[new here] All in one cleaning kit

N

nate4l1f3@yahoo

New member
I'm almost positive I'm posting in the wrong place but there are so many sub-forums so please forgive me.

I rcently bought my first brand new car and want to take care of this thing inside and out from the very start. It's a silver 15 Elantra sport with leather interior and aluminum wheels. I've done some minor searching on here and I've never realized how important microfiber towels are :)

Now to my question. With so many products out there (head spinning) can someone recommend a starters kit for cleaning? With the car being new I don't need any kind of repair tools or products, maybe something that includes an assortment of towels for cleaning and drying, washers mitt, wheel brush, leather cleaner and of course shampoo, wheel cleaner, was, spray detailer, and anything else that you guys can think of. I don't mind spending the nescesary cash to make sure I have all I need. Thanks in advance guys and I look forward to learning.

A pic pic of car for reference ..
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Welcome

My advice would be call Ray Vega tomorrow. He can talk with you and get an idea of what you're looking for and can tailor it to your wants and needs.

btw....... welcome to the addiction. the never ending chase of more shine :D
 
Welcome to Autopia !!! I am sure Ray will put be able to put together the perfect kit for your needs !!!
 
Welcome!

Lots of good advice above. Ray is the man to call :bigups

I'll add: figure out your maximum $ budget since this hobby is filled with great products to choose from at all levels of affordability.

I really like: DP's Total Interior Kit
 
nate4l1f3- Welcome to Autopia!

Heh heh, I myself sorta hope that detailing does *NOT* become a huge part of your life, at least not unless you really want it to be. Rather, I'd like to see you keep your new car looking great (and that's "great in your opinion", yours being the only one that matters) without spending too much time/effort on it.

Heh heh#2, if, OTOH, you really are looking for a new hobby, it's easy enough for auto detailing to take care of that ;)

Anyhow, some sorta-random, just IMO-type thoughts follow:

- single most important thing is washing/drying it without marring up the paint. Easier said than done as dirt is abrasive and will scratch if moved across the paint under pressure
- unless there's some kind of wildcard factor in play, today's leather interiors require virtually zero maintenance other than being kept clean; I hardly ever "treat" or "condition" my leather interiors and they're fine after many years of hard use
- most "UV protection" stuff is, to put it nicely, unnecessary, at least if you're not parking outside 24/7 in Arizona
- the differences between "wax" and "sealant" are becoming less significant all the time and many sealants don't last/protect better than some waxes
- I'm in favor of keeping the whole thing pretty simple, with no "layering wax over your sealant" and nothing that needs redone all the time
 
And be careful when buying kits.

Some of the products are redundant. Since you have a "new" car, the interior will not require a cleaner unless you abuse it between treatments. The DP Interior Protectant has a built-in-cleaner that will keep your new interior clean forever with repeated use. The DP IP eliminates a cleaning product and a step.
 
Thanks for all the comments folks! I used to be OCD with my first two vehicles but havent given the same attention to my last 2 Buckets. I used to love cleaning the white walls on my Buick and Cadillac, polishing the chrome trimmings and getting the tires as black as possible, All this with basic products found at auto zone of course since I wasn't aware of "this" world.

Has anyone heard of texbrite? I'm here in Houston and my cousin uses it at his detail shop. I would use it on the tires for shine and interior and it worked great. Although I want to stay away from the greasy shine look for the interior.
 
Accumulator said:
nate4l1f3- Welcome to Autopia!

Heh heh, I myself sorta hope that detailing does *NOT* become a huge part of your life, at least not unless you really want it to be. Rather, I'd like to see you keep your new car looking great (and that's "great in your opinion", yours being the only one that matters) without spending too much time/effort on it.

Heh heh#2, if, OTOH, you really are looking for a new hobby, it's easy enough for auto detailing to take care of that ;)

Anyhow, some sorta-random, just IMO-type thoughts follow:

- single most important thing is washing/drying it without marring up the paint. Easier said than done as dirt is abrasive and will scratch if moved across the paint under pressure
- unless there's some kind of wildcard factor in play, today's leather interiors require virtually zero maintenance other than being kept clean; I hardly ever "treat" or "condition" my leather interiors and they're fine after many years of hard use
- most "UV protection" stuff is, to put it nicely, unnecessary, at least if you're not parking outside 24/7 in Arizona
- the differences between "wax" and "sealant" are becoming less significant all the time and many sealants don't last/protect better than some waxes
- I'm in favor of keeping the whole thing pretty simple, with no "layering wax over your sealant" and nothing that needs redone all the time
Click to expand...

