Left Column

[whovous]

As nearly as I can tell, all the things we do to take care of our paint jobs fit into one or more of three categories: Cleaning, Polishing, and Protecting. Some products claim to do one job, others do others.

I should have a lot of spare time over Memorial Day weekend, and am wondering just how many different products it makes sense to use on one car. I do not plan to buy anything new, I just have a lot of different product sitting around.

Here is what I have, and the order I think I can use things. At what point do I get to overkill?

1. Start by washing and drying. I suppose I should go the Dawn dishwashing liquid route if I am going whole hog. Correct?

2. Apply and buff off cleaner wax. Either Meguiar's or Mother's. I do not think there is much difference here.

3. Claybar, probably used with Mother's detailing spray. If I am correctly reading the brief instructions on the back of the Mother's cleaner wax bottle, then claybar comes AFTER cleaner wax. Is this correct?

4. Wash and dry again. No need for Dawn this time.

4. A. If I am to use a product like ScratchX on the hood paint swirls from the car wash (which are now mostly under control), this is the time, is it not?

5. Then it will be time for polishing, and this is where I think I may be getting into the overkill range. I have both the Meguiar's Professional Show Car Glaze (#7) as well as Meguiar's NXT. If I am to choose only one, I choose the NXT. Is there any point to using both? If so, in which order should I use them?

6. I also have the Meguiar's Mirror Glaze #26 "Hi Tech Yellow Wax" with a very high carnauba content. Should I apply this over the NXT? NXT appears to me to be more polish than protectant. Is this right?

7. If I apply Carnauba over NXT, does that mean the NXT detailer (or "Wax Booster" as I think they call it) is now no longer of any use? I also have Mother's and Eagle One details sprays if that is the case.

What do people advise? I am willing to take the extra time applying multiple products, but not if they won't make a difference, or if they will work at cross purposes to each other.

What to do? What to do?

Phil