My MINI is really the first car I have ever been proud enough to REALLY care for. I wash it at least every two weeks inside and out and I like to keep him sparkling clean. Currently, I am taking it through a gentle / automatic car wash where they hand dry the car for you post wash.

For the inside of my car -- which, besides the rubber floor mats, stays decently clean, I am currently just using a wet microfiber cloth to clean everything from the dash and leather seats and then drying the surfaces with a dry microfiber cloth. I am not using any cleaning solvents at this time.

I know the dealer carries some "MINI" cleaners. Are these some of the best? I really want to make sure my leather seats are well cared for and would like to make sure I am using some good window cleaner and a nice polish / wax for the outside of the car.

Any recommendations for any of these cleaners / waxes? Are some of the MINI dealer cleaners as good as some of these others that people are talking about on the forum? Or are the Prima cleaners that people talk about far better?

Help?

 

Thats great you are keen on taking such good care of your new Clubman! Just curious how you can call an automatic car wash, gentle?

Cleaning with a wet mf towel is fine for removing dust, but you still need to protect the interior surfaces. You will find that a good dressing will enhance the look substantially. I prefer dressings that are matte or semi gloss. Often it's just a technique difference where spraying it and letting it dry versus spraying it and wiping it dry makes all the difference in gloss.

Prima Nero is a fantastic dressing for rubber, and plastics and interior vinyl surfaces like Leatherette seats.
http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=172&bc=no

Nero Video
http://www.youtube.com/octaneguy#p/u/7/hoFSr-a1-Jc

For the exterior you have more options partly based on how much effort you want to expend versus what kind of durability you desire.

Prima Hydro is the simplest spray wax that you spray on while drying your wet car during a wash. It's the least durable giving you a month of protection.
http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=68&bc=no

Prima Banana Gloss gives you similar protection but is a carnauba "natural" hybrid and that gives you more warmth...something carnauba fans crave. Since you have Pepper White, you can use a carnauba or a synthetic, both will look good on your paint.
http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=173&bc=no

Video from FaceBook showing Banana Gloss being used
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/video/video.php?v=1233474680008

Prima Epic gives the most protection being a synthetic polymer wax and that can give up to 4 to 6 months of protection. It requires a bit more drying time and is best if you have a garage to work in out of the sun.

http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=67&bc=no

Check out my YouTube videos for usage of many Prima products like Banana Gloss.
http://www.youtube.com/octaneguy

Richard

 

So would Prima Nero be appropriate to use on the Dash (not sure if that counts as plastic / rubber) and also all of the gauges, chrome, etc?

BTW - I thought a Carwash was "gentle" if it didn't have brushes, etc that touched your car?

 

einszett cockpit and rubber protectant... einszette glanz and polishes... will take pics because this stuff is amazing... a bit pricey but amazing.


edit i used the prima epic amigo swirl and bg... just didnt work well with pepper white in my opinion**dont attack me**.

The einszette makes it look deep and creamy!

 

Yes, Prima Nero is also great for the dash and door panels. It's a type of plastic...i.e. vinyl. As for the gauges..I wouldn't use it on the gauge faces.

Prima Clarity or Prima Slick would work much better for the faces. Note that clear plastic is soft and scratches very easily.

http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=90&bc=no

http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=104&bc=no

Even though Slick is a quick detailer, it works great on glass/clear plastic too.

As far as the car wash goes...I think calling any automated car wash "gentle" is an oxymoron. Yes, brushes are bad, but without brushes, how do you think they get the car clean?

Ever taken a hose to a dirty car and tried to get it clean? It cleans the loose stuff but you still need to soap it up. Those automated washes have a limited time for you to roll through them, so how do they clean your car? They use very strong chemicals since they don't physically abrade the paint but instead they do havoc to your wax protection and rubber seals and trim etc... So yes, brushless types are better, and while washing occasionally with the non brushless won't necessarily permanently damage your paint..if you're going to maintain your paint, you won't want to make frequent use of these "gentle" car washes.

 

Thanks for all of the info you have shared. I might sound really dumb right now, but again, thinking in terms of keeping my car looking as new as possible for as long as possible -- how SHOULD I be washing it -- to protect the paint etc? A bucket of water and some car wash shampoo and some cleaning cloth / sponge?

Again, I really appreciate all of the answer you have given thus far!

 

The tricks to maintaining paint are pretty simple.

Combine good technique with products that work with you and produce results you expect.

So for example, here's a video I made a few years ago with my first MINI with my then partner Mike Phillips...we were both very Meguiar's centric at that time, so the video shows the two bucket method using Meguiar's products.

Today, I would substitute the wash with Prima Mystique which is highly concentrated and needs about 1 to 2 ounces per 5 gallons of water.
http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=91&bc=no

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...6069207401372#

The two bucket wash method is very simple. One bucket with soap water (correctly measured soap according to directions on bottle), and one bucket with clean rinse water.

The BEST tool for applying soap is one that picks up the dirt off the car, lifts it away from the paint as you rub, AND lubricates the surface at the same time so you are not abrading it. The lambswool wash mitt does this perfectly, though they don't last as long as microfiber or sponge type of products. The problem comes down to logic though.

Microfiber is GREAT for pickup up dirt, but it doesn't release them very well. Not as well as a good lambswool wash mitt.
http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=110&bc=no

I put this starter kit together a few years ago for a person who wanted to try Prima and wanted all the essentials on a budget. I'm in the process of updating this bundle for another customer..adding more products and making some substitutions. I'll post it when I finish.
http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=125


No problem about the advice! Keep asking questions, and I'll do my best to answer them!

Richard

 

Definitely post when you have it updated. It's sold! I will for sure buy a kit!

 

Will do!!! Working on it now.

Richard

quote=ksaim;3136532]Definitely post when you have it updated. It's sold! I will for sure buy a kit![/quote]

 

Ditto to what Octane Guy (Richard) says! I use his products and I am a very satisfied customer; my MINI shines bright too!

PS: My neighbors think I'm a bit crazy when they see me doing the 2-bucket drill in my driveway in the middle of winter here in MAD-Town.