The new ride is 6 weeks old and absolutely fabulous.

But dirty.

I have looked at all the car care info and am now completely confused. Claybar, polish, two-bucket method . . . . TOO much info for my tiny brain.

My car is silver with black rocker-panel stripes, and a vinyl top. With all the love to my Mustang-loving cousins, how can a lazy man like myself keep his car street-clean (NOT showcar clean!) when I do not have the energy to buff it every 90 minutes?

 

Touch-less car wash.

 

Get a good carwash soap (aka Gold Class).
Get a decent wash mitt (Lambswool/sheekpskin)
Get some good drying towels (i.e. Microfiber waffle weave)

Wash car regularly.

If you want to get it to a point where it looks really good, yet you don't want to wax/polish every other day...do this.

After washing your car, go over it with a claybar, then use an all-in-one product (i.e.Klasse or Duragloss) that you can use by hand. Then after 24 hours you can use a spray wax (i.e. AquaWax).

Then try to wash the car once a week. After you dry it, apply aquawax. Don't worry about claybar or polish for 6-12 months.

If you stick to that routine, the car will continue to look new. Regular washing with good soap, proper process, and drying with good towels will keep the paint in really good shape.

During the winter, you can use touchless. But only touchless. In sprint start off with claybar, polish, etc. after a good regular wash.

If you really want real slick feeling paint, substitute your cash wash soap with Optimum No Rinse (ONR) and you'll be surprised at how slick the paint feels after that plus the aquawax. It'll make cleaning the car a breeze.

 

i go with suave shampoo and an old towel about once a week (or 2) Then about 3 times a year maguires wax.

 

Suave shampoo probably strips that wax right off and is probably not good for the weather stripping/etc..

Old Towel = swirl marks.

Do your car's paint a favor and get some decent car shampoo, a good wash mitt, and some good drying towels. You should be able to accomplish this for under $30 a year. Can all be found at WalMart or Target.

 

I know what you mean... it all starts running together.

I bought a cotton wash mitt, Costco had a jug of Turtle Wax Auto soap, some microfibers, a chamois, 1 wheel & 1 tire brushes, and 2 buckets. (And also some RainX bug & tar remover, glass cleaner. I get lots of bugs along a lake. And you'll probably want some tire shine.) WalMart & Costco.

Assuming you are starting with a still nice new factory finish, claybar & wax will come later.

It takes a full hour with me working pretty quick - especially quick during the drying portion to avoid water spots. (I have hard water and it leaves spots from hell if you let it set.) I wash at least once/week - but usually the next day after a trip along the lake to get the bugs off. I have 3M Clear Mask on the front and road rash areas, but I still want to get bugs and bird crap off pretty quick.

1) Park in shade. Hose car. Apply bug remover to front as needed, let set a bit and hose off per directions.
2) Soap car in sections starting top, working down. After using both sides of mitt on a section (say the roof or hood), plunge mitt into clear rinse bucket and squeeze 2 or 3 times (watch for excess dirt on mitt like from under rocker panels). Hose soap off car and wet the rest of the car again briefly (avoids water spots). Then plunge clean mitt into soap bucket and squeeze in some soap and go to the next section. (If your car was really dirty you might change the rinse water once during a wash.) Hose car frequently as you work.
3) Wet chamois and ring out. Dry section at a time starting with top portions where water is setting, then sides.
4) Brush wheels and tires with soapy water and brushes. Rinse avoiding any overspray on dry body panels. Using a damp micro (wet & ring out), dry wheels. (I mark my micro's with a sharpie so I don't mix wheel micro with door jamb micro, etc.)
5) Using a separate damp micro, wipe door, hood, trunk jams.
6) Using a separate damp micro, wipe the dust from engine bay.
7) Interior as needed. Tires as needed.

Mine is 2 yrs out now and it still has deep color and a nice shine. I do think I'm ready for claybar and wax about now though. Mine sits in a garage under cover for 5 mos of the year during winter.


