WELCOME TO [V5].

Continuation from previous:

Car Care & Detailing [V1]

Car Care & Detailing [V2]

Car Care & Detailing [V3]

Car Care & Detailing [V4]

Shine on

Guides, FAQs, etc.
(Articles/Suggestions with links are most welcome)

[-Reserved for TT, Gatherings, Events, etc-]

FIRSTTTTT....Still looking forward for DG901.

Hopefully tomorrow bro...

@Quazacolt....do your stuff....

This post has been edited by KrisMas: Mar 8 2016, 10:04 AM

i think you also received report notification and that would be to pin the topic.

thread owners now having a lot of options/notification for thread moderating (to lighten up the moderators' loads )

oh and i am itching to detail my new Yamaha R25 sport bike LOL!

basically changing full time to bikes now since i total loss the inspira lol

Errr...do I need to do anything?

YOU DID WHAT??!! *sigh* Sorry for your loss...that would be difficult to replace...

nah only mods/admins etc can do topic pinning/unpinning.
so no need do anything (just letting you know that you might have seen a report in your topic)

and no worries, it's been replaced with a bike

washing with pressure washer, yay or nay? Been reading a lot of opinion on this.

Even when I practice weekly wash, dirt can be very generous in Malaysia environment, or at least on my car. Been getting wash marrings even with 2 buckets grit guard system. (rinse bucket has 2 grit guards, solution has 1) Even top up my shampoo to make thicker solution and replace wash mitt every now and then

it's been awhile bro! sorry for the loss man. good to hear you're ok! post of pic of the detailed bike plz

This post has been edited by acefreakz: Mar 8 2016, 11:55 AM

I have seen car come in nice condition with little swirls and marring. After APC washing a panel, the defects shown up like 'wow wtf', there's some serious masking of defects =P Not sure if this is your case, just sharing hahaha xD

if i happen to do it la, see how

Pressure washer works wonders on tyres and wheel wells, but on paint, I don't see much of an advantage unless you do lots of 'off-roading'...

May I suggest you try using more solution rather than thicker/stronger shampoo mix...soak the panel with some of it before washing and use more soapy water on your wash mitt. And since you've already got the washing part well covered, you might want to look into your drying system/method as well. We all know about 'wash-induced' swirls but don't forget about 'drying-induced' swirls....

hahaha, not that case. It was not until i drop by osren last week that Henry shine the lights onto the car that i notice it.
I expected some, but that many. drives me crazy.

Yup, 15 litres is my usual. Will look into the drying part. My current practice is to wet the microfiber tower, mist ONR as drying aid (QD mix) , spread and pull. second wipe down with dry microfiber tower to make sure it's 100% dry. Any dirt or spot will spray more onr and wipe.

Congrat on V5....
OMG 'drying-induced' swirls....". What causes it. I use only waffle weave to lightly wipe over the panel as drying aid, will it cause any swirls/scratches?
I've just polish the front panel and use the new pp365, just after 5 or 10 mins after its done, it started to rain. the whole car are wet. So it the pp365 affect gone? as i readed some where it need some curing time

Learn to dry with water......then there's "almost" no need to wipe.

Going OCD, plenty of causes for 'drying-induced' swirls. Dirty towel, *seasoned* towel where the fibres are a little bit hardened/stiff, dust/dirt particles settling on the paint after washing and before drying, drying method, etc...etc. Going even more OCD, once anything touches the paint, there would be chances for swirls/scratches. We can only MINIMIZE them by taking all the necessary steps and care. Rule of thumb is WORK CLEAN and PROPER TECHNIQUES. Make sure the towel is good and clean, and wipe as lightly as possible. Some people I know even use an air blower to blow the water off instead of using a towel.....

Most effective technique would be by 'blotting' instead of 'dragging'/'wiping' - you can use any cloth that can absorb water and don't have to resort to getting those 'specialty' drying cloth. But to tell you the truth, I myself seldom use that technique...too slow...hahahaha.

Where to get easily grit guards And DA cheap?
DA can get at jln pasar? Wanna learn so bad.

You can find cheap DA as per my compilation of price list as per link below, as low as RM 480 for 8mm DA. Took a whole month to compile during my free time

https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3334337/+2580
[go to bottom of page]

There isn't any 'cheap' DA at Jln Pasar, maybe rotary buffer / random orbital. DA usually sold by detailer shop or importer.

