Auto care (washing/cleaning)

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2018 CX-5 Touring AWD
I want something simple to wash and clean my car. I'm thinking soap with wax (if these types of soap, these combinations, are not recommended, please say so) and something to clean the interior.

If I've missed anything please let me know. For example, if my proposed method to clean my car is so simple that I'm missing something, please let me know.

Thank you.
 
Meguiars Gold Class for the soap. Ive never been convinced that the wax additive soaps are anything but a gimmick, but Meguiarss makes one with wax that Im sure works just as well.

Aerospace 303 protectant for the matte surfaces in your car.

Both can be found at places like Autozone.
 
I like rain-x foaming wash for the same reason I use foaming hand soap for my hands. It gets a nice clean. For a wax you dont want a 2-in-1 they usually suck and leave residue.
 
I like the Meg's soap with wax. Keeps the wax layer in place between periodic hand waxes, which you will still want to do. Also it will greatly extend the life of your wiper blades due to the UV inhibitors in it. No issues with residue with that one.
 
So this is what I got:

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Nothing's been opened/used so...

They didn't have the Aerospace 303 so I got a Meguiar's that sounded close.
 
Hand wax it too. I've been using Meg's polymer sealant twice a year for almost 20 years, works good but others will have their favorites
 
So this is what I got:

7TNnht4.jpg
jeDZzKr.jpg


Nothing's been opened/used so...

They didn't have the Aerospace 303 so I got a Meguiar's that sounded close.

The Meguiar's interior stuff will work of course but if you want the best you'll want to get some 303.
 
Car soap is car soap, I buy whatever is on sale. Just make sure you use a clean wash mitt and clean bucket. Aerospace 303 is great for wiping down the interior.
 
After trying many products and experimenting - this is where I am at, my wash schedule is all over the place but I always use good technique.

1. Pressure wash (not extreme pressure wash - mine is 300 psi) - rinse the car.
2. Snow foam the car.
3. Rinse the car.
4. Snow foam the car - use a mitt to really remove the remaining dirt.
5. Look for water marks - thanks to the heat its always there and the fact that there are sprinklers too. Clay Bar to remove the spots - if still exists scratch x from megs.
6. If i do step 5 I will follow up with Meguiars Ultimate Final Finish or a Wax.
Steps 1 - 3 take so much dirty away you can not scratch the car with a proper microfiber mitt.

If your car doesnt get too dirty - what you bought is good. If there is a lot of dirt - like you run your hand gently and you can feel it, chances are it will get scratched. If you really feel surface dirt - hose down the car first to loosen and remove it. An alternate setup to what you have is Optimum no rinse Wash and Wax. Amazing product - saves water, this method needs ONR + wash mitt + drying towel.

My setup is this way partly because I stay in an apartment. Otherwise a water pipe with some pressure washer and foamer would be cheaper.

My total cost:
1. Worx Hydroshot ($50 refurb eBay) minus $30 for reselling not needed accessories. Total $20.
2. ONR - Wash and Wax - $10 small bottle - god send, can be used as QD and Clay lube as well.
3. Got a Megs kit from Amazon $60 - sort of waste except for Wash mitt, Micro Fiber cloth, Shampoo and Clay bars.
4. Aquapel for windshield $6 on eBay.
5. Micro Fiber + Drying cloths - both are necessary : $20 - buy really good ones upfront.
6. Glass cleaner - Stoners $5.
7. Buckets misc. that I had at home already
Total : $ 121 - If I had to buy again maybe I would spend close to $80-90. eBay is great for finding hidden deals / gems.

At this point have few things on Chemical guys cart - thinking about it, love the wheel cleaner and trim wax remover cleaner + snow foam shampoo and interior odor remover / car perfume. Not sure about the brand itself - never used it but it seems they have a large following.

Like I said - my cleaning schedule is all over the place, but when I clean the dark blue pops out. For interior I have not even wiped anything once except remove dirt from seats and given the car a baking soda treatment and washed the matts.
 
Before I bought my CX-9, I had been hand washing all of my cars using the two bucket method. I tried it with the CX-9 and it just takes too long, so I bought a cheap snow foam attachment for my pressure washer. My process is similar to Kaps', except that I don't clay or wax the car as often.

I have and use Meguiar's Gold Class in my foam gun, but I recently just bought a jug of Chem Guys Honeydew Snow Foam... and I think I like the Meguiar's better.

Some tips for you:

1. If you bucket wash, make sure you use two buckets. One bucket is used to rinse the towel/sponge after cleaning a dirty area, the second bucket is dedicated to soap. I don't like this method because it's possible for caked on dirt to stick to the towel/sponge, which can create tiny scratches even after soaping it up again.

2. Don't wash in the sun. Water and soap will dry too quickly, leaving streaks and water spots.

3. Don't scrub the paint to get rid of stubborn dirt like tar or caked on bug guts. Try Turtle Wax Bug & Tar remover, comes in a green spray bottle and can probably be found in Autozone. Works really well. If this doesn't work, you'll probably need to use clay, which you should then follow with a wax or sealant like Kaps does.

4. Wipe each panel top to bottom. You can use one microfiber/sponge for the whole car, but I like to use one towel for each side. Make sure you're always turning the towel to a clean portion, or switching to a clean towel often.

5. Buy 303 and use it. It's seriously the best thing to use for the interior, and even works great for protecting the plastic exterior trim and your tire sidewalls. Even if you have to order it online to get it, it's worth it.
 
