Spring time paint decon & maintenance regimen

[Nix]

For @nat3d :

My personal recommendation for cleaning your paint after a long dirty winter. I'm a big fan of Chemical Guys, CarPro, and Optimum products. There are a lot of other great companies and products out there. This is just what I've found to be easy to work with and effective. Meguiars make a ton of products that work well also but you have to be careful between their consumer line and their professional D line of products.

Wheels First:

Get a good wheel brush and I like to use Optimum Power Clean for scrubbing tires. It pulls a ton of dirt out of them. Its also great for spraying down bug splattered bumpers and rocker panels. DO NOT LET IT DRY ON YOUR PAINT OR YOU WILL BE SORRY.
Optimum Power Clean
http://www.detailedimage.com/Optimum-OPT-M36/Power-Clean-P287/17-oz-S1/

Then use IronX or a good APC (all purpose cleaner) or PowerClean for the wheels. A good strong wash soap and a dedicated wheel mitt is fine too. Wash them first then ironX to dissolve brake dust and rinse again.

A great cheap APC is Meguiars D101 - $20 for a gallon. It dilutes way down to 10:1 for paint and interiors or 4:1 for stuff like wheels. It will last you years.
http://www.detailedimage.com/Meguiars-M43/All-Purpose-Cleaner-D101-Kit-P1157/




Foam Lance:
If you can afford a pressure washer a foam lance is a great way to loosen and get a ton of dirt off your car before you start. Foam lances need to be matched to the pressure washer you're getting as some don't have the right type of detachable nozzle to mate the lance to it. I would highly recommend looking at pressurewashersdirect.com for research.

They also sell the MTM foam lance attachment for the cheapest I have seen. Several detailing companies offer the lance rebranded and at a much higher price.

Depending on your washer brand, gas or electric, there are a couple options but here is the most common one for electric washers.

$60
http://www.pressurewashersdirect.com/MTM-Hydro-14.0349/p11216.html

The same lance is $85 from Chemical Guys
http://www.chemicalguys.com/MTM_Professional_Foam_Cannon_p/eqp_300.htm

They do have package deals on occasion but, for the $30 price difference you could buy a gallon of soap and still come out ahead.


If you're not going the foam lance route:

Hand Wash:
You need a strong soap to strip grime, dirt, and old wax products. A lot of the Chemical Guys soaps are great but they don't have one that they list as stripping old wax anymore. Also a lot of their soaps have gloss enhancers or wax mixed in. Great for maintenance washes after but not so great for initial cleaning. They also don't sell all their own products anymore and certain sizes you can only get offsite from other online retailers. Weird but ok, whatever they want right?

Soap comparison chart:

http://www.chemicalguys.com/category_s/296.htm

Best strong soap:
Chemical Guys Citrus Wash - available at detailed image but not CG directly.
http://www.detailedimage.com/Chemical-Guys-M31/Citrus-Wash-P410/16-oz-S1/

This stuff strips old wax. None of their "new" soaps do.

Second choice: CG Citrus Wash +Clear - this has gloss enhancers. You would have to mix it much stronger to strip old products. Still works great but not as strong as the regular Citrus Wash.
http://www.chemicalguys.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=CWS_302_CLEAR_16


Paint Decon - Chemical and Mechanical:
After the foam lance / hand wash with strong soap you should have pretty clean paint. You need to decontaminate the paint at this point. There are lots of "things" out there that get stuck in your paint that you can't necessarily see. This is where the clay bar comes in. Claying an entire car takes a long time...But wait! There is a better and faster way.

First, I highly recommend doing a chemical decontamination first. CarPro makes a product called IronX. It dissolves a lot of industrial fallout, rail dust, and other microscopic metal contaminants on your paint that you cant see. Its much easier to see on a light or white car but trust me, spray this on your car, wait a few minutes, then rinse it off. The stuff turns purple as it works.

Get the spray and use it on one panel at a time. This is the appearance of the stuff working. Its great for wheels too. Just try not to spray it directly on your rotors or brake pads. Just rinse the heck out of them if you do. Its not the worst thing.


Rinse the car well. Keep rinsing.


Next you would use the clay bar. The IronX step will remove so much stuff the clay step will be a lot faster. If you're ready to use the "new thing" then buy a polymer "clay" mitt. I have two and they are F-ing great. You'll be done in 20-30 min instead of an hour.

I have tried a couple of these so far and I found the NanoSkin AutoScrub Mitt to be the easiest to use. Its expensive but absolutely worth it.
http://www.detailedimage.com/NanoSkin-M54/AutoScrub-Fine-Wash-Mitt-P701/


You can buy their Glide product and use it as clay lube and with the mitt if you like. You should have a clay bar as there will be small places you can't get the mitt into so having a dual use product is great.
http://www.detailedimage.com/NanoSkin-M54/Glide-P626/16-oz-S1/


I prefer to mix up another bucket of soap solution and use that. I find that the Chemical Guys Glossworks Soap is a great lubricant for the mitt. The Glossworks soap makes a great maintenance soap also. Once your car is cleaned and waxed you don't want to be stripping off all that great protection and this soap fits the bill.
http://www.chemicalguys.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=CWS_133_16


After all that, your car should be damn clean and ready for polishing. If you're not going to polish then pick a wax/sealant and shine it up.