This post has been edited by mot88: May 21 2017, 03:13 PM

Dang, price like that turn off for me.
Wanna learn on rotary seem a bit scary for me though

Actually, it's not as scary as people made it sounds like....all you need it just somebody to guide you and a test panel. When I first started, my guide was youtube and my test panel was my in-laws neglected Nissan 120Y....

Detailing never been cheap especially now with the drop of RM.

Ahh, right now my plan is to buy Skil brand.
But I haven't made my mind on the compound, which feel like
My test panel is gonna be my car roof, since I park outside and under a tree.
The aim for me is relatively cheap/budget detailing.

Is not gonna be cheap cheap. But looking for something relatively cheap.
DA out of my mind, rotary is the next thing i guess.

Hi guys I been using turtle was super hard shell for a week the finish was quite good. I have one question does it lasting as their advertise on the label ? Any one has use this ? I know others like meguirs is good but it's too pricy for me

This consider wax or polish?
I can used it to clean my watermark at door handle?

Bought this for cockpit today at jusco for RM18

This post has been edited by Bendan[520]: Mar 12 2016, 11:09 PM

Been using Osren's bubble wash for a week now...washing every two days

Nice smell aside...not sure if it is doing it for me...looks like its leaving behind a thin grey film on my wax...needs a QD follow up...

This post has been edited by dwRK: Mar 13 2016, 12:59 PM

i doubt so. most oversea brands base their test with consideration of their weather, not ours. plus, march is going to be the hottest month this year. hot weather = wax diminishes faster

PG products are quite a steal. Sometimes if you check 11street (rakuten exited Malaysia) they have better deals and discounts than tesco/aeon.

I have a bottle of 4 litres too. Unused yet but looking forward to it.
Any pictures of the thin grey film?

Dear sifus,

I have cleaned my car > clay > polish.

During the polish process, I used Soft99 Cleaner & Polish (blue tin). I found out that the sponge is dirty with black dirt. My question is, I thought claying process already removed all dirt but why during polishing, I can see my sponge becoming black.

bro,
This is normal, that means the surface is not entirely cleaned during claying, even I clayed my bonet twice, I am still seeing my sponge turned black during cleansing (was using cleanser to remove my old wax/polish).

Thanks for sharing bro. In this case, can I assume I might get slight swirl because I rubbed the sponge on the exterior during polishing process as the surface is not entirely clean? But I dont find any swirl on the roof of the car under bright lights.

For anyone that is interested in the rupes machine it seems that autocolortech is having a promotion next month. Rm1400 for lhr15es (machine only).

yes, you may or may not get swirls by rubbing sponge on your paintwork, in the event that swirls is inflicted on the surface, your polish may have removed it anyway, since you are polishing it..

This post has been edited by lifeless_creature: Mar 14 2016, 04:25 PM

Thank you for the tinkle but it has been discussed before and it is Mark 1 (first generation).

Rupes LHR 15E - 15mm orbit (Mark I) RM 1400 [special offer]
https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3334337/+2580

Hi gus/sifus!!! i just wash clay and wax my car the other day, i found out that on my roof and bonnet i saw alot of swirls marks. i was terrifies of polishing my car because:

1. im not a experience detailer, polishing will only create more swirl mark.
2. i dont have any polishing machine.

i know there's some type called polish and some called compound. i know polish is removing a thin layer of dirt/defected clear coat to review the fresh under layer. Do regular polish will affect the clear coat alot ?

im having a 2011 vios E

any suggestions ? advice for any product that affordable lah~ haha College guy here.

currently having a fresh layer of Wax.

get a DA for urself if u really care abt the swirls I have been using Shinemate ERO600 for 3 years. It's awesome for light correction. IIRC it's priced around RM600 (Sabah), not sure the current price lol.



Then get urself a Meguiar's Ultimate Polish (RM90?, it will last u almost forever lol) as it's a user friendly entry level product imo.

Welcome to the club =P

Do regular polish will affect the clear coat alot ? < no, if u know what ur doing

Claying would 'shear off' contaminant embedded ON TOP OF the surface of the paint. It does not remove contaminant inside the pores of the paint. The sponge is dirty because by polishing, you're removing those contaminant.

Regardless, the 'Mark I' LHR15E is more than good enough for pro or pro-sumer and RM1400 is a very good price indeed.

If you don't know what you're doing, better send it to the pro. But if you can't afford to and still want to do it, go slowly, learn about the steps, products, methods, etc. before you start so that you don't create more harm than good. You can start by learning how to apply a sealant (liquid). Then look for a mild polish and try it out since polishing and applying sealant utilise the same techniqe except for the pressure during 'application'. When you've achieve a satisfactory result with a mild polish then you can start looking into using a compound to remove the rest of the deeper defects.

