Lets talk Cleaning supplies and wash method

[Black Flagged]

Originally Posted by zero-2-sixty

why pressure wash your paint which can embed grime and gunk in it. hand wash with 2 bucket method. when rinsing, let the water sheet off paint. once dry then use high quality clay bar to get ultra smooth debris free surface in preparation for polish and waxing or sealing.

That is a great question, but I'm not embedding the grim in the paint. There is a layer of wax between the clear and grim and when hitting with a pressure washer the grim just floats off. Put it this way I never use a clay bar because there no need to. The only damage I received is when I took it for service. I told them don't wash it and they did it anyways. I could see a few marks here and there, was not good. I can't stress how much a little wax can do for the paint. Here my E88 I have had for 50 months now. In the pic you can see the garage door opener on the ceiling. The paint is like a mirror

[zero-2-sixty]

so the key to your success has been constantly applying coats of wax between washes, so you are layering wax on that prevents grime from adhering to the surface. that's an interesting technique....but assuming you are diligent about constantly waxing it makes sense since the wax will not deteriorate given repeated application. I have been having good success with using a sealant from Griot's Garage and liquid wax from the same company. I figure putting wax on top of sealant can't hurt.

[HBWT]

Zaino Glass Polish all exterior glass
Dawn to clean down to the paint...or Ultima Paint Guard Wash for washing maintenance
MF towels to wash...2 Buckets only...NO sponges allowed
Leaf blower and Waffle weaves to dry
Clay-Zaino preferred but Mother's will do
Machined 3M Finesse-it Light or Dark depending on paint color for swirl and minor blemishes
Zaino PC for final polishing
Wolfgang sealant
Zaino Grande Finale Spray Seal on top...amazing stuff!
Zaino Perfect Tire Gloss
Zaino Leather in a Bottle (cleaner and conditioner)
1Z Gummipfledge for rubber weatherstripping applied with Q-tip
Ultima Paint Guard Plus for wheels
DONE!

[PleaseAdvise]

Ugh someone scratched the shit out of my car by leaning on it with shit on their belt, i dont think it cut the clear but ill post pics tomorrow. I couldnt get a fingernail in it so im guessing the cut is inside the clear. What do you guys usually do for scratches, buff and pray?

[popopine]

I protect my baby with a thick layer of salt in the winter and a light blanket of dirt in the summer.

[improvius]

Originally Posted by popopine

I protect my baby with a thick layer of salt in the winter and a light blanket of dirt in the summer.

I prevent swirls in the finish by not buying black cars.

[HBWT]

Originally Posted by PleaseAdvise

What do you guys usually do for scratches

Start with a medium-cut polish and go finer once the scratch is gone. For deeper scratches it may be necessary to use compound or even fine wet dry sandpaper(4000)

[Shock96]

I haven't washed my X1 yet, but I use the 2 bucket method. Pre rinse with water (pressure wand). Then I pre soak with some standard Maguires GOLD wash, then wash with the same.

I have been using Zymol paste, )Porsche guy required ya know), but I am out and Zymol can be a long time in application. So now I have been using Eagle One NanoWax spray.

It goes on quick and doesn't affect the black trim at all. I put it on rather heavy and wipe right away which leave it damp. I then take a dry microfiber cloth and go over the whole car to remove any residue.

It dries nice and hard and quite slick. Looks great and sheds dirt pretty well. It doesn't last that long in the rainy season so I reapply every 2 months.

It is very economical and gets good ratings. Not as long lasting or nice as the Zymol, but much quicker to apply. That means a lot to me as I am disabled now.

[Drlu23]

I've been a chemical guys fan for my X1. I use the Eco wash in winter; Mr. Pink for spring wash then claybar, M-seal twice, triple x carnabu wax twice and the V07 detailed. Looks amazing once I'm done until a bird drops a duece on it later that week!

[zeevette]

Originally Posted by HBWT

Zaino Glass Polish all exterior glass
Dawn to clean down to the paint...or Ultima Paint Guard Wash for washing maintenance
MF towels to wash...2 Buckets only...NO sponges allowed
Leaf blower and Waffle weaves to dry
Clay-Zaino preferred but Mother's will do
Machined 3M Finesse-it Light or Dark depending on paint color for swirl and minor blemishes
Zaino PC for final polishing
Wolfgang sealant
Zaino Grande Finale Spray Seal on top...amazing stuff!
Zaino Perfect Tire Gloss
Zaino Leather in a Bottle (cleaner and conditioner)
1Z Gummipfledge for rubber weatherstripping applied with Q-tip
Ultima Paint Guard Plus for wheels
DONE!

I like Z6 much more as a finish spray. I tried the Grand Finale, and it was too much work for no more shine than the 6. Great products anyway, and I like cotton diapers for all finish work.

[Gunric]

I have e Nevada black leather on my 2015 X1. Does anyone know what surfaces are leather vs some sort of pleather? It seems like the dash, or part of it, maybe leather.

[PleaseAdvise]

Originally Posted by Gunric

I have e Nevada black leather on my 2015 X1. Does anyone know what surfaces are leather vs some sort of pleather? It seems like the dash, or part of it, maybe leather.

To be honest I just use Leather cleaner on all of it! Clean it all and let god sort it out!



So in other news, bought alot more stuff to try out from chemical guys. Scratch/swirl remover, with a heavy polishing pad on my sisters 2003 Honda Accord. Used Jet Seal and butter wax as well, and the results were AWESOME. Highly recommend them. Really brought a tired, swirled, scratched, and oxidized surface back to life.

A Before pic with a close up of the split where i buffed the hood. You can see how tired and chipped up this paint is up close!

I just did the hood because I ran out of time. I've been taking certification classes and they suck up all my time I'm going to attempt this agian on the 30th ish because thats when ill have the car for a full day.