Best cleaning routine for a novice with a silver car and lots of driving?

[ChicagoRay]

Ok I have a 2000 BMW sedan that is my daily driver and sees lots of miles - city & country, backroad & highway, rain/snow/sleet/hail. I am quite the novice detailer but I love my car and want it to have that showroom shine as much as possible!



Currently I have been washing about once a week using P21S body shampoo and a BMW sheepskin mitt. I also use P21S wheel gel to clean the wheels. I wash, try to sheet the water off and then dry with a California Water Blade and The Absorber.



I haven`t waxed since before winter and am getting ready so I want to start on the right foot.... I have a kit that has P21S paintwork cleanser and wax. That is what I was going to use, unless there are better suggestions?



I want my car to shine - so what should I do to prep the surface? Should I be polishing or waxing (I don`t really even know the difference!)............ HELP!

[BradE]

First off I would dump the sheepskin mitt and get cotton chenille, it`s much safe to use and less chance to swirl the paint.



Next, dump the Water Blade. I have seen the damage these things can do and heard even worse horror stories.



The key to any great finish is the prep work, most of the "look" will come from a good polishing job. You can finish it off with a caranuba wax if you choose, but I prefer polymer sealants like Zaino or Klasse. They last much longer than caranuba and provide UV protection.

[Jngrbrdman]

Not to start a Water Blade debate or anything, but I really like the CWB. I`ve never seen any damage from it. If you use it correctly then they are perfectly safe. Personal results may vary on things like the water blade and California Car Duster (a product that I personally would never let near my car. Other people love and swear by them though).

[Detailing NY]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by ShowroomLincoln [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>
Next, dump the Water Blade. I have seen the damage these things can do and heard even worse horror stories.
[/b]</blockquote>
what is wrong with the water blades. I use them on every car.
The blade is not what sracthes the car it is the dirt left behind from a poor wash or on the blade itself. Just hose the blade off and besure it is clean. With a good wash and a clean water blade everything should be fine. just my thoughts

[rstype]

Agreed. I love my water blade... it cuts about 10 min. off my drying time.

[imported_Intel486]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by NY detailer [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>what is wrong with the water blades. I use them on every car.
The blade is not what sracthes the car it is the dirt left behind from a poor wash or on the blade itself. Just hose the blade off and besure it is clean. With a good wash and a clean water blade everything should be fine. just my thoughts [/b]</blockquote>
Dirt and stuff doesn`t always come from a poor washing. I don`t use the CWB on my own truck (yes, I do use it on customers cars :) ) because I wash my truck under a tree. Just minutes after I wash little sticks and stuff are falling on my truck. I usually wash it, dry it and then let it sit under the tree for awhile to let water drip out. I`ll then pull it in the street and quick detail it.

[rstype]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by trkmedic69 [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>Ok I have a 2000 BMW sedan that is my daily driver and sees lots of miles - city & country, backroad & highway, rain/snow/sleet/hail. I am quite the novice detailer but I love my car and want it to have that showroom shine as much as possible![/b]</blockquote>
Welcome to the forum, and nice car! We have quite a number of e46 and e39 owners here.

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by trkmedic69 [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>Currently I have been washing about once a week using P21S body shampoo and a BMW sheepskin mitt. I also use P21S wheel gel to clean the wheels. I wash, try to sheet the water off and then dry with a California Water Blade and The Absorber.[/b]</blockquote>
I love the P21S shampoo... its mild and is very slick. As with the sheepskin mitt, they are nice, but can scratch the paint if not used very carefully. I prefer a microfiber or 100% cotton Viking wash mitt. Check out this link: http://www.autopia-carport.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=8601 (`http://www.autopia-carport.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=8601`)

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by trkmedic69 [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>I haven`t waxed since before winter and am getting ready so I want to start on the right foot.... I have a kit that has P21S paintwork cleanser and wax. That is what I was going to use, unless there are better suggestions?[/b]</blockquote>
The P21S wax is a high-quality, easy to use wax that leaves a very good shine. The durability, however, isn`t too great as it is best reserved for garage-queens. I would probably first use a synthetic sealant such as Klasse and top it off with the P21S for optimal protection.