Good luck.

Cannot open....

Sifus...pls recommend a sealant.

Looking for one that does not attract too much dust, water spots, road grime and road film...makes washing easier...beading and visuals not that important. Tq.

Dear Sifu,

My kelisa black bonnet, left right fender and roof kena simen dropping from nearby condo construction.

Furthermore the stupid worker try to scrap off the dry simen off makin it worse like wiping flour off your black pants..

Any advice on the paint job to be done?

sorry to hear that. After trying to remove as much cement as possible by hand, try water stain removal with mf towels. Clay it, de-tar it

try distilled vinegar.

Park at BK5..beside the new condo on progress..so all pls be xtra careful park there.

seems like a million scratch damage with poka dot white on a black paint..

any1 knows whats the estimate cost to repaint back the bonnet, roof, bumper n fender?
2K Super Black 2 color. if possible puchong area pls..

Big panel,ie roof & bonnet usually rm250 to rm350 per panel. Price also identical for bumper. Fender rm 150 to rm 200 for 2k metallic, 2stage paint.

2k means 2 substances mixed (color paint with hardener) to form the paint. 2 stage paint is, base color coat and clear coat. Not sure what you mean by black 2 colors.

In detailing, 2k and 2 stage paints meant different. Almost all automotive paint is 2k . 1k paint will dissolve once solvent such as thinner, mineral spirit is used.This is yr typical can spray, house paint and those automotive touch up paint in small bottles sold in hardware/hypermarket

This post has been edited by mot88: Mar 18 2016, 12:24 PM

hi sifus.. anyone use the meguiars g3200 brilliant solution before?
pic: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zi...p1L._SY355_.jpg

how many times can i wax a sedan (let say god car) with that 6oz ulti. wax?

Hi all sifus. My car have been recently hit with bird poo. I have removed the poo within 24 hrs but due to the extreme hot weather nowadays, there's etch marks on the car's paint. I've run my hands through the etching and there's no rough edges or scratches around the area. I have done some research about this and some ppl said using a lubricant with a claybar can help to reduce or remove the etching to a minimum, followed by waxing. Any other suggestions on this issue?

You are claiming from the company right? Get a few proper quotes from the painters lah...at least black easier to match. ...negotiate privately to paint the whole car see how much...

I would go make a police report also for protection in case they don't pay to go for small claims court...

This post has been edited by dwRK: Mar 19 2016, 12:22 PM

rinse > wash > clay > polish/wax > sealant

that's what you can do for now, if i were to park outside i rather park in open area without trees and overhead cable that attract bird poo and tree sap, sometimes those "shade" give you more trouble that good

Agreed!

Tree saps, fallen branches and leaves, possible bird poo and it is always dustier!

Damn it.. My car just 1 week didn't wash ( White ).. Just now evening washing and notice the front hood the dirt mark / water mark below side mirror was unable to wash away ady.. Shit.. Is it any way to remove the mark other than using polish machine?? Polish by hand is possible?? White car is indeed not easy to maintain huh...

Polish itself have cleaning capabilities, you don't have to use a machine to have the cleaning effect. Most often polishes in the market are designed to be hand applied instead.

White cars are prone to baked dirt on the clear coat which gives that rather yellow/grey stain (if parked under the sun).

Recommend a Polish n wax method to help prolong that white shine. White cars have to wash regularly.

This post has been edited by linkin182: Mar 20 2016, 12:56 PM

Hello fellow detailers, does anyone know what happened to duragloss? I remember them having this really good wax / polymer type spray that really adds a whole lot of gloss to the paintwork

Anyone purchase their items from Hypercoat before? Is their price offered cheaper than ACE hardware?

I've purchased stuff from Meguiarsdirect.com.my before if thats what you're asking?
Never tried Motormad as they have limited selection.
It is cheaper than ACE Hardware if thats what you mean.

Tip - Depending on what you're planning to buy, at times buying from Amazon + shipping is cheaper than both these sites (look out for deals!)

Thanks for your feedback and tip!

Dear sifus,

Ive recently purchased a pressure washer (kinda) and was wondering what kind of car wash liquid do you guys for the snow foam as a pre-wash/degreaser? Previously all I do is rinse > 2 bucket wash > dry > spray wax. What I have in mind for weekly wash now is rinse > pre-wash/degreasing > rinse > hand wash > dry > spray wax.

