RangeR135
02-07-2011, 05:07 PM
I just started reading this forum a few weeks ago. I was inspired to improve my washing/drying technique by the swirls/scratches revealed by the sun shining on my 2 month old piano black forgestar f14 wheels. My car, a Le Mans Blue BMW 135i, does not have much visible marring, and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible.
Anyway, I ordered some Chemical Guys CWG and some new drying towels and picked up a couple grout sponges at Lowes. I also switched over to the two bucket/grit guard technique. Compared to the cheapo turtle wax soap I was using, the potency of the Citrus Wash and Gloss soap is incredible! One cap-full in 3.5 gallons of steaming water was plenty for the car and wheels. I now prefer the grout sponge to my old mitts by a wide margin. I was most impressed with the ability of the sponge to release dirt. Just squeeze it against the grit guard and it`s good to go. However, I found a couple of dirty spots on the vertical surfaces of the car after the wash. I`m guessing that I wasn`t applying even pressure to the sponge. I used the ez grip version which seemed to lose it`s shape/firmness when full of water so it was hard to get the whole sponge to lay flat. Next time I will use the regular square sponge for the car and the ez grip for the wheels.
Another new technique I tried was spraying the wheels with QD strength ONR before washing. I was hoping this would prevent further damage to the paint on the wheels but I`m not sure if it`s necessary. I won`t be able to tell if I`m causing more swirls in my wheels until I polish out the current ones. It`s hard enough to get all of the little nooks and crannies in these wheels clean, I have no idea how to go about polishing them.
I dried the car with 2 microfiber towels from chemical guys. Previously I was using the absorber to get the bulk of the water off and followed with a microfiber. Honestly, I prefer my previous method as the towels don`t get soaked. I don`t see any harm from it if the absorber is clean. I may even try out a leafblower/airwand sometime:cool1:.
Now some questions: What is the best way to polish swirls/scratches out of gloss black mesh-style wheels? I have access to a PC but I`m not sure if it`s the right tool for these wheels.
What do you do if the finish on your wheels is more fragile than the paint on your car? I think gloss black may have been a mistake. The wheels obviously get dirtier than the car and now I have to be VERY careful removing the dirt/brake dust. Would a foam gun (or foam cannon) be a good idea? They look pretty fun..
Sorry for the long, boring post. I just wanted to share the products and techniques I picked up from reading this forum. Any advice/criticism is welcome. :wavey
Anyway, I ordered some Chemical Guys CWG and some new drying towels and picked up a couple grout sponges at Lowes. I also switched over to the two bucket/grit guard technique. Compared to the cheapo turtle wax soap I was using, the potency of the Citrus Wash and Gloss soap is incredible! One cap-full in 3.5 gallons of steaming water was plenty for the car and wheels. I now prefer the grout sponge to my old mitts by a wide margin. I was most impressed with the ability of the sponge to release dirt. Just squeeze it against the grit guard and it`s good to go. However, I found a couple of dirty spots on the vertical surfaces of the car after the wash. I`m guessing that I wasn`t applying even pressure to the sponge. I used the ez grip version which seemed to lose it`s shape/firmness when full of water so it was hard to get the whole sponge to lay flat. Next time I will use the regular square sponge for the car and the ez grip for the wheels.
Another new technique I tried was spraying the wheels with QD strength ONR before washing. I was hoping this would prevent further damage to the paint on the wheels but I`m not sure if it`s necessary. I won`t be able to tell if I`m causing more swirls in my wheels until I polish out the current ones. It`s hard enough to get all of the little nooks and crannies in these wheels clean, I have no idea how to go about polishing them.
I dried the car with 2 microfiber towels from chemical guys. Previously I was using the absorber to get the bulk of the water off and followed with a microfiber. Honestly, I prefer my previous method as the towels don`t get soaked. I don`t see any harm from it if the absorber is clean. I may even try out a leafblower/airwand sometime:cool1:.
Now some questions: What is the best way to polish swirls/scratches out of gloss black mesh-style wheels? I have access to a PC but I`m not sure if it`s the right tool for these wheels.
What do you do if the finish on your wheels is more fragile than the paint on your car? I think gloss black may have been a mistake. The wheels obviously get dirtier than the car and now I have to be VERY careful removing the dirt/brake dust. Would a foam gun (or foam cannon) be a good idea? They look pretty fun..
Sorry for the long, boring post. I just wanted to share the products and techniques I picked up from reading this forum. Any advice/criticism is welcome. :wavey