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  1. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    13,415
    #1
    Cut and Paste from another forum. Edited a little to suit this board.

    Ive recently gotten several PMs and emails from people just starting out detailing. Most are questions about what products they should use. Thats a huge portion of what this and other detail sites are all about. It can be very confusing when you are starting out.

    We all understand that people want to get their feet wet without making a whole lifestyle commitment or major investment. Not everyone is going to take to detailing. Many "OTC" (over the counter) products work great and are inexpensive. They offer you readily available products that will allow you to try your hand at detailing and learn.

    The best advice I can give, is read before posting. Chances are your questions will be very basic and has been discussed over and over again before. Please read the old posts before posting. The search tool is also extremely helpful for the same purpose. Trying in different key words will yield answers to most questions. Almost any product you can think of, and its use, is there in the search. Searches by acronyms will return more results than actual product names.

    Reference the acronyms list:
    http://groups.msn.com/pinasdetailing...89936218038481

    Remember, there is much to learn and it will take effort on your part. If you dont find the answers you need after a few varied searches, you should post your questions in the appropriate forum.( Familiarize yourself with the proper forums by reading the forum descriptions under each forum name) Posting your question to the entire membership, instead of directing your question to one member, will increase your feedback and offer you more than one opinion. There is a huge base of experience and talent here to call upon.

    Yes, you can find lots of good products on the shelf of your local tool store, auto parts store and boaters supply. You dont have to make major online purchases to get started. Search out your local Ace, True Value, Handyman, Concorde, etc. for everything you need to make your car look fantastic and gain some valuable experience.

    Here are some personally recommended products you should be able to find on many retail shelves, including some detailing basics that I recommend you have.
    These products are widely available at many retailers. It should be very easy to find at least one product in every catagory and plenty to get you started.

    Dont limit yourself to the auto section only. Brushes and cleaners can also be found in the household cleaning section.

    Buckets- 3.5 gallon or larger is common. ( Home Depot, Lowes, discount stores )

    Wash Mitt- Genuine Sheepskin, you need at least 2. ( around 7 bucks at Target, Walmart, Etc. )

    Brushes- Upholstery, tires, wheels. ( discount & auto stores )

    Vacuum- Wet Vacs and attachments are available everywhere.

    Towels- Everyone carries some sort of microfiber now. No excuses.

    Drying Towel- Microfiber preferred, but the Absorber works great.

    Applicators- Foam is good for waxing and tire/trim dressing. Terry covered foam is ideal for interior vinyl/leather cleaning and dressing. Everyone has them.

    Car Wash- Eagle One, Mothers, NXT, Duragloss, Megs #00 so much more.

    Clay- Mothers, Soft99, Clay Magic. ( Kits usually include a quick detailer for lubricant. )

    Wheel Cleaner- Eagle One A2Z, Megs Hot Rims.

    Paint Cleaner- Mothers Pre-Wax Cleaner, Megs Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner.

    Scratch Remover- Mothers/3M.Eagle One Scratch Remover, Megs ScratchX.

    Polish/Glaze- Mothers Sealer and Glaze, Megs Deep Crystal Polish, ColorX, 3M IHG.

    Cleaner Wax- Mothers Carnauba Cleaner Wax( Carnauba) Mothers Reflections (synthetic)

    Wax (Carnauba)- Mothers 100% Carnauba, S100 Wax ( 1st choice, available at most Harley Davidson shops)

    Wax ( Synthetic)- Megs NXT

    Trim Dressing (Exterior)- Megs GC Trim Detailer, Vinylex, 303.

    Trim Dressing (Interior)- Vinylex, 303.

    Tire Dressing- Eagle One, Megs Endurance Gel, Megs NXT Tech Dressing, Vinylex, Armor All (AA was reformulated years ago. It is now a waterbased dressing that is cheap, available and works well on tires and wheel wells. Do not be afraid of the "urban legends" concerning this product.)

    Plastic Polish- Mother Plastic Polish, Megs PlastX

    Glass Polish- Duragloss ( Available at most NAPAs)

    Metal Polish- Mothers Metal Polish

    Chrome Polish- Mothers Chrome Polish

    Leather Cleaner/Conditioner- Lexol/Lexol

    Carpet/ Upholstery Cleaner- Most foaming cleaners like Tuff Stuff and Blue Coral work well for most cleaning. Dilluted Orange Blast works well on stains. Also recommend 1 part woolite and 6 parts water, premixed in a spray bottle. Carpet cleaners like Bissel, if on hand.

