i've used goo gone too.
bought from ACE hardware.

but i bought the one similar to this:

http://googone.com/GG-Browse-Products/Goo-Gone-4oz

try not to use something with a lot of conditioner/surfactants and worse, wax such as wash and wax

pure shampoo, even cheap ones (so long they are reputable brands) should do

can use but i advise against, and i personally don't prefer to.

claying is to remove everything on the surface to prepare for polishing/waxing.

your wash and wax is adding wax to it, wouldn't it be interrupting the process?
not to mention i had bad experience with surfactants/conditioners affecting the clay properties in which on cheaper clays it'll flake/leave residue.

Wax is just for protection against the elements...something like putting on a *very* thin layer of cling wrap film over the paint. It might be able to 'mask' a little bit of the *very* fine scratches...but not by much. Further more, it's just temporary and would wear off over (a short) time. Best is to get the scratches remove by polishing and the round thing that spins is called a 'rotary polisher' Just make sure they use the right polish to REMOVE cuz some polishes are also good in 'masking' the scratches.

Yup. Megs got a few 'scratch remover' of different aggresiveness that would remove anything from light swirls (cobweb-like light scratches) to deeper scratches (those that hasn't gone through the clear coat and can still be salvage la), namely frm less aggressive to most aggressive, SwirlX - Ultimate Polish - ScratchX - Ultimate Compound. If want to DIY, I would suggest getting the Megs 'twin' - Ultimate Polish & Ultimate Compound. Used correctly, these two would probably be able to tackle *almost* anything that any DIY-er can handle....oh...not to forget the other two stuffs which I would also consider as ESSENTIALS to any success of any DIY hobbiests - PASSION and PATIENCE.

no matter what LSP/coating you use, dust/traffic film/dirt etc will still be present on the surface of your car.

the biggest difference is their ease of washing off (be it during rain, or your regular car wash maintenance) as generally good protection will have dirt etched upon itself, NOT the car's clear coat.

for me it does, my megs ULW lasted me since before CNY until now...
obviously the same can't be applied to everyone as my car *almost always* park under shade
and it is layered with Sonax BSD also.

good water bead doesn't mean it's protection/durability is good.

what if your wax expires in just one rain pour? anything after prior to your next wash would be etching directly on your car's clear coat and you will need to spend effort into claying or even polishing the car.

generally it's as you said.
in a nutshell, wax is to protect/seal in what detailing job (eg: polishing) you've done underneath.

the product is called polish right?

have you read the product labels or looked up meguiar's video guides online?
or maybe search the thread a bit (i remembered someone asking that few pages ago)

The abrasive is very mild and quite safe for frequent use. By 'frequent' I mean maybe once in three or four months (on the whole car). If you need to use it more frequently than that, then you should better check what's causing all those swirls to keep coming back and take some preventive actions instead.
I'm guessing you're just using it with a foam applicator (sponge) or cloth right? Try using a soft bristle shoe brush (those meant for cleaning leather shoes). There are chemicals available for cleaning leather seats which are far more effective than using the Megs one (since it is actually geared more for 'maintenance' cleaning) but need to know what type of leather.

What did you mean 'top of your steering wheel'? What material? Any pictures?

ook, thanks for the info.  will check Clay no.3 out.  btw, if i'm going to buy just one a compounder product, between UC & swirlX, which has more cutting/correctional power? i feel like i want to buy UC, cause has been reading quite good reviews on Meg's forum & other places on M105.  then also i would've 3 bottles of Ultimate haha.
you can eliminate swirls marks effectively??  for me i find it not easy to remove swirls.  are you using machine application or hand application??
this RO buffer


planning to visit osren when got chance...   wanna get their spray bottle and maybe checkout their clay bar & ultramate..
i got it from a AEON BIG (or ex-carrefour).  i think best if you can go midvalley, if the Aeon big don't have there, can you try AEON/Jusco.  if still don't have, can go Acehardware.. haha.

depend how / where you keep in. General life span of product may vary between 2-5 years (can even be longer) if it doesn't expose to heat, moisture or contamination.

Tips to reduce contamination : - NEVER dip your bottle's mouth direct to the pad...

Open the bottle and look inside, if it looks 'clunky' or separated (clear water/oil on top with thick liquid separated at the bottom), try shaking the bottle vigorously and see whether it mix up again or not. If it's mix again and become thick luquid then it's still good. Normally, the newer Megs polishes would become watery if they went bad and the waxes would become 'clunky'...or in chunks.

If you're just trying to find out how long they would last before buying one...well...they last quite a few years if stored properly (not exposed to direct sun and heat) and shaken regularly (once a month or thereabout). I have quite a few Megs products and only ScratchX & M205 went bad on me. The rest are still good and some I bought almost a decade ago.....

I usually use quick detailer to remove the contaminant. ALl goes well on that.. But QUICK DETAILER is costly i try not use to much.   

if shampoo wash doesn't get rid of it, then yup, tar remover shud work..