Well, I know its only January, but, we have to start thinking about spring SoMeTiMe. I know i'm probably like the rest of you guys; on those rare days the temperature gets above 50 degrees (even less if it really needs it) i'm out in my driveway cleaning my car. What i'm wondering is, what do you guys use? What have you found works best for YOUR car? Everything from soap, wax, tire cleaner, dash cleaner and protectant to tire wax, bug tar remover, wash pads or sponges, and what you dry your car with. I just want to know cuz everytime I go to PepBoys, I never know whats the best
I figure that this way, Ill not only know what's good, I'll know what's good for my Max

 

I bought a kit of Zaino products @ http://www.zainobros.com and put a couple of coats on when the weather was pretty cold. It does shine nicely but of course with the weather we have had lately, you can't really appreciate it. I washed my old Toyota in car washes and waxed it once when I first got it. Since I spent $24k on my Max, I thought I would treat it right and protect my investment. To be honest, I do not know if it is the greatest auto wax/cleaning regimen as others have posted on the Edmunds board. It does look great, but the car is brand new and the real test will be 2 years down the road.

has anyone else used Zaino products?

 

for those of you who are using Zaino I would stop using it if you are planning to keep your car for a considerable length of time
i.e. 3+ years

 

You sound like you expect the Zaino products to last the life of your car??? Zaino products are great but you have to keep appling them. It is not a once in a life time application?? I would guess you will be asking for a refund in a few years??

 

Here goes my procedure: (kind of long)

Exterior:

First, I hose the car down with plain old water. Then, in a plastic bucket, I mix car soap (any brand as long it is made for cars) and water. Using a 100% cotton towel, I soap up the hood, roof and top of the trunk. Then, I hose those parts down. Then, I do the same with the sides of the car and the bumpers, rinsing each part separately and cleaning the bucket and using clean soap and water. Then, I clean the rims using another towel and more car soap. Once all this is done, I hose everything down.

Now, I get another clean 100% cotton towel and a synthetic chamois to dry the car, never applying heavy pressure.

Now that the car is dry, I polish and wax it. I use Meguiars #7 show car glaze polish first and then follow that up with an application of Meguiars #26 hi-tech yellow wax. The polish removes minor imperfections and is very very mild. It leaves an extremely smooth finish. The wax is a carnauba wax that leaves a nice shine. I apply polish maybe once every two months and wax every time I wash. For applying the wax, polish, and buffing I use again, 100% cotton towels. I also wax the wheels. In the end, I finish up with Meguiars quick detailer (forgot the number) which removes any uneven or excess wax.

Interior:

First off, I clean out and vacuum the interior of the car. If the floor mats are dirty, I use an upholstry cleaner on them. For the dash and vinyl parts of the car, I use Meguiars #40 vinyl and rubber cleaner. It leaves a nice sheen without getting greasy or slippery. This stuff works pretty well on the tires also.

So, that is my car washing procedure...takes some time, but leaves your car looking great

 

.

 

anyone have an opinion about those high pressure hoses that you can use at the "do it yourself" car washes? Can they do harm?

 

I use a pressure washer on my cars and I love it. I bought it at Wal-Mart for $99.00. Just attach your hose to the unit, turn it on and spray. The spray is adjustable and you can put attachments on it, I use a soap attachment. It is great for keeping a clean engine.

Mark

 

I, too am a fan of Maguire's products. I use the car wash, and either liquid or paste wax. Also use Maguires Endurance tire shine on the tires. For the leather, I've just tried Maguires combination cleaner & conditioner. I like it pretty well, but the best I've used is Tanners Cleaner, then Conditioner (separate applications). I also use the same on the interior vinyl and plastic. Similarly, it leaves a nice sheen, not to mention that Tanners leaves a good leathery fragrance. Since I also have a Lexus LS 400, I purchased Lexus' leather cleaner and conditioner (again, separate products) and it does well, although it smells a lot like tanning oil (i.e., coconuts); I'm not crazy about that and probably won't get it again.

