Best Recommendations for all this...

[mnctx2011]

Guys,



First off, I am not a professional detailer, just a DIY enthusiast with a case of OCD thrown in...LOL



I must say, I came across this site by accident and now even more flustered than before with all the choices. I have reviewed so many threads and got to understand all the acronyms so I could decipher many of the posts, but what I am trying to do is reduce the list of products I have made to possibly one or two brands if possible, or alternatively a list of 5-6 products that I can then buy in bulk and use. I like to do all my own cleaning and after reading all the threads, found out that I need to rethink the whole process and throw out the OTC products and stop going to the car washes when I don`t have the time. BTW, I would prefer to do things by hand as do not want to risk messing up with powered machines.



With that said, here is what I have to clean and maintain.



2008 Mercedes S550 White

2008 Mercedes GL550 White (driven everyday)

2008 Ford F250 King Ranch White (never parked inside and driven everyday)



Off road motorcycles, ATV`s and UTV`s.



I always use a hose first, so not necessarily looking for quick wash products. I would like to find good washing, degreasing through final step products to use for exteriors. Good trim and vinyl protectant and leather cleaner/conditioner. I do not like any gloss appearance on interior surfaces. All my vehicles are in excellent condition so do not need to do any major paint correcting. On the toys, good plastic protectant that will protect from UV and NOT attract any dust.



I am hoping this can be reduced to just a few products.



Thanks again and a great site for a lot of info.

[BigAl3]

I would prefer to do things by hand as do not want to risk messing up with powered machines.



trust me, buy a DA (it`s safe, even for the beginner and has a quick learning curve) you will not be dissappointed and you`ll wonder why you didn`t get one alot sooner. the PC7424XP, Megs G110v2 and Griots 6" random orbital are all great choices...

[mnctx2011]

Thanks for the response



A couple things since I last posted my questions.



I found a post by Scottwax



"-Scottwax "how I wash cars" thread (contains current product list):

Since others are posting "how I wash cars" threads, here is mine - Autopia.org"



I have read a great deal of his posts and since he is also in TX, I would assume his products are also the best for our climate. I had also been leaning toward 2 product lines, one Optimum and the other I will not name for obvious reasons.



But, I gave the same question I posted here to both the companies whose products I was considering. The one came back with a "cut `n paste" response to washing a vehicle without really addressing my questions. And recently I got a email addressed to me by David Ghodoussi, CEO of Optimum addressing my questions and which products were best suited for them.



So I guess I have most of my questions answered and definitely know which brand I will be ordering.

[2005GTPinMD]

You have alot of reading ahead of you. You cannot go wrong with Optimum products. I can tell you that after about 5 years of seriously being into detailing I have not yet settled down on my line up. However, I can make some suggestions for further research for you:



For detailer get FK425 - this stuff is awesome. Use it while drying and the cars will sparkle.



For the paint you might have to look around as white is a tough color to really make shine. I love Blackfire Wet Diamond on my wife`s MB.



As for opimum products - OCW is awesome, ONR is great too.

[AeroCleanse]

I always use a hose first, so not necessarily looking for quick wash products. I would like to find good washing, degreasing through final step products to use for exteriors. Good trim and vinyl protectant and leather cleaner/conditioner. I do not like any gloss appearance on interior surfaces. All my vehicles are in excellent condition so do not need to do any major paint correcting. On the toys, good plastic protectant that will protect from UV and NOT attract any dust.



I am hoping this can be reduced to just a few products.



Thanks again and a great site for a lot of info.



ONR is good for washing or Dodo Juice Supernatural shampoo if you like the more traditional way.



De-greasing I love Meguiars APC+



For paint correction, GTechniq P1 works great by hand and machine



GTechiq C2 or Ultima Paint Guard Plus are great paint sealants, Dodo Juice Supernatural is the best wax I have used.



For exterior trim, GTechniq C4 is amazing!



Interior dressing, 1z Cockpit Premium and / or 1z Vinyl Rubber



Leather cleaner, Swissvax leather cleaner, for leather conditioner I like GTechniq L1 Leather Guard



You might also want to look at the GTechniq Glass kits, they include glass polish and a glass sealant.

[gigondaz]

Based on your location (country, region, town etc), the most prolific problem with white cars in my area is staining. Depending on how often you clean your white car, and how you do it, staining might or might not be a problem for you.



Note: I shall assume none of your white cars have been machine-compounded before.



My advice to my DIY friends with white cars who wanna keep it simple is:



1. There`ll be no NO HUGE difference if you merely apply any sealants or waxes, without using any rotary buffing first. You know what you applied...but another non-detailing enthusiast will not notice any difference if you don`t prompt them.



2. The biggest difference/effect is a completely stain-free white car which is completely clean and especially clean in all the body seams, nooks and crannies, coupled to very clean and black external trims, tires, rims and fender wells. Cumulatively, these add up and contribute towards an immaculate, clean, sharp and bright white car...without going into rotary buffing.



Simplest method:

Use a cleaner wax kinda product on the white car as often as possible.



While washing, remove any stains and tar marks using proper products.

Dry the car, and use the cleaner wax.

All external seams and crevices shd be 100% clean.

Ensure external trims, fender wells, tires and rims are super black and clean. This creates a contrast, and helps make the white look whiter and sharper.



Slightly more long winded method:

Instead of the cleaner wax, you can use a paint cleaner/AIO such as Klasse AIO first, and then a simple, cheap but great wax such as Collinite 845.

[mnctx2011]

Again guys, thanks for all the additional suggestions.



You are also right, there is a ton of reading to do. I am just going to bite the bullet on the list of products I have made and instead of buying bulk, going to get smaller bottles and also buy a few other recommended products to see which works best for me.



Thanks again

[2005GTPinMD]

Also if you order from autogeek - they have a sample section - which might be a good way to try some of the products you like.

[Alexshimshimhae]

gigondaz i think has a good idea...FOR NOW I would pickup

onr for it`s large array of uses

Klasse AIO works well with da AND hand (I hear)

Collinite 845 because it`s super cheap and trim friendly and even though you`ll likely find replacements--this is always a good thing to have in your stash





NOW, in terms of brand lines I would say I`m partial to:

Finish Kare their protection products like 1000p wax and 425 and 215 i hear are outstanding

Optimum for their onr (still haven`t made up my mind about their compound/polish)

P21S for their cleaners--though I think I`ll be looking for alternatives; I just liked them because the TAW and Wheel gel were safe for all surfaces..but they`re pricey...

Collinite for waxes

Meguiar`s for their 205/105 compound polish (but for now i would stay away and just stick with the aio) their nxt was great for good looks/bad durability; currently hoping their new line-up this year produces something that lives up to their hype.





I would also probably invest in something like valu-gaurd`s abc decontamination system--the reason i say this, is many people don`t realize that many contaminants can be taken off chemically which reduces the touch required ergo reducing the marring caused by mechanical (claybar) means and washing.



My routine might look liek this (for you)

ABC

AIO

Stoner`s Invisible glass

845 EVERYTHING including windows

wipe down seats with clean damp onr mf towel