Hose the car off, wash it with carwash soap unless you plan on waxing. If you're gonna wax, wash it with dishwashing soap to strip the old wax off. Dry it off with a chamois or even a microfiber towel. Now hand wax it with some kind of paste wax that comes in a tub. Liquid waxes last about half as long.

Watered down simple green works great for the plastics inside, a little stronger of a mix for the carpets.

Done. No special tools or anything to buy. Name brands matter about as much as hair shampoo name brands...they don't.
 
Before I bought my CX-9, I had been hand washing all of my cars using the two bucket method. I tried it with the CX-9 and it just takes too long, so I bought a cheap snow foam attachment for my pressure washer.
Yes, I don't want to take too long washing the car either. Did you buy one of those "guns" you can use to spray on the soap? Which one do you have or do you have one that you can recommend?
 
One thread is a guy with peeling clearcoat saying "Screw Mazda and their crappy paint", and the other is full of people telling you to pressure wash your paint job.
mindblown.gif
 
Opposite of simple was my post back in March prepping my car for ceramic coating. :)
Detail
Post Link

Months later and the payoff is nice. Super easy to clean and returns to a detailed look with a simple two bucket wash or spray foam and bucket wash.
 
One thread is a guy with peeling clearcoat saying "Screw Mazda and their crappy paint", and the other is full of people telling you to pressure wash your paint job.
A lot of difference - the poster washed his car 100 times a year with waxing it twice. I washed mine 7 times in 2 years. The poster had no idea of how it was washed - presumably by someone doing a large volume of cars every week.
The OP does not have a paint job - his is factory paint so no accidents / body repair afaik.
 
Name brands matter about as much as hair shampoo name brands...they don't.

Personally, I disagree, and here's why:


Waxes and sealants will all do the same thing for the most part, which is protect the paint from UV exposure and provide some limited protection against contaminants. However, the different formulations in waxes/sealants/coatings lead to differences in application, hydrophobicity, and durability.

In addition, Simple Green works great for cleaning the interior, but I would still use 303 as a protectant. Some years ago, Lexus had a TSB regarding melting dashboards. Owners who had this issue were either able to keep it from occurring by treating with 303 or by using ceramic tint. That should illustrate how well it protects against UV damage.

Yes, I don't want to take too long washing the car either. Did you buy one of those "guns" you can use to spray on the soap? Which one do you have or do you have one that you can recommend?

I just bought a cheap $20 snow foam attachment for my pressure washer on amazon. There are some that you have to use with a pressure washer, and others that you can use with a garden hose. Generally, the more expensive ones are built a little better, which means they will last longer.

 
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Opposite of simple was my post back in March prepping my car for ceramic coating. :)
Wow! That's too much. You're too much, Felt_Rider. I commend you but I'm afraid, I would somehow manage to scratch up my car with so much involved.

Wow...

(omg)(wow)
 
Wow! That's too much. You're too much, Felt_Rider. I commend you but I'm afraid, I would somehow manage to scratch up my car with so much involved.

Wow...
(omg)(wow)

Don't let it intimidate you. I spent a lot of time reading on Detailed Image, Autogeek and Autotopia detailing, as well as, watching a lot of YouTube videos. When my wife watches HGTV and Hallmark that's what I watch on the ipad.

The big thing, and someone mentioned it earlier, is learning proper washing techniques as a basic. Otherwise if you're not careful you can potentially use the grit that is on the car to scratch swirl marks into the clear coat. So the first step is gently removing the dirt as carefully as possible. Presoaking the car with foamy soap supposedly binds to a lot of the dirt and helps that first bit come off. Then move to the two bucket wash method. Another easy step, not exactly cheap, is using Iron-X to decontaminate the paint even a bit more. I have bought a lot of MF towels and wash mitts that I change often through the steps and run them through the wash machine later to keep them clean for the next car detailing.

Look into and ease into you will find out it is not too intimidating and once you get to the point of using clay or a nano-mitt and you feel how silky smooth the paint can get you will step back in awe of your effort. After that it is your choice on how to protect using wax, sealant or coating. You can use a sealant like Optiseal and it is far easier to use than wax and will last longer than wax. It basically flashes once it hits the paint and you can simply and lightly wipe with the clean MF towel without having to use a lot of physical effort like a wax.

I sort of a newbie to it all as well. This last time I went the extra steps so I could use a coating.

edit: and you don't need a polisher like I used. I was experimenting with a pre-coating polish. It worked great, but was not necessary.
 
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Personally, I disagree, and here's why:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETRtFEA7gc8

Waxes and sealants will all do the same thing for the most part, which is protect the paint from UV exposure and provide some limited protection against contaminants. However, the different formulations in waxes/sealants/coatings lead to differences in application, hydrophobicity, and durability.

In addition, Simple Green works great for cleaning the interior, but I would still use 303 as a protectant. Some years ago, Lexus had a TSB regarding melting dashboards. Owners who had this issue were either able to keep it from occurring by treating with 303 or by using ceramic tint. That should illustrate how well it protects against UV damage.



I just bought a cheap $20 snow foam attachment for my pressure washer on amazon. There are some that you have to use with a pressure washer, and others that you can use with a garden hose. Generally, the more expensive ones are built a little better, which means they will last longer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anPxTluiYus


I'm sure there are a lot of people on the hairdressing forum that will tell me that I'm wrong then link videos comparing Paul Mitchell to Prell, but my point is they both do the same thing: clean your hair better than hand soap or dishwashing soap. There's no real need to get fancy at Pep Boys. :)
I'd never take a pressure washer to my paint job so I cant comment on the cannons, but the reason I've always used simple green is because it's cheap, available anywhere, non toxic, biodegradable, and you can water it down to the strength you need.
 
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