I'm currently using TurtleWax Expresshine spray wax and its about to finish. Any recommendation on what I should try next? I dont mind paying to a maximum of 50 bucks.

Thanks in advanced.

Best Regards,
Bryan

Last week couldn't resist and bought this...

Strangest LSP I've ever used...looks and smells like hand cream...as it bonds with the paint...the emulsion breaks down and water is released...eventually soaking the pad...need to periodically squeeze the pad dry!!!

When fresh... beads like wax...sheets like most polymer...adds some gloss...very grippy not slick or smooth at all...will see how long it will last and how easy it is to clean...so far is looking good...could be a sleeper...alternative to PNS?

This post has been edited by dwRK: Mar 21 2016, 04:34 PM

Dup...

This post has been edited by dwRK: Mar 21 2016, 04:11 PM

get this

Dear Bryan,

You could actually skip the rinse phase and use an APC (All Purpose Cleaner) as a pre-wash and deliver onto the car using a pump sprayer. So your wash methodology could go something like:

1 - APC pre-soak/wash with pump sprayer
2 - Power wash dirt and pre-soak off the car
3 - Foam cannon attachment on power washer for a nice layer of foam shampoo on the car
4 - Wash mitt wipe down panel by panel, taking care to use a soak bucket for cleaning your wash mitt in between panels
5 - Dry and Spray wax in one step by using your spray wax as a drying-aid

The dilution rates for Meguiar's APC and Optimum Power Clean are quite economical and these APCs can be used for a multitude of tasks based on your dilution.

Greasy engine? 1:1
Rims? 3 : 1
Body panels? 5 : 1
Interior tasks? 10 : 1
All other tasks? 15 : 1

As for your Spray Wax, you could try Optimum Car Wax or Chemical Guys V07

Happy Detailing

-d

This post has been edited by daedalus: Mar 21 2016, 07:05 PM

Further thoughts on the armorall extreme shield wax...

It's quite expensive...working out to RM 14.5 per car ...in contrast ag's hd wax say at RM 400 per tub is only about RM 8 per car... I don't know if it is going to last twice as long to make it equitable...

thanks sifu ,

What can i get for RM1000 job paint?

what your advice on the paint job?newbie here...

For a good quality paint job...for RM1000 you might be able to do a couple of door panels...

I would be very wary if anybody (commercial shops) say they can do one whole car for RM1000...even for re-clear coating only....

So I have some micro scratches on my side door panel. Its only a month old city
So is there anyway to remove this? What are the things I need?
After fixing this i am thinking claying and sealing it with PG sealant.

Also scratches to the rims .....zzz....




Attached thumbnail(s)

I also have scratches on my rim..somemore two rims. Can't do anything bout it.

For your door panel, if you dare and know what you are doing, you can do some wetsanding and polish it back . Otherwise bring it to auto detailing shop, they can fix that as I think is only the clearcoat is affected.

This post has been edited by chuckiee: Mar 24 2016, 11:56 AM

Hmm...I was thinking polish would do the job, just not sure which type to use.
Wet Sanding...need to use sandpaper?

I feel you bro.

I saw Youtube, For rim scratches you can fix...if you have the time....sand it then putty it then spray paint(primer/paint/sealant). I am bad with DIY...gotta consider will I do more damage or not. Most likely will let it be
but Sim Tia (Heart Pain)...haha

Based on the picture...it's very light scratch on your body panel...a mild polisher would probably get it done..no need wet sanding.
Regarding your rims....it's tough. It is a plastic based or aluminium based rim? i can't tell from the pic. If aluminium...sanding is required.

Alright. Thanks for the info.
As for the rims. Its Alloy.

Polish would suffice for your body panel.
For the rims, nothing much you can do but a refurb.

lookup chrisfix channel on youtube. That requires dremel tools. But I believe can be achieved with several different sand grad papers as well..just more time consuming

Thanks guys for the and information and replies
Will try to polish out the scratches.
For the Rims .....Ive gotta see if i have time to do that or not.(based on the Chrisfix).

hello all sifu and members, need some opinion please

my car is 2013 focus red colour; have been fairly neglected since i have not much time(work shift) only sometime wash her and spray wax a bit. most of time just let some bawah pokok carwash clean the car while im eating at nearby restaurant. so yea, the car is actually full of fine thin swirls.

now i am using meguiar's gold class shampoo and ultimate quik wax, both almost finish now so im looking for replacement; shampoo that perform at economic price and wax that last long
here is some item that caught my attention so far

1. Shampoo Zymol Natural Concentrate Auto Wash

2. Shampoo 2nd choice Turtle Wax ICE® Car Wash

3. Clay, found this way too good offer on lazada, what sifuu think about this Suspicious Clay Bar
the picture show 3M brand. but would poor clay quality harm the car other than wasting time for not working as intended?

