Hellokitty123

I tried washing my own car and found a lot of scratches all over the body. Am I doing something wrong? I just use water and dried it with regular towels. Now, I am using microfibers to dry and still see these scratches.
Are these scratches reversible?

Is it a good idea to just take it to a car wash?

JGA5Cab

I notice the same thing. My car is so scratched up. I tend to think the paint is too soft or something.

Car washes are real bad for the car. Don't even think of it.

Omeletpants

What color?

wreck111

Relax yes you can get it back to perfect. I would suggest going and getting it polished and waxed by someone that knows what they are doing. Always rinse the car down first and then start from the top and use a good car wash only with a soft micofiber cloth or mitt. Let it air dry most of the way and then use a good micro fiber towel and a quick detail spray to finish. Here are some items I like:
http://www.autogeek.net/carnauba-car-wax.html Max Wax ( great product) wax only! http://www.autogeek.net/cobra-guzzler-hd-towel.html Cobra Guzzler for drying http://www.autogeek.net/the-bone.html The Bone for washing!
http://www.autogeek.net/finish-kare-425-detailer.html Finish Care Quick spray on detailer with a micr fiber towel, your car will shine!

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...e+Wash+and+Wax Orpine wash and wax. Great for cars and boats..
freeportmarine.com OrPine Wash And Wax. This is the best wash I have found.

http://www.chemicalguys.com/Wheel_Wax_p/wac_303.htm For your wheels

http://www.chemicalguys.com/Light_Du..._p/com_103.htm Light compound


http://www.chemicalguys.com/CLAY_BAR..._p/cly_102.htm Clay Bar



Learn how to do it right. Take a course. You should never see any swirls under a light. Never use any acid on your wheels. Use Diablo on a cold wheel only. Great stuff and will not hurt anything.

http://www.chemicalguys.com/Diablo_G..._p/cld_997.htm


Never take it to a car wash. These idiots even in a brushless wash always pre wash it with dirty bushes or towels. STAY AWAY! Once you get the hang of it you can do a nice detail on the outside of the car in less than 20 minutes and it should be perfect. The twin spoke wheels are super easy to get your hand inside and clean and dry.
Enjoy!

PDong

Get a good sponge (Zymol makes a very good one) or get a sheepskin mitt.

The consensus best wax on the cheap is Duragloss 105, available at Napa and Carquest, dirt cheap, great protection. If it's black, you probably need to consider a sealant instead. I prefer Menzerna FMJ, but it's $40 a bottle. It'll last longer on black as it heats up more with the sun.

Hash Brown

You are going to have swirls in almost any paint. I worked as a detailer for 4 years and it is possible to get rid of most of them, but it takes a lot of work.

First you will need to wash the car using the 2 bucket method(if you dont know, just google it, its a well know process). You will need to use a soap that actually strips old wax off the car, not some cheap store bought car wash.

Next you will need to clay bar the entire car. It is a tedious process but very worth it. I would recommend reading up on clay bars if you have never used one, they can be tricky.

Then you will need to wash the car again using the two bucket method to get all the residue off from claying.

Now you will start the polishing step. I would go with a Porter Cable 7424 dual action orbital buffer, it can't burn your paint like a regular buffer and will cut your work load in half. You can check it out here... http://www.autogeek.net/po.html

Use a cutting pad on the Porter Cable with a nice polish that has some cutting ability for the first step. Next use a finishing pad with a good wax. Finally finish it off with the finishing pad and a sealant or glaze.

Of course use microfiber towels and wash mitt for all of this.

I promise you, your car will look better than it did rolling off the showroom floor.

rocknS4

You could save yourself alot of time by just taking your car to a good detailer and shelling out a couple hundred bucks. It'll look fantastic without swirl marks.

Hellokitty123

GOod infos here.
I am gonna start out by washing in 2 bucket method. Then learn to wax and detail as I go.
For now, if i take it to a professional detailer, then they should take care of the swirls right?


My question is what do I do with the washing supplies (mitts, microfibers, waffle weaves, etc) after the car wash? Do I put it in the washer or hand wash it and hand dry it?

myriadshalaks

i second the menzerna. that stuff works great. i got the whole case for about 80. has the full metal jacket, the polish, the wash, the wax, some cloths and some polishing circles. car has never looked better.

i clay bar too before polish and wax.

pwyll

Question - Why do you only wash with water? No soap?

Also, do you rinse the car thoroughly before you start to wash? One grain of sand that gets stuck in your towel or mit can do alot of damage.