    Glass Cleaner- Eagle One 20/20, Stoners Invisible Glass, 3M, Sprayway.

    Engine Bay- Orange Blast, Simple Green, etc

    Quick Detailer- Eagle One Wipe & Shine, Mothers Showtime.

    Not everything is required but one product for each purpose is enough to detail and maintain almost any car that is in reasonably good condition. If you can get a handle on using these products and enjoy detailing, you will be better prepared to experiment with the more expensive enthusiasts products. Combine a little internet study with this starting point and you will ready to decide where you want to go from there. You will already have all you need to keep your car looking the best in your neighborhood.

    I hope this helps.

  2. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    231
    #2
    Obviously it's nice to clean the car everyday but is there a disadvantage to it? Like to much wash-punas cycle might gradually degrade the quality of the paint faster than usual? What would be the proper frequency of cleaning the car without degrading the paint finish? Is it okay to just wax and dust the car na lang occasionally? Wash only if there is stubborn dirt?

    Salamat po kung may sasagot :-)

  3. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    13,415
    #3
    My previous Corolla can answer your question. Armed with a factory 9 year old paint, it looked like this:







    This car is washed DAILY (almost) from 96-2000, waxed 2-3x a week.

    The car looked better than most 2 year old cars.

  4. Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Posts
    162
    #4
    Hi Theveed,

    Thanks for the detailing synopsis. It is a quick guide but informative. It really helps.

  5. Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    2,999
    #5
    gud day sir theveed can I use a variable speed drill retroffited with a small 3m waffle pad. I'm planning to remove light swirls with DACP.

  6. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    13,415
    #6
    If the question is "Can you" the answer will always be yes...

    But using a drill posesses several problems that can be problematic:
    1) Relatively small "workable" surface will increase likelihood of paint burn.
    2) Won't make sense if you're trying to do the whole car. Hand application will be much easier and more even.
    3) Extremely difficult to consistently keep a small pad level to the surface, increasing odds of buffer-induced swirls and holograms.

  7. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    13,415
    #7
    up ko lang to.

  8. Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    6,090
    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by theveed
    My previous Corolla can answer your question. Armed with a factory 9 year old paint, it looked like this

    The car looked better than most 2 year old cars.

    Does this mean daily washing is safe for the paint surface? If I dont wash the car with the use of shampoo, is that ok? Just using water and a microfiber towel, are these two ok or sufficient? Also as much as possible, I dont wax that often (maybe once a year) because I get this feeling that it (the wax) is eating the paint (even if the product packaging explicitly says it does not).

  9. #9
    Does this mean daily washing is safe for the paint surface?
    Yes.

    If I dont wash the car with the use of shampoo, is that ok? Just using water and a microfiber towel, are these two ok or sufficient?
    A car shampoo provides lubricity to minimize swirls on the paints surface. I prefer a washmitt over a microfiber when washing.

    Also as much as possible, I dont wax that often (maybe once a year) because I get this feeling that it (the wax) is eating the paint (even if the product packaging explicitly says it does not).
    You can wax as often as you want, a typical wax will last you a couple of weeks tops. A sealant will last longer. Your paint will love the protection a wax gives. Wax eating up your paint? Its a myth.

  10. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    13,415
    #10
    Does this mean daily washing is safe for the paint surface?
    Yes, as long as you're not using harsh chemicals for washing.

    If I dont wash the car with the use of shampoo, is that ok? Just using water and a microfiber towel, are these two ok or sufficient?
    In general, no. Just like you won't wash your hands without soap, you shouldn't do so for cars as well since soap acts as a surfactant that lifts the dirt off the paint and acts as a lube to minimize scratching and swirlling on the soft paint.

    If you're just trying to wash off LIGHT dust, then as long as you displace the dust with ample water, then it makes sense, but if it's dirty like after a rainfall on a dusty car, use shampoo, just use a little less than normal.

    Also as much as possible, I dont wax that often (maybe once a year) because I get this feeling that it (the wax) is eating the paint (even if the product packaging explicitly says it does not).
    Another myth, I think it's on the first few pages of the detailing thread.

    Waxing once or twice a year is almost the same as not waxing at all and waiting for the paint to dry up.

    Think about this, millions of car nuts around who are into keeping their cars looking new waxes often, and their cars look great for ages. While most people who give advices like "waxes thin up paint" almost always have a paintjob that's ready to crack or have already had a repaint. Who do you think is right?

    You might wanna check this out as well.

    Waxes are Bad Myth Argument

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