4. degreaser/ paint prepper/ wax stripper; i really wonder if i really need this to prepare the surface. will just claying already strip off all wax or maybe washing using regular dishwashing soap like Sunlight is good enough to start anew?

5. polish/ compounding. i did have a thought of treatment for all swirls, but the idea of using abrasive stuff that actually could actually strip the paint scares me a bit . is there anything in this category that is newbie safe?

6. sealant; i dont really understand what sealant is or did i correctly put it here in this sequence. is it safe to move on to wax without sealant? teach me sifu

7. wax; feel want to try Turtle Wax ICE® Paste Wax after watching this video


8. claying lube; could i use a fresh diluted mixture of car shampoo i list above as clay lube?

9. what do you guys think of Turtle Wax Rinse Free Wash & Wax? could it also be safe to use as clay lube? i do wonder if it safe to use to remove bird dropping on hot car surface if i keep a diluted solution of it in spray bottle?


nervously waiting for reply

Hello fellow detailer, definitely should wash your focus a lot more often yourself safely to reduce all those swirl marks cause by car washes with improper technique!

When it comes to shampoo, you'll really have to consider what sort of qualities you like in a shampoo, foaminess? detergency? lubricity? hand feel? scent? free rinsing? etc etc. The Meguiar's Gold Class is a fantastic shampoo with a great handfeel. Have you tried Meguiar's Hyper Wash? It has fantastic lubricity and handfeel, good detergency against road grime and rinses off easily to boot.

Another great shampoo is Optimum Car Wash. Regardless of which shampoo you decide to pick up, always remember to check the dilution ratios, the higher the dilution - the more economical your wash will be. Dilution ratios are also dependent on the quality of your water, the harder your water - the more you have to use. Also factor in your wash tools such as foam guns or foam cannons (foam guns 100ml shampoo concentrate, foam cannons 50ml)

Clay bars, you should try and pick these up from a reputable seller, but keep in mind that claying your car could potentially cause marring on your paint. It may be a good idea to follow up your claying with a one step polish. Claying your car will also strip off your wax coating but you can always use pour a shot of APC into your foam cannon or foam gun or wash bucket, that will give some degreasing ability to your wash. In this way you can wash and strip off the wax at the same time.

Another and probably more effective way to ensure that wax is stripped off, pour some APC (usually at a dilution of 3 : 1) in a pressure pump sprayer and pre-soak your vehicle and follow up with a thorough wash. Make sure you rinse your car down well as some APCs do not rinse free.

Polishing and compounding all boils down the proper technique. As long as you stick to a DA type tool and also polish and compound products geared towards newcomers, you should A-O-K

Waxes and sealants. In the past the best way to actually protect your car is by using a wax, but these usually don't last long and so they've come up with sealants which last a lot longer than waxes. So you either choose a wax or a sealant to protect your car from the elements. As to which you actually use, that really depends on your car care methodology. How often do you wash your car? How much time do you have when washing? Do you like doing it often or prefer to do it only once in a long while?

If you like washing your car often but don't have much time in your session, I would recommend using a spray wax. After every wash, just use your spray wax as a drying aid along with your microfibre towel / waffle weave, this will give your car the protection that it needs until your next wash which isn't too far away.
If on the other hand if you only prefer washing once in a long while, use a sealant which will last a couple of months. You can always use a wax as a topper on your sealant but ensure that you check with the manufacturer of your products, some products aren't meant to be topped or won't play well with other products.

Use a detail spray for your clay lube or if you are a fan of waterless washes, your waterless wash concentrate properly diluted will also make an excellent clay lube. A shampoo is also possible if it has very good lubricity.

Happy detailing,

-d

This post has been edited by daedalus: Mar 27 2016, 07:50 AM

Hello. Can someone recommend me wax that has good protection, good shine and is easy to apply? I just got a new car and I plan to wash it every 2 weeks and apply some wax every month.

Besides that, how can I clean and protect the plastic bits on the exterior of my car?

Thanks.

Congratulations on your new car! Spray waxes can easily last up to a month and is easy enough to apply by just misting onto the panel and buffing it off. Meguiars and Optimum make pretty good spray waxes.

