Newbie detailing questions

[LiteBulb]

I am new to the detailing world. Have just completed my first ever detailing few days ago and was impressed with the outcome. All the steps are done by hand, as I am not so keen in trusting a machine to do the job. I own a black car & am in a tropical country, where I can experience very shiny hot sun and very heavy thunderstorm, all in a day. Below, are the steps that I used as my first detailing schedule.

1) Washing - Generic soap
2) Claying - Smooth Surface Clay
3) Cleaning - DC1 Paint Cleaner
4) Polishing - DC2 Polish (Its optional, but my car is black)
5) Waxing - NXT 2.0 liquid (Single coat application)

Question 1:
I am planning to upkeep the car by wash waxing every 2 weeks. Can I just initiate (1) & (5) or do I need to go through (1) to (5) everytime? I am aware that while claying does no harm to the paintwork, I am not so sure about DC1 and DC2.

Question 2:
AFAIK, DC1 can remove light swirls, which in my perception, would have abrasive content. Very frequent usage may lead to paintwork being eaten up. Should I regard this step as a "Use only if needed" rather than "Use prior to polishing/waxing"?

Question 3:
As for DC2, the product is a pure polish and therefore, should be safe as an everyday affair?

Question 4:
Will NXT 2.0 wax alone be sufficient as a protective coat?

Question 5:
Schedule 1 - Wash & wax every 2 weeks; or
Schedule 2 - Wash & wax every month, with wash & spray on solutions (Quik Detailer) every 2nd week after waxing.

Is schedule 2 a more feasible way? As in, since the wax is still attached to the paint, 2 weekly applications will be overkill and has minimal effect.

Any comments?

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

don't have time to read that all through now, but one thing that I thought was worth mentioning was the importance of having good soap.

For one, some soaps will strip waxes and essential oils from the paint and trim. Secondly, the soap provides the lubricity to minimize swirls and scratches from washing, which is the single largest cause of swirls on most vehicles. (Especially black!)

Hope this helps.

PS, I suggest Gold Class or NXT soap.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

I also would go with the Gold Class soap. It really does make a big difference what type of soap is used. A lot of people mistake bubbles for the sign of a good car wash soap. In truth its the lubricity of the soap to safely lift away any dirt and grime. Reduces the possibility of scratching and inducing swirls.

By hand, I think that the chances of you removing too much paint are pretty slim. In fact I would not even be concerned about this.

I would use it as needed.

Not sure what you mean by using polish every day. Once you have applied a polish, then you wax.

Try 2 thin coats of NXT v2.0

I would wash as needed. I personally use a qd product 2-3 times a week on our cars. Waxing I try to do our vehicles every 6 weeks or so. You have to be the judge. It all depends on what the car has been through.

Hope I helped you out some. Good luck.

[Blueline]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

For one, some soaps will strip waxes and essential oils from the paint and trim. .

I can agree that certain soaps will strip wax, but I have read many times before that the wrong soap will strip essential oils from the paint. This is one idea I find very difficult to believe. What oils? The clear coat is a hard coating. We are not talking about a person's face, and moisturizer every night before bed. This is a cold hard metallic machine with a very hard clear coat.
Sorry, but I think this is hype. Can someone explain it to me if I am wrong.

[akimel]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

Welcome, LiteBulb, and congratulations on your first successful five-step detail! Sounds like you are thrilled with the outcome.

Question 1:
I am planning to upkeep the car by wash waxing every 2 weeks. Can I just initiate (1) & (5) or do I need to go through (1) to (5) everytime? I am aware that while claying does no harm to the paintwork, I am not so sure about DC1 and DC2.

Yes, you can make steps #1 and #5 your basic routine. Steps #2 and #3 are done as needed. Moreover, NXT wax does have some light cleaners it, so it does not need a "perfectly" prepared surface in order to bond to the paint. You might decide to use DC1 every three to six months, for example. FWIW, I like to "clean" the paint of my car on a quarterly basis. I don't want the contaminants to build up longer than that. As far as the frequency of claybarring, I suspect that most folks here on MOL clay their cars two or three times a year. However, only you can determine through physical inspection if your car needs to be clayed.

Question 2:
AFAIK, DC1 can remove light swirls, which in my perception, would have abrasive content. Very frequent usage may lead to paintwork being eaten up. Should I regard this step as a "Use only if needed" rather than "Use prior to polishing/waxing"?

As J.A. has noted, DC1 is the mildest of Meguiar's abrasive cleaners. I wouldn't worry about hurting the paint through regular use. If you judge that the surface needs to be cleaned bi-weekly or monthly, then you may do so without fear of hurting your car. I have been scouring the archives of various internet groups now for several months. I have yet to find anyone complaining that they have damaged their car through regular use of DC1.

