[Patsfan]

My previous car was washed via the friendly touchless wash for the most part, but now it's time to step up to the big leagues on here and wash it the "right way." So I logon here to see what most people are up to and now I'm more lost than when I entered the detailing forum. I now have about 50 tabs open, 5 different forums, four different retail sites and about 10 product manufacturers to go through.

I've stumbled upon three or four good sites with lots of options and rather similar prices, although there are some coupons codes to sweeten the deal.

Deatailersdomain.com
Detailedimage.com
Autogeek.net
Chemicalguys.com

What I'm looking for is a good everyday car wash setup for a Phantom Black S5 which can get quite dirty in the Boston climate. Chances are I will not be performing any crazy "professional" detailing work. I'll pay a few times a year for that.

I'm willing to buy some beneficial tools, but I may be moving to the city and will not have the opportunity to store large tools nor do I think I'd see the benefit of buying $300+ items.

I'm open to recommendations as to what I can buy for roughly $250 between products and tools (ex. buckets, grit guard, mitt, microfiber, foammaster, air dryer, etc)

1. Products must be available in the US
2. Cannot take up excess amounts of space
3. Accomplish a full wash and interior clean in an hour or so

Highly recommended items I've found so far:
2 Buckets :-)
1 Grit Guard
Mitt: reTHICKulous Wool Wash Mitt (Wookie)
Exhaust tips: P21S Metal Polishing Soap
Wheels:Sonax Wheel Cleaner - Full Effect
Dash:Sonax Dashboard Cleaner
Leather Seat Car Care: Sonax Leather Foam
Windshield:P21S Windshield Wash Booster
Shampoo:Chemical Guys Glossworks Shampoo
Drying #1: Chemical Guys Miracle Dryer Absorber
Drying #2: Chemical Guys JetSPEED Air Dryer


Any thoughts on these products and also which site offers better service/prices/selection/shipping.

Thanks

[A5driver]

$35 for a washmitt? Must be one that lasts a very long time then.

I always go for those regular $10 lambswool mitts, without the thumb because that tares easily.
You may want to order multiple mitts as they don't last for ever

I use this one to clean my alloys
Amazon.com: Meguiar's Microfiber Wash Mitt: Automotive
No ware and tare on that one yet after 3 years.

Never been convinced about grit gaurds, i just don't go all the way to the bottom of the bucket when rinsing my mitt.


sometimes i use Zaino Z-8 to finish it off
http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/...oduct_Code=Z-8

[Patsfan]

Originally Posted by A5driver

$35 for a washmitt? Must be one that lasts a very long time then.

I always go for those regular $10 lambswool mitts, without the thumb because that tares easily.
You may want to order multiple mitts as they don't last for ever

I use this one to clean my alloys
Amazon.com: Meguiar's Microfiber Wash Mitt: Automotive
No ware and tare on that one yet after 3 years.

Never been convinced about grit gaurds, i just don't go all the way to the bottom of the bucket when rinsing my mitt.


sometimes i use Zaino Z-8 to finish it off
Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal: Zaino Store

Just grabbed a couple of those wash mitts, and from Zaino some Z-6 and Z-8 and the glass cleaner. Figured I'd try a few items to account for the flat $9.95 shipping

[Huey52]

It can be overwhelming as there are a number of excellent products out there. Although I go with a number of Griot's Garage items (addicted to their Speed Shine) I also use some Zaino (esp. Leather in a Bottle and their tire gloss) and some other dedicated items such as 303 Aerospace for the dash (Sunscreen with no glare) and Plexus for the clear bra. Mothers and Meguiars are really very good as well, especially the former's California Gold Chrome cleaner and the latter's NxTech 2.0 synthethic wax.

As you know, it's most important to have a high quality wash mitt/brush and microfiber towels, as many scratches/swirls are self-induced with lesser products. A good microfiber waffle drying towel is a must as well.

Always try to wash/dry in the shade to preclude water spotting, especially with hard New England water (I use my Mr Clean deionized rinse if I must wash in the Sun).

We all have our favorites, but buy quality and you pretty much can't go wrong.

Detailer's Domain always has informative detailing product threads over on AW: http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=2823594

[Agilis]

Hey Patsfan,

I am venturing into the same boat as you. Except my car is worse than yours when it comes to showing dirt. Before I help, here's some insight on my weekend regimen - Wash the car, dry the car. Don't really touch the interior since I don't let it get dirty and when it's dirty, I'll wipe the dash and doors with all-purpose armor all wipes.