I also wax the wheels (this is actually recommended in the owners manual). I typically only use soap and water on interior windows, especially on my 93 Max SE since they are tinted. I use rain-x on the exterior windows.

I vacuum regularly, but invested in a $10 set of clear plastic mats to place over my originals. With all the red-clay mud we have here, it has saved my mats.

I typically wax every-other wash. I wash as needed. Although I have a garage and keep the cars in there, I invested in car covers 'cause our cats have a tendancy to crawl all over the cars. Aside from the dirty paw prints, I was concerned about scratches. It's a hassle at first, but then you get use to it (putting on the cover, that is). And if you decide to get one off the shelf, as I did, go for the extra large (typically size 4) as opposed to the recommended size 3. Size 3 fits my 3rd gen ok, but it was tight on the gen 5. Size 4 fits gen 5 perfectly...no stretching and pulling.

I use a luke warm water, and as the guy ahead of me said, I use separate water for wheels from the water I used for the body. I also wax the interior door jams and all to keep them shiny new...that, to me, is the tell-tale sign of a well cleaned car when you open the doors and the jams look as good as the exterior.

I think that is about it. Appreciate the info on the other maguires products...I'm particularly interested in the polish and plan to look for it. Did you find it easily at your local auto-zone or similar auto supply store?

Oh, I also keep touch-up paint readily available and catch tiny chips as they occur. Since I drive on the interstate, I have to deal with lots of little road chips. Unfortunately, Nissan did not design a nose mask to fit the Anniversary Edition...the body spoiler renders the standard mask unusable!

 

The Meguiars stuff I was talking about is their Mirror Glaze line of products. They come in tan colored bottles. don't get the stuff that is in the maroon bottles, it is no good. The polish is called Meguiars #7 Show Car Glaze and the wax is Meguiars #26 Hi-Tech Yellow wax. I got mine at Trak-Auto, which is a automotive superstore just like Pep-Boys or Autozone.

 

Exterior:
I start off by rinsing down the whole car with an ordinary hose/sprayer attachment, making sure to get the entire car wet. Then I use a bottle cap amount Armor All carwash(the blue stuff) mixed with water in a plastic bucket. Using a normal carwash mit, I start at the top and work my way down, occasionally rinsing the suds away. Once the entire car has been been washed down again, I use several 100% cotten towals to dry the car. First I blot away at the water, then I apply gentle amount of pressure wiping the rest away. I've never used any type of chamios but I'll pick one up the next time I'm at the local auto store. Once the car is completely dry I take it into the garage and start the second phase. I use Meguiar's Clear Coat Prep & Swirl Reducer. This removes bugs, tar, swirl marks etc. The bottle came with an application pad and I've washed it in the laundry after every application. After applying and letting it dry I buff it off with another 100% cotten towel of course. Similarly, I apply Meguiar's Deep Crystal System Polish and finish with Meguiar's Clear Coat Wax. The results are amazing!! All these products are on the consumer side of Meguiar's products. Other products such as Hi tech yellow wax and Mirror Glaze are all on the professional side. Has anyone ever used both series of products? Should I switch over?

Interior:
the usual...vaccum first, use Meguiar's leather conditioner and cleaner were needed, and use another armor all product for the vinyl and rubber.

 

The mirror glaze products are much better than the other Meguiars stuff. I think you should use the mirror glaze products instead. They are definitely worth it. Also, you don't need to use the clear coat cleaner or any other polish every single time you wash. Only use it every other time you wax or even less frequently. If you regularly wash your car and wax it, it won't need it.

