did you rinse the car off really good first, that will help remove the really heavy stuff especially a good pressure wash. Also the ShMiTT was made to be very gentle on the paint not heavy like a microfibre or any fiber mitt, so on one hand I am glad to know that, but on the other the ShMiTT should have still worked fine. I know several members (maybe they can chime in) who actually use the Yellow/White ShMiTT instead of the White/Yellow ShMiTT to wash very dirty cars and it would still be safer on paint than any fiber mitt. If you are going to wait that long between washes you should have one in your tool kit, we call it the interior mitt, but it works fine for washing too, its just alot more textured than the super soft White one.

[67Customs]

Nice write-up.

[koibybrian]

I wash once a month.. Well in the winter . Fall I wash and seal once a week. Anxious to go out and detail my Truck out. Especially with all my new gear.

[libtech]

Originally posted by The Edge:

Originally Posted by libtech

• The Schmitt is not that great for really dirty cars that have not been washed in a while…in this situation, a microfiber mitt or something a little heavier than the Schmitt is better. I started off with my Schmitt yesterday, and my car was so dirty I had to fall back to my old microfiber mitt to get the dirt off because Schmitt just wasn't cutting it. Schmitt is, however, fantastic for cars that have been kept up. Can’t beat the Schmitt for suds!

Can you elaborate on this a bit more? Did you rinse the car off really good first, that will help remove the really heavy stuff especially a good pressure wash. Also the ShMiTT was made to be very gentle on the paint not heavy like a microfibre or any fiber mitt, so on one hand I am glad to know that, but on the other the ShMiTT should have still worked fine. I know several members (maybe they can chime in) who actually use the Yellow/White ShMiTT instead of the White/Yellow ShMiTT to wash very dirty cars and it would still be safer on paint than any fiber mitt. If you are going to wait that long between washes you should have one in your tool kit, we call it the interior mitt, but it works fine for washing too, its just alot more textured than the super soft White one.

Edge--

Believe it or not, I pressure washed my entire car at one of those pressure washing bays before I went home and handwashed. The fact that the dirt didn't come off with the pressure wash is what panicked me into rearranging my entire day (I bailed on plans with some friends) to go home and wash and wax. I FREAKED. And then when I went home and it still wasn't coming clean with my soft, white Schmitt and twice the amount of Meg's Gold Class that you're supposed to use...**shudders & cringes**

No, EVERYBODY here can believe me when I say I will NEVER, EVER go for longer than a month without washing my car. I don't care how much I've got going on, it's just not worth it. I'm going to try for every other week--my conscience won't let me do every week when there's a drought on in central Florida like there is now, although if the drought abates I'll try--but I know I might not get that and I can't be too OCD about it or I'll drive myself crazy. Once a month is doable, however, and believe me when I say it will get done. LESSON LEARNED!!!

My Schmitt is pure white--no yellow to it at all. I didn't really realize the difference in textures of the Schmitt could make that much of a difference. I strongly suspect, though, that anything as soft as as Schmitt just wouldn't work on the cake & bake layer I let accumulate on my car. BUT...I know for a fact my white Schmitt works great on a less dirty vehicle because I used it once before I let everything go to hell and I LOVED it!

I'll change my wording in the original post to reflect the color of my Schmitt.

Thanks for the feedback, y'all!

[klumzypinoy]

This is a great thread, thanks for the reviews, for I am a noob . And as for the need to wash a vehicle without exceeding a month of no washing, I washed my dad's Camry yesterday, and it hasn't been washed for a long time. I had to pass the Shmitt over panels a few times before it was clean. I am going to try my best in washing every car in the garage no longer than maybe 3 weeks after the last wash.