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Washing, waxing, upkeep.

Sjbuck2021

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Good old turtle wax spring and fall. All the vehicles I've owned look brand new when I sell them usually at 125k+ miles. I don't fall for all the gimmicky overpriced waxes and coatings. Save your money đź’°.
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Fotomoto

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I’m looking into Optimun No Rinse for regular washes as needed
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This. Game changer. Especially when starting with new paint and general washings. You MUST wipe it dry though and best to be in the shade during. I then use the wet micro-fiber towels to wipe down dust/finger prints off on the inside (I use 303 for older or more abused interiors first). Fully detailed vehicle in vastly shorter time than the older, more traditional ways. I’m not really in it for the water savings but that’s a big bonus too. I power wash first if heavy dirt.

YMMV
 

notfast

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I used to detail cars for a living, and kept my own vehicles absolutely spotless inside, outside, and underneath.

That has now passed. The method that I use, and that I recommend to anyone else that doesn't need absolute perfection and/or a show car shine, is to wash the car once a week, wax it once a month, and claybar it twice a year. I'd skip polishing altogether. Waxing will fill in light swirls and scratches, but they'll reappear once the wax wears off. Hence why you keep it waxed.

You can go all out and hand-wash with the 2-bucket method and soft water. But again, unless you want that show car shine, I'd just find a decent conveyor-tunnel car wash and go there. Yeah you'll get some light scratches and swirls, but waxing will fill them in. Go look at a CarMax lot and see what typical used cars look like if you're concerned that yours will look like crap after 5 years.

As for waxing, you don't need expensive stuff. I recommend Meguiar's Cleaner Wax in the maroon bottle that's like $7. Two coats of that will fill in light swirls and scratches, keep the clearcoat from peeling, and make your car look better than 90% of those on the road.

Kick it up a notch and you can use Meguiar's Ultimate wax, which lasts longer since it's synthetic. It's also easier to apply since it doesn't have a polishing component in it.

If you have a decent cordless drill, using the Meguiar's DA Power System will allow you to apply a much more even and thin coat of wax than you could by hand with an applicator pad.

For spot cleaning, or if you're like me and your favorite tunnel car wash is an hour away and you'll collect some dust or bugs on the way back, I'd use Optimum No Rinse diluted to 4:1. For interior cleaning, I like using Optimum Power Clean diluted 3:1.

For the windows, I use Stoner's Invisible Glass, followed by Rain-X. Those combined mean I rarely need windshield wipers. Even in torrential downpours, as long as I'm going faster than 30mph or so, water just beads and flies off.

For the unpainted plastic trim, I use Stoner's Trim Shine. There are longer-lasting products, but again, with the once-a-week washing method, it only needs to last a week, and Trim Shine is a simple spray-and-walk-away.
 

