Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

[steini]

Hey guys,

There's some unclarity with Step 5, I have detailed (washed, cleaned, polished, waxed) my car last weekend, it took me about 12 hours to do the whole car, but it looked AWESOME (black golf 4 gti)!

Now here's the deal, I've been driving a lot this week, and now my car doesn't really look as shiny as it looked last weekend anymore, it has dust on it, flies from the highway, pollen because it's april, and so on ..

1. what do I do to not remove the protection I added last weekend? I used quick detailer and an MFT on some parts of the car, but it would be stupid to use QD on the whole car.

2. Do I have to wash the car with NXT car wash and then dry it? Wouldn't the washing and drying remove the NXT wax? At least the drying with an Absorber seems pretty harsh for the wax to me!

3. Claying is not recommended because it removes wax, right!?

4. I also want to have a routine I do every 2 weeks to "renew" the look of my car until it needs a complete redo of the 5 step process, please let me know what I can do!

Thanks,
Simon

[gb387]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

A Quik Detailer is for very light dust but sounds like you might be beyond that point, so..... Sounds like you need to wash your vehicle, Meguiars car washes are very gentle when removing grime without removing wax. (If you were to use dish soap, yes it would remove the wax)

There is no need to clay now that you have waxed your vehicle and yes it will remove some wax and un-do the work you did last weekend.

As for what you can do every two weeks.... I would wash with a quality car wash soap (like Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner -or- NXT Generation Car Wash) if you can't do it once a week definitely every two weeks. Then you could add something like NXT Generation Spray Wax -or- Quik Wax once a month to give you that 'freshly waxed look' again.

Here is a thread to look over: How To Get Great Results With Meguiar's Spray Wax!


Remember you need to use quality wash mitts and drying towels for the above steps. You have done all the work getting your vehicle looking nice and the proper 'tools' are very important in helping accomplish this.

Even if your vehicle isn't 'new' here is another great post to look over: Suggested products for taking care of a new car!

[Nica_21]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

Ok, so I was where you are at a few weeks ago. I did a full 5 step treatment on my car. Wash > Swirl/X remover > polish > wax > Maintain (product varies)
Now that you have done a good paint cleaning and/or polish....
The good news is that you dont have to go thru that 12 hr ordeal for a long time. Provided you did a good clean and polish; all you need to focus on for the next few months (0-6 depending on exposure and ur preference) is MAINTAINING all that hard work you just put in.

That Step 5, where i said (product varies) = everyone goes about it differently. Here is what I do:

After a full 5 step, there are 2 options after your car gets "dusty" or rained on:

Option A

[Nica_21]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

Option A - Maintain your paint without having to re-wash
You can do this 2 different ways
#1 - Scenario
You recently did a full 5 step and u just accumulated a film of dust:
Wipe down the car with a light spray of quick detailer followed by a clean, unused microfiber cloth. Immediately apply Quick Wax. This will bring that mirror finish from the NXT wax (applied on previous wash) right back onto your paint. MAKE SURE you only put Quick wax if the damage of the dust is light and has been completely taken off of your car. Otherwise, you will be kinda putting a light coat of wax over it...thus trapping into your finish. You cant really do too much damage though...since the quick wax does not have as much "trapping" power as a full NXT liquid wax application. Anyway, I mostly use quick wax during a 3 step wash > NXT liquid > quick wax. I only use quick wax on the 1st time my car gets "filmy" after a 3 step wash.
#2 - Scenario
In between 5 steps (during those 0-6 months)
In between washes, just use quick detailer if you think you can salvage your finish without having to rewash. The last thing you want is 7 dirty microfiber towels .....and having to apply so much quick spray that you might as well have rewashed. Only use QD for spots on your car that have been craped on all of a sudden. If you are going to use it on the full body, make sure you only have minor surface damage. Otherwise, do a full wash


Also, there is no need to reapply wax after every wash. You will see that all that hard work you put in on the 5 step will have paid off by not maing you have to rewax and repolish for a long time. Just use your discretion. After a wash...dry your car and look at the finish. Look at the angle, relfection of light and make the call if your happy.
In between 5 steps, I just WASH > QUICK WAX


When you do decide you need a re-wax, make sure you do
1. WASH 2.CLAY (optional) 3.Polish (use pure polish, trust me) 4.Wax

Always polish before you do a full rewax. Not everyone thinks so, but I always say, if your gonna strip the wax anyway, why not treat your baby to a new coat of polish?

