I've washed, waxed, polished in the past..

but I have little knowledge when it comes to..

-how to get rid of light scratches and swirls?
-what process is going to leave a good shine?
-what kind of towels to use and when? (I used to cut up bath towels)
-what should I apply wax with?
-polishing cloths?
-any secrets and non-traditional tips?
-by hand or by buffer?
-how should the surface be prepped, and prepped how before what?

And anything else simple that I forgot. Please feel free to comment on whatever is on your mind, or something you did that turned out well. (I paid to have the GN taken care of, but I want to learn to do it myself)

 

Wow, that's a lot to cover in one post. I would suggest paying a visit to www.properautocare.com and www.autopia.org and browse through their articles and howto's, to start with. The people on those forums have forgotten more about detailing than most of us will ever know.


-Mike

 

I'm a dry sponge man, throw me some water! and yeah, reading the hell out of those links.

 

Like Mike posted check those web links out. Good information. I would also recommend www.zainostore.com Sal's web site has information how to use Zaino products. The most important part is preparing the car i.e. a good claying. The I would start on scratches & swirls.

 

www.meguiarsonline.com forums just like here. They also have detailing 101 classes in different area's of the country.

 

Buy 100% cotton terry towles and microfiber towles.

I use cleaner wax, Meguiers show polish, then Meguiers NXT. (Would clay but will not have a garage till I buy a house and it could use a paint job)

Apply it with the cotton and buff out with the microfiber.
The microfiber is nice because as long as the surface of the car and towel are dirt free it will not leave behined spider web scratches in the wax finish.

Links posted above are good links, I learned from them.

 

1. Light scratches and swirls are rid of by using a series of abrasive compounds and polishes that essentially round the edges of a scratch and re-level your clearcoat.

2. A good shine is dependent on a good polish/paint cleaning, followed by a wax/sealant that will do full justice to the work it's protecting.

3. I recommend high-quality microfibers. Terry towels are good too, and a lot more open to abuse; they work great for rocker panels, door jambs, and anywhere else where you wouldn't want to waste a good microfiber. A sound alternative is to pick up the cheaper microfibers and use them on the aforementioned areas instead.

4. Wax is traditionally applied by hand via a foam pad, but I believe that a microfiber applicator (Meguiar's item) applies wax much more evenly and with much less effort. If you decide to use a buffer, a Porter Cable (7336/7424) paired with a polishing pad (no cut, usually black/gray colored) will do an outstanding job with amazing alacrity.

5. If you mean the polishing towels, aka the diaper cloths, I would avoid them at all costs. These towels are similar to the average "shop towel" - they have NO nap and any contaminants between it and your paint will lead to marring. Stick to a microfiber/terry towel line-up.

6. Secrets! Peanut butter works well at removing wax from trim, carry 50% isopropyl alcohol for quick-evaporating wipedowns/waterspot removal, use a hint of vinegar when washing your microfibers to retain softness... there are loads of those! You'll learn them as you go.

7. A buffer, in my honest opinion, is the way to go if you detail your car(s) frequently. A buffer also lends you the option of a more thorough and quicker paint cleaning and mar removal. Some products SHOULD be applied by hand however, simply because a buffer's pad will absorb some product (until saturation) and waste it.

8. The surface should be prepped with a proper stripping of the old wax, a good claying (especially horizontal surfaces), and a good final wash. From there, you're free to lay your compounds, polishes, waxes, and sealants.

It's good to see someone interested in taking care of their paint. Once you realize the results you're capable of achieving, you'll be pointing out swirl marks on other peoples' cars left and right. There's a lot of good advice floating around in the aforementioned forums (I read them all frequently), and quite a few skilled detailers in this forum.

Good luck.