[shoes]

So I'm finally getting my car fully paint-corrected but I don't know much about keeping the car maintained after its detailed...
I do know basic proper washing techniques and that sort of stuff, I even picked up a foam gun to aid in my washing.
I've been using Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss in my foam gun, but I was thinking of switching to Chemical Guys Maxi Suds II for my weekly washes so I don't strip the sealants/waxes. Good idea?

I have the basic washing mediums (sheepskin mitts) and microfibers (waffle weaves), but now I am more concerned with the paint.
I want to keep the paint "protected" as much as possible.

What products should I be looking at to keep it up? What are the essentials?
What sort of regimen should I be doing? (How often should I wax, etc.)
What about weekly maintenance washes? Should I be using a quick detailer?

Anything else I should know?

Thanks

[PINeely]

Maintaining your paint has a great deal to do with proper technique. Just make sure to wash using the two-bucket method, avoid too much pressure from mitts and sponges on the paint, work in straight lines instead of circular motions. Rinse often. When drying, try to "blot up" the water with the waffle weave instead of dragging it across the paint.

If you don't want to strip the sealants and waxes, definitely move away from Citrus W&G. Any of the Chemical Guys washes are fabulous.

[shoes]

I had a feeling CW&G was a little too harsh, even when properly diluted.
I think I'll pick up some Chemical Guys Maxi Suds II unless anyone has any other recommendations. I need something that will work well in a foam gun.

Anyway, I'm not too concerned with swirls. I understand how to keep them to a minimum as best I can.
I'm more concerned with the products I should use to keep the paint protected and how often I should use them.

[drvai]

Originally Posted by PINeely

Maintaining your paint has a great deal to do with proper technique. Just make sure to wash using the two-bucket method, avoid too much pressure from mitts and sponges on the paint, work in straight lines instead of circular motions. Rinse often. When drying, try to "blot up" the water with the waffle weave instead of dragging it across the paint.

If you don't want to strip the sealants and waxes, definitely move away from Citrus W&G. Any of the Chemical Guys washes are fabulous.

Is Citrus W&G that harsh?

[328i]

Originally Posted by drvai

Is Citrus W&G that harsh?

CG Maxi Suds is much better as a maintenance wash since it's not as strong and won't tend to strip any LSP you have. You can use CWG at a smaller dillution to prevent stripping your LSP, but I'd prefer to use more of a gentler soap, as you have more lubricity and suds that way.

[PINeely]

Originally Posted by drvai

Is Citrus W&G that harsh?

I usually use CW&G if I'm taking off wax for a polish. It's not harsh, but it bites LSP harder than Maxi Suds et al.

OP: To keep your paint protected pick up a good wax or sealant from ChemicalGuys when you order. Jetseal109 or Petes 53' Wax are awesome and both last forever. You'll be good for about a month with the Jetseal and about 2-3 weeks with the wax. Which you choose is all preference. Expect more shine with the wax but better protection from the Jetseal.

[shoes]

Ahh... thanks PINeely, thats the kind of info I was looking for.

I just placed an order for some CG Maxi-Suds so I'm good there... I will do a little more research about the sealants and waxes before I make the purchase.
However, I'm a little confused about them; do I use one or the other? or both? And when do I use them?

It's my understanding that the use of these products should go on a freshly washed, clayed, and polished car.
Is it safe for me to use a sealant or wax without going through all these procedures every time? Can I just reapply every month or so?
If so, should I strip the car with CW&G and re-apply or can I just wash normally and apply over the previous coat?

Sorry for the noob questions, I was not as knowledgeable with my previous cars and as such, didn't understand quite as much about maintaining them properly. I want to do it right this time.

Thanks for the help so far!

[SpecC]

buy good wash media
sponges/mitts
drying towels
microfiber in general

that's where most things go badly wrong

[PINeely]

Glad to help!

Sealing and waxing both accomplish the same goal, which is protecting the finish from the elements and letting water bead off of the car to prevent water spots. Which of them you use is up to you, or you can seal and then wax on top of the sealant. Sealants are made largely of synthetic polymers which affords them higher durability over waxes. Waxes typically generate a higher gloss finish but don't last as long. Of course, the quality of the products is a huge factor here but there's tons of info out there on people's favourites. I am a sealant guy myself, but on my customers' cars I use wax (Dodo Juice ) because customers like the bling factor.