A good shampoo will take care of your plastic bits and exterior paint. A water based dressing will protect your plastic trims. Don't forget to use the 2 bucket method and grit guards when washing your car. A good mitt is also essential!

Happy detailing

-d

This post has been edited by daedalus: Mar 27 2016, 02:18 PM

Thanks. I'm thinking of getting a bottle of Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax. Is it sufficient to protect my car's paint, plastic trim and glass? I understand that spray wax doesn't protect as well as liquid or paste wax. Do I need to apply after every car wash?

This post has been edited by tps18489: Mar 27 2016, 05:01 PM

It's very important when purchasing products to actually see what your car care methodology is. For example, if you're going to wax once a month, a good spray wax will easily last that duration. However if you're only going to wax once every 6 months, it would be better to look for a good paste wax such as collinite or maybe even a liquid sealant.

Also you have to consider that spray waxes have come a very long way, there are spray type waxes out there that was made to compete directly with paste type waxes. For example, Optimum Car Wax has been claimed to include UV absorbers / protection.

Spray waxes are easily applied and most spray type waxes are very slick which is good - and it stands the reason why detailers the world over love using spray waxes as a type of drying aid. Using a drying aid is also a good idea as it will help prevent the swirl type damage on your car.

So to surmise, methodology and technique is important. Happy detailing!

-d

Guys,

Tried searching the thread but couldn't find any information on where I can buy polish and wax pad for my rotary buffer?

Thanks for the great explanation!

hey, thanks for the reply, good to learn something everyday
but calling me detailer overshooting it a bit haha

few follow up

1. Meguiar's Hyper Wash is professional grade stuff and size lol , dont even know where to source or if the price is within my consideration limit. i think ill just stick with regular on the shelf product.

2. APC; any product that you could recommend of? consumer line product of course . there is plenty of kitchen use brand, but i have concern of how they work against rubber since most of them aim to remove oil and rubbers will turn hard and grey and lose all its elasticity if its natural oil is removed from them.

3. difference of polishing and compounding was lost on me. the product description of TURTLE WAX® ICE® SPEED COMPOUND and Meguiar's® Ultimate Compound is pretty much the same as most polish product. is it safe if i hand-applied this two product to the whole car to remove all the swirl; or should i try with polish product first?

4. could no rinse wash diluted and kept in spray bottle work as quick detailer? especially to use to remove fresh bird dropping under hot sun. using branded quik detailer to remove bird dropping is quite expensive method; feels like wiping it of with your paper note money .

5. how to wash off all mitts and cloths after detailing. is it safe if i put all washing mitts + drying cloth + polishing cloth + waxing cloth in the same washing machine and wash it off in the single same session? should i use detergent or just plain water without detergent?

Any apc would do, for rubber, just try to stay away from it. Also there are products that reoil rubbers, so i wouldn't be too worried.

for quick detailer, i use onr in qd rate. To remove bird poos, i first mist it to loosen it, and adjust nozzle to "spray" mode instead of mist mode. blast it off as much as possible and remove with microfiber cloth carefully. if the bird poo is with seeds and other harder objects, different method may be required.

for washing, i usually soak it in water with a little detergent and try scrubbing off a little dirt/remnants of product, and proceed to toss everything into washing machine. lazy way.

compounding usually refers to heavier cutting product, while polishing usually refers to a less heavy cutting product. depending on the condition of your car, you might require both or just polishing. I would stay off turtle wax brand, personal preference since some of their product didn't quite meet expectations. Meguiars is good, i like the ultimate compound and ultimate polish. Both are considered safe for commercial use and produce good results.

This post has been edited by douglas_tong: Mar 28 2016, 01:58 AM

Hello fellow wash enthusiast, you'll find a number of sellers on this forum for both consumer and professional oriented products and if they don't have the professional ones on the list, just ask them if they can bring it in (I'm sure they can)

When it comes to shampoos, don't sweat the labels because often times the great difference between consumer grade and professional grade is the dilution rates and packing sizes. Just do the math and you'll realise the professional ones are much cheaper in the long run (even as a hobby).

As for your APC, you could try Meguiar's APC and the stuff really is concentrated for economy but I am not too sure if they are available on the shelf. Truthfully I haven't purchased car care products from the store for some time. You could also try Optimum's Power Clean (as universally loved as Meguiar's APC), look up the dilution ratios for the particular tasks that you want to accomplish. Don't worry too much about the rubbers, eventually the UV from the sun eats them up anyway - just use a good trim dressing on them.