Remember... cleanliness is next to Godliness...

 

Since you have a convertible, I highly recommend that you avoid ANY automatic car wash. The high pressure jets in a touch-less wash will eventually cause leaks. The brushes in the other kind will tear up your top.

The cheapest way is to hand wash the car yourself once per week, and use carnuba wax (or whatever you prefer) once per month. I have mine on a 4 week rotating schedule:

week1: wash and dry
week2: wash, dry, vacuum
week3: wash, dry, carnuba wax
week4: wash, dry, vacuum, full interior cleaning

The second cheapest option is a hand pressure wash. Just keep that brush off of your car and keep the pressure on low when you are cleaning anywhere near the convertible top. It's not as good as a hand wash, but better than nothing- especially to get the salt off of the car during the winter.

The most expensive option is to find a good quality hand wash. Some will come to your home or office (or synagogue). You'll want to ask around to find the best option. Your dealership might even have a detail service (mine does), so check with them, too.

 

if you don't care for showroom quality, just wash it once a week or as needed with the 2 bucket method and find some good towels to dry as to not leave swirl marks.

i washed mine every week and once a month waxed. if you don't have the patience to wax, find a good place that will do it for you

 

Two bucket method (with Grit-Guards!), quality mitt, quality soap, wheel/tire brush, and a clay kit are a good starting point. A pack of microfiber towels for wax removal and a few MF waffle weave for drying, along with a water blade (if used correctly) will save you time and leave the car looking great.

Clay it in the spring and fall if you live in a 4-season area, or as needed on panels (typically the horizontal panels need it first), and keep it waxed when the paint starts to feel gritty or loses its beading properties.

You can spend $75-100 now and that will last you a good year in utensils for washing the car right. Replenishing soap, wax, and wheel cleaner (if you use it) will set you back $15-20 per trip.

 

You are absolutely correct. I failed to recall that Mike's car was a 'vert. Yeah, avoid the high-pressure jets.

 

Wow. No car washes ever, eh?

 

All of y'all have more energy for exterior car care than I do...

If my car gets washed once a month I feel like I am really working hard.

The only time I ever did the claybar is on my Gen2 Lightning before a club show, don't know why a new car would need the claybar since the new paint shouldn't have any grit embedded in the clearcoat yet.

 

I used Meguiar’s cleaner wax on both my 91 taurus and 93 vert...i should have taken before shots of mustang,because it was faded really bad! (3 waxes over a couple weeks and i think it turned out real nice)

now good excuse to show car pics lol

 

You would be surprised at what gets embedded in your paint after sitting in the lot outside the plant and getting showered with raildust and other stuff during shipment.

 

I swear by this stuff, I have cars 4-5 years old that look like they came off the showroom floor. Search this forums and other forums for Zaino, nothing but good reviews for it.



http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/...ory_Code=Zaino

 

I worked in the family car wash (automatic) business for 12 years. The soap they used was the same chemical makeup of suave shampoo. It works great and its cheap. (i should get some new towels though!)

 

+1 for Zaino. This stuff goes beyond wax/polish. I can only surmise that it's filled with magic dust.

Now if I could just find the time to apply it. . .

 

Would there be any benefit to using Zaino on a white car?

 

Zaino is a great "in-between" product IMO. What I mean by in-between; it's not as idiot proof as the waxes they sell at the local auto parts store (usually full of fillers and don't protect all that well, and very minor paint correction ability) and full out supplies like sealants and polishes you see pro detailers use. The fact you can layer polish alone should tip you off to something. They do use some fillers, and the exact products that are more filler-based is eluding me right now, but, as a total package you buy and follow directions to the T, you really can't seem to go wrong with them.

 

There is benefit. There just isn't too much of a visible benefit. White, in my opinion, doesn't "show" as well as other colors. It hides swirls, more dirt than you would think, etc. The "benefit" in this case is that you know that your paint is in good condition. I love running my finger or a soft cotton towel over my paint after it has been Zaino'd. So silky smoooooth.