Perfect post.

My 2 cents...

Over the counter stuff at walmart/autozone is pretty solid nowadays. Check out the meguiars ultimate line for affordable quality detail products. (Quik wax, Quik interior detailer, polish, liquid and paste wax, etc)
 
gogreen said:
...Over the counter stuff at walmart/autozone is pretty solid nowadays. Check out the meguiars ultimate line for affordable quality detail products. (Quik wax, Quik interior detailer, polish, liquid and paste wax, etc)
Click to expand...

Their Quik Wax and Quik Interior Detailer (oh how I hate those cutsie spellings!) are simply *superb* products! The QID is about all an interior needs IME, as long as it doesn't get subjected to some serious abuse.

For a (conventional) shampoo/Car Wash (and some other products too), I'd check around and find a place that sells DuraGloss. Many autobody/paint supply places have that line, along with Meguiar's.
 
Accumulator said:
Their Quik Wax and Quik Interior Detailer (oh how I hate those cutsie spellings!) are simply *superb* products! The QID is about all an interior needs IME, as long as it doesn't get subjected to some serious abuse.

For a (conventional) shampoo/Car Wash (and some other products too), I'd check around and find a place that sells DuraGloss. Many autobody/paint supply places have that line, along with Meguiar's.
Click to expand...

I may end up going with the Meguiar's product line to start off. I need to get my towels and tools first then maybe graduate to the big boy products hahah. IDK?? Who is this guy y'all are telling me to call and his contact number?
 
Well I made my first purchase from various sites and I would like to let you guys know what I have to start with, and voice my main concern after some additional reading after purchasing.

The wash bucket kit in the picture includes:
Pinnacle Professional Wash Bucket with Grit Guard
DP xtreme foam car shampoo
DP max wax carnauba paste wax
DP final gloss quick detailer
3 Supreme 530 Microfiber Towels, 16 x 16 inches
3 Microfiber Towels, 16 x 16 inches
Super Plush Micro-Chenille Wash Mitt
3 Finger Pockets Polish & Wax Applicators
Guzzler Waffle Weave Microfiber Towel, 16 x 24 inches (& I bought 2 extra ones separately)

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This was a free gift with purchase
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Tried this for $5 with purchase over $150
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And I'm most excited about this because unlike the other products that cost me $$ I will be able to actually keep this as a good. Plus I heard GREAT things about this (even thought I only have an apartment and no garage :/)
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I'm gonna opt for some OTC products to finish off my haul: Mothers wheel and tire cleaner and Merguiars QID. I also get a free sample of DP interior cleaner so I will have that to test. Lastly, I'm gonna get the mothers clay bar kit.

Now to my concern. I thought this purchase would cover everything but after reading some more (mainly this thread; http://www.autopia.org/forums/click-brag/172608-hyundai-elantra-opti-coat-z06-auction-prep-e320-maxima.html) I may have not looked into the polishing step! My head just finished spinning and now I dread doing research on polishing :(. So the process should be clean, clay, Polish, wax? Correct? I'm gonna wait to graduate to opticoat. What do I need for polishing?

Remember this is a brand new car and my goal is to protect and maintain it. Also remember I'm an a newbie so don't be afraid to hurt my feelings and set me straight! What do you guys think? Thanks for all the input!
 
Its a good start. You're going to want a second bucket/grit guard though. One to rinse and one for your wash solution.

I'd throw out the mothers tire brush. That thing is terrible IMO. A tuff shine tire brush is so much easier to use.

I'd quadruple your microfibers... Then double it... Then throw in 5-6 more. That should get you started.

If you're going to look into polishing you will want a polisher such as the porter cable or griots polishers. Polishing by hand is labor intensive and very time consuming to do properly. Being a new car, all you'll really need is something like blackfire gloss enhancing polish or something of that nature (don't get wrapped up in compounds unless you plan on doing correction work) look into the kits for polishers they sell on Autopia Car Care Products - Car Detailing Supplies, Car Wax, Car Polishers, Auto Detailing you can get kits with pads and polishes to get you started. There's a lot of info to absorb but youll get it eventually.

You may want to consider a sealant unless you actually enjoy waxing your car every couple weeks. Sealants will last months with proper care. Personally I'll use wax occassionally but just if I want that pop. I prefer durability.

Hang around here a lot and you'll learn tons. Don't try to absorb it all here though. You'll learn most from going out and doing the work. You'll get more questions while doing so, and you can come here for answers.

As for the order. Yes its wash, dry, clay, polish, LSP.

Good luck and enjoy the new ride!
 
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