I can't get my black stripes clean
 

Ive tried waxing them, not waxing them, clay cleaing, and other products. But I have a consistant "rainbow swirls" in my stripes.

Anyone know a good way to shine them up.. without the rainbow effect?

sounds like you have some nasty permanent swirls in your stripes...

it doesnt appear to be etched in.. and the car only has 6k miles

octaneguy... we need ya again. :lol:

You can get rid of light mars and swirls in the stripes by polishing them with a paint cleanser or swirl remover. It is pretty amazing how much damage you can remove but keep in mind the stripes are just ink on vinyl and you will be taking off some color. I have polished my stripes sevaral times since I got the car in '04.

Remember to only rub the polish in back and forth motions (not circular) and use a pure foam (not terry) applicator for best results.

Protect them with a good sealant/wax and be sure to wash/dry properly. If you have swirls on the stripes this means you could be using a poor quality mitt. Get a real wool one. You should also always use shampoo when washing as it adds lubrication to the surface and helps resist swirls. Wipe front to back with the mitt, not swirl motions. Use a quality MF waffleweave towel to dry, too. And again, double the towel over and pull from front to back.

BradB... sounds like good information. We are looking through the Griots catalog and it only has sheepskin mitts, no wool mitts... are they the same thing?

Also we use regular (retired) bath towels that were of descent quality at time of purchase. We wiped the excess water with one towel and then dry with the other... is this a bad idea?

You mentioned using a foam pad not terry cloth... we have always used cotton towels... bad idea?

Sounds like we need to invest in new cleaning products!?

Thanks for your advice... we want to keep our mini looking great and swirls on the bonnet stripes would just drive us nuts!

- For the Mitts, Yes, that will be great. You can get excellent ones many places that are just as good as Griots and cheaper, too, FYI.

- Not a "bad" idea, but be very cautious of the towels you use. White is the softest (less dye) and absorbs better. Avoid any embroidered patterns or applique and avoid the seams/edging. These are sewn with polyester thread that scratches. You should only use 100% cotton, but realize that many cottons are cheap and can scratch anyway. And not all towels that say they are 100% cotton, really are 100%!

A better, safer, route is to invest in one or two waffleweave microfibers. They will work better, faster and are scratch proof.

I use a laminated microfiber or synthetic chamois (just lay on and pull up-never drag across paint) first, then follow up with a waffleweave microfiber. Very fast!

- Towels for application is a bad idea. They wad, bunch up and mat down with material. They do not disperse the wax or polish evenly. They also allow pressure "hot spots" under each of your fingers.

A pure foam bad is the best. They are readily available and very cheap!

-Yep, I think you will be very happy with a small investment in some good tools. Washing and drying tools and proper technique is of the utmost importance since owners cause 90% of their cars paint damage themselves over time!!

Thanks for the links and all of the advice BradB! It is greatly appreciated :thumbsup:

I simply use McGuires detailing spray and it seems to work well to clean the stripes. A little spritz and all is good. :)