Best Wash/Wax for low-budget DD?

[OsoMoore]

I've had my new SC for about a month now, and driving every day means it gets dirty, and fast.

So far every week I've done a quick wash with the hose, a car wash sponge, and some generic wash-and-wax. It does a pretty good job and removing all the dirt and making it relatively shiny.
Every 2 weeks I've been doing an actual rub-everywhere wax. Currently I'm using some Armorall variant. It helps a little, but doesn't really make it glisten.

What do you guys use for your washing and waxing? Because this is my DD and I don't have extensive time or funds, I'm not looking for concours quality, just something to keep her looking good and turning heads.

[Tidybuoy]

One thing that I highly reccomend is using a clay bar (once in awhile). After washing the car, dry off or blowdry with leaf blower and then spray in sections with detail spray and rubbing the entire car down with clay bar (even the windows). This gets the paint encredibly clean and brings out the shine. after I finish with clay bar, I lightly wash again, dry off and detail spray again.

You can get glay bar at an auto-parts store but they always include it in an expensive kit. It's better to order it online from somewhere like Griots Garage or similar.

Vern

[toddu]

Menzerna!!!

Todd

[DWeg1998]

I was very pleased with the P21S kit I bought on Pelican. Wash, paint cleanser, and carnauba wax.

Pelican Parts.com - P21S Standard Car Care Kit

[Ronnie's.930]

For wax I would recommend Meguiar's Hi-Tech Yellow Wax #26 . . . it is a liquid, Carnauba wax that goes on and wipes of easily. It looks great and lasts quite a while. I have been using it for around 20 years.

[POS]

For my daily drivers, I use 3M Cleaner Wax. It's easy to go on, easy to come off, and it lasts for about 6 months in Texas and that's for cars parked outside. 3M chemicals are always amazingly good.

[tobluforu]

duragloss 105

[blucille]

I like the clay bar, but my understanding is you should use it to remove the wax that is still on the car, plus contaminants, so apply wax after clay bar treatment.

[Hydrocket]

A very quality product without spending tons of cash...Poor Boys. No fancy containers or colour labels. Just quality product.

[rhogg]

+1 on yellow tech wax - lasts a long time. My routine about twice a year

dawn wash
Clay
maybe a mild polish
yellow tech wax

Maintian with a mild wash as needed

[RufusMadore]

so apply wax after clay bar treatment.

[Tidybuoy]

Here's a good site for Clay Bar. Auto detailing clay, detail clay bar, clay lubricant, Pinnacle Poly Clay, Wolfgang, auto detail clay, meguiar's detailing clay, auto clay bar

Not all clay bars require you to re-wax the car (but most do). I generally use clay bar throughly prior to polishing & waxing the car. Then, throughout the year, I use clay bar about once a month but I don't re-wax (I don't think it's removing the wax as the car looks and feels waxed).

I wax the car about twice a year and I ocasionally use the spray on wax during the year.

The other thing I use Every wash is detail spray. I'm so hooked that I won't wash the car if I've run out - it's just that damm good!

Lastly, I always use the leaf blower to dry the car (electric blower). I learned this when our local PCA had a detail clinic and Adams Detail Products came and demonstrated their stuff. The leaf blower gets all the water out of the cracks and in Fresno, we have hard water which leaves spots. My cars always look great and the leaf blower saves you from having to squeeze out the towel over & over. The blower gets about 95% of the water and a quick wipe down (with detail spray) does the rest.

Vern

[zakthor]

Clay is amazing, makes surface very smooth.

I have been really happy with Collinite 476 and now 915 on my darker metallic 930 daily driver. A can goes a long way, just made it through another seattle winter.

The 915 makes the surface disappear and lasts weeks. The 476 wasn't as dark and wet.

[dan79brooklyn]

I think Mother's products are reasonably priced and good quality.

[chuckr]

I'd recommend the cleaner wax, Mequires or Mothers available Wal-Mart or any good auto parts store. Easy and fast and looks good. The Armour All products are not that good in my opinion.
Lexol products tend to work better on interior .
Autogeekonline Auto Detailing Forum
Good forum and info and prices on detailing products if you want to go this route.

[deathpunk dan]

Clay it, then do Griot's One Step sealer. Top with a yellow wax of your choice.

You will like.

Also, the 3m 2 step stuff is really good too.

[drodg]

Originally Posted by DWeg1998

I was very pleased with the P21S kit I bought on Pelican. Wash, paint cleanser, and carnauba wax.

Pelican Parts.com - P21S Standard Car Care Kit

I would agree on P21s as a wax. Goes on easily and it doesn't leave hardly any white residue. I do believe you need to wax more often with it though.

[mnez]

+1 on Mothers caruba wax.

[DWeg1998]

Originally Posted by drodg

I would agree on P21s as a wax. Goes on easily and it doesn't leave hardly any white residue. I do believe you need to wax more often with it though.

Pretty shiney and I was happy that when I did get some on the trim it came out easily.

[Smoove1010]

Meguiars products have served me very well. For my DD, I clay once a year, followed by their ultimate "glaze" polish, then their Tech Wax (it's a polymer, not a carnauba.)

Wash with a soft brush and any purpose-made car wash soap. There are scads of techniques on car-detailing forums.

Towel dry before the drops air-dry. Use detail spray right after the towel dry every few washes. You can judge the need for the clay/polish by feeling the embedded contaminants - it really does make the finish feel liquid-glass smooth. The glaze will take care of any swirl marks and very light scratches.