Question 3:
As for DC2, the product is a pure polish and therefore, should be safe as an everyday affair?

You would normally only use DC2 after washing and before application of a wax. The wax seals in DC2's polishing oils; otherwise, the oils would wash away very quickly.

Question 4:
Will NXT 2.0 wax alone be sufficient as a protective coat?

Yes, but you may wish to apply a second coat of NXT, for more thorough and uniform coverage. It's not strictly necessary, but a lot of people do apply two coats of NXT.

Question 5:
Schedule 1 - Wash & wax every 2 weeks; or
Schedule 2 - Wash & wax every month, with wash & spray on solutions (Quik Detailer) every 2nd week after waxing.

Is schedule 2 a more feasible way? As in, since the wax is still attached to the paint, 2 weekly applications will be overkill and has minimal effect.

That is personal preference--whatever works best for you. What is important is that you adopt a workable schedule and stick to it. Some people like to wax frequently because they want their car to look its absolute best. Some like to wax frequently because they simply enjoy the activity of waxing. You need to find a routine that works for you. If you want to know how often MOL members wax their favorite cars, check out this poll. As you will see, a majority of MOL like to wax their cars at least once a month.

Keep it simple. Keep it workable. Keep it fun.

Cheers,
Al

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

Question 1:
I am planning to upkeep the car by wash waxing every 2 weeks. Can I just initiate (1) & (5) or do I need to go through (1) to (5) every time? I am aware that while claying does no harm to the paintwork, I am not so sure about DC1 and DC2.

Washing and waxing often should be sufficient. It's only when the finish is neglected over time that it goes downhill. As for doing surface prep and polishing Meguiar's recommends "Evaluating the condition of the paint" usually after wasting in good light and let the results of your surface evaluation plus your goals be your guide as whether to do any correction work or polishing before applying a wax.

Question 2:
AFAIK, DC1 can remove light swirls, which in my perception, would have abrasive content. Very frequent usage may lead to paintwork being eaten up. Should I regard this step as a "Use only if needed" rather than "Use prior to polishing/waxing"?

DC1 is our lightest paint cleaner and removing too much paint with this product on an new car would be the least of your worries but yes, you only need to use a paint cleaner when you want to remove below surface defects. If defect keep returning after you remove them once then look for the root cause of the problem and try to prevent instilling them in the first place you're not in the position to have to remove them over and over again.

Question 3:
As for DC2, the product is a pure polish and therefore, should be safe as an everyday affair?

Yes.

Question 4:
Will NXT 2.0 wax alone be sufficient as a protective coat?

Yes. Note there is no perfect paint protection product. Anything powerful enough to eat into or etch your car's paint is going to also go through a coating of wax or any paint sealant. A quality wax or paint sealant will protect your paint and make it look great but it will only slow down the really nasty stuff like a bird dropping left on the surface too long.

Question 5:
Schedule 1 - Wash & wax every 2 weeks; or
Schedule 2 - Wash & wax every month, with wash & spray on solutions (Quik Detailer) every 2nd week after waxing.

Is schedule 2 a more feasible way? As in, since the wax is still attached to the paint, 2 weekly applications will be overkill and has minimal effect.

Both approaches will work, best thing to do is to find a system that you like and fits your schedule. Definitely more attention to the paint makes thing faster and easier and keeps a show room new look all the time.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

Keep it simple. Keep it workable. Keep it fun.

Sage advice for the long run...

KISS = Keep it Simple Simon

[akimel]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

I can agree that certain soaps will strip wax, but I have read many times before that the wrong soap will strip essential oils from the paint. This is one idea I find very difficult to believe. What oils? The clear coat is a hard coating. We are not talking about a person's face, and moisturizer every night before bed. This is a cold hard metallic machine with a very hard clear coat.
Sorry, but I think this is hype. Can someone explain it to me if I am wrong.

You mean your car doesn't get pimples when it goes through adolescence?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

I can agree that certain soaps will strip wax, but I have read many times before that the wrong soap will strip essential oils from the paint. This is one idea I find very difficult to believe. What oils?

The clear coat is a hard coating. We are not talking about a person's face, and moisturizer every night before bed. This is a cold hard metallic machine with a very hard clear coat.

Sorry, but I think this is hype.
Can someone explain it to me if I am wrong.

The essential oils, the feeder oils and the nutrient oils were terms used by Meguiar's because the oils are actually organic oils and when the main paints being sprayed were single stage paints they truly did penetrated into the paint and bring out the full richness of color.

If you're working on a brand new clear coat paint then Meguiar's has always stated polishing with a pure polish is an OPTIONAL step. You don't have to do it and Joe Consumer probably won't, but people passionate about their car and people passionate about doing anything they can to maximize the clarity and gloss will do extra steps which include applying a pure polish. Kind of like some people will apply 90 "Layers" of other products when after one or to they've already hit a plateau.

