My MINI is 3 months old. So far I've washed it a few times, but haven't done more. Paranoia about new paint and the fact that it's been cold has kept me from spending too much time on it.

First, I am not one to spend every waking moment on my car...too many other requirements for my time. Reading the various posts here, it would seem some folks have no life outside the garage

Second, I have no clue about to really take care of a car's exterior. All of my previous cars have had a Ziebart or like coating to protect the paint. Problem is you can't get that here...the strong Vegas sun (UV) apparently makes these coatings break down too quickly.

Third, I haven't the budget to drop a ton of money on supplies...reading these posts I see folks describing purchases of supplies and tools of $300 and more. No way can I afford that (well, I could, but my wife who thinks of a car as only something one drives, would not get it). I have a $20 Coleman 6" waxer/polisher with no real clue how to use it. All these posts talk about what they do, but none really describe how.

Last, here in Vegas we have horribly hard water. I tried a chamois to dry my car but it just didn't work. No matter what, I end up with huge water spots everywhere.

All that said, I'm looking for a reasonable approach to washing and "detailing" my car. Not looking to create a show car, just want to keep it looking good and keep the paint in good shape. I feel like an idiot but previous attempts at waxing/polishing/whatever have resulted in a car that either looks no different or even worse than when I started.

PS...I have a transparent (vinyl?) nose protector on my car...any expereince on wht the long term effect will be to the paint underneath relative to the uncovered paint? Will it fade at a different rate?

 

how about a nice 5gal + wash bucket with grit guard, sheep skin or MF wash mitt,
waffle MF drying towels, Prima carwash, and Hydro? toss in a wheel cleaning
brush (boar's hair) and some tire dressing.

forget waxing... just Hydro the car after each wash.

the less you touch, the less swirls you'll have.

 

What's Hydro?

 

Sin MINI - I can understand not wanting to spend too much time and money. I recommend, as Ken did, getting some Hydro. I just used it again today and it is so easy to use. What is really amazing about it is how well it helps you dry your car. With the car still wet, I just use a blade to wipe most of the water off, spray the Hydro on a section then wipe dry. The Hydro will really help prevent spotting and gives you a great, easy shine that will last a few weeks. Hydro is a great spray wax.
Get a couple of good waffle weave towels, a good wash mitt, some Mystique and Hydro and see what you think. It really is about the most simple set-up for keeping your MINI looking good without getting all wacko with the stuff some of us do. Check out www.detailersparadise.com for info, prices and ordering. If you have any questions try Heather at DP or give the Detailing forum a shout here on NAM.

 

As an alternate to "Wax" I can seriously recommend Zaino Show Car Polish. The site is here.. http://www.zainostore.com and I have written some additional documentation here. http://www.murmini.com/articles/2006...ate-polish-job

 

Both the Zaino and the Prima lines are synthetic so neither one contains carnuaba wax. Hydro is synthetic it's just a spray on. Zaino does not have an equivalent product.

 

im going to Hydro my winking trashcan when it gets warmer. or wait...

 

I just can't get over how Hydro helps you dry the car. I washed both the MINI and the Expedition today (got to 40 deg F) and used Hydro on both. I usually use three towels on the MINI because I hate streaking water. But using Hydro I needed only one towel for the MINI and only two for the Ford. The end result is shine and no water streaks anywhere. I think Hydro is rapidly approaching my favorite detailing product (the Wizard of course ).

 

^^ Hydro and Nero are my favorite Prima's.

for us OC folks too, since we wash our cars almost every weekend or
every few days, regular wax is over kill. Hydro and never wax again until
pre-winter prep.

agree?

 

I second the recomendation for Prima Mystique (car wash), Hydro (spray-on wax), and some good microfiber towels. I also recommend spending $15 at your local Target or Wal-Mart on a Mr. Clean Auto-Dry. We have terribly hard water here as well but this helps in a big way. You will also want a good glass cleaner for the windows (this, for me, makes 90% of the difference in making a car look and feel clean).

I'm going to do the math...but you can easily get supplies for this process for a year for about $100, I think.

Mystique (car wash): $9.95
Hydro (spray-on wax): $12.95
Clarity (window cleaner): $6.95 ($12.95 in a bundle with the window microfiber, good deal, highly recommended)
Mr. Clean Auto-Dry: $15.99
Sheepskin Wash Mitt: $13.95
Paradise Waffle Weave drying towels (2-pack): $30
Paradise Platinum Dual-Pile Microfiber (3-pack): $16.95 (currently on sale!)

Comes out to about $107...the towels will last you for life if you take care of them, so will the Auto-Dry (the refill cartridges are like $6, so far mine's lasted 5 washes pre-rinsing and rinsing only). The other items I would estimate, with a wash every two weeks or so, would last close to a year (the Hydro maybe a little less, depending on how often you used it).