Yes, it's that simple. Every weekend I'm out there if the weather allows it, washing the car. Moving on time...

The problem is when you ask for advice, it's a loaded question. So many people have their own rules, opinions, and most people don't use identical set ups. But I, through some help and research, have came up with a generic list. Now before listing these products, keep in mind, I'm not going to list the brand, just the product type you want.

Paint Correction

Step 1. Swirl Remover
Step 2. Polish/Glaze
Step 3. Wax/Sealant

Car washing:

- Foam Gun
- Powerful Rinse Nozzle
- 2 Wash Buckets with 1 Grit Guard
- Trusted car soap that won't strip the wax
- Trusted wheel cleaner
- Trusted Tire Shine
- Wash Mitt/Pad
- Drying Towel/Pad
- Detail Spray
- Electric Leaf Blower

Okay, that's the generic list. Now let me explain...

- Foam Gun: This allows you to cover the car with soap, since soap protects the car if washing in the middle of the day, and provides lubrication for the wash mitt, which is a must of black cars. I am always struggling with the sudds - Always have too little covering the car.

- Powerful Rinse Nozzle: Just to make sure your water pressure is adequate enough to rinse the dirt and grime from the car before you use the wash mitt.

- 2 Wash buckets: 2 5 gallon buckets will do. 1 to hold the soapy water, 1 to hold clean water that will rinse the wash mitt before grabbing more sudds. You want a grit guard in at least 1 bucket to rub the wash mitt against which will trap the dirt at the bottom of the bucket.

- Trusted Car soap:
- Trusted Wheel Cleaner
- Trusted Tire Shine

I say trusted because I doubt a product you choose for the purpose at hand will cause harm, just some products work better than others. For example, you do not want generic soap that will strip the existing wax or sealant on your car.

- Wash Mitt/Pad
- Drying Towel/Pad

Microfiber solutions work best.

- Detail Spray: A friend of mine turned me on to the use of this type of product. You use it as a drying aid to prevent scratches. When the car is being dried, you spray the car with this stuff and then use your drying towel along with the spray to soak up the remaining water.

- Electric Leaf Blower: The less contact your drying towel has with your paint, the better. So use this to blow out the water from the tiny nooks and crevices like the lug-nut holes, external mirrors, license plate, etc. This will make your drying experience so much better and decrease your the amount of time to wash the car.

Personal Recommendations

Paint Correction

Step 1. Wolfgang Swirl Remover
Step 2. Wolfgang Polish/Glaze
Step 3. Wolfgang Estate Wax/ Wolfgang Sealant

If your car is the daily driver, use a sealant than apply wax over it. The sealant last 4-6 months, Carnuba wax last 8 weeks depending on storage.

Car washing:

- Foam Gun: Deatailersdomain.com
- Powerful Rinse Nozzle: Deatailersdomain.com
- 2 Wash Buckets: Home Depot
- Trusted car soap that won't strip the wax: Adam's Car Wash Soap | Deatailersdomain.com
- Trusted wheel cleaner: Sonax Wheel Cleaner | Deatailersdomain.com
- Trusted Tire Shine: Black Magic
- Wash Mitt/Pad - Microfiber Wash Mitt
- Drying Towel/Pad - Meguiars Water Magnet Towels (People will complain but these towels do not leave scratches if used right)

- Detail Spray Adam's Detail Spray | Deatailersdomain.com
- Electric Leaf Blower - Any electric leaf blower will do.

There you go! That's all the info I learned in 1 week, well, maybe 2.

[Patsfan]

Wow, great write-up and suggestions. This is much appreciated!

Are you using the same soap in your buckets as in your foam gun? I've read that there are different products for the different steps.

I know there is the Autobrite Magifoam out there (can't get it in the US though?), and Chemical Guys have a few different products.

[Agilis]

Originally Posted by Patsfan

Wow, great write-up and suggestions. This is much appreciated!

Are you using the same soap in your buckets as in your foam gun? I've read that there are different products for the different steps.

I know there is the Autobrite Magifoam out there (can't get it in the US though?), and Chemical Guys have a few different products.