Years ago I tackled this topic and did my best to explain in detail why Meguiar's recommends polishing paint, in fact the title of the article is called "Why Meguiar's recommends polishing paint" . If you read through the below link you'll find plenty of detractors, (agentf1 & SchwarzenSchafe), who tried to take it off-topic. We should clean it up because the detractors are long gone, never to be seen or heard from again since 2005.

Anyways.... here's the article...

Why Meguiar's recommends polishing paint


Also just to note, a BRAND NEW CAR shouldn't need polishing or cleaning or anything as the paint is brand new and for what a new car costs the paint should be PERFECT. (Something a lot of people forget).

That said, over time as the paint sees wear and tear even a clear coat paint as dense and hard as they can be can become more porous with microscopic surface imperfections like interstices and then when you apply a pure polish the oils will seep into these imperfections and do their intended job which is to increase clarity which is spoken about as darkening when in reality what it really is is enabling your eyes to see through the clear layer to the color coat underneath easier and maximize gloss.

Two things most people appreciate and pursue in their car's finish.

Sorry, but I think this is hype.
Can someone explain it to me if I am wrong.

After reading the above and the linked-to article, please let us know if it was explained or not.

Thanks!

[Blueline]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

T


After reading the above and the linked-to article, please let us know if it was explained or not.

Thanks!

Ok I think I understand..these are the oils in waxes that have been applied to the car, not oils in the paint or clear coat that that need to be replaced. I cannot conceive anything leaching out from the surface once the clear coat is hardened. Wow...thought I was going to have to moisturize my car every night and put raw cucumbers on the windshield to
avert "bags" under my glass.
Thanks Mike..I appreciate the explanation.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

Ok I think I understand..these are the oils in waxes that have been applied to the car, not oils in the paint or clear coat that that need to be replaced.

Close.

The polishing oils we're talking about can be found in most of our paint care products especially pure polishes, not just waxes or paint sealants.

Also, there's a huge difference between the resins used to make a modern paint and the resins used in paints before paint technology changed and with older single stage paints they did dry out and break down and because they are dramatically more porous as demonstrated in the pictures of the black Blazer hardtop you can apply and work 'into' the paint new liquid, in this case our polishing oils and as demonstrated for over 100 years now this makes the paint look good and that's one of the things we as car enthusiasts look for in our paint and in the product we use on our paint.

It would probably be a good idea to start your own thread on this topic as we're now taking a new member's thread off-topic.

[Blueline]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

[quote=Mike Phillips;267937

It would probably be a good idea to start your own thread on this topic as we're now taking a new member's thread off-topic.

[/quote]

Thanks, but no need to start my own thread. Just wanted a little explanation
of these "oils" that were mentioned.
Sorry to the original poster for hijacking the thread.
Diane

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

Cool.

Always like to help with good answers to questions while being sensitive to the topic of the thread. Sometimes it's easy to go off topic and I'm probably the King of that practice.

[LiteBulb]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

Whoa, thanks for such extensive replies.

Keep it simple. Keep it workable. Keep it fun.

I will live by this

To get more understanding:

"DOES NXT GENERATION TECH WAX CONTAIN ANY ABRASIVES?
No, Nxt is a unique formula that helps to minimise fine swirls without damaging the paint surface. The product is designed to safely remove stubborn stains and fine scratches and swirls, and is suited to all paint finishes including clear coat."

How is it possible that a non-abrasive solution is able to remove scratches and swirls?


"WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A POLISH AND A WAX?
A polish is more like a paint conditioner that restores valuable oils to the paint, eliminates fine scratches and creates incredible high gloss not possible with waxes. An application of a pure polish should be followed by waxing to protect the shine and extend its life."

I am confused here. I remember reading somewhere that DC2 is just a mere polisher that put shines back and does not remove any scratches. Does this mean that each time that I apply DC2, it is actually scrapping even microscopic layer of the paint off?

I just want to make sure that when I used these products on a "very frequent" basis, I am not putting making a hole to the paint or scrapping even microscopic of it.

[Murr1525]

Re: Newbie detailing questions

How is it possible that a non-abrasive solution is able to remove scratches and swirls?

Its mostly an optical elimination, not physicaly removing paint to remove the swirl. Remembe, there is some advertising language on the lable...

I am confused here. I remember reading somewhere that DC2 is just a mere polisher that put shines back and does not remove any scratches. Does this mean that each time that I apply DC2, it is actually scrapping even microscopic layer of the paint off?

I just want to make sure that when I used these products on a "very frequent" basis, I am not putting making a hole to the paint or scrapping even microscopic of it.

Again, it can be more of an optical elimination, but also there are cleaner/polihses that do have the ability to remove paint, thus physically remove swirls.

The DC system is very mild... you could use it every few months for 30 years or more.