Hey guys, I did a search and read through some of the threads that togwt has posted but still am not totally confident with my wash/paint maintenance methods. I recently did a full detail on my car which included a wash, claybar, cut polish, glaze and 2 coats of sealant which totalled about 15 hours. (Maybe its just me but I've always been under the impression that any sort of contact with your clear will create swirls?) Anyway, one thing that worries me is that I've been washing improperly, and the first thing I want to do is keep my car looking great. The last thing I want is my car to look like crap after all the hours I spent working on it. 1)I always use the 2 bucket method, (my grit guard bucket was purchased at Canadian Tire so I'm not sure if the grit guard in there is any less effective as what everyone else uses.) I use gloss it shampoo with a capful of ONR for lubricity, and a high quality mitt from 911fanatic. I always start at the roof and work my way down to the trunk lid, hood and windows etc, eventually working my way to the bottom of the car. Typically when I wash say the roof, I'll wash one half, flip the mitt over then wash the other half, rinse my mitt out in the rinse bucket then dunk into my wash bucket to wash the next panel/area 2)When it comes to drying I always use the water sheeting method and I use a waffle weave microfibre to grab the remaining water. 3)If I get hit by bird bombs I always try my best to get it off asap with QD and a microfiber. However if the car is sitting in the hot sun is it best to get it off asap or wait until its cooler? It almost seems like a double edged sword, you get streaks if the paint is hot, but etching if you wait? Whats the best thing to do? Any suggestions are welcomed, I'm probably missing a few important steps in regards to maintaining my paint. Thanks, and sorry for the lengthy post:sorry:
Streaking from a QD is always better than Acidic bird crap etching the clear coat. Looks like your wash method is pretty good.
Your wash method seems pretty good. Just make sure that you don't apply too much pressure on your mitt when washing the car.
Isla: Sorry yes I do rinse before washing with a mitt If the car is super dirty is it better to use 2 mitts?
my method is pretty much same as yours. but I have two grit guards in the rinse bucket. when doing ONR wash, I have uber sponge for upper panels and LC blue sprong for lower panels. When traditional wash is in place, I use quality mitt and boars hair brush. I dry with two waffe towels. one for top one for button.
