brand new car & waxing -leaving finger prints?

[Poki]

Re: brand new car & waxing -leaving finger prints?

I was attempting to get a 'show room' shine on all the vehicles, but I guess I just don't know how yet.[/QUOTE]

You are off to a good start. Keep searching the forums and I'm sure some of the pros are going to give you links to info. here to read. The spray detailer that came with the clay is great to use whenever you want to wipe away finger prints or...light dust. Spray a section like half the hood, wipe lightly with a microfiber, dry with another one. Wash the car whenever ya can't stand it anymore LOL. Just keep in mind it's next to impossible to keep a showroom/showcar look on a daily driver. You may also want to get some ONR rinsless wash. (order it from Auto Detailing Solutions on line). You can give the car a quick "sponge bath" with a couple ounces in a couple gallons of water in a bucket. Wipe a section and dry it. You can even do this wash in the garage. A quick wash for cars that don't have caked on heavy mud/dirt. Get a bunch of micro fiber towels...a dozen to start. I really like the micro fiber waffle weave drying towels for drying the car when washing it...or doing an ONR wipe down. Can get those at ADS or auto stores too.

[BobbyG]

Re: brand new car & waxing -leaving finger prints?

BobbyG: do I use the quick detailer now? I think it came with the clay kit I bought to use on our older vehicle. So, have not used it other than with the clay kit.

I was attempting to get a 'show room' shine on all the vehicles, but I guess I just don't know how yet.

Sure, that should work fine. Spray it on and wipe with a soft Microfiber cloth. Be careful to not rub too had because you can actually leave subtle marks with the towers fibers is you rub hard enough. Just use some good old common sense and you'll be fine.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: brand new car & waxing -leaving finger prints?

At the risk of sounding overly obvious here, if you touch your car with your bare hands you're bound to leave fingerprints on it - just waxed or not. Touch the glass, you'll leave fingerprints. No matter how clean your hands are your skin will transfer some naturally occurring oils to the surface. It doesn't sound like you've done anything wrong at all, other than simply touching the car.

As for using SwirlX on a new car, it's perfectly safe. And just because the car is new and you've only had it for a couple days there is still a very high probability that it needs some work, unless your dealer did an outstanding job prepping it. We've seen a brand new Rolls Royce Phantom ($400,000+ sticker price) sitting in a showroom and the paint was loaded with swirls. If your new car sat on the dealer lot for any length of time it was washed, perhaps repeatedly, and perhaps poorly. More often than not even a new car needs to be clayed and treated to at least a light paint cleaning. Unless, as previously stated, your dealer did an outstanding prep job.

[Bill Davidson]

Re: brand new car & waxing -leaving finger prints?

A quality detail spray like Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Detailer and a good quality Microfiber towel will make them disappear like glass cleaner on a glass surface.

it sounds like what you need is a Quik Detailer product.

G14422 Ultimate Quik Detailer
A3316 Quik Detailer 16 fl. oz.
A3332 Quik Detailer 32 fl. oz.

I personally like to use Last Touch because it comes in a 1 gal (128 fl. oz.) jug. ~$20 (You will also save money and time by washing your vehicle less.)
D15501 Last touch 1 gal.
This is a mild product so any spray bottle will do.

You want to make sure the vehicle is clean prior to waxing, no finger prints.

[carcareGAL]

Re: brand new car & waxing -leaving finger prints?

Poki: thanks for the website. And I am finding out just how many towels you need! I sure would like to buy locally, mainly, because I am doing this now! I saw the waffle weave towels on a video, I will be buying them if I can find them locally, if not, saving up for a huge order.

BobbyG: ok. have to learn not to rub hard.

Michael: Yes, I do realize that. But, when we got the car home and in the garage and of course showing it off, the finger prints were quite noticable. We do have other vehicles and none on them, thats what threw me. And I truely think there was a extra layer of something that shouldn't of been there.
I've also seen very expensive cars (not your price range) with swirl marks. I think by what everyone has said here, I should of done a clay or the detailer on it first. I just couldn't believe a dealer wouldn't treat a car correctly.

Ok, so I've waxed it and it sits. Now the first chance I get what should I truely do?
start with a wash, as I have an errand to run and most likely it will get rained on.
do a clay job on it?
that will take the wax off, correct?
then ?
I have read about the cleaners being a step, but did not understand what you meant. But I think I have finally figured out that is like the swirlx, scratch2.0, and the ult. compound which I have semi-figured out. correct?
there is a polish listed for another step. this I have not bought. should I of?
then the wax is listed after a polish for the last steps.
the nxt wax in the purple bottle in the box, I have & like, but have been using it on our less expensive vehicles. I bought the gold class for this new car & one more vehicle we have. Seems like no one uses it on this forum for when you list the order of detailing a car. I can't find a list using it. just 2 thin layers of the nxt wax. how comes? I don't mine spending more money for a product, as I've spent a bit for the car. But, no list with it, so I kinda don't know what to do...

[Calais]

Re: brand new car & waxing -leaving finger prints?

Don't worry buddy, using abrasives on a new car is not an issue unless you are going overly aggressive with product choice or pad/machine. Some SwirlX by hand or by DA will do your car some good and get you some gloss. No matter how new/old the paint is, you can gain a lot by properly using these products and techniques.

[Fly Bye]

Re: brand new car & waxing -leaving finger prints?

That towel that came in the wax box was large, but I did the whole car.

I'm guessing that this towel is 16'' x 24''. That is large, but I like having a fresh MF to do a final wipedown, as to make sure I have removed all residual chemicals off of the finish
.

Wondering if I should take that towel to it again? Or wash it?

I would wash it. I would also recommend that you buy some more MF's. If you buy enough MF's, say 1-2 dozen, you will always have a fresh, clean MF to use for a final wipe after detailing a car. I rinse my MF's in my sink in hot water with the hand sprayer. I put a little bit of Dawn onto the towel, aggitate a little bit with a brush, (the stains) and then throw em into a bucket of hot water and Dawn, and let em soak until I have enough towels to rinse and throw into the dryer, which could be one day, or I may let em soak for 2-3 days until I have enough to justify running the dryer.

I have swirlx and have used it on my other vehicle. but a brand new car? I am very hesitate to do that.

I wouldn't trip on using a mild polish/cleaner on a brand spankin new car.

Some SwirlX by hand or by DA will do your car some good and get you some gloss.

[Poki]

Re: brand new car & waxing -leaving finger prints?

You can really use the ult. quick detailer every day? um, do you wash the car first?[/QUOTE]
Actually, you'll use the UQD INSTEAD of washing the car. Use it to remove a coating of dust, fingerprints etc. I only "wash" the car when it gets rained on, driven in the rain etc. The waffle weave microfiber towel I mentioned is for drying the car when washing it. I can dry my entire car with 1 and never ring it out!

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: brand new car & waxing -leaving finger prints?

Why not start from scratch? I would give it a wash, clay, then use a cleaner wax. I bet that would take care of the problem.