 

I do almost the same thing:

I first start off by rinsing down the whold car without an sprayer attachment, because what you are doing is grinding dirt into you paint surfce. I just let water flood the surface and let it slide the bird droppings off. Then I mix either Liquid Dawn if I'm going to wax the car, or Zaino Car wash if I'm not with water. Then I use a car wash mitt, and wipe the car from the top to bottom each section at a time. I also spray the wheels and use Meguiar's Hi-Tech Wheel Cleaner and Meguiar's Rubber Cleaner for the tires with a wheel and tire brush. Then I rinse the car with out the attachment and let the water slide off, not bead. Therefore, drying is only nessesary in the door/trunk jambs, fenders, and anything below the bumpers. To dry I use either a synthetic chamois (real ones strip wax) or Absorber (TM.) and finally use a Meguiar's Microfiber Ultimate Wipe. Then, I use Zaino Clay bar, Zaino Polish-Lok, Zaino Polish for Scratches, Zaino Polish for clear coats, and Malm's Carnauba Wax with Meguiar's dual-action buffer. For final touches, I use Meguiar's Endurance Gel, Conolly Hide Food for the leather, Zaino Plastic Polish, Meguiar's Wheel Polish, and Forever black. For the windows I use Windex withe newspapers, and Zaino Window Cleaner. The result is a perfect finish. The beautiful finish created by Zaino, and the long-lasting protection of 10 months created by Malm's, is repeated every 3 months (it is really nessesary after ten months, but 3 months is when the just-Zainoed look starts to look like a "just-Meguiar'ed" look), and I use Zaino Car wash and Zaino Gloss Enhancer every week.

PS: Sdigg'sMAX: I tried both their consumer and Mirror Glaze products and Mirror Glaze is much better on dark cars.

 

Actually, I do all this to my mom's maxima. I'll be picking my 2k1 AE maxima up later today and I'm going to try to convince the sales rep to get me a couple bottles of what they use in the detail shop

 

Srmtn had a great idea to buy the plastic mats. They do a great job of keeping the originals in good shape.

Yes, i know you have to keep applying the Zaino products, just like any other car wash/wax. Show me a wax that you apply once and it lasts for years and you couldn't make enough to keep it on the shelf. I stated the true test would be down the road, but it was a given that I meant after repeating applications. Time will tell.

Pmp-N8A What do you mean about the zaino products aftert 3+ years? I have not heard of anyone having problems with it at any time. The only questions I have seen raised have been whether there are other products for less that can do the same great job. Have you had problems down the road?
Thanks--Gregg

 

Malm's is the longest lasting wax I've tried, and Zaino is the shinest wax I've tried. Together, they make the best combo available. There is no such wax that needs to be applied only once a year. The best waxes shine will last about 4 months, and the protection for about 7 months. But with the Zaino/Malm's combo it lasts about ten months. I used Zaino often for 5 years now, and I have NO problems with the paint.

 

Ok, so I'll stop by the auto store and pick up those bottles but which should I get? Is it necessary to complete the whole three step process: surface prep, polish, wax? That means either a medium, fine or heavy cut cleaner; show case glaze and hi tech yellow wax. What should I do?

 

Don't get the cleaners. You have a new car, so you hopefully won't need them now or later. Just get the #7 polish and the #26 wax. In fact, if you don't want to, don't get the #7 polish yet either. You can get by for now with just waxing. Once it is a few months old you can hit it with the polish. The cleaners and swirl removers are a bit stronger and you want to always use the milder products first.

 

I reccomend you to just get Meguiar's Quik Clay and Hi-Tech Yellow Wax. Claying is really important and helps remove nicks and bugs without the use of a bra.

 

I use a variety of products:

- Body: Meguiar's Gold Class car wash (wash with soft sponse and dry with a chamois cloth).

- Rims: Meguiar's Gold Class car wash (hand wash with a rag).

- Wheel dressing: Meguiar's Gold Class Endurance high gloss.

- Glass and head/fog lights: Stoner Invisible Glass.

- Carpet: Tuff Stuff.

- Leather: Lexol leather cleaner and Lexol leather conditioner preservative.

- Interior: wipe down with one of those fancy dust free cloths.

- Minor imperfections/blemishes: 3M fine cut rubbing compound.

- Exhaust finisher (e.g. chrome): Mother's chrome polish.