Yes, use the same soap. It's not caustic so it won't hurt the gun or its internals. The video at the bottom of the car wash product is great an explaining some of the methods I've outlined.

http://www.detailersdomain.com/Adams...ash_p_499.html

[richiek]

Hey patsfan,
richie k here. I have some advise for you as I also have brilliant black for a color. You can spend a ton of money on every product out there and everyone has their own personal choices that can really make it hard to choose. Price is also a prime consideration as some of these products cost a small fortune. I will only tell you what I have been using and let you make a decision what to use.
I have tried multiple products and here is what I have been successful with.
I use a washing mitt to wash the car, a medium priced quality mitt works well for me.
I the start by rising the car with a hose, to remove loose dirt and grime. I start from the top and work my way down the side of the car to the bottom and the wheels. I then wash using two buckets one with the soap and one with the rinse water. I then do the wheels and wells separately with a soft micro fiber towel. Then using the Audi soft rim brush using Black Magic spray tire and rim cleaner. I also use a long brush to get to the inside of the rims. I have Audi "y" spoke rims. The product that I use is Turtle Wax Ice car wash to wash the car. It's reasonably priced and it works as does the black Magic.
I then have two separate micro fiber drying towels. One to take the water off and then immediately in the other hand the other towel to wipe it as I go down to prevent streaking.
I don't know if you have ever striped the car down before you did any thing to it? By that I mean stripping the wax off. To do that start with a dish washing detergent to strip any wax off by washing as described above. After that clay the car. I used Mcquires clay kit, it works and is reasonably priced.It makes the paint surface as smooth as a babies butt. It removes all of the road film and grim that is on your paint. Rub your finger over your paint do you feel tiny bumps in the surface! Then you need to clay it even if you don't feel any its there, you'll see green and brown crap on the clay, that was on your paint.
The next question is polishing and waxing. There are a ton of products out there some are cheap and some are off the wall in price. That choice is up to you. After reading a ton of articles Caranuba wax seems to be the best. Read some articles on the web make your own decision. Realize that a lot of these articles are from the manufacturers themselves, hence they are self serving. They are trying to justify why their product is the best and some are truly better but not because of price.
The product that I read about and have tried and am satisfied with is Turtle Wax Black Box. It is priced relatively reasonable, any where from about 16 to 20 bucks depending where you get it. It's a two step process and gives me the results I want. I use the supplied applicator and use micro fiber towels to remove it. The reason I use this is that it is formulated for black cars. The product is black which means there is no white wax residue on the car when you finish it. To touch it up between application I use Black Box spray detailer. Again this is a formulated black product for black cars. I also use on occasion polishing clothes to really make it pop.
I might also suggest for the tires use Black Magic Tire Gel. It goes on with a supplied applicator, so it doesn't get the gel all over the rims and paint work as a spray does.
If you have paint swirls the wax will only hide some of them. To get the surface scratches out they will have to be buffed out with swirl removal product using a machine. I would suggest you get that done by a professional detailer. Why, because black shows everything up and if you don"t have experience using a machine you could most definitely make your paint have more issues and more expense.
Never ever use a dry towel or micro fiber towel on your paint. It's the dust and grim on your car that you don't see that causes the swirl marks. Plus it embeds the particles in the fiber of the cloth. No matter how hard you try you will have swirl marks, every color paint gets them, its just that you see them more with a black paint job. Proper care will limit the amount of swirls or spider webbing in the paint, but it won't eliminate them.
This is just the common sense that I use in the care of my black on black A5 S-Line. Some people may agree with me and some may not. Your car is a daily driver, so you want to keep it looking good, but you don't want to break the bank. If you had a garage or trailer queen then you might want to spend more money on it. Like I said an expensive price doesn't mean its the best for you!
Good Luck!

[Agilis]

RichieK, I hope that you wash and scrub the wheels and tires before you actually start washing the actual car because from what you posted, it sounds like you are doing the reverse.

Few comments and suggestions:

Highly recommend adding a grit guard to at least 1 of your buckets.

Your method of drying using 2 towels is just asking for swirls. The drying towel, the more damp it is, the less likely you'll have scratches. Using 2 cloths at the same time, splits the water being soaked up between the 2 causing more dry sections of the towel to contact the paint. If you are going to use 2 towels, use the pat and dry technique.

As for the product selection... Turtle wax over Zaino, or Meguiars, even Mothers? No way. Now, you didn't list the soap you use so not knowing if it's quality or not, I don't know if it's stripping the wax or not. Many off the shelf wash detergents are not friendly to wax. I'm sure others will have mix feelings about Turtle Wax but for me, its too generic.

You're right that some of these products can cost a small fortune but the problem is, where do you draw the line? Do you use a cheaper product on your expensive car and risk having paint issues in the future? Or do you use a quality product, albeit expensive than off the shelve brands, but you know the car will be protected?

