Got a few ?'s

[SpoolMe]

Let's talk tire shine. Im using one can for every two washes @ $8 a can. What do you professionals use? I should find a way to buy in bulk... is this possible? I saw someone who bought a spray gun and hooked it up to a compressor, he used a small fraction of what i use because of its precision so im thinking about looking into that. Can anyone recommend a gun or similar solution?




Next subject is buying clay in bulk... meguiars has extra bars for sale but when i try to buy them it says they are 'out of stock' and has been this way for months Ideas?



Then my biggest gripe, MF towels are really annoying me and i think its because i am using cheap ones.... is there a quality difference between some towels and others? Im using some from a local car care shop, then i got some from costco (thinking they would be better) but proved me to be incorrect. Just tired of them not being absorbent at all. Meguair does sell their towels but are extremely expensive, are they worth the price, any other suggestions? I'll pay for quality, i just need some unbiased advice.


Thanks in advance for any help, sorry that this read like a diary post, im just real tired. Good day to you all..

[Showmob]

For tireshine you can really use most dressings megs detailer line has bulk gallons that should lower your cost per car. About clay I use malco clay and just buy big bars and break them down. As far as microfibers are concerned I find that the thicker the better im not sure what brand mine are as I buy them in bags of 200 check your local auto paint shops as most supply detail stuff to the body shops

[STRIFE]

Re: Got a few ?'s

For tires

http://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-hyper-dressing.html

Clay...I pretty much switched to the various clay towels or prep towels, lots of opinions here but I find them to be great for my needs. I will not buy regular clay again.

MF towels, for glass & interiors, the cheap Walmart bulk packs are fine.
For my paint, i only use Megs Ultimate wipes and Supreme Shine towels. For drying paint, I use the Megs Water magnets towels

[Detailing by M]

Re: Got a few ?'s

Tire Shine:
Yes look into the pro line. Me and lot's of other detailer use Hyper Dressing. If one of my customers wants extreme shine on their tires I'll use Tire and Trim Gel with NXT Insane Shine on top and this gives tires Crazy shine.

Clay:
Check you local detail supply house or on line dealers. You can find clay sales all the time. Clay Magic and 3m are good too. Also check out the Speedy Prep towels and the like. Rubber is a great alternative to clay and you can drop rubber on the ground without throwing it away.

Micro Fiber Towels:
Yes there is a difference and Yes they are worth every penny as your finding out. The cheaper ones are not worth anything. Check on line but buy one before buying a bunch.
If this is only for your personal cars the money you spend on good MFT's will make you happy for years to come.
A tip when washing MFT's is to use vinegar in the rinse cycle. This will open the fibers up and will make then more absorbent. But I don't think anything will help those Costco MFT's, I've tried. My Costco towels are for interiors only and not for paint or windows.

[goldenlight]

where I find deals.

Generally Target has deals on Meguiars product. Unfortunately what is clearance at one target may be reg price at another target. Sometimes you find deals at advance auto, or auto zone as well.

For good microfiber towels I ended up going online. I recommend something similar to the thick cobra towels at autogeek. Definitely worth the price

[SpoolMe]

Re: Got a few ?'s

Thanks for the quick replies!

Im wondering what the best way to clean the interior plastic is? I'm thinking maybe a bulk sized 'quik interior detailer' or do you gentlemen think that All purpose cleaner does just as good of a job? And as for the cloth used, just a regular MF?



Next, im thining of buying this http://www.autogeek.net/dp366.html as clay lubricant. Does meguiars offer a better/cheaper alternative?





http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product_detail.do?q=4708 <--- Is this the same clay that can be found in meguiars clay bar kit? I have only used the kit up until now but i want to start buying in bulk.






And finally, im still shopping around but i do want to purchase a similar foam gun: http://www.autogeek.net/dp-quart-foam-gun.html

What is your opinion on this? It claims to loosen dirt before hand.




Be as honest as you want about anything, i want to learn the right way. Thanks everyone..

