Intervals between waxing???

[sufcdan]

Firstly, i had noticed a few slight swirls and scratches on my 1 year old black metallic car, so i decided i needed to sort it out!

I generally wash the car about once a week, and have used the car park hand washes a few times (never will do again!)

Heres what i did.

1- Rinsed the car down
2- Two bucket method and applied NXT wash with mitt
3- Rinsed off the suds
4- Dried the car with 2 water magnets
5- Applied DC 1 to door panel & microfiberd it off
6- Applied NXT liquid wax to door panel & microfiberd it off

I have to say i was EXTREMELY PLEASED with the results

Now i wash just wondering, firstly, i hear people say about adding two layers of NXT wax within 24 hours?

Now, to me it seems that leaving the car outside for 24 hours before i add another layer of wax would be horrific!? What if any dirt or dust somehow manages to get on it during the interval? wouldnt this result in scratches galore!?

Secondly, is there any need to add a further wax on top of the NXT wax??? One that is extremely effective on metallic black? or should i just stick with NXT?

Any advice is much appreciated

ps does anyone know how to avoid water spots from water drying to fast on the car? obvioulsy washing in a shaded area is needed

[Murr1525]

Waiting till the next day, like 12-24 hours, is the ideal amount of time if you want the best look, etc.

However, many of us certainly cant do that, and as you say, would pretty much require re-detailing the car. If you can wait at least 20 minutes or so before the next coat of wax, you'll get great results.

I will mention, I would probably stick with either 2 coats of Nxt or Nxt on the bottom with DC#3 on top.

Also, DC#1 is not going to remove many swirls... you might have hid them a bit, but you will probably need something like ScratchX, or ColorX/Color Boost to remove the swirls.

You may also like the look that a polish, like DC#2 gives your car. I think Nxt/#21 are going to be your best waxes, but the polish might make it look even better.

As for water spots, yeah, kinda *****. One option is going over it with a Quick Detailer or Quick Wax after washing, just to get any missed spots. If you are going to detail right after washing, it is not as big a deal, the clay/cleaner will get the water spot before it does any damage.

[sufcdan]

i have some DC#2 in the garage, how long should i leave DC#1 on for before I microfibre it off? Then would i just go over with a layer of DC#2?and same how long to leave it on before taking it off? Then i take it just do a layer of NXT. I do have the DC#3 aswell, do you reckon i should try this ontop of the NXT?

[sufcdan]

Would it be safe to use scratch x over the WHOLE car? As iv heard it essentially takes a very very very slight layer of paint off to remove the scratches? If so how often would it be safe to use this product?

Thanks

[sneek]

yes it is safe to use scratchX all over you car, i think many members do it. the only down side it scratchX will donly do the whole car twice it definitly needs a bigger tube

[Murr1525]

Meguiars paint cleaners and polishes do not need to dry before removing. It depends on the temperature/humidity, but you might do one side of your car, or a couple panels, then wipe them off.

So you would just do the whole car with DC#1, applying it, then removing it. Then DC#2 the car, applying it then removing it.

Then when you apply wax, the wax needs to dry. So you can do the whole car, then perhaps have to wait a bit longer as well till the wax has dried.

I actualy mis-read your post, I thought you had mentioned already using DC#3 with the Nxt. If you havent used it, dont worry about it, 2 coats of Nxt will probably be best. But you can always try anything you want.

ScratchXing a whole car *****.. you wont want to do it twice, so hopefully you will be able to minimize the swirls that get into the paint. Removing a scratch/swirl does require removing a little bit of paint from around that area. You are not going to rub through your clear-coat using ScratchX a couple times, but i wouldnt want to use it every month for years or anything.

Once you have your swirls removed, you will be able to use the milder cleaner, DC#1, for you regular details. And then only ScratchX if they return, or for a spot that gets scratched, etc.

[sufcdan]

whats the best way to apply scratch X to the whole car? applicator pad? Also how much should i use on each section?

[Murr1525]

Well, to go the ScratchX route.. you have a few options.

You can use a foam applicator pad, or a terry cloth, like a 100% cotton athletic sock turned insiode out. The terry cloth can provide a bit more bite, if you need it.


As for How-to...:

How To Remove Swirls By Hand

How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX

I think this is a good example as well....

Viper Detail Days

[sufcdan]

The article says to work on areas roughly 6x6 inches! would this be the case if going over the whole car!?

[steveo3002]

Originally posted by sufcdan
The article says to work on areas roughly 6x6 inches! would this be the case if going over the whole car!?

yes!! do a small section at a time, work at it until your happy, clean up then move on to the next section. scratch x really needs some effort , its not just a case of wipe on ,wipe off

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by sufcdan
The article says to work on areas roughly 6x6 inches! would this be the case if going over the whole car!?

You have to understand that if you're trying to remove swirls and scratches out of a clear coat finish, you need to shrink down your work area so you with your little hand can actually remove a little paint. If you spread some ScratchX out over the hood and then wipe it off, this will have done nothing to remove a little paint and thus remove any below surface defects. So yes, if you want to actually remove swirls and scratches by hand, then you need to reduce or shrink your work area down.

This isn't Meguiar's fault, this is the nature of working on clear coat finishes which tend to be harder versus softer which means it will be harder, or more difficult for you with your hand to remove small particles of paint which is how your level, or flatten out the finish in an effort to remove defects.

Clear coat finishes last longer than traditional single stage paints but the trade-off in durability is that it is harder for you and I to work on them, (remove defects), as compared to old fashioned paints that you could work on with old fashioned rubbing and polishing compounds and remove defects fairly quickly and also have the paint look okay.

Not so with clear coats as they are scratch-sensitive and magnify swirls and scratches in a way that it's easier for our eyes to see them.

Read this...

What it Means to Remove a Scratch


Now if you're applying ScratchX as a light paint cleaner to insure the surface is clean, by this I mean you're not trying to remove below surface defects like swirls and scratches you're just wanting to insure the surface of the paint is squeaky clean, then you can apply ScratchX to larger areas such as a panel at a time and then remove it.

There is a huge difference between light cleaning by hand and removing below surface defects by hand.

I hope the above insights will help you to understand the process and then understand which type of cleaning you need to do. Just to note, one of the reasons for the increase in popularity of machine cleaning and polishing is because of the amount of work and time, not to mention good technique, (otherwise your work and time will not be fruitful, required to do the same thing by hand.