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I have a 2016 MCS Moonwalk Grey with black bonnet stripes and a 74 year old body with arthritic knees and a bad back. So my days of wash, dry and wax are long gone.
Have been looking at following brands of "spray and wipe" waxes:
Plan is always get brushless wash first at nearby Shell station (always fill there with93 octane), come home and apply "spray wax and dry."
Questions are:
1. Have been told okay to use microfiber cloth or clean tee shirt (which one)
2. Any danger of these products scratching paint
3. Which of the three (or other brand) do you all recommend
Really love this car and planning on keeping a long time. Thought of "opti-coating" when I first took delivery but SWMBO put the kabosh on that one.
Thanks in advance for any and all thoughts and tips!
I think if you already have had the car washed I'd go with Griot's Spray-On Wax #10962. I use it after every wash and it does a nice job. Use one microfiber to spread it around and another for final buff. I buy it, Speed Shine, and Interior Cleaner in gallon sizes since it's more economical that way. Can't comment on the other products. Any product can scratch if dirt still remains on the finish, but the best ones have the lubricity to help with that- along with good microfiber.
I've used Meguiar's G3626 Ultimate Waterless Wash & Wax for spot cleaning. I'm not the least bit **** about swirls, etc. at this point in life. Works for me. Gives a nice shine.
Top quality clean microfiber is key. Griot's products are what I've been using for 8 years or so and swear by them. The spray on wax reinforces the wax coat laid on earlier and the Speed Shine is great for touch up. I also use a California duster in between.
I can't comment on the specific product, but I have a word of warning. I have a 2017 MCS in Moonwalk, and I already had to have a professional detailer come out and fix my hood. Had bird etching on it after letting bird doo sit for a couple of days. It didn't crack the paint, but NOTHING would remove the hard-water type stains that the huge bird dropping left behind. The detail guy came out with buffing pads and a machine.
I grew up thinking that you DON'T wax a brand new car/new paint job for a least a few months, so I didn't. Now I know I should have put a good coat of wax on it the second I got it home to protect it and now I use a spray cleaner if a bird hits it again.
I won a Griot's car care kit in a raffle my local MINI club held. Included was some microfiber towels and Griot's spray on car wax as well as spray on car wash. I was sceptical about these products, but after trying them, I was sold on them.
The spray on wax should be used in addition to a good wax job, it will extend the life of the existing wax. I now buy these product by the gallon. It is best to use microfiber towels, as they pull grit down below the surface of the towel to help prevent scratches.
Top quality clean microfiber is key. Griot's products are what I've been using for 8 years or so and swear by them. The spray on wax reinforces the wax coat laid on earlier and the Speed Shine is great for touch up. I also use a California duster in between.
Ditto to that. I do the same thing & my JCW is all black! Really keeps it nice & clean!
I have used Prima products for years and really like them. My usual routine (other than at least one full on detail per year) is using Hydro Max every 4 - 6 months as the stuff lasts a long time, then at every wash I use Hydro which is both a drying agent and a wax that helps boost the longevity of the Hydro Max. Have had great experience with their products and customer service.
Clean the car normally (I prefer hand wash over anything) and then use the spray wax. It's much easier than the traditional wax. Make sure your MINI is very clean and use a clean microfiber cloth that is heavy plush. Watch the rear of your MINI where dust collects and make sure you are always flipping and knocking out the towel. I like to snap it and fold to a clean side. I use chemical guys speed wipe.
If you can't hand wash, then its time to train a grandson/grandchild or someone else to wash it for you. Or have it done at your dealership. Most MINI dealers have free hand washes if you book it out. That way it will be clean and swirl free.
Those automatics dont get all the dirt off. Then if you use a spray wax and drive through only, after a while your will get swirl marks from the dirt that never comes off.
my only $0.02 is if the days of "washing and waxing" are over due to body aches, it may not be a bad idea to get a "serious" detail done with the use of a ceramic coating on CQuartz, Opticoat, or GTeckniq. it's a much stronger coating that protects the paints from the likes of bird poop, swirls, etc...
i'd imagine a coat like that would allow the car to lost longer with minimal/easier detailing vs trying to maintain it with a spray and wipe solution. inevitably, the spray and wipe will produce scratches/swirls. just a thought.
note that a ceramic coat is expensive $1000+ BUT the results are unbelievable. nowadays, depending on what type of dirt is on my car, i've been able to not even wash it. i just use a pressure washer and wet, soap it up with a foam cannon, let it sit, pressure wash it off, and then use a leaf blower to clear the water.
edit: saw your last statement on SWMBO...do it and dont' say anything..."why's it so shiny"..."i'm that good honey get me my beer"
my only $0.02 is if the days of "washing and waxing" are over due to body aches, it may not be a bad idea to get a "serious" detail done with the use of a ceramic coating on CQuartz, Opticoat, or GTeckniq. it's a much stronger coating that protects the paints from the likes of bird poop, swirls, etc...
i'd imagine a coat like that would allow the car to lost longer with minimal/easier detailing vs trying to maintain it with a spray and wipe solution. inevitably, the spray and wipe will produce scratches/swirls. just a thought.
note that a ceramic coat is expensive $1000+ BUT the results are unbelievable. nowadays, depending on what type of dirt is on my car, i've been able to not even wash it. i just use a pressure washer and wet, soap it up with a foam cannon, let it sit, pressure wash it off, and then use a leaf blower to clear the water.
edit: saw your last statement on SWMBO...do it and dont' say anything..."why's it so shiny"..."i'm that good honey get me my beer"
no matter your age, there's a lot of good advice here !!!
Foaming, washing, drying, polishing and waxing = a lot of time.
The spray detailers/waterless cleaners work well if you use a lot of high quality microfiber towels. However, as Greg stated, this will eventually lead to swirls and fine scratches in the paint/clear coat.
For those with Xpel or similar clear protection film, does the film scratch easily when using the detailers spray and wipe method? (I'm talking about minor dust build up such as driving for 2 days after the car has been detailed, then using the detailers spray or a waterless wash spray.)
trouble1943....I hear you as I'm not far behind (1946). I've used this product for the past 4 years on both cars and I swear by it. My last big vehicle was black metallic, and I could use this without even washing first! No swirls. It's not a 6 month wax, but I can do my Mini in 20-25 minutes very easy labor, and the acrylic coating is hard. I'm not in any way "related" to this product-detail guy tipped me on it. https://www.ultraluster.com/our-products