If you figure a crappy drive-thru handwash place is a minimum of $10 these days (guessing low, here they're like $18), you'll spend less doing it yourself, do a better job doing it yourself with quality products, and get a little "love time" in with your MINI.

Honestly, this is about the schedule my husband uses on his commuter Yukon and it's good enough for him. And while his car isn't constantly squeaky-clean like mine, it looks decent enough 80% of the time and once a year he takes it in to get detailed. It's a manageable enough routine that you should be able to do it in a half hour or so.

Other really cheap ways to clean up your car:
--Vacuum (everyone's got one of these, or take a buck in quarters down to the local self-serve wash)
--Swiffer dusters for the interior (I - and several others - will recommend Prima Nero to condition the vinyl surfaces, but whatever. It lasts forever...I can't remember the last time I had to Nero my dash, to be honest.)
--Any Target/Wal-Mart/Grocery store medium-bristled scrub brush to get the wheels (once they're clean, Hydro them, they'll stay cleaner longer)
--Natural oils (peanut, vegetable, etc) as exterior vinyl trim dressing - you might find the neighbors dogs licking your trim but it does help condition it for a week or so
--Cheap-o tire dressing...most dressings don't last very long anyway...so if you can find a cheap one you like, go for it.

You can go cheap(er) and simple(r) than us OCD folks in a lot of ways...but I wouldn't recommend cutting corners on your car wash, wax, or microfiber towels. You'll just end up causing damage that you'll have to pay for a detail to take care of ater on.

 

You're good at math ML!
I was figuring about $100 which I think is a very reasonable investment. Except for about $30, these costs are for products which will last at least years. The $30 will probably last most people a season of detailing so again, very reasonable.
If the bug bites then one can expand this list to include clay, Slick, Monster Fluffies and Epic.

 

Lot's of good info here...my wife would kill me if I spent as much time on my car as some here describe.

Since I haven't done anything yet, is simple washing and Hydro is enough? Or does there need to be a base coat of something?

MiniMaybee...What kind of blade are you talking about for removing the water?

Kenchan...Recommend a tire dressing?

Any of this Prima stuff available on the shelf or is it only available from the web?

 

so far ive tried a couple of "endurance" ones, but they are hard to apply
(too think) and flings dressing on the fenders...this one is easy to apply
(almost thin as water so you can apply very thin = no flinging dressing)
and pretty much the same durability as the thicker ones. and you can
find these almost everywhere. spray onto an applicator and wipe on.

 

I use a jelly blade to get most of the water off before switching to a towel. I think you can get them at Pep Boys. Just keep it clean so there are no scratches when using it.
The Prima line is only available on the web. Try www.coopersport.com or www.detailersparadise.com for ordering and info. Heather at Detailers Paradise is one of the Detailing Forum's resident experts.
Oh and for tire/trim dressing I use this: Wizard

 

I would think that if you started with Hydro after a very very thorough wash, and kept up with it, you should be okay. It would probably be better with a layer of Epic under it but you're going for simple and less product accumulation so that's your choice.

The blade for removing water is the California Water Blade...there are a few other brands. I have the California one and got it at Target for maybe $10. Be absolutely CERTAIN all dirt is rinsed off the car before using it.

The Prima stuff is not "OTC" as we would say. You can get decent car washes (Meguir's Gold Class comes to mind) at Target and auto parts stores...but I don't think you can buy a product like Hydro anywhere but online...and while you were at that, I'd just do the rest of it online in one big swoop. And if you order from Detailer's Paradise this weekend, the Mystique will be free since they are closed for inventory. They ship quickly and it'll be there in no time. There are a lot of us here that were very religious to one line or another and slowly we've all started finding ourselves converting to Prima because of the quality

 

If it is between doing nothing and just using Hydro - use Hydro.
If you're interested in getting into some of the more detailed detailing then you might start with this thread: Link. There are lots and lots of threads with great how-to info from clay to PC.
Just spend some time reading and learning. Then decide how much you want to get into it and begin asking questions. We love to answer questions - makes us feel so smart and needed.