One thing you'll note, as the product gets more expensive in price, the refinement, research, and overall ease of application increases saving you time in the long run.

Now I disagree with you about swirl marks and not being able to avoid them. If you rinse really well, have plenty of soap on the car, and use quality detail spray to help lubricate the paint surface as you dry, you will avoid the marks.

Bottom line, you have an expensive car, so you want to use a quality product to protect the investment. Now I believe this opinion is shared among the many here. The overwhelming factor is there are a lot of different opinions about which quality product one uses.

There are also many people here who share and practice detailing as a second or even main hobby. A laid back approach will simply get them upset.

[richiek]

Agilis,
I do the wheels first,sorry about that. The soap I use is ICE again by turtle wax. The black box I use is a good product. The first towel and the second towel are somewhat damp when I start to dry the car off. I beg to differ with you on the swirl marks though.
Even with the detail spray lubricating the car's surface it is inevitable that you will still eventually get swirl marks ( especially with a black paint job). You will get less of them over a longer period of time, but you will get them.By virtue of putting two different surfaces together the polishing cloth to the paint surface insures that. Practically all the articles I have read state that. Ask a professional detailer about avoiding the dreaded swirl marks.
Back to the wax. Everyone has their favorite products that they use. Some wish to use more expensive products. You make the statement that the more expensive waxes do better research and refinement. Where have you found that info as I would like to know more if you would, especially side by side comparisons. Look The Black Box is Caranuba wax and it protects the polish that I put on my paint at a reasonable cost. If you read all the claims from all the companies you will realize that a lot of it, not all is marketing. So basically you are stating that companies like 3m, Mother's, Turtle Wax and McQuires don't do the appropriate research and refinement on their products and the smaller designer companies do! OK, tell me again where I find that information other then each manufactures marketing literature.

I don't want to offend or upset anyone here who does this for a living or as a hobby. This happens to be my opinion and I find that it works for me and I'm sure others have procedures that work for them that may be better or worse in their opinions.

I forgot to mention that my car is garage kept. It does not go out in bad weather and when in the garage it has a silk showroom cover for it to keep the dust off of it. I am anal about the care of my vehicle. I am paranoid when I take it out and have to park it.

Again, no offense to anyone here, but everyone is entitled to an opinion. Just because something is off the shelf doesn't mean its inferior. Just as buying something billed as designer and more expensive is far superior. Larger companies produce large quantities which reduce costs. Small designer companies make less of a product and have to charge more as their expenses are greater. How many designer products in general have you bought that weren't as good as the off of the self item? Look, I'm sure there are in fact better products then what I am using and others will say what you are using is also subpar. But the original post wanted a reasonable cost for a product to protect their car, and availability of that product that works in the USA.

Here is some info that I have found take a look. You may be surprised

Car Wax Reviews
Read on Our Recommended Best Car Wax for your Car
Car Wax Black Car Wax Reviews Carnauba Car Wax versus Synthetic Polymer Sealants Four Car Wax Tips You May Have Never Heard Off Meguiar’s Wax MOTHERS WAX Turtle Wax Zaino Wax Zymol Wax
Turtle Wax Carnauba Cleaner Wax Review | MOTHERS California Gold Carnauba Cleaner Wax | MOTHERS California FX SynWax | MOTHERS Reflections Advanced Car Wax | Meguiar’s GOLD CLASS Clear Coat Car Wax Review | Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 Paste | Meguair’s Ultimate Quik Wax | Turtle Wax 1-Step Wax and Dry Review | Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell |