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by trkmedic69 [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>I want my car to shine - so what should I do to prep the surface? Should I be polishing or waxing (I don`t really even know the difference!)............ HELP! [/b]</blockquote>
Yes you should. Prepping the surface with a <strong class=`bbc`>polish[/b] removes road contamination, swirl marks, and everything that cannot be removed from washing. The P21S paintwork cleanser is an example of a mild polish. Waxing is for protection and is done after polishing.

Try using the search function or this link (`http://www.autopia-carport.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=51`) for any other questions you may have.

Good luck!
~bw

[BradE]

Draging anything across the surface of you car with no lubrication is just asking for swirls and scratches. Pick up a piece of dirt, maybe even one you can`t see, and you will have a big problem on your hands. To me the amount of time they save is just not worth the risk.

[vettefan67]

Nice post, bw. :)

[ChicagoRay]

Thanks BW et al -



OK OK so just take the CWB out of the equation... What about the REST?????



BW -



Can you explain briefly the "sealant" topic? I have been reading that link you sent and it touches on the surface of many seemingly deeper subjects (this being one). So is the course then: wash, polish, wax, seal? What is the "sealing" process like, similar to applying a wax?



Polish & wax (& sealant?) - do you do one or several coats?

[Jngrbrdman]

The sealant would actually go before the wax. Sealant bonds to your car like wax will never be able to do. And because of the polymers in the product, the light is refracted much differently than with traditional wax. It also provides a level of protection that normal wax can`t provide.



You can do as many coats of a sealant as you want. Adding a good carnuba wax (like the one you already use) enhances the relfection and depth to the car. Wax on top of a sealant is the way to go if you are looking for a real jaw dropper apperance for your car. Now your only decision is to figure out which sealant to use.



The Klasse vs Zaino vs Blackfire debate is pretty long running on this board. There is going to be a lot of reading to do for you to figure out which one will be best for your car. Depending on the color it will vary. To make it easy for you, if your car is really dark (ie black, forest greeen, red, etc) then I would lean toward Zaino. On lighter colors go for Klasse. That is just my opinion. Either product would work great on any color. Blackfire works on all colors about the same from my experience.

[rstype]

Jngrbrdman pretty much covered it. Thanks!

The sealant is sort of like a primary base-coat, mainly used for its protection. The wax when applied on top of the sealant is for that rich, wet look. It`s only cosmetic. Both the sealant and wax are similar in application...

As with polishes, the number of applications should be determined by the paint’s current condition. I would start with one application and continue until the paint feels squeaky clean and smooth. If there are swirl marks or minor scratches, you might have to step up to a more aggressive polish.

For either sealants or waxes, most of us like to apply 3-5 layers of sealants, (maybe once a week for 3-5 weeks) and later top it off with a wax whenever you feel like it.

So it’s basically:

1.) Wash
2.) Polish (cleansing lotions, clay bars, abrasive swirl-mark removers)
3.) Sealant
4.) Wax

I would also spend $34.50 and buy 10 Neatitems.com microfiber towels (`http://www.neatitems.com/Microfiber%20Terry%20Cloths.htm`). They safely dry the paint, remove polishes, waxes, or sealants without creating swirl marks.

:)

[ChicagoRay]

Jngrbrdman & BW - Thanks!



So if I start polishing and it appears that my P21S polish isn`t completely getting rid of some blemishes - should I do some more coats or get a stronger polish? But I shouldn`t continue on to sealant before finishing polishing right?



So BW are you saying that I should polish the car and then put on some coats of sealant over a couple weeks before waxing? This is my daily driver so the car would be on the road in between then - wouldn`t that screw up the process? Could I just apply several coats over the period of one day?



And finally........ So how long does this treatment last? I assume that when I go to do one step over gain, I have to repeat all of them (polish, seal, wax & all?)...



Thanks so much for the help!

:bow:

[ChicagoRay]

oh and can you tell me a little more about this "Klasse System"? Is it just a sealant that will go on between polish and wax, or is this some whole "system" thing I`d have to get into?



I have a silver car.........

[edwars2]

Okay I understand what the sealant does. But what exactly is it. I`m currenty in the process of doing my car through the Zaino process. I first did the conditioner, and then the polish, and then put on the gloss enhancer spray. Npw which one is the sealant or is that somehting else I need to get? And would this go on now after I have finished all my coats of polish?



Thanks for all the info so far!