There is quite a big difference between polishing and compounding. To put it simply though, compounding products are for heavier corrections and polishing products are for minor imperfections. You use a compound on a heavily swirled car when you want to achieve heavy paint corrections, the compound will remove swirls quickly but will also haze and marr the paint somewhat. So you must always follow up compounding with polishing.

Sorry I digress but to answer your question, you should probably use a machine such as a DA polisher if you want to use ultimate compound - because if you don't, you'll probably end up with gorilla arms! Should you try with a polish product first? As a rule of thumb, always remember to use the least aggressive method with the least aggressive product with the least aggressive pad with the least aggressive setting on your DA machine. It's quite difficult to explain as compounding and polishing is truly a craft. For a more in-depth explanation and the science behind this craft, hit up buffdaddy on google.

Our fellow wash enthusiast above has probably adequately answered your question on diluted no rinse as a QD. Remember to contact your product manufacturer or trawl the forums for the correct dilution ratio.

Mitts, cloths etc. One way to decide on if you should put them together for a wash is by their Material and Soilage. General rule of thumb is to not mix the cloths you use on your painted surface and the cloths you use to clean your rims / tires because of the difference in soilage - you don't want to mix the really dirty ones with the relatively cleaner ones.

What do you use to dry your car? Waffle weaves? I used to wash my waffle weaves together with the other microfibres but later on they weren't as soft anymore. Admittedly though, I'm not sure if that's because of any other factor and I could be wrong about not mixing different materials together but I've kept them separate since then. You could probably wash the polishing cloth, waxing cloth and mitts together but it's important to get the residue out of the cloths first as you wouldn't want any leftover on your mitts or in your washing machine for that matter.

Pour a shot of your favourite APC into a soak bucket with some water and soak your polishing and waxing cloths, that should get rid of any residue. You'll have to play around with the dilution rate or maybe even use the APC full strength as a soak, the type of cloth and wax / polish product you use plays a role in the duration and strength of the soak. This method will also take off soilage on your cloths that you use to clean your tires / rims.

After soaking your cloths you can machine wash them, again pour a shot of APC (again you'll have to play with the dilution ratios for the specific cloths and soilage you're dealing with). Do not use any fabric softener and if you're using laundry detergent, I find the liquid ones a lot better than the flakes.

Happy detailing

-d

This post has been edited by daedalus: Mar 28 2016, 07:07 AM

thank you for all the answers

will come back for more, cheers!
XD

Is PG Sealant suffice? Any true experience on it?
Does a sealant help to reduce swirl marks when washing as well or does it only protect your car from chemicals and bird poo from dulling your paint? Cos whenever i want to wash my car, I am having this thoughts am I making mroe swirl marks as I wash? I do use the two bucket regime. So with sealant on my worries may reduce.
I am okay to self wash my car once a week or every two weeks.
But I don't wanna spend too much time waxing the car and I see the PG sealant is at an affordable price too.
I have a month old car and currently am only washing it with turtle wax zip wash & wax once a week.

What's your wash technique / methodology like?

Hose down car with water.

I use a sponge. Two pails. One pail with Soapy(turtle wax zip wash and wax) solution. The other pail with just water.
Sponge dipped to soapy solution. Then light sponging on half section of the car (half the roof as example at each go or sometimes maybe quarter of it). Then sponge gets rinsed in the pail with just water. Then repeat by dipping into soapy solution.

I always wash it from top to bottom. First wave horizontal surface area and glass. Second wave the upper portions of the vertical surfaces and lastly the lower part of the vertical surfaces and underside of the car. I use the same sponge though througout the whole process.

Then Tyres last with separate sponge and a brush. I do use the same soapy solution and wash pail as during car body wash.

There are this yellow small dots which seems to not go off with light sponging at first so for those i put a little elbow grease into it to make it come off. This applies to bird shit which does not have pebbles in it. Not sure I should be doing that .

After finishing the entire car and tyre. I rinse off with water. Another question here, should i rinse off the soap from the car body before washing my tyres or do it all at one go. Soapy Solution left on car would before drying would be better or water left on car ?

I try my best to dab wiht microfibre to dry off the car. But that will take me a lot of time. so sometimes i just softly drag /dab/wipe off the water to dry the car no circular motion but in long straight strokes. I have a couple of microfibre towels for the drying. dry outside then open door to wipe off the access water. Open boot and hood also to wipe off access water.

That is my car care regime for the last 3 washes.

