I'll take a "just *IMO*" stab at your Qs
I enjoy posts/perspectives like yours, where you're not after some extreme result, just a practical means of keeping a real-world vehicle in nice shape. Please forgive any typos or poor wording, I'm doing this kinda quickly
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Dawn - There was a thread on this a little while back. There were mixed responses however everyone seemed to agree that it should not be used for every wash. When is it ok to use Dawn?
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IMO it's an OK way to wash the car before doing a full-process detail, but also IMO Dawn is vastly over-rated as a wax stripper. The only time I use it is on real beaters (e.g., mechanic's loaners/rentals that I'm doing for kicks). It lacks the lubricity of regular shampoos and can thus make things worse marring-wise. I don't really see any point in your using it from what I'm assuming about your process.
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Cleaner/Wax - Most OTC brands have a 3 step system for car finishes. There is a polish, sealer/glaze, and then a wax. Correct me if I'm wrong on this: the polish rounds out the edges of the scratches, the glaze fills them in, and then the wax adds shine and protection. If I use a cleaner/wax in between full 3 step details, will that remove the glaze? When is a cleaner/wax appropriate to use?
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Note that in the
meguiar's three step Deep Crystal system the "cleaner" is mildly abrasive, the "polish" is nonabrasive (really just a glaze as I'd use the term), and the wax is, well, just a so-so wax.
Yeah, the cleaner/wax will clean off the glaze and whatever else is on there. Think of it as an "all-three-steps-combined" version, not quite as good as doing the three steps separately. FWIW, if the finish is in good condition, you might be perfectly OK using just a cleaner/wax topped with a "straight" (i.e., non-cleaner) wax. I've known plenty of people who did fine with that approach and I've used it myself with good results. Keep cleaner/waxes off trim, most OTC ones will leave white stains.
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Pre-Wax Cleaner - When is it ok to use this? Is it a replacement for clay if the car is not excessively dirty? Is it a replacement for polish if the car does not have swirls or cobwebbing?
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Generally they're safe to use any time you want to clean everything off the paint. No, not a substitute for clay (they both clean but via completely different processes). Can be a substitute for polish in the absence of marring, but there are some wide variations in what "pre-wax cleaners" really are (can't just generalize *too* much). It's not a substitute for nonabrasive glazes (e.g. the Deep Crystal Step #2). Some paint cleaners (e.g.,
Pinnacle PCL) do some polishing and filling, and these are great for the situation you mentioned.
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OTC Products - There are plenty of threads on which OTC products are worth buying. However, the overwhelming answer is that OTC products are never as good as their high-end special-order counterparts. But my question is, when is it worth the extra money and time for a regular guy like me to get a better product. In other words, what types of products should be bought OTC and which shouldn't. I'm guessing that polishes and clay are probably places where you don't want to skimp while good tire dressings and quick detailers are readily available OTC.
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Yeah, spend the extra on polishes, waxes, and clay. Note that going to an autobody/paint supply place can drastically expand your concept of "OTC" because they often have pro-level products on the shelf.
Depends who you ask. Some people swear by it, others swear *at* it. I'm one of the latter, I absolutely despise the stuff but it's just personal preference.
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RainX Orange Windshield Washer Fluid - Good or bad?
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Dunno, never tried it. I do fine with cheapie fluid. I expected issues when I tried not using fancy stuff but to my surprise the cheap stuff works fine. Note though that I clean my windows properly every day if necessary.
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Megs NXT - I have heard rumors that it contains fillers and cleaners in addition to the wax. Is that true? If it is, does it mean that I shouldn't use it as part of a 3-step polish, glaze, wax process?
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Yeah, true, but the cleaners are so mild that you can (according to
Meguiar's) use it after a glaze as long as you don't apply it super-aggressively. The fillers do a fair bit of concealing, I know a guy who uses it to hide some nasty marring on an old Jag and he's satisfied with how it looks (I wouldn't be, I think it looks awful, so bad I'd like to steal the car, polish it, and sneak it back into his garage- if he's reading this: hi, Bob, great car, just needs a good polishing).
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Please indicate the appropriate application for each of the PC Pads. Orange, Yellow, White, Blue, and Black. Is it ok to use a pad to remove product, or will be better off with a microfiber bonnet?
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Hard to generalize based on color these days, but using the Lake County colors:
Yellow- serious correction; orange- general correction; white- gentle polishing; blue/black- finishing and super-gentle polishing. No, don't remove product with a pad, use a MF bonnet. FWIW, in my experience removing polishes by bonnet doesn't work all that well in most cases but removing LSPs works very well.
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How do I know I'm buying quality microfiber? I see packages of 8 or 12 microfiber towels for $5 and then I see Meguairs selling a single towel for $4. Is there anything on the package that would indicate the quality of the towels?
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Hard to tell until you try them, but *IMO* you usually get what you pay for. I never skimp on MF, I buy what I consider good as you can get. Test them on CDs to make sure they won't mar your finish. I have cheapies for use around the house but I'd never touch the paint of my car with them. Meguiar's is about as cheap as I'd go for detailing use.
(or at least a lot more than I'd like) but:
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