HPP

In all the topics I've seen where people are talking about results, I frequently see things like "wash, then polish, then wax".

Understandable, but..... I just washed and waxed my car on Saturday. I used the Mr Clean Autodry car wash (I love that stuff, takes off all kinds of dirt and dries as advertized - and my water sucks), then used a 3M wax (can't remember the name right now), putting on 2 coats, as well as doing the entire interior (leather, vaccuming, windows, etc).

This took me 4.5 hours. I was exhausted when I got done. And my legs are *still* sore, on Monday at 1:30pm. The washing and vaccuming only took about 1.5 hours. Even that is a long time though.

I know all about the "labor of love" stuff, but this is straight up ridiculous. Is there anything that can spray on easily and require no wiping, or only light wiping (like the Meguires quick detailer stuff)? And if not, why?

I'm sure with a random orbiter it would go quicker and take less work, but it would still take a damn long time. And how many pads would it take? I had to keep changing cloths to get best results as I went through it. (or is there a way to quick clean the pads?)

Wesmanw02

iTrader: (4)

Many of the popular waxes (Meguires, Turtle Wax, ect.) come in spray forms. So you put the first couple coats on with the paste/liquid wax, and then touch it up using either the spray wax or the detailing spray. You only need to apply the paste/liquid about 4 times a year, the rest of the time you can just use spray wax. Its definitely faster.

Turtle wax also has this new stuff out now called "ICE", apparently you can use it on just about everything on the exterior of the car, including trim, rubber, metal, ect. Have't tried it yet, but its supposed to be pretty good.

chupr0kabra

iTrader: (10)

I do a major detail (wash, clay, polish, seal) twice a year. After that, a weekly wash followed by a quick detailer session usually does the trick. If I notice any scratches or swirl marks during one of these washes, I spot correct it with the polisher, rather than doing the whole car again. A lot of the problems a good polish session corrects can be prevented with attention to HOW you wash your car. If you wash your wheels first, then wash the rest of the car with the same mitt and bucket of soapy water, you're going to get swirl marks. If you dry the car using an old bath towel, chances are good you'll get swirl marks. With a little attention to how you wash and dry your car, you won't need to spend as much time doing it.

Also, when it comes to selecting a wax/sealant, I always look for one that has a companion detailing spray. Like "Wesmanw02" said, detailing sprays are like a touch up for a wax job. I re-apply wax or sealant once every couple months (more often for a daily driver), but I use the detailing spray after each wash session. Not only does it keep the car looking nice, but it helps keep the protection the sealant offers.


-Mike