Anybody want to take a shot at THIS question?

The above discussion has been great. I think I need to add Epic to my order though...

 

Hydro works with drying towels is: waffle weave.

the platinum MF towels he's referring to is for quick detail sprays
such as Slick, SpeedShine (Griot's), QuikDetailer (Meguiar's, etc).

since your car is a daily driver i would skip quick detailing and just
go straight to the car shampoo (carwash).

 

So what do you for pre-winter prep?

All this has been quite helpful!

 

Thanks Kenchan and everyone else that contributed! This is what makes this fourm work.

What I've learned here will allow me to do a better job (better quality products) in less time than I was spending (with bad products) and get a better result. Which will provide incentive to do it more often. Then in no time I'll be like all y'all!

 

i usually do spot clay (my cars aren't that dirty) and light polish on
areas that need it, then go straight to wax. last fall i put on
Griots Best of Show on one car and Prima Epic on the other.

in the spring i will do a thorough detail with polish, etc. and do a
coat of Epic. but from there until late fall, im only going to do
regular wash and Hydro.

 

Speaking of spot-work - even if you're not at all OC, you can rotate the areas that you wax/polish with any good product once you have the whole car done once. I spend about one day every year doing the entire car really well (or pay a pro like Octane Guy) - clay, polish, wax - the whole thing. Then, every month or so after a wash I hit one section - the roof, or the hood, or the doors with wax/sealant, on a rotation basis. For a non-OC guy, I'd recommend either Meguiars one-step or Klasse one-step product. Once the car's paint is in good condition, you can really keep it looking great with about 15 minutes of work after a wash.

 

as far a spot clay/polish, we know which areas that require the most
work... front, sidemirrors, bonnet, roof, and trunk lid (on sedans). so
we do that. the doors, etc. unless one completely screws up while
washing/drying there should be very little swirls and minimal contaminants
other than the tire kickup areas (close by the fenders, side skirts, etc).

no need to spot wax/sealant if you hydro your car every weekend while
drying. from wat i can see, it's not a regular wash-away type thin spray
wax. it's a true polymer wax that bonds to the paint but in a spray
form. the manufacturer (DP) says Hydro can last 1-2 months
depending on the weather conditions...so you can even skip a few
weekends if you want. so, why wax frequently risking
additional swirls, etc. during the polish/waxing process for a non-OC
person when they can just Hydro? (why waste the time?)

 

You, I like...

 

The two kinds of towels...the waffle weaves are for drying the car. The others are for applying/buffing the Hydro. I know some use the Hydro strictly on a wet car...I like to use mine AFTER I dry the car, it ends up a little more concentrated and I feel like it does a better job.

As far as your clear bra is concerned, I have several parts of my car clear-braed and I treat them just like the rest of my car. Occasionally I go around the edges with a q-tip soaked in a little quick-detailer because my car is PW and if there is dirt around the edges, it's pretty obvious, but other than that I don't do anything special for it.

 

I actually don't use the dual pile, although I'm sure it is great.

I use the waffle weave drying towel for drying and the Monster Fluffy for wiping off:
1) Epic Wax
2) Hydro
3) Slick quick detailer

In my experience, the Monster Fluffy's are soft and gentle on the paint (assuming the paint is clean) but they get dirty quick, so go with the 3-pack on those.

I only have to use one Waffle Weave to dry my MINI. And, I don't buff it/drag it across, like you see people doing at a car wash. I lay it on the car and let is soak up the water, then move on. Usually, by the end, it is wet, but usually will do the entire MINI. Now, however, with Hydro, I will probably change this routine.

Incidentally, it is a good idea to dry out the door wells on the MINI after a wash. they get nice and wet. I also open the hatch and dry out that area and the bonnet and dry around there. Therefore, I keep one of my 3 Waffle Weave towels specifically for these areas, because it will get greasy and dirty.

oh, as for washing Microfiber towels -- you may or may not have seen this. Get a liquid detergent without any bleaches or scents or anything. (Tide makes one called Tide Free) and wash with that. The granuals in powder detergent can stay in the MF towels and scratch the car! Also, I usually pop my MF towels in the dryer for a few minutes and then let them dry the rest of the way in the bathroom.

also, as much as I don't really like claying, if you have the time, you might want to do it. as OctaneGuy said, the paint will be so smooth you won't believe it and all the more better prepared for Hydro. claying is slightly hand/labor intensive... in my view. still, I will do it again when the weather is nice becuase the results are amazing.

 

This listing has been extremely helpful.

I just placed an extensive order of the Prima products for my soon to come 2007 MCSCa that I'm supposed to get in March.

I too have not enjoyed taking care of my previous cars and usually take them to a no brush car wash which I think does a great job, but is expensive. But there is something I'm getting excited about with this new Mini, something I haven't felt since my first car many years ago. I want to baby her just right, and the materials I just ordered seem to me to make the job much easier (as someone posted, little effort with great products and you are set).

Here is what I ordered:
Paradise Microfiber Applicator Pad
Prima Glass Bundle
Paradise Monster Fluffy
Paradise Waffle Weave Drying Towel
Paradise Platinum Dual Pile Microfiber
Prima Nero
OXO Tire Dressing Applicator
Prima Wheel Shield
Prima Hydro

My question is, what does everyone recommend for the cloth top of a convertible? Also, what is the best and easiest product to you for leather seats?

Thanks again for a great thread.

 

Now, I'm confused. To you guys this may seem silly, but too many cooks I'm afraid...the answers aren't consistent and my brain is spinning...