OK, thats my word. Oh, and dont worry about stripping any polish or wax between washed. As long as you use compatible products, and provided that you applied the 5 step the right way, you will not have to worry about washes stripping away your wax.

[steini]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

Hey you two,

Thanks for your anwers, I will wash, dry and spraywax my car today then, sounds like a good idea !

One last question tho, I use the "Absorber" as drying towel, and it "sticks" to the paint pretty good while it ***** up all the water, doesn't this remove too much wax?

Thanks,
Simon

[gb387]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

I have used the Absorber many times (I have 2 of them) and there are many on MOL that use them... right now I have found another drying method over the Absorber, so I only use my Absorber from time to time.

I see nothing wrong with the Absorber the biggest thing.... make sure your vehicle is very clean, you don't want any sand/dirt to get trapped between the paint and cloth while you are dragging the cloth over your vehicle.

[BA_Turbo]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

I got a question i always used cheap wax.

Now ive been using nxt gen liquid not the spray what is this stuff classed as a polish or a light wax ?

Also im not allowed to clean a car with a hose or at all at my house due to drought water resections. Which means i usually go to a car wash by hand and there pumps in there machines use armor all is this bad?

[Nica_21]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

About using the absrober....I , too, have a great absorbing microfiber towel. Although it soaks up a lot of water, I also dont like how it leaves a slight mist of humidity on the paint after I reach the latter part of 1st wipe off (just before you are done with the 1st wipe down of the car). What I do after wiping down the car with the absorber is to follow it up with a wipe down using a small/mid size Microfiber towel. Dry, and unused.
To answer the concerns about making sure your car is clean....using a new and totally dry MF towel will allow you to 1. wipe off that humid mist left by a wet absorber towel 2. You can make sure your car has dried totally clean (since you should not be seeing any stains on your towel). Also, make sure you use the absorber towel on the bottom trim of your car LASTLY...so as to not accidentaly stain the towel and then run it onto the top of your car

[Nica_21]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

I got a question i always used cheap wax.

Now ive been using nxt gen liquid not the spray what is this stuff classed as a polish or a light wax ?

Also im not allowed to clean a car with a hose or at all at my house due to drought water resections. Which means i usually go to a car wash by hand and there pumps in there machines use armor all is this bad?

Answer #1 Using cheap wax means you will have to reapply more often than if you use a good wax. Good wax = will hold for several weeks if not months (based on exposure to elements) Poor Quality Wax = will not last long. Think of it like using different no of sunblock lotions. Different grades will protect ur skin better

Answer #2 NXT Gen Tech Liquid IS a wax....not a polish. Not a light wax...it is a STRONG MOTHER OF ALL WAXES. Trust me, use this stuff. Once you;ve applied a good couple of coats you wont need to rewax for a while. Unless you are using Low grade wash. A low grade wash/shampoo can deteriorate your wax/polish job.

Be careful with those automatic wash products. Basically, you need to use good products on your car. My personal opinion, if you have to chose a step in your wash to comprimise or penny pinch.....dont worry so much about the wax. I would much more recommend you use a cheaper wax and use a good wash than the reverse. You can apply a great polish and then a good wax...but if you use a cheap quality wash/shampoo it will strip all that hard work away. Good luck

[steini]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

It's been a couple of weeks since I did the whole 5 Step process... I did use the spraywax 2 weeks ago, and today I washed my car with nxt carwash again. But the car doesn't feel "waxed" anymore .. it's not really smooth at all anymore. It feels like a car before claying it .. and I haven't even been driving around alot..