Are Expensive Car Waxes Better Than Cheaper Ones?
By M. Maxx

A lot of times car enthusiasts are bombarded with ads featuring car care products that are very expensive. Usually these ads run on Home TV Shopping Networks featuring fancy scientific tests. These tests generally are exaggerated and sometimes even featuring waxes that can “resist” laser beams.
The point of this article is to discuss whether or not expensive car waxes that you see often see on TV are better than that can of paste our fathers have been using for the last 20 years.
Point 1: Law of Diminishing Returns
Waxes can generally be divided into price points. First we have the value waxes costing less than 10 dollars. Next are the “top of the line” consumer waxes hovering at around 20 dollars. Around the $50 dollar mark are waxes whose brand names are only familiar to those who detail their cars.
Waxes can cost well beyond 200 dollars. Generally speaking the most expensive waxes do not offer a linear scale of quality. In other words a 200 dollar tin can of high end wax will not give a gloss that is 20x better than one costing 7 dollars.
Concluding this point people will generally not notice any difference between a $20 USD wax and that $100 USD high end wax you have been saving for.
Point 2: “Boutique Waxes” Do Not Last Long
Expensive car waxes generally cater to people who prepare their cars for exhibitions. Once in a while a serious car restorer might apply his most expensive wax during special occasions like weddings or impressing dates.
Some detailers know for a fact that these “boutique waxes” will not hold its gloss and shine for long. In fact a lot of car waxes that offer the wettest look for your car’s paint will attract dust like crazy. It is a common lament among novice detailers that as early as the third washing high end car waxes get stripped off.
Budget waxes on the other hand are designed more to protect than to reflect. So they do their job well and there are brands that do last for as much as 6 months. Half a year’s protection for around 5 bucks is as good as it gets.
Point 3: More Expensive Harder to Apply
Generally speaking as a car wax gets progressively more expensive it gets harder to apply. There is one popular brand for example that needs to have 3 to 4 products layered on top of each other to produce the best results. This may take several hours to complete since you have to let the product sit for as long as an hour at times.
There are also product families which do not work well when they aren’t applied with a bundle of other products. Step products are an example of this.
More expensive car wax products will be harder for a beginner to apply since getting the exact amount on the car’s surface requires experience with each product. Some products when over applied can eat up on the car’s clear coat and ruin your cars finish.
Cheaper products tend to be designed for everybody and are “idiot proof.” This makes them somewhat safer than the obscure super expensive products.
Expensive car waxes have their place in detailing. But it does not necessarily mean that they are worth their price for most people. It may surprise you to know that even the cheapest waxes do protect your car. And if you are looking for the best shine and reflections from your car you might get the best result from that product you can get over at your local gas station instead of importing it from some European country.
Find out which cheap car wax was chosen the best at Car Wax Reviews.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M._Maxx
http://EzineArticles.com/?Are-Expens...es?&id=3577098


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The Four Steps of Proper Car Washing
The Importance of Taking Time to Wash Your Car
The Difference Between Polishing and Waxing Your Car
Are Expensive Car Waxes Better Than Cheaper Ones?
Five Causes of Swirl Marks on your Car Paint
Common Car Paint Problems – Water Spots
Early Morning Car Cleaning – A Cleaner Car and a Slimmer Waist
Do Black Cars Need Special Wax?
Four Steps in Maintaining Your Car Paint
Common Car Paint Problems – Environmental Contaminants
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[Mediaboy]

I've cleaned 2 black cars inside and out this weekend. My A5 and Claire's X1. She sends her apologies.

Both are looking great.. but I could do with a recommendation for a glass cleaner please..?

[Huey52]

That's a good question. With all the detailing products I have/have tried I've never found an outstanding glass cleaning one. The one Griot's Garage product that lhas underwhelmed me is their glass cleaner (although their glass polish is excellent). Still searching as well ....

Originally Posted by Mediaboy

I've cleaned 2 black cars inside and out this weekend. My A5 and Claire's X1. She sends her apologies.

Both are looking great.. but I could do with a recommendation for a glass cleaner please..?

[jenbutmad]

Guys if you rally want to find great advice on products and techs get over to detailing world. Fab forum for detailing advice

[Patsfan]

Finally pulling the trigger on a bunch of stuff from Detailers' Domain.

Anyone have the 15% off and free shipping over $150 coupon?

[jjwatmyself]

Clay is a must. First time will take a few hours, but it's worth it.

[DetailersDomain]

I'm around to help I too have Phantom Black.
Drop me a call.

I also own a Phantom Black but an S4.

Take a look Detailer's Domain: 2010 Audi S4 Daily Driver - Updates and Mods - Page 11

[PeterW]

Hi, I just got a 2010 Ibis white A5 about 5 weeks ago, 2 weeks before I went to Argentina ( still there) I have not had enough time to detail the car yet. Even though the car has only 11,000kms on it without one scratch, stone chip,car park damage.I ran my hand over it inside a plastic bag, it felt like sand paper. I have only had time to clay bar it and alight polish. I will finish it when im back in Aus in 2 weeks time. I totally agree on the clay bar prep before polishing.

[Patsfan]

Originally Posted by DetailersDomain

I'm around to help I too have Phantom Black.
Drop me a call.

I also own a Phantom Black but an S4.

Take a look Detailer's Domain: 2010 Audi S4 Daily Driver - Updates and Mods - Page 11

Check your PM