Notes:
- Wash at least once per week if I can due to weather. I will wash the car as long as the water hoses are not frozen or it is not raining at the moment (yes, if it is 32 degrees and the hoses are not frozen I will wash it). I will wash just before a rain: a clean car is better wet than a dirty car is wet.

- No smelly stuff (scents/"Little Trees"/fragrances/etc) in the interior or "armor all" type stuff on the dash. I want to keep it fresh and new smelling on the interior.

- Use Platex gloves when it is cold outside. That simple layer of protection will keep the wet off your hands while you endure the cold temperature. At times I have gone one size up on the gloves and worn the Platex gloves over normal gloves, for warmth. You'd be amazed how good it feels even in the cold. Also, Platex gloves protect your hands when cleaning inside the rims.

 

Wow, Everyone has their own little routine
I usually spend about an hour and a half to two hours cleaning my car all over, and usually cry when I hit a puddle, or see a flock of birds flying overhead.... :vampire: :vampire:
But, after all the hard work is done, No one can dis my ride
Thanx for posting guys, ive really learned a lot and i will kepp you processes in mind on the next trip to PepBoys!

 

I use PRO brand products. It's the stuff they use in detailing shops. I use their car wash that's concentrated 100:1 with a synthetic sheepskin mitt (although Costco sells the real sheepskin ones). I wash the car in sections, applying a small amount of the car wash concentrate to the mitt and then washing. I wipe with a synthetic chamois called the Absorber, and polish with a foam pad. I use PRO's Fast Trak liquid carnuba since it's easy to work with and it leaves a nice finish. I use old 100% cotton towels to wipe off the polish. On my tires I use Turtle Wax's product, I think it's called Wheel Wax. (I'll go check in the morning and post again) It's a pretty cheap product that lasts on the tires for a week even with rain. It has a nice glossy finish, and doesn't really dry the rubber out like some other products. For the leather, PRO's Leather Cleaner followed by the Leather Lotion. The interior is protected by plastic mats on top of the carpet mats, so all I have to do is wash those and vaccum the inside. I have a dash cover, so I just do periodic wipe downs with a damp cloth.

 

Everyone has great suggestions. I have since followed the Maguires routine- cleaner, glaze, wax. The results are amazing, even on a new car. However, it hasn't protected me from paint chips...arrggghhh!

I also apply rain-x to the windows. I try to wash weekly...becoming obsessed! Keep covered even in the garage to protect from cats..

but I am impressed with the meguires products and used the interior stuff this weekend...nice effect.

thanks for the info. Can't wait to do my other car and truck!

srm

 

Okay, im interested in getting these results that you have gotten using the Maguires products. Just post an outline of what products are best, something like this;

Step 1: Meguiars _______ wash
Step 2: Meguiars _______
etc
etc
etc

I really want to get a deep black shine in my car, one that lasts.


thanx!

 

i've tried a wide variety of car cleaning products and i really don't know what's the best.. i think it's all preference but i just picked up a jug of KIT car wash detergent and it works great. i love it. works better than blue coral imo. as for wax. the turtle wax blah blah blah.. i don't know comes in a liquid form in a bottle is real easy to apply and is very slick to the touch. however mcguires seems nice as well. mothers wax isn't my favorite. and it all depends on how often you wax your car and how you wax it. i say go for the easy application if you wash and wax your car alot.. oh but as far as tire shine.. i think Jane would agree with me that the mcguires tire gel is the one.. or maybe it's just the grape smell that draws me in.

 

Step 1: Any old car wash soap that is made for cars
Step 2: Dry thoroughly with 100% cotton towels
Step 3: Meguiars #7 Show Car Glaze (skip if your car is still new, or finish is still reletively good)
Step 4: Meguiars #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax
Step 5: Meguiars #34 Final Inspection Spray Detailer


Again, you don't need to polish your car if the finish is still smooth and free from imperferctions. Only polish like once or twice every six months. Wax every time you wash. I have obtained good results with this method....I am sure there are others also

 

<B> I use my dog. She's a bichon frise. Basically a fluffier