New to detailing, advice appreciated

[apr1209]

So I stumbled upon this forum and through past experience and reputation, I have decided to use Mother'sproducts exclusively for my exterior. I have gone through many threads and seem to only be getting more confused, so I would apppreciate any advice specific to my vehicle. I bought a brand new 2011 Chevy Cruze Eco with a Crystal Red Metallic Tintcoat and polished aluminum wheels about a year ago and have really neglected the exterior( said i never would, but the Navy life can be a busy one). I have only thoroughly cleaned the car by hand twice in addition to a monthly drive-through wash, which on one occasion left some minor scratches to the right rear bumper. Overall the paint still has a good shine and depth with a few minor scratches, swirls are present(not sure if spider webs or other but probably from dropping my towel and continuing washing). I have decided to finally give my baby the care it deserves and needs. I am also interested learning about new techniques and products because I will buying a Corvette when I put on LTJG. From what I have read on here, I was planning on going with CG wash, CG clay bar system, Polished Aluminum Wheel Cleaner, but I am now stumped when it comes to polish/wax. I would love to have the car looking brand new and am willing to put in whatever time/effort it takes initially so that is not a concern. From reading the other posts I should inform you i will probably only be doing extensive detailing 3-4 times a year on my cruze with bi weekly washing. I park my car outside in the DC area and do not have a cover. I know this is not optimal but this is what I have to deal with at this time. I drive almost exclusively on the highway and car is in parking garage at work. Price is not a concern so I am willing to buy the 3 step for this initial process and switch to something else after. Open to all recommendations on towels, brushes, etc. I apologize for the length but hope to minimize multiple post when i can knock it all out in one. Thank you all, hope to hear back soon.

P.S. I have read and seen elsewhere prefered washing/polishing/waxing motion is side to side, up and down vs. what I always heard was circles(Mr. Miyagi-style). Any truth to this?

[Forrest T.]

Welcome. I'd suggest you look at a program that starts:

Proper car wash
Clay bar kit
Defect removal (you'll need a machine like a Porter Cable 7424 or a Flex with the appropriate pads- cutting polishing and finishing and a polish like our Power Polish or professional Foam Pad Polish.

With the color, you could go with our Ultimate Wax System Step 2 Micro-Polishing Glaze followed by Step 3 Brazilian Pure Carnauba Wax or, for a simple program, a one step like our California Gold Synthetic Wax or California Gold Brazilian Carnauba Cleaner Wax (I'd go with the synthetic).

Maintain with weekly washing and Spray Wax.

Your wheels are factory coated, so I think you'd want the Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaner instead of the Polished Aluminum Cleaner ( which is made for non-coated wheels).

Circular application of wax helps to ensure complete coverage with its overlapping motions.

BTW, invest in a good wash mitt and some quality microfiber towels and applicators. Technique is everything.

Good luck.

[abnot]

Originally Posted by apr1209

P.S. I have read and seen elsewhere prefered washing/polishing/waxing motion is side to side, up and down vs. what I always heard was circles(Mr.
Miyagi-style). Any truth to this?

Forrest covered the basics.

As for your last question as for wiping motions. I have seen the various philosophical debate but no one has proven anything - a lot of theory on both sides. Use what is comfortable to you. I tend to wash in linear since it just seems to work better for me. I apply waxes by machine most times so that is in a more circular motion.

The more important point is that whenever you touch the paint for whatever reason touch it with care -- using clean high quality applicators and towels without a lot of pressure. Observe as you work and switch out as needed if something gets dirty so you not not rubbing the paint with dirt.

For example, if you use Mothers Pure Polish (Pre-wax cleaner), do not expect to use the same applicator for the entire job. Clean applicators work better and more efficiently as well.

[apr1209]

Thanks for the advice guys. I went to pep boys($3 Off each Mother's product) and got the CG wash,clay bar kit, synthetic wax, and Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaner. Picked up 2 buckets, 6 microfiber cloths, and 6 foam applicators as well. I eyed the lambs wool mitt but couldn't justify paying triple what a microfiber mitt cost so i just bought the 6 pack of MF towels, is it a worthy investment over microfiber?

[abnot]

Originally Posted by apr1209

Thanks for the advice guys. I went to pep boys($3 Off each Mother's product) and got the CG wash,clay bar kit, synthetic wax, and Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaner. Picked up 2 buckets, 6 microfiber cloths, and 6 foam applicators as well. I eyed the lambs wool mitt but couldn't justify paying triple what a microfiber mitt cost so i just bought the 6 pack of MF towels, is it a worthy investment over microfiber?

I tend to favor the mf mitts over the some of the cheaper wool mitts (quality varies a lot more, some are synthetic and not real wool).

[ffboy]

If cost is really an issue, I would just use the microfiber ones and focus more on proper techniques and quality car wash. Honestly, I use the cheaper microfiber/chenelle ones but so far its been smooth sailing. My car is silver anyway so the swirls (although minimal) aren't noticeable to the average person. You can get away with using the less expensive wash mitts by using proper techniques in washing your car and looking at your purchases, you are definitely on the right track.

But Yes, in my opinion. A good quality wash mitt will allow good cleaning without putting in swirls, because many if not a majority of the swirls that are inflicted are caused by poor car wash techniques. And looking at the pic of your car, it looks good and the paint looks to be on the darker shade. And dark colors usually show more swirls than light colors so a good wash mitt is worth the added cost. Either that or regularly find yourself correcting paint or using glazes to conceal swirls caused by lower quality wash mitts.

As for proper product application, the important thing here is to use clean/fresh applicators and not to put too much pressure. Doing so will also minimize swirls, if your applicator is clean, using straight line or circular motions won't matter. The reason why straight line technique is used is for safety reason. It will be easier to remove scratches that are applied in straight lines than circular ones.