YazYaz

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Here's my routine and products: I use the two (2) bucket routine, one with the soapy water with a DETAIL GUARDZ The Dirt Lock Car Wash Bucket Insert and the other with plain water. I use water from my water softener because I live in an area with hard water that leaves water spots with minerals. I use an electric pressure washer with a 40 degree spray head and I use a foam cannon. The first wash I use Decon Wash Soap. Next I use a clay lube and clay rub followed by a good rinse. I then cover the vehicle with foam from the foam cannon. I use a microfiber wash mitt and wash the vehicle. Every so often rinsing the mitt in the plain water followed by dipping the mitt in the wash bucket with soapy water and detail guardz (traps dirt particles). Rinse off using pressure washer. Dry with micro fiber drying towel. Apply initial ceramic sealant followed by a Graphene Burst Coat. After the initial application of the ceramic sealant and Graphene coat, car washing goes very quick and easy. With the car sealed, car wash is just a foam cannon cover rinse and dry. If car gets really dirty, then after the foam cover do a two bucket wash routine where you use the micro fiber mitt. If not real dirty the touches method works just fine (foam cannon, rinse and dry). Now as far as products I use: P&S Professional Detail Products - Brake Buster Wheel Cleaner. Spray this on the rims and tires. Let sit a few minutes then use the TUF SHINE Tire Brush to scrub the tires. I use the WOOLLYWORMIT Wheel Brush Car Detailing Kit for the rims with Wheel Woolies 9" Wheel & Fender Boars Hair Detail Brush. For bugs, sap and tar removal I use either Turtle Wax Bug and Tar Remover or Schaeffer's Manufacturing 266 Citrol Cleaner and Industrial Degreaser. The soap I use is Chemical Guys CWS_402 Mr. Pink Foaming Car Wash Soap. Great for both the foam cannon and wash bucket. Drying the car a MUST HAVE is Chemical Guys MIC1995 Gray Woolly Mammoth Microfiber Dryer Towel (36" x 25"). Awesome drying towel. I love this drying towel! To go along with the drying towel I use The Rag Company - Edgeless 365 Microfiber Towels - Premium 70/30 Blend, Professional Polishing, Wax Removal, Auto Detailing, 365gsm, 16in x 16in, Royal Blue + Gold (10-Pack). Great for rims, small areas and for applying sealant and buffing. 303 Aerospace Protectant for tires, rubber and plastic. Chemical Guys MIC_292_02 Premium Grade Microfiber Applicator for applying sealant. I reapply the ceramic sealant after 3-6 months along with another coat or two of the Graphene Burst Coat. Most of the items listed above I purchased from Amazon. Some items I purchased from Torque Detail. Adams Polishes https://adamspolishes.com also has some great products. So you asked and look what you got. I suppose you could just buy a container of Turtle Wax Gold Series Car Wash soap and do a quickie wash . . . but . . . how serious are you about maintaining your vehicle. If not that important to ya then just go through the drive through car wash. You will get swirl marks and scratches by doing that though. If you want to know more on how to take care of your vehicle both exterior and interior I suggest going to U-Tube and check out some of the professional detailers videos. Some great ideas. Good luck!
Great info. Thanks. But I have to say I always get a kick out the car enthusiasts who look down their noses at automatic car washes. Not everyone lives in places such as New Mexico. Right now where I live it's -1 degrees outside. Car owners who have winters have no choice. Do you really think we are going to use the "two bucket system" during winter? Are we not supposed to wash our cars during winter. LOL!
 
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tcw8848

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Great info. Thanks. But I have to say I always get a kick out the car enthusiasts who look down their noses at automatic car washes. No everyone lives in places such as New Mexico. Right now where I live it's -1 degrees outside. Car owners who have winters have no choice. Do you really think we are going to use the "two bucket system" during winter? Are we not supposed to wash our cars during winter. LOL!
True. When I lived in Syracuse, I always relied on do it your self power washer car wash places in the winter. It was freezing but did it’s job enough to wash off salt etc.
 

CZaugg

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Used Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax today after the wash. Looks pretty good and has paint feeling smooth as glass.
5B66807E-3BE3-4853-ABAE-5EFD46ADFC0A.jpeg
Wow! That looks awesome!!! Forget about driving it around, just sit on your porch in a rocking chair admiring this beauty. You did a great job cleaning and shinning. Well done.
 

CZaugg

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Great info. Thanks. But I have to say I always get a kick out the car enthusiasts who look down their noses at automatic car washes. No everyone lives in places such as New Mexico. Right now where I live it's -1 degrees outside. Car owners who have winters have no choice. Do you really think we are going to use the "two bucket system" during winter? Are we not supposed to wash our cars during winter. LOL!
Once the vehicle is all sealed, automatic car washers in areas where weather is bad is most definitely the way to go. You're right about keeping the vehicle clean. You especially want to keep the salt off. I likewise would use automatic car washers in the freezing cold. I however would most definitely get a good sealant on the vehicle before taking it through an auto carwash. Worth spending some $ by having a car detailer seal it if you are unable to do it yourself. By the way . . . I don't look down my noise at automatic car washes. Getting the salt and other containments off your vehicle is better than getting a few light scratches from the automatic car wash, reason for a good sealant to keep those scratches at bay. Good luck.
 

projectvortex

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Used Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax today after the wash. Looks pretty good and has paint feeling smooth as glass.
5B66807E-3BE3-4853-ABAE-5EFD46ADFC0A.jpeg
Looks fantastic on black for sure. Mirror finish. Really love the Meguiars ceramic wax spray. Had great success with it. Have two coats on mine now, on either side of a car wash to get rid of road grime and salt. Not sure if I will do the Gtechniq CSL full ceramic in the spring or not.
 