This post has been edited by alxlimcg: Mar 29 2016, 11:55 AM

Hello fellow wash enthusiast, looks like you're pretty disciplined when it comes to washing. I don't think you'll be putting in any major swirls any time soon.

Make sure to go in straight line motions and not circular motions that way you won't go over the same area if you have any debris on the sponge, it will also save your energy for other tasks. Using two different pails is good, make sure you have grit guards in them, if you don't - then just be extra careful not to touch the bottom of the pail. No problem with using a single microfibre sponge or mitt for the entire vehicle.

Keeping separate wash tools for paint and tires / wheels is smart, your task will be much easier if you use an all purpose cleaner on them followed by light agitation. With the APC, cleaning rims feels more like brushing teeth clean rather than brushing stains off the carpet.

Always remember that hard rubbing of the exterior paint of your vehicles may cause some marring. When possible, use a bug remover (in the case of bugs) or APC which works well on bird poo and various other stains. If the APC or bug remover fails, you can try using a light polish and a microfibre applicator pad to get stubborn spots out of the paint, always remember to use the least aggressive product and very gentle pressure on those spots.

Your question on rinsing the car off before washing the tires, well that depends on how hard the water is in your area. If the water is hard then you really do not want to leave any water on your car to dry, hard water dries away and leaves behind minerals on your car, that's what causes the water spotting on cars. Soapy water on car, that depends on the product that you are using, you'll have to get in touch with the manufacturer to properly ascertain if it can be used in that way. If you are unsure, then it would be better to rinse off the residue and dry the car before anything else.

It really depends on what your preference is and the amount of time you actually have, personally i like doing the wheels first in every wash session. That way I won't have to worry about accidentally bringing any dirt or grime onto the paint - because I haven't done any washing to the paint yet.

No issues with just wiping or dragging the microfibre cloth to dry the car. If you're really worried about instilling any scratches during the drying phase, just use a good quick detailer / waterless wash / spray wax as a drying aid. The drying aid will provide the necessary lubrication to help your microfibre glide over the surface.

Happy detailing

-d

Thanks daedalus on the insights and suggestions. Yeah was thinking to wash my tyres first as well so I can go straight to drying the car right after rinsing the car body.

I am a bit of a cheapskate myself. I didnt think of getting any quick detailing sprays or bug/tar removers. Maybe I should start looking into them, as you have said the elbow grease could marr the car surface. Cheapskate till I am researching on using soapy car wash solution as lubricant for claying the car(before applying sealant) without buying additional quick detailer or claying lube..haha

The yellow dots and bird poo are the reasons I am thinking of using PG paint sealant to add an extra layer of protection. I was thinking with the sealant on, I could remove those without that much of an effort and damage to the car paint.

Just wondering considering the price of the PG sealant versus sealants from other brands it seems too good to be through. Thus asking for opinion whether the PG sealant actually works.

It isn't right calling yourself a cheapskate, detailing can easily become an expensive hobby / therapy (costs less than seeing a real head doctor). There are people who spray down their cars with shampoo and then proceed to clay, as long as you know your way around your claybar / block / mitt / cloth I don't see any reason why that isn't a possibility. Make sure you use a very slick shampoo for that though.

If you're worried about the costs, you could always purchase professional grade shampoos or detailers, they cost a lot less than purchasing the 500 to 1000ml ones available off the shelves. Another way would be to use rinseless wash concentrate, with the proper dilution ratios - one concentrate type product can be used as car shampoo, quick detailer, clay lube, waterless wash etc. Streamline your product usage, buy in bulk and INSIST on getting a bulk discount!

I've never used the PG sealant and I am unsure on how to advise on that. What exactly is it? Is it a liquid sealant that replaces paste / liquid waxes? In general a layer of wax or sealant on your paint will probably make it easier to clean as contaminants (such as bird poo) would be sticking to that rather than on the bare surface.

I'm really not sure on what the price of PG sealant is, I guess the only way is to actually try it out. Should you decide to try it out, let us know what the results are!

Happy detailing

-d

Windscreen:
Are those windscreen Cleaner for cars better than the ordinary Kiwi Kleen for home use?
For Exterior glass I mean...or just use water mixed with some water reservoir solution good oledi?

Rims:
So far I just use water and car shampoo to wash the rims, looks OK
Will any of those Spray Rims cleaner worth RM30 does it any better?

B pillars:
What you use to make the black B pillars nice?..my car (HRV) has black B pillars that doesn't feel like paint. more like semi gloss type

ty

This post has been edited by azbro: Mar 29 2016, 02:22 PM