Let your car cool off before washing,
especially the hood. Wash your car in the shade. Dry it before it water spots.
Wash your car with a car wash concentrate used
according to label directions. Start at the roof, then do the hood and trunk. Do the
sides, then the bumper covers. Finally, grab a different rag and do the bottom edges,
wheel wells, exhaust tip, and wheels. Do not use this rag in the future except on the
bottom edges, wheel wells, wheels, etc.
Don't wash your car with dishwashing
detergent. Harsh detergents remove waxes and polishes. (Exception: Use Dawn or a similar
liquid if you WANT to strip the wax so you can start your protection program over.
Actually this is not a bad idea every year or two.)
Don't use nozzles or otherwise increase the
pressure of the water stream from your wash hose, especially when rinsing. Just let the
water flow out. The water will sheet off the car better leaving behind fewer water beads.
This will make drying your car a lot easier. This technique also seems provide a faster
and more complete rinse.
Be careful what you use on your tires, if
anything. Many products will cause your tires to turn brown faster or to deteriorate
prematurely. Meguair's has a new gel product that has received good reviews for avoiding
these problems. Also, because it is a gel, you won't have to worry about overspray on your
wheels and fenders.
You can (and should) wax your car when it is
brand new. The paint is baked at high temperature by the factory and is fully cured by the
time the car leaves the assembly plant. Unlike the old days, you don't have to wait three
months, unless you are waxing over a non-factory paint job.
Don't apply wax over surface problems like
water spots, metallic micro dust, tree sap mist, etc. You will only lock these
imperfections in until you strip off all the wax at some point in the future.
Wax and polish are NOT the same things. See
some of the resources below for details.
NEVER rub a dirty car or use a rag you have
dropped on the ground, ever, ever - unless you LIKE scratches. Some people say, if you
drop a rag on the ground you should throw it away or put it in the oil change rag bin.
Use CLEAN, lightly moistened sponges to apply
waxes and polishes unless the product directions specify otherwise. Use a big sponge mitt
made for the purpose to wash your car.
Use ONLY white 100% cotton brand name towels
that are made in the USA to dry your car and to wipe off polishes and waxes (unless you
are using an orbital buffer.) Wash these towels at least twice before you use them the
first time and (once) again after EVERY use. Use a LIQUID detergent and DO NOT use fabric
softener to wash the towels. Trust me. It only costs a few bucks to do this and it will be
more than worth it. All the detailing and product web sites recommend towels. Zaino does a
good job of explaining why. They are fanatics on the subject and have me convinced.
If you want to find out how clean your finish
REALLY is, get a jewelers loop or other magnifier for a closer look. Then rub your clean
dry hand over the surface. You may be surprised.
Read product directions, even if you don't
follow them. You will save yourself a lot of time and trouble.