I'll make a follow up post below of just the shopping list.

 

[Nix]

APC & Strong Spray Cleaners:

Meguiars D101 All Purpose Cleaner - For wheels, tires, interiors, exteriors. Great for everything depending on dilution. Can be used with or in place of Power Clean.

http://www.detailedimage.com/Meguiars-M43/All-Purpose-Cleaner-D101-Kit-P1157/


Optimum Power Clean - Great for tires and is much stronger than the Meguiars but you can damage/stain your paint if you allow it to dry on there.

http://www.detailedimage.com/Optimum-OPT-M36/Power-Clean-P287/17-oz-S1/



Soap: You will most likely need 2 soaps. One for cleaning/stripping and one for maintenance.

Personal favorite strong soap:

Chemical Guys Citrus Wash - No gloss enhancers, wax, or other additives. Not wax safe, will strip them off. Thats what you want it for. Can be used in foam lances.
http://www.detailedimage.com/Chemical-Guys-M31/Citrus-Wash-P410/16-oz-S1/


Maintenance Soap:

Chemical Guys Glossworkz - Maintenance soap, works great in foam lances, and works great with the polymer "clay" mitt. Triple duty from one product. Very effective.
http://www.chemicalguys.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=CWS_133_16


Chemical Decon:

IronX - Buy it. Great for paint decon and wheel decon. Dissolved iron particles and other crap. Cuts way down on clay time.
http://www.detailedimage.com/CarPro-M54/IronX-Iron-Remover-P600/500-ml-S1/


"Clay" Mechanical Decon"

Get a clay bar if you don't have one. You'll need it. Get Fine Grade. You shouldn't need anything more aggressive.
Clay Lube:
Nano Skin Glide - Clay lube and lube for the polymer mitt
http://www.detailedimage.com/NanoSkin-M54/Glide-P626/16-oz-S1/

NanoSkin AutoScrub Polymer Mitt - Clay replacement - use it with the glide or a bucket with glossworkz. Using the gloss soap cuts down on products you need to buy.
http://www.detailedimage.com/NanoSkin-M54/AutoScrub-Fine-Wash-Mitt-P701/


Car is now damn clean. If you want to prep for polishing there is one more step you should take but thats a whole 'nother can of worms. Buy the small sizes and see what works for you. I would recommend the gallon of the Meguiars APC since its so cheap & get the bottle it comes with. The bottle has dilution ratios on the side of where to fill. Super useful.

EDIT: Maybe buy the gallon of Glossworks soap if you have a foam lance. You can use the soap for the lance, maintenance washes, and the "clay mitt."



EDIT2: What about waxes? Take your pick. I like Collinite 845 and Chemical Guys Blacklight. Both are easy to use. Pickup some CG Hybrid V7 spray to bring up the shine between full washes. If you have a foam lance a quick foam and rinse followed by a V7 wipedown should keep you looking good for weeks at a time.

 

[Nix]

If you want finishing products like tire dressing and trim dressing I can list those too. I just use optimum tire shine for tires and all black exterior trim.

http://www.detailedimage.com/Optimum-OPT-M36/Tire-Shine-P282/17-oz-S1/

 

[nat3d]

As always @Nix amazing list! Thank you so much lol.

 

[Nix]

@ClearCutSi is a great detailer too. He may have some suggestions as well. This list is just my quick and easy to use products.

 

[twister8008]

Great list man! I'm lucky if I have time for an hour of washing

 

[ClearCutSi]

Great write up here @Nix!

There are a few things to save you time also:

Ironx Soap. It's a good Pre Wash soap that decontaminates the paint and will react to particles on all surfaces of your vehicle ( if deluded properly) do not allow to dry on any surface.

In addition to the nano skin mitts, CarPro also carries Decon Blocks. This makes life a little easier and saves a lot of time over claying.

If your vehicle is in great shape and you're looking to maintain good gloss and protection HydroFoam is always a good go to. It gives a 4 month protection with a simple wash of a vehicle.

(not sure if Nix touched base on this)
For all the people who are in watering restricted areas. ONR (optimum no rinse) from Optimum is also available. Works great if used properly. One thing to always remember pay attention to your Microfibers! Make sure they are paint safe! You could have the best products and tools in the world but if you don't know how to use them, It doesn't mean a thing.


Lastly, if you don't want to deal with all this, higher a pro! Just remember, good work isn't cheap and cheap work isn't good!

Saw this gem on the road today.

