Hello all!

I love my darling solar red MINI, but I confess... I've had her for a year and never waxed her. I've done runs through the brushless car wash, and a few times in the self-washing bays, but that's it.

This probably won't make sense, but I'm too much of a perfectionist - afraid I won't do a perfect job. It's not that I'm obsessive about detailing (ha... obviously!)... I just want to do it right.

I pored over the jillion posts and opinions in the Detailing Thread and ran screaming from the room. Ha. It's taken me ages to get through everything, even with helpful posts from people saying that they want to do the minimum, etc... but then it still seems to get complicated. Or else it's too simple (for some reason, I really really want to clay the car, which I've never done before in my life).

Anyway, I think I kinda sorta have figured out what I want to do and would like some confirmation that my plan is okay.

Also have a few questions about some of the tools/cleaning supplies.

My questions and plan, below:

Wash with Dawn (** Does it have to be Dawn? Is any kind of Dawn ok?)

Dry with waffle weave towels Clay entire car, incl stripes (checkered mirrors &windows, too?)

Wax with Epic, leaving on for as long as possible (can I apply with surgical cloth, or is that bad?)

Buff off Epic, using the MF towels (again, are surgical clothes ok to use?)

Down the road - wash with Mystique, spray with Hydro

Wheels: get the horrible brake dust off with some wheel/brake cleaner that my husband bought, and then wax the rims (they're the regular rims that came with the car).

General: Wash in shade, keep mitt and water rinsed and clean
Isn't it hard to keep the mitt clean (I'm talking the nice lambswool thingy I'm supposed to buy)? Can I use (you guessed it) the surgical clothes for this? I have so many, I can use as many as I want for washing and drying, and they go into the washing machine/dryer afterwards.

Umm... let's see... oh yes, the trim on the outside: use the Wizard Black stuff on that?

I think that's it... interior is something else... although... do I wax the interior painted surfaces?

If there's something I left off, or some warning I might have missed (don't use the ___ on the ___ or you'll ruin it), please feel free to chime in.

Thanks again so much!!

 

1. To strip wax, regular Dawn dishwashing detergent.

2. Claybar the entire car, windows, mirrors, vinyl decals... everything can be clayed. Just work in small areas, maybe 2 sf at a time and rinse when you're done with each area so as not to let the clay dry on the surfaces.

3. Surgical cloth ? Use a damp microfiber towel to apply the Epic if you're doing it by hand.

4. Remove the Epic with another clean microfiber towel.

5. Not hard to keep the washing mitt clean as long as you use a separate one for the nasty areas like the wheels.

6. Wizard is pretty good for the black trim. So is 303 Aerospace or OctaneGuy's new stuff called "WOW Black", or "WOWEE, that's really black", or something like that.

 

Solar Red, holy cow...you better start taking good care of that rare paint

Don't worry, you're in good hands here. I agree with all of CR/PW's suggestions. Your best plan is probably to order a start kit of Prima products if that's the route you're going to go (good call, it's what I use and love it). Any of them will be fine for what you want to do, and it will include appropriate microfibers to do the job right, and a mitt.

 

I am not sure what these "surgical cloths" are you reference but I would not recommend using anything but good, quality (yes there is a difference) microfibers on your car...no matter how many you have or how easy they are to wash. Applied by hand, wax should go on with an applicator, such as a small microfiber pad or quality foam applicator pad.

TJM

 

When you order from DP be sure and get "Wheel Shield" put it on your wheels makes them so easy to clean. When you place your order, call Heather, don't just place an online order, tell her what you are trying to do, and she will hook you up correctly.

 

Hi,

Thanks for the replies and input!

To answer the question about the surgical cloths - a friend who's a doctor has tons of these. They can only be used one time in surgery, and then they're tossed. They're blue and used for drapes, wrapping instruments, etc. Probably 100% cotton. So his wife takes them, washes them and uses them on her MINI. And also gives a bunch to me.

So, since I have a free endless source of these, it'd be nice if I could use them. It's what I've used so far when washing/drying my sweetie. They might not be as absorbant as the microfiber towels, but since I can use as many as I want, that wouldn't bother me.

The main thing would be whether they could somehow hurt the finish. As long as they're clean, shouldn't they be safe? I don't know much about car finishes (shocker).

RE: the microfiber towels... I have a bunch from Target... are those okay to use? How do I know the difference between a good microfiber towel and one of poor quality? I don't mind spending money for good quality, but if I already have things that can be used, I'd like to use them.



Thanks again so much! This is really helpful!

 

Those cloths might have vinyl or poly stitching, or tags. I cannot imagine they are not leaving swirls behind. Next time your car is clean, look at it under a full sun...you might have more than you bargained for to fix. Just because something is clean doesn't mean it is safe to rub across a painted automotive finish!

The difference between good and bad microfibers has to do with their polyamide content, the diameter of their threads (smaller being better), or stitching composition (no exposure being best). Generally speaking, big box retail outlets do not have great microfiber products, stuff that I would only use on wheels, rubber, or exhaust tips, etc. They also commonly have tags, which is a big no no on good towels, because even when removed they still leave behind scratch potential. For the record, I have never, nor will ever, buy microfiber at Target, Walmart, et al.

You can read more about microfiber here: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/micro...els-part2.html

Hope that helps.
TJM

 

amorican, thanks for the info and especially that link... it's great.

Off to read and order... I can't wait to wax my baby.

Thanks again for the replies and help from everyone!

 

You are probably going to need to do some polishing as I would think you have swirl marks. There is a great article on Autopia about how to get the perfect shine from start to finish. You can read it & use it as a starting point guide. Either purchase some of the Sonus polishes recommended in the article or get some Prima polishes from Detailer's Paradise. Either will work

 

Once you get that wax on dont forget the HYDRO after you wash

 

Unless you decide to go the carnauba route