jc888888888

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Here's my routine and products: I use the two (2) bucket routine, one with the soapy water with a DETAIL GUARDZ The Dirt Lock Car Wash Bucket Insert and the other with plain water. I use water from my water softener because I live in an area with hard water that leaves water spots with minerals. I use an electric pressure washer with a 40 degree spray head and I use a foam cannon. The first wash I use Decon Wash Soap. Next I use a clay lube and clay rub followed by a good rinse. I then cover the vehicle with foam from the foam cannon. I use a microfiber wash mitt and wash the vehicle. Every so often rinsing the mitt in the plain water followed by dipping the mitt in the wash bucket with soapy water and detail guardz (traps dirt particles). Rinse off using pressure washer. Dry with micro fiber drying towel. Apply initial ceramic sealant followed by a Graphene Burst Coat. After the initial application of the ceramic sealant and Graphene coat, car washing goes very quick and easy. With the car sealed, car wash is just a foam cannon cover rinse and dry. If car gets really dirty, then after the foam cover do a two bucket wash routine where you use the micro fiber mitt. If not real dirty the touches method works just fine (foam cannon, rinse and dry). Now as far as products I use: P&S Professional Detail Products - Brake Buster Wheel Cleaner. Spray this on the rims and tires. Let sit a few minutes then use the TUF SHINE Tire Brush to scrub the tires. I use the WOOLLYWORMIT Wheel Brush Car Detailing Kit for the rims with Wheel Woolies 9" Wheel & Fender Boars Hair Detail Brush. For bugs, sap and tar removal I use either Turtle Wax Bug and Tar Remover or Schaeffer's Manufacturing 266 Citrol Cleaner and Industrial Degreaser. The soap I use is Chemical Guys CWS_402 Mr. Pink Foaming Car Wash Soap. Great for both the foam cannon and wash bucket. Drying the car a MUST HAVE is Chemical Guys MIC1995 Gray Woolly Mammoth Microfiber Dryer Towel (36" x 25"). Awesome drying towel. I love this drying towel! To go along with the drying towel I use The Rag Company - Edgeless 365 Microfiber Towels - Premium 70/30 Blend, Professional Polishing, Wax Removal, Auto Detailing, 365gsm, 16in x 16in, Royal Blue + Gold (10-Pack). Great for rims, small areas and for applying sealant and buffing. 303 Aerospace Protectant for tires, rubber and plastic. Chemical Guys MIC_292_02 Premium Grade Microfiber Applicator for applying sealant. I reapply the ceramic sealant after 3-6 months along with another coat or two of the Graphene Burst Coat. Most of the items listed above I purchased from Amazon. Some items I purchased from Torque Detail. Adams Polishes https://adamspolishes.com also has some great products. So you asked and look what you got. I suppose you could just buy a container of Turtle Wax Gold Series Car Wash soap and do a quickie wash . . . but . . . how serious are you about maintaining your vehicle. If not that important to ya then just go through the drive through car wash. You will get swirl marks and scratches by doing that though. If you want to know more on how to take care of your vehicle both exterior and interior I suggest going to U-Tube and check out some of the professional detailers videos. Some great ideas. Good luck!
That is some serious dedication ! Nice!
 
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jc888888888

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How is everyone doing in terms of cosmetic upkeep? First week I got it I did an iron remover, clay bar, wash, sealant. Then I’ve been doing wash and spray wax once a week since. Seems to be doing a pretty good job.

Trying to keep the shine of the new factory paint as long as possible and keep some UV protection with me living in Florida.

Thinking I’ll do another round of sealant around month three and try to keep up the weekly washing and spray waxing.

Also just bought a spray and rinse ceramic wax from meguiars. Going to add that in occasionally.

Anyone else have a routine going or a favorite product?
I am curious about the iron remover did you see a lot of iron come off the car?. A friend of mines brother details real high end cars lambo,s Ferraris etc. He told me if you do one thing to a new car ,especially one coming from Mexico by rail . you should take the time to Decontaminate with iron remover and if you see a lot coming off the car lightly clay it if the car does not show a lot of iron (purple in the foam) if your lazy yo probably dont even have to clay it. He says micro rail dust settles into the clear coat . He uses high end stuff and actually knows how to acid wash a car doing it on million dollar rides. I said look I dont want to go thru that time or expense on a 30k truck .He laughed told me Meguiers makes a good iron remover that actually works and it is idiot proof .Spray it on 2 or 3 minutes if there is is a lot of purple color in the foam that means rail dust .Rinse it off ,follow the directions .He ended with even you cant F it up :)lol Also said there are you tube videos out there
 

All4spl

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I was a detailer while I was in the USAF a lot of years back and have been a hobbyist detailer ever since. Everyone will have their own favorites as far as products go. My personal goto brand for most of my detailing is Meguiars. I also use the two bucket method with grit guards. For washing I use Meguiars Gold Class car wash with a microfiber wash mit. For wheels and tires I use Meguiars D143 non-acidic wheel/tire cleaner. After washing I use an Absorber synthetic chamois.