Yes, you'll definitely want to wash before waxing or sealing. This will remove the surface layer of dirt so that you don't sand your paint with it. You won't need to polish each time; polishing is to remove paint defects, so since you are already getting a full correction detail you're in good shape for that.

Claying is situational. What you can do to determine if you need to clay is to put your hand in a Ziploc bag and pass it over a freshly washed panel using no pressure. If you feel lots of little bumps and bits then you ought to clay before waxing or sealing to prevent them shearing off in your applicator and damaging your paint.

When you do apply these products it's going to yield better results to strip off the old LSP with the CG&W as at the end of the month your LSP will be pretty patchy, with more of it left in some spots than in others.

I tend to explain poorly, so here are some links; the first is a general "how to" for waxes and sealants and the second is a comparison of the two. They also make product recommendations, have a huge how-to section, and all of their stock is quality stuff. Autogeek won't let you down! Be sure to check the forum stickies too.

http://www.autogeek.net/car-wax-detailing.html
http://www.autogeek.net/qude101.html

[shoes]

Thanks a lot PINeely! You definitely cleared a lot of things up for me.

I think I'm going to go with a sealant for now (leaning towards CG JetSeal), then maybe in the future pick up a decent wax to go over it - best of both worlds I suppose.

I have a few questions regarding Quick Detailers.
What exactly are their purpose and when should I use them?

I've read different things regarding its uses...
Is it basically a way to maintain your car between washes?
Would it be safe to use a quick detailer to remove a light film of dust between maintenance washes?

[PINeely]

Quick Detailers are sort of like the omni-tool of car care. They can be used as a spot treatment cleanup, clay lubricant, final wipe for wax residue, etc. You can use them to remove the light dust between washes, but you will want to be oh so very careful when you do. Make sure to use lots of QD and to turn the microfiber often while doing this. I actually wouldn't recommend it because there is a certain risk involved (You have black sapphire metallic which is going to show defects very well) and to do it properly would probably take longer than an ordinary car wash.

[UncleWede]

If you QD on about a 4x4 square and the microfiber towel shows a line of dirt, there was too much and you should have washed.

If you put wax on top of sealant, you have to be sure (usually) to remove the old wax before trying to put more sealant. Many sealants (I like Zaino) will provide almost as much glow as wax, but they do have their own characteristics. I usually Zaino real good with a complete Dawn strip twice a year, then add an extra layer or two of Zaino at about the quarters.

[shoes]

I think that answers just about everything I wanted to know.
Thanks for all the help!

[pander5]

Just one more thing I'll add. From another Black Sapphire owner I've found the paint hardness to be on the medium side so marring isn't too bad (like Jet Black) as long as you follow what's already been posted here. PINeely hit on one of my favorite suggestions and that's NO PRESSURE for the wash mitt, drying towel etc. The soap helps break the tension of the dirt and you don't need to scrub or bear down with pressure.

[Envious Eric]

sealants should be either collinite 845, or blackfire wet diamond! I have some BWD that is arriving on friday, I cant wait to see what all the rave is about!

for the weekly washing, I would use either a sheepskin (non synthetic - meguiars one sucks), or a grout sponge. You want to allow the dirt a place to go while washing, so a MF mitt is not a good choice!

Quality Waffle Weave towels are a must!!! I use the ones from www.exceldetail.com!

QD = junk IMO and should never be use, except as a cheap clay lube (cheap when you get it free, lol) I have never used a good one, as I dont use them often for the whole car, but Megs 34 final inspection is a favorite for when I have to clean up some wax/polish residue or the like.

claying - every 6 months or so! I would do it pre-winter, and pre-summer, with polishing every single time. I dont clay without polishing, EVER! you will induce some marring from the clay which will need polishing to remove!

Is this Brandon?

[shoes]

lol... Hello Eric. Way to stalk your customers!
Looking forward to the detail results.

[Envious Eric]

LOL, i just saw the location, the car, and the timing of this post and thought it was you...see you tomorrow bright and early!