New 07 Honda Civic - What To Do

[Mauretania]

I picked up the car December 5th, went out of town, Christmas and New Years came along and I've tried to research how to care for the exterior in between all of the above.

The colour is Royal Blue Pearl (in a sea of silver Lexuses) on our street.
2007 Honda Civic LX Coupe. I had to fight for months with the dealership to get it "plain"
without packages, extended warranties, paint sealants etc...

Here's what I bought to start:

Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash
Meguiar's clay package which included the Quik Detailer
Sheepskin Wash Mitt
An extra bucket (we only had one)
A couple of extra microfiber towels
Klasse Package including AIO, SG, a selection of microfiber towels/pads.
(the written instructions were missing from the package and are enroute!)

I couldn't wait for the instructions, because I had a small window this past weekend
to start the process. Also, I really want to protect the paint from the sun here in Texas.
Used info found online and on the back of the bottles. Used the terrycloth covered sponge provided in the kit for the AIO but I think I was supposed to use the microfiber pad.

I did the two-bucket method to wash the car, clayed it (didn't seem to be any bumps),
used AIO for 3/4 of the car (while being heckled by the bozos across the street ).
At that point it was late and I had to start making dinner for guests (saturday). I haven't had any free time to finish and now I have come down with a nasty cold/fever.

Now my questions:
I really have to go to the office the rest of this week(no highway driving). Will the paint
be okay in its current state until this coming weekend?
I'm assuming at that point I would have to re-wash the car, finish the AIO and then the SG.

After using the AIO, I found a small scratch on the right-hand side of the hood about a quarter of an inch in length AND a long streaky scratch on the passenger side, along the bottom panel between the wheel and the door. Is there anything I can do to fix these myself? I don't know any professional detailers to fix it.

BTW, I'm sure it shows that I've never detailed a car before. I know it's only a Honda but the colour is lovely and I would really like to keep it that way. One of our employees just bought a 2007 BMW 5-series sedan and she wants to try exterior detailing herself too after I told her about this site.

[Eliot Ness]

Originally Posted by Mauretania

.......I'm assuming at that point I would have to re-wash the car, finish the AIO and then the SG........

Welcome to Autopia, and yes, that is correct.

Is there anything I can do to fix these myself? I don't know any professional detailers to fix it.

If they aren't very deep you can try some ScratchX on them. You should be able to find some locally at a Wal-Mart or auto parts store. Below is a thread on how to use it:

How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX - Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online

[Mauretania]

Thank you, very much for the prompt reply.
I've been ill and hadn't had a chance to check back here.

I do have another question:

Cloth seats: what would be the best product to protect the cloth?
I naturally think of Scotchgard but I'm wondering if there is a "new and improved"
product on the market.

[aaron33]

Not really answering your questions, but a lint remover that is used for coats/suits is a handy tool to remove the buildup of dust on your cloth seats. I just use the same lint remover that I use for my suits.