Next I use a mild clay bar and Meguiars D155 to prep the surface for coating. I then apply 3 coats of 303 Graphene Nano coating. After allowing the final coat to cure for 60 minutes I then apply a coat of Meguiars Ultimate Liquid wax. My wheels get a coat of both 303 and ultimate wax as well. My goto microfiber towels are from the Rag Company. I use various ones from them but here is the most common I use.

For regular maintenance of the finish I use Meguiars D156 synthetic spray wax, this is my go to product for all surfaces as it is usable on paint, glass, plastic you name it. For my tires I use Meguiars D170 Hyper Dressing mainly because it's water based and while yes it washes off in the rain it allows for easier tire cleaning every wash cycle since it does not contain silicone. For windows I use a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water, nothing cleans better imo and it also removes any and all water spots and is safe for tinted windows (NOTE YOU MUST USE AN AMMONIA FREE VINEGAR FOR TINTED WINDOWS). For the interior I use Meguiars D149 with a microfiber towel and various brushes for cracks and etc. And for the leather on my seats in my current vehicle I use Meguiars D101 very diluted down to gently clean and dirt/stains and after drying with a microfiber towel I then use Meguiars Gold Class Leather Conditioner.

My current vehicle 2019 Edge ST in Performance Blue which I will be trading in when my Maverick XLT in CG gets here, I have had for just over 2 years and it still looks brand new. I have linked every product I use in this post so anyone curious about those products can see them, and no I am in no way affiliated with Meguiar's I just like a lot of the products they produce.

Ford Maverick Washing, waxing, upkeep. IMG_20210918_094916
 
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dgnx6

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I was a detailer while I was in the USAF a lot of years back and have been a hobbyist detailer ever since. Everyone will have their own favorites as far as products go. My personal goto brand for most of my detailing is Meguiars. I also use the two bucket method with grit guards. For washing I use Meguiars Gold Class car wash with a microfiber wash mit. For wheels and tires I use Meguiars D143 non-acidic wheel/tire cleaner. After washing I use an Absorber synthetic chamois.

Next I use a mild clay bar and Meguiars D155 to prep the surface for coating. I then apply 3 coats of 303 Graphene Nano coating. After allowing the final coat to cure for 60 minutes I then apply a coat of Meguiars Ultimate Liquid wax. My wheels get a coat of both 303 and ultimate wax as well. My goto microfiber towels are from the Rag Company. I use various ones from them but here is the most common I use.

For regular maintenance of the finish I use Meguiars D156 synthetic spray wax, this is my go to product for all surfaces as it is usable on paint, glass, plastic you name it. For my tires I use Meguiars D170 Hyper Dressing mainly because it's water based and while yes it washes off in the rain it allows for easier tire cleaning every wash cycle since it does not contain silicone. For windows I use a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water, nothing cleans better imo and it also removes any and all water spots and is safe for tinted windows (NOTE YOU MUST USE AN AMMONIA FREE VINEGAR FOR TINTED WINDOWS). For the interior I use Meguiars D149 with a microfiber towel and various brushes for cracks and etc. And for the leather on my seats in my current vehicle I use Meguiars D101 very diluted down to gently clean and dirt/stains and after drying with a microfiber towel I then use Meguiars Gold Class Leather Conditioner.

My current vehicle 2019 Edge ST in Performance Blue which I will be trading in when my Maverick XLT in CG gets here, I have had for just over 2 years and it still looks brand new. I have linked every product I use in this post so anyone curious about those products can see them, and no I am in no way affiliated with Meguiar's I just like a lot of the products they produce.

IMG_20210918_094916.jpg
This is why I got white. Years of washing and spending time babying my granite silver suv just for some jack ass to hit and run in the parking lot slicing through the back panel, never cared about hand washing it again after that.
 

Naranjita

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I just tried Optimum No Rinse yesterday based on some of the comments. AND, WOW!!! Can't imagine using anything else again.

Woke up this morning after an overnight rain shower. Never seen such fine beading before. And on vertical surfaces, no less! From a distance, the beading is so small and uniform, I didn't actually know it was wet until I got within 10-15 feet. Gorgeous! Now let's see how it looks when it re-dries today.

I plan to use the Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax this week.

Ford Maverick Washing, waxing, upkeep. Optimum1


Ford Maverick Washing, waxing, upkeep. Optimum2
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