car shampoo?

A

ahunt01

New member
Are all car shampoos safe to use on a freshly painted car :confused: ? I was going to use Zaino, but it says it has shine enhancers so I don't know if it's safe to use.
 
stick to just plain water or a highly diluted auto shampoo....that's what most of the paint mfrs will say. Be safe for the first 90 days.
 
Ah ok. But wouldn't that scratch the paint?

I usually wash the car with a clean 100% cotton rag, as most other chamaos and other things have caused swirls. I'm not pleased with the cotton cloth though, so I'm still looking for something more gentle.
 
I see Dave's detailing guide recommends, Cotton Chenille Wash Sponge, Sheepskin Wash Mitts, or a Microfiber Wash Mitt.

Any recommendations to which is least likely to cause swirls?

For drying I use 100% cotton fieldcrest towels.



Since I'm sure this paint isn't as strong as my factory, I'm trying to make sure I don't swirl it up.
 
I had mine painted last march .. base/clear. Was told by the painter that as long as I used a proper car wash soap everything is fine .. they key is to keep the surface lubricated. Use a good mitt and the enhancers, they are so minimal don't worry about them. If your worried go get a cheap bottle of the Meguiars stuff to tide you over. Use a different mitt/towel for the wheels.



Drying .. use a MF towel or 2 .. gets some from the Pakshak to be safe ..



Your washing/drying *utensils* will cause more swirls than you need.
 
So using Zaino car wash (Z7) will be safe for fresh paint?



I'll give those Waffle Weave Micro Fiber Towel a try. I have cheap microfiber towels from walmart, and they don't absorb much water at all, they just smear it around. I'm pretty happy with my cotton fieldcrest towels, but if the Waffle Weave Micro Fiber Towel is softer than the cotton towels then I'll switch.



And for washing utensils (hehe), what is the safest thing to use? I've been going by what Sal recommends on his website and I use cotton towels, but it seems like it might trap dirt, grit, and grime on the surface scratching the car.
 
Go to target or Wal-Mart and get the Baja Sol or Euromit (sp?) sheepskin wash mit. They are both quality wash mits that have yet to scratch my fragile paint. Then I would suggest a Pakshak WW or I use the Big Blue from CMA. Significantly reduces washing/drying induced scratches.
 
ahunt01 said:
So using Zaino car wash (Z7) will be safe for fresh paint?





And for washing utensils (hehe), what is the safest thing to use? I've been going by what Sal recommends on his website and I use cotton towels, but it seems like it might trap dirt, grit, and grime on the surface scratching the car.
Click to expand...



Sal has this cotton towel hangup .. His system I like his cotton I don't .. but maybe thats just me.



To wash I use a *good* sheepskin mitt.. second choise is a Chenelle one. I have a seperate old mitt I use for the wheels. I occasionally use my wheel mitt on my lower plastic valances if they are extra dirty.



Use lots of water under pressure during your wetdown rinse prior to beginning washing to dislodge as much dirt as possible. Wash top down.



When I dry I take the nozzle off the hose and let a gentle stream of water run over the car to pull off most the water .. then the MF towels. I take one towel to do a quick rubdown to get most the water .. then the second towel I start with the windows/hood/roof/trunk/ sides etc. wheels last with an old towel or MF.
 
Sounds good, I'll keep my eye open for a quality sheepskin mit. Wow I'm shocked Wal-Mart sells a good one, I'll check that out for sure.

Well I have really poor water pressure at my house. I know it sounds silly, but I was thinking I might start taking the car to the car wash to use their pressure sprayer just to spray off/losen big pieces of dirt, then drive the car home and wash it like normal.
 
be careful with the high pressure washer right after a repaint, your paint is going to be pretty soft for awhile. I would stick to the sheepskin wash mit and drying with a WW. If you have to use the pressure washer be careful!
 
Personally, I would not be in a rush to wash the vehicle. The paint probably hasn't cured completely and will easily marr if ANY particulate material touches it. Unless, there are corrusive type matter on the surface ( i.e. salt, bird droppings, etc.) give it a couple of weeks. JMO.



I use a medium size DF Towel as a wash rug. Very, very, very soft and with its terry type weave holds shampoo well and allows dirt to immigrate away from surface. :xyxthumbs
 
blkZ28Conv, no I don't feel the paint has cured completely. It still has a slight paint odor to it. I do see that there is one spot that has bird poo, so I want to go over that and get that off. So should I just wipe it gently off with a wet cotton towel?



BW, I asked Sal when I could use his Zaino polish, and he said give it a week. That seems too early for me, I think I'll wait 90 days, with frequent washes during the winter to keep the salt off.
 
Alrighty, all gone. The car is still mega dirty, rain spots and all that good stuff. Will that be ok to leave on, or should I try to keep that cleaned off as well?

How long should I wait before I wash it more often? Maybe a week or two?
 
I washed mine every 2 days .. never hurt a thing.



just need to watch how you wash .. paint is soft .. make sure you keep bugs/bird poop/leaves off it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top