 

hi sin_mini... just to give you a perspective from someone that hasn't spent much time detailing cars it the past... i've learned a lot in this forum and actually have spent a lot of time detailing my MINI, but it's only because I've wanted to learn.

that being said, I have been using the Prima products mentioned here and they are really great and easy to use.

my recommendation is similar to above. a basic kit:
- good sheepskin washmit (got mine at wal-mart)... just make sure it says 100% wool
- two 5-gallon buckets (available at an auto store) and buy some grit guards online http://www.gritguard.com/ to keep the grit out of your mitt
- waffle weave drying towels (get 3, although 1 will dry a MINI)
- monster fluffy towels (get 3 also)... the best... very soft and will be very good to your paint
- some carwash soap/shampoo. I've used Meguiar's NXT which you can get at an auto supply store or Wal-Mart. I will be switching to Prima Mystique though, just because I like the Prima line
- Prima Hydro - great spray on wax-like product that gives some protection and lots of shine and can be used while drying the car, making that process not only easier, but more efficient since it gives you the shine, too. Hydro can also be used as a quick detailer for touchup cleanings.
- Prima Nero for black trim and interior plastics. Get some other Microfiber towels for this.
- Prima Clarity and the MF towel - this is an AMAZING glass cleaner... one of my favorite products after Hydro.

these items shouldn't cost too much as MLWagner pointed out and should keep your ride looking great.

good luck!

 

actually i found that the cal blade removes 'too much' water for
spray wax. ive been sticking with Griot's paintblade. it's a softer foam
and only works when you squeegee very gently.. like no pressure. the
opposite of how you use a cal blade. (well, calblade you apply
light pressure).

although cal blade is great on windows, etc...

 

What is the difference between these? Are they for different purposes?

(I am placing an order as I type...deciding whether I need both types of towels)

 

If you purchase good products you can keep your Mini looking really good for minimal work time. I wash my Mini every week (takes 30 min). I vacuum & detail the interior every 2-3 weeks (15-45 min). Every 2 months I throw on a coat of P21S carnauba wax (30 min). Twice a year I do a major polish/wax/detail (4 hours). My products differ from the ones most on NAM use & it's taken me 2 years to get my selections & routines down but I use:

Every week:

• Smart Carwash $10.99
• Wal-Mart Wash Bucket $5.00
• lambswool mitt $8.99
• 2 waffle weave MF towel $30.00
• Clarity Glass Cleaner w/MF glass cloth $12.95
• Ultimate Tire Protectant Gel $16.95
• Meguiar's Versa Angle Tire Brush $10.99
• Meguiar's Wheel Brush (has been discontinued )

Interior detail

• 303 Aerospace protectant $12.95

Major Detail:

• Porter Cable Orbital Polisher ($130ish)
• Meguair's Pads for Porter Cable ($40ish)
• Meguiar's Claybar w/Quick Detailer $16.99
• Meguiar's M80 Speed Glaze $15.50
• Klasse AIO $15.50
• Klasse Sealant Glaze $20.99
• P21S Carnauba Wax $31.95

So all my stuff runs around $380 up front (only $195 if your leave off the Porter Cable & accessories needed for it), that's not that bad You do have to drop some money up front but you need to realize that most of these products will last you a long, long time so it's really not that expensive (you will have to spend around $35 every 2-3 months for car shampoo, Clarity Glass Cleaner, & tire gel but the rest will last for quite awhile). Both Autopia & Detailers Paradise offer free shipping if you purchase enough so that will save you money on your initial purchase too.

I must say that if you have used subpar products in the past that is the reason that your results were not improved or less than satisfactory.
You want a waffle weave for drying. It sucks up the water better


p.s...I will warn you that the detailing bug is contagious. I used to think all the people on here were crazy & had OCD but alas I have now crossed over to the dark side & I can't stand it if my Mini isn't extra sparkly on a consistent basis

 

great post folks...I learnt a ton reading all that. Thanks a lot

 

One thing I'd like to add before using Hydro, make sure your paint has been properly kept. That is, wash the car. Clay the paint until it's smooth as glass. Yes even 3 month old paint will probably need claying. Apply a good coat of Epic (wax), let it dry. Wipe it off (will be a cinch after it's dry). Then from then on use Hydro.

Yes Hydro is easy to use, but you really should start with a good solid foundation and I would use Hydro as on going maintenance.

Not interested in polishing your car to reduce swirls? Check out these pix for how Hydro reduces the effect of swirls.













Amigo is also great at filling swirls









Either of these products can be used to minimize the effect of swirls on your paint. Hydro doesn't affect these defects as much, but it's so easy to use. It takes me 20 minutes to wash my MINI using the 2 bucket method and that includes 3 rinse passes, and waxing with Hydro.

 

definatly go with Hydro. works so well when drying the car, and it leaves an awesome shine (which can be enhanced with a layer of Slick, but then you become obsessive and do 5 layers and it gets expensive quick)

Try the Dual Pyle MF's they do a great job at everything (drying is good, just wring it out after its soaked, and it does great with Hydro)

Nero is awesome.

All of Prima is awesome.

 

^^ mcd- you layer slick? i didn't know you can do that.

 

Still didn't get an answer to this specific question. I understand that after I Hydro I use the towels to dry the car. But why were two types of towels listed? When are they used in the process?