Preventing swirls and surface scratched while washing and waxing

[oregonduckman]

I use the 2 bucket method and a lambskin glove, a synthetic chamois, and clean microfiber towels when washing my car. I also use PP21S wax with the applicator that comes in the jar. I just took delivery of a Dark Brown Metallic Acura and would like some advice on avoiding the defects I experienced (probably introduced) with my last car, any tips and advice would be appreciated.

[gravytime]

sounds like all you`re missing is some grit guards for your buckets.

[General Lee]

Lets see........ you could dedicate a wash mitt for upper surfaces and one for lower surfaces (rocker panels and such). Rinse your wash mitts with the hose prior to dunking them into the rinse bucket. I would do away with using the chamois for drying and switch to a quality waffle weave towel.

[imported_DieselMDX]

I use 2 diff mits also



my biggest improvement is using a SLICK QD when drying and a SOFT MF towel

[Accumulator]

oregonduckman-Welcome to Autopia!



First off, you oughta make sure that all your wash/dry media are soft enough that they won`t mar the paint in-and-of themselves. I`d CD-test said media both before the first use and regularly thereafter. After that, it`s a matter of not grinding the abrasiv dirt *against* the paint.



Think how sandpaper works; that`s what wash media turns into once it`s contaminated with dirt.



I use a foamgun to provide constant lubrication and flushing; I spray the foamgun`s output at the point of wash media/paint contact...the idea is "dislodge and flush".



I do the initial passes with a Boar`s Hair Brush, which is very gentle (actually *too* gentle to get all the dirt off when used properly). This gets the "big stuff off". Then I follow up with mitts, which are a little more aggressive and can get the tenacious "road film" etc. off. Again, spraying all the while with the foamgun.



By the time you dry, the car should be dirt-free, so there shouldn`t be any marring from that. A little spritz of QD will provide some additional lubrication/encapsulation to help prevent marring from any residual dirt. "Blotting" as opposed to "wiping" can help too, but that gets to be a pain.



Waxing shouldn`t cause any marring as the wax (and hopefully the wax applicator) oughta be nonabrasive anyhow.