How comes? It seems like dirt sticks pretty good to my finish again.. I used 2 layers of NXT techwax.

Question: What I don't understand, if you do a whole 5 step process, and then, say, 3 weeks later your car is dirty and you want the "fresh" look again, you start by washing, but WHY do you NOT clay? If I understood correctly, you want to apply the wax to a CLEAN paint finish, if you only WASH your car, there's still oxidation and all that stuff that the clay bar removes!?

Thanks in advance,
Simon

[gb387]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

It's been a couple of weeks since I did the whole 5 Step process... I did use the spraywax 2 weeks ago, and today I washed my car with nxt carwash again. But the car doesn't feel "waxed" anymore .. it's not really smooth at all anymore. It feels like a car before claying it .. and I haven't even been driving around alot..

How comes? It seems like dirt sticks pretty good to my finish again.. I used 2 layers of NXT techwax.

Question: What I don't understand, if you do a whole 5 step process, and then, say, 3 weeks later your car is dirty and you want the "fresh" look again, you start by washing, but WHY do you NOT clay? If I understood correctly, you want to apply the wax to a CLEAN paint finish, if you only WASH your car, there's still oxidation and all that stuff that the clay bar removes!?

Thanks in advance,
Simon

NXT, does seem to loose its slickness but its still there protecting your finish. Sounds like you have a good plan going. What was your exact process.... Clay then NXT or something else?


There is no need clay every few weeks, clay removes bonded contaminates. If you live in a area where bonded contaminates are a problem you may need to clay more than others but in most cases claying once or twice a year will be fine... Really you have to evaluate the finish on your vehicle. Here is a little test; wash your car and dry, get a little plastic baggie (sandwich bag or similar) place your hand inside the bag then run your hand over the finish of your vehicle. If you feel little bumps through the plastic bag its time to clay, if its nice and smooth there is no need to clay. You are going to notice more bonded contaminates on the horizontal surfaces such as the hood, trunk and roof of your vehicle.

EDIT: One more linky: The Squeak Test - How to test for the presence of wax

[steini]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

Hey gb387,

What was your exact process.... Clay then NXT or something else?

4 Weeks ago, I did all the steps, wash, clay, dc step1, dc step2, nxt techwax.

2 weeks ago I did wash, then spraywax.

Yesterday I just washed with nxt shampoo.

--

I used a high pressure cleaner to wash off the shampoo, could it be that a high pressure cleaner removes wax? I always made sure to have enough distance between the paint finish and the highpressure cleaner, to not have too much pressure on my paint finish.

(I used the high pressure cleaner because it has an option where it uses demineralized water, so I don't have to dry the car anymore.. it dries without water spots)

--

So you think washing, and then spraxwaxing is enough in between the big 5 step thingy?

Thanks,
Simon

[the other pc]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

... If you live in a area where bonded contaminates are a problem you may need to clay more than others ...

That's the key point. Don't look at the calendar. Let the paint tell you when it needs clay.

The last couple times I clayed my truck were two days apart. I clayed it on a Saturday, it needed it again on Sunday but I couldn't get to it until Monday.

...So you think washing, and then spraxwaxing is enough in between the big 5 step thingy?...

Yes.


PC.

[steini]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

Thanks for your answer!

So if I clay my car, it removes a lot of wax, can I still only use the spraywax afterwards, or do I have to apply a new coat of real nxt techwax paste?

Thank you

[the other pc]

Re: Unclarity: Step 5, Maintaining

I don't know if anybody has ever gotten a clear idea of how much wax is removed by claying. I guess it's safe to assume that at least some is.

So if you find you have contaminants and want to clay it's a good idea to at least use a spray wax afterward. It certainly wouldn't hurt to use the NXT Techwax each time you clay.


PC.