questions regarding 5 step process

[ridgeway2030]

Hello. I'm still very new to all of this stuff. I purchased a new 08 Toyota Camry LE (darker blue, possibly violet?) last year and have been routinely washing/waxing it.

I run it through a basic laser no touch wash, bring it home, and then use a Mr. Clean Auto Dry on it. Whatever the laser wash doesn't get off, my hand washing with the Auto Dry usually does. I then apply Meguiar's Cleaners paste wax on it by hand. I used a regular towel to take it off. This process has worked well for me since I initially purchased the vehicle. The paint remains in near perfect condition. The vehicle is outside 24/7, never garaged, and used everyday.

Recently, I purchased Meguiar's Deep Crystal Cleaner, Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish, and the Meguiar's Clay Bar Kit (comes with the Quick Detailer and Liquid Cleaner's Wax). I was planning to use these items in conjunction with the Cleaner's Wax, or possibly NXT 2.0. I have a can of NXT 2.0 lying around that I used with the vehicle once or twice a year ago. I stopped using NXT because I felt it was more practical to use something that cleaned. I also picked up a microfibre towel.

Now that the products have arrived at my house, I have some concerns. Would be using the Deep Crystal Cleaner, Deep Crystal Polish, Clay bar, and Cleaners wax be too abrasive on my newer vehicle? Most specifically, I'm concerned about the Polish. I never used a Polish before. From most of the reading material I've found online, people are using polish on older model vehicles with faded paint to bring back their shine. My paint still appears quite new and maintained.

Any Meguiar's Wax can take the place of Step 3, correct? It doesn't have to be the liquid Carnauba wax, right? I've had a can of NXT 2.0 laying around for a year now. Would that product still be ok to use?

Chris

[CieraSL]

Re: questions regarding 5 step process

Hey Chris! to MOL!

The proper steps would be:
1. Wash
2. Clay (you can do a re-wash after claying if you do not want to wipe the residue off with a microfiber)
3. Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner
4. Deep Crystal Polish
5. Wax

Have you looked to see if your vehicle has any swirls at all? Deep Crystal cleaner is good for a very mild cleaning, but it won't do much for swirls. If you do have swirls, you may have to step up to Swirl X or Ultimate Compound. With regards to step #4, this step is completely optional. Deep Crystal Polish contains no abrasives, it is merely intended to give your paint that extra pop. You can skip that step if you wish. It is best to do a test spot with the polish, see if it makes a difference compared to the other panels, and then go from there. Also keep in mind, the only things that need to dry are waxes and sealants. Paint cleaners and polishes are not supposed to dry. Apply those to the paint, work in for a few seconds (working in small areas), and then remove. And yes, you may use any wax you wish. Here are some great threads for you to read through if you have not done so already:

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle

List O' Links 2.0

Internet Resources for Detailing Newbs

Videos to watch

How to wash your car show car style

How to clay bar

Hope this helps! Let us know if you have any more questions.

[akimel]

Re: questions regarding 5 step process

Ridgeway, in addition to the articles cited by Mat, also take a look at this article: Your Daily Driver: A Simple Wash & Wax Regimen.

As you may have already guessed, Cleaner Wax combines into one product two of the steps of the 5-step Deep Crystal process: CW cleans the paint and lays down a layer of protection. This is one reason why an AIO product like Cleaner Wax is so popular. However, as a general rule dedicated products like DC1 Paint Cleaner or NXT wax generally do a better job at accomplishing the task for which they were created.

The products you have recently purchased are fine for your car. Give them a try. Your process might look like this:

1) Wash
2) Clay
3) DC1 Paint Cleaner
4) DC2 Polish (optional)
5) NXT (two coats)

Note that because you are using a paint cleaner, there is no need to use Cleaner Wax. Go directly from DC1 to either DC2 or NXT.

You may not want to always employ the above process. You may wish to do it only, say, twice a year. The rest of the year you might want to use Cleaner Wax and/or NXT (as described in the Daily Driver article). Also take a look at Mosca's article on cleaner wax. You have lots of possibilities from which to choose and all of them are right.

Have fun and good luck!

Cheers,
Al

[ridgeway2030]

Re: questions regarding 5 step process

Ciera SL, no, I don't have swirls, and I find that very fact amazing. Maybe it's because I'm getting up early when I do wash/wax the vehicle, and applying/removing the wax by hand. I don't know, but thus far the paint is well maintained. Thanks for the information and links!

[ridgeway2030]

Re: questions regarding 5 step process

Akimel, thank you for the informative articles. I especially liked the Cleaners Wax one. It would seem that the proper way to go about maintaining my vehicle's exterior would be to complete the full 5 step process every six months. In between doing those large cleanings, I should alternate between Cleaners Wax and NXT.

I really want to use the Gold Class wax; however, past experience has shown me that it can last as little as two weeks. If the Gold Class was more durable, I would purchase it once again, but I had such trouble in keeping it on a Jeep I once owned.

[Murr1525]

Re: questions regarding 5 step process

You could use a cleaner/wax often, or you could use the cleaner/wax and top it with Nxt or Gold Class. That will give a little more durability.

I really like to hand wash with a gentle soap like Gold Class soap, and then apply something like Ultimate Quick Wax after drying the car. That helps keep your previous coats of wax on the car.

Using stronger soaps, and probably also the laser wash uses stronger soaps, will strip the wax more quickly, and cause you to have to reapply 'full coats' of wax more often.