Since I haven't treated the paint yet, I assume I should do a good wash, and apply Epic (is a cheap orbital waxer good enough or is that worse than doing it by hand?). Do I then apply Hydro immediately, or do I need to rinse it down and get it wet first...or should I wait till the next wash to apply the Hydro?

Assuming I apply the Hydro while it is still slightly wet (having bladed or otherwise reduced the water on the paint), I then use the waffle weave towels to wipe off the Hydro. Are the Monster Fluffy's for drying the car when I don't use the Hydro?

Sorry for being such a noob...I'm very **** about wanting to understand instructions when I am trying something new. Have screwed up too many times assuming I had it and found out halfway through I'd goobered it up.

 

If you do it right, you won't be adding swirls through the polish/wax process. There aren't any abrasives in any of the popular wax products unless it's a cleaner/wax. Frequent polishing/waxing is NOT a bad thing at all, but if you use a spray on product, you will have to use the spray more frequently than just doing a good wax every 3 to 4 months and once in awhile maintaining with a spray on product like Hydro.

Further, Hydro is only capable of hiding very light swirls. If you have bad technique thats causing more and more and deeper swirls, there will be a point where using Hydro won't be enough to keep the paint looking good, and really the answer is to stop doing whatever you're doing to make the paint look worse.

I buffed out a silver Mercedes at my shop yesterday and it looked horrid. The owner thought it looked great in the sun. After he saw the finished car though, he understood that his finish was trashed to begin with and his $80 detailer was only making things worse, and my advice to him was while silver paint may seem to look great strong daylight, it doesn't give him an excuse to neglect the paint either, and he agreed.

Richard

 

You can apply Hydro to a wet finish after washing, or to a dry clean finish.

You can use any orbital to apply a wax, but it's better you don't. Chances are you've got a really old buffer that will do more damage to your paint than good. The MINI is small enough that you don't need one of those cheap orbitals.

If you're objective is to remove swirls and making your paint look it's best, while reducing the time it takes to do that, and apply a wax, then get a Porter Cable Random Orbital polisher--aka PC. There are no equivalents.

Ken will say get the Griots, but a fellow detailer who is highly respected in the industry compared the Griots to the Porter Cable side by side over 30 days, and concluded the Griots wasn't as effective as the PC.

Richard

 

I have used both 303 & RaggTopp, they are both very similar. I felt like I got a tiny bit more water beading with the RaggTopp. Either brand is available as a package containing cleaner & protectant just be sure to get the one for "cloth" tops. I think they are both a pain to apply because of overspray so this March I plan to try the Renovo since it is a paint-on application instead of spray-on

Anytime you clean your top with soap it must me retreated with protectant. I only clean my top with soap & treat it with protectant twice a year. I rinse my top really thoroughly with water each week when I wash my Mini. I never, ever use carsoap on my cabrio top as the oils in carsoap attract lint.

 

my understanding (and someone can correct if I'm wrong):

- wash
- wax with Epic first if you're going to apply some wax - also, you should let Epic sit for at least 1 hour before buffing off... but can go longer and then not wash the car for at least another 24 hours (it can get wet from rain, though). I use the Monster Fluffy to buff off Epic
- next time you wash the car, you can then apply Hydro if you want. I use the Monster Fluffy to wipe off Hydro.

p.s. - you have to be careful with the Epic next to the black plastic trim... if it gets on there, it will leave white marks, however, you can get that off with alcohol.

 

the point of this thread is different. we're talking about a non-OC guy.
they dont want to take the extra time to be picky, rather have a decent
looking car that is protected. similar to how i feel about my commuters.
i dont feel like spending the extra time (or money) as long as they look
good. for such person, they are not going to even have the passion to
take extra care when polishing/waxing. the best way for them to protect
their paint is for them not to scratch it in the first place... thus i recommend
a large wash bucket with grit guard, nice washmitt, etc. per my original
post.

as far as my other cars, they are OCD version...so that's quite different.

 

and like we said before (not in exact words), you live off your detailing business. mine's
only a hobby. we don't care of minor differences. plus, im very 3rd person
view. i really dont care about brands and not brand oriented like some of you. i use
things that work for me. if it works, i will give raving reviews. if it doesnt work, you'll
hear about it too.

 

After you Epic the car i would wait on Hydro until the next time you
wash your car. Epic and Hydro are (i think) similar in property so you
dont want to disturb Epic until it cures completely (24hrs+).

MonsterFluffy's are to be used for removing wax. So after your Epic
hazes for 30+min, use MonsterFluffy to remove the haze. you don't
need to buff Epic. Epic will get wetter looking as it cures on its own
over the next 24hrs. you can get it wet (rain), but try to keep soap
away from it during that 24hrs.

it's a very easy wax and lasts a long time. here's where it all started:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ighlight=civic

 

Jeeze, the Bears loose one little football game and kenchan gets all testy.
jk

 

^

not to hijack this thread, but there seems to be a lot of Hydro talk here, and while I was out motoring today (with the sunroof open!) I wondered... can I Hydro my Hyper Blue Dash and Door Ovals?

I'm too lazy to Epic them, but since Hydro is a little easier to apply and has some wax-like properties, would it be okay to use on the interior painted parts?

 

Yeah go for it.
Oh and we were out motoring topless today.

 

:impatient

 

This has been a great post - my car is only 3 months old and my bottle of epic just arrived.... I don't have a half a day to detail every weekend, so it sounds like I should order some hydro also! Thanks everyone!