[Murr1525]

Re: Got a few ?'s

All Purpose Cleaner is good, and so is QID (Detailer or Consumer).

Just doing my own cars, I will tend to use APC, then dress the plastic. Then the next couple times, I will just use the QID to dust. Then back to APC and dressing.

I think the cheapest lube Meguiars makes is the Last Touch diluted 1:1.

The Blue Clay is just a tad stronger then the clay in the Smooth Surface kit, but still fine for general use.

Yeah, that looks like the foam gun I have. I'll pre-soak in the winter sometimes, but usually just go right to washing with it.

[STRIFE]

Re: Got a few ?'s

I think you can use Meguiar's RFEW for claying, very similar to ONR.....Cheaper than LT 1:1

[Blueline]

Re: Got a few ?'s

And finally, im still shopping around but i do want to purchase a similar foam gun: http://www.autogeek.net/dp-quart-foam-gun.html

What is your opinion on this? It claims to loosen dirt before hand.

I bought a foam gun and the first time I used it, it seems pretty cool. The second time I used it the novelty wore off and I found it to be nothing more than a nuisance... drying soap, etc. The kids use in now to shoot bubbles at themselves in the back yard. Waste of money for me.

[steve's detailing]

Re: Got a few ?'s

I use apc plus it works great. Where are u located because there should be some one near you that sells megs?... a gallon of product last a long time i generally go through 5 gallons of each product a year

[Detailing by M]

Re: Got a few ?'s

I bought a foam gun and the first time I used it, it seems pretty cool. The second time I used it the novelty wore off and I found it to be nothing more than a nuisance... drying soap, etc. The kids use in now to shoot bubbles at themselves in the back yard. Waste of money for me.

My thought exactly.
Now it's a childs toy, wonderful.

[Chris Thompson]

Re: Got a few ?'s

Well it looks like you have discovered Autogeek. In their "how to" section, they have a great tutorial on different types of microfibers and can make some recommendations.
If you are looking to get something for clay that you can use over and over, I have just recently picked up a nanoskin autoscrub pad and would recommend it highly. I can cover more area in less time, dont have to fold it over constantly, and if I drop it, I just wash it off and keep going. Just my $.02
I think im going to have to go with Blueline on this one. Foam guns, in my experience, are mostly novelty. If I have a vehicle that is exceptionally dirty (i.e. dried mud), then I'll pull it out but its not something I use regularly.
...they are fun to play with though

[STRIFE]

Re: Got a few ?'s

I bought the Griot's Garage foaming sprayer a year ago as it was just $30...but I have yet to use it...

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/foaming+sprayer.do

I have yet to find a need to break it out of the box as I prefer to just blast with a regular hose then bucket wash.
If the car is not too dirty, I just use ONR or UWWA...my 2 cents

[SpoolMe]

Re: Got a few ?'s

Okay thanks for the heads up about the foamer! Saved me a lot of $$$

Ready for more??

My terry cloth pad with plasticX wasnt aggressive enough to completely clean headlight, although it was able to do most of it. Any suggestions on what can i use that is slightly more aggressive to get the few remaining spots?


I'm already getting hyper-dressing for my tires, will it work just as well for my exterior rubber and plastic surfaces? (Just for my own information, what exactly is a 'dressing' ?)


Would you recommend APC for engine and wheel cleaning? (i guess i should just read the name of the product huh? )


As of right now, i wax my headlights to keep them protected, how does this differ from meguiars headlight protectant?



Where do you all suggest i get good, quality spray bottles to separate my bulk product? As of right now im looking into the meguiars generic bottles.


What kind of compressor do you recommend for the opti-gun? Something cheap but something that gets the job done. Feel free to link me to a product or spec details i may need..

Thanks!

[Flash Gordon]

Re: Got a few ?'s

Try dressing only the fenderwells. You'll be able to cut your consumption dramaticly, plus I think you'll find your wheels will stay cleaner, longer