 

[Nix]

Thanks for the backup!

There are tons of products out there. Finding what works best for you and what you like is tricky and fun at the same time.

ONR (optimum no rinse) is fantastic. I've used it for years in various apt. parking lots. If you're stuck washing at an apt. complex it will be your best friend. It works surprisingly good at removing road grime. One bucket, ONR and a sponge/MF mitt lets you wash in places you didn't think you could. Turns out my complex has a car wash station with a hose! I didn't know about it for the last year and half!

Always consider hiring a pro if you really want to see how good your car can look! Those guys are amazing. I'm a hobbyist detailer and I enjoy it but guys like @RaskyR1 and clearcut are on another level.


@ClearCutSi -OMG, that tailgate! I seriously though they had a mountain range airbrushed on there for a second. Thats horrible!

 

[webby]

lol I thought it was a mountain range painted on the tailgate initially as well.

 

[nat3d]

@Nix or @ClearCutSi what about matte finish vinyl? Would any of this be detrimental to the matte finish?

 

[Nix]

Yes. There are special products made for matte finishes. You run the risk of damaging the flat look and making those areas smooth and shiny.

 

[ClearCutSi]

@nat3d Dr. Beasleys makes the best products for matte finishes (Protection and decontamination) For washing and Maintenance I would use Chemical guys Matte wash.

 

[nat3d]

@nat3d Dr. Beasleys makes the best products for matte finishes (Protection and decontamination) For washing and Maintenance I would use Chemical guys Matte wash.

Thanks man. My car has matte vinyl stripes and their kinda annoying to take care of

Don't cringe too much that I did it at a public wash. I had to do something for it as it was filthy and I'm not in my new place yet.

 

[webby]

Thanks man. My car has matte vinyl stripes and their kinda annoying to take care of

Don't cringe too much that I did it at a public wash. I had to do something for it as it was filthy and I'm not in my new place yet.

Any touchless bays around? The biggest issue is the brush at the bay. That's where swirls and scratches get into your paint.

 

[twister8008]

Thanks man. My car has matte vinyl stripes and their kinda annoying to take care of

Don't cringe too much that I did it at a public wash. I had to do something for it as it was filthy and I'm not in my new place yet.

I like your stripes. I have been tossing the idea around in my head to add stripes to my car. I was thinking about adding black stripes to my PMM car. I thought it would look pretty cool.

 

[ClearCutSi]

Thanks man. My car has matte vinyl stripes and their kinda annoying to take care of

Don't cringe too much that I did it at a public wash. I had to do something for it as it was filthy and I'm not in my new place yet.

Like webby said, the brushes are the worst things about these washes. You don't know what the last person did or washed with them. I know people that bring their own mitt and bucket with a grit guard to these places which helps.

Nice car and yes, the matted stripes can get frustrating to maintain from what owners that have similar set ups tell me.

 

[webby]

I know people that bring their own mitt and bucket

I've done that a couple of times in a pinch. I just would go to a place with a ton of bays at a really odd time, so no one would say anything or be waiting on me. I'd rinse the car, shoot soap all over, then fill up my bucket. I didn't sit there and detail the car for a long time, but I knew it had to be better than the brushes. I've seen people take mud and whatnot off their 4 wheelers, jeeps, and whatever else after offroading.

 

[nat3d]

Any touchless bays around? The biggest issue is the brush at the bay. That's where swirls and scratches get into your paint.

Yeah but it never takes care of the hatch imo. What I did was just used the brush on my glass and held it over my car for the foam.

I like your stripes. I have been tossing the idea around in my head to add stripes to my car. I was thinking about adding black stripes to my PMM car. I thought it would look pretty cool.

Thank you man! I didn't like them at first then after having the car an hour I fell in love lol.

Like webby said, the brushes are the worst things about these washes. You don't know what the last person did or washed with them. I know people that bring their own mitt and bucket with a grit guard to these places which helps.

Nice car and yes, the matted stripes can get frustrating to maintain from what owners that have similar set ups tell me.

This will be the last time I ever use one because I get in to my new place the 14th and I'm getting a pressure washer once I'm in so I'll never have a need to pay for a wash again.

 

[twister8008]

Yeah but it never takes care of the hatch imo. What I did was just used the brush on my glass and held it over my car for the foam.

Thank you man! I didn't like them at first then after having the car an hour I fell in love lol.

This will be the last time I ever use one because I get in to my new place the 14th and I'm getting a pressure washer once I'm in so I'll never have a need to pay for a wash again.

A lot of people think racing stripes only look good on muscle cars, but I think they would look good on the civic too if done right.

 

[nat3d]

A lot of people think racing stripes only look good on muscle cars, but I think they would look good on the civic too if done right.

I like the single offset stripe or a large and small offset dual stripe if that makes sense.

But frankly man if you like it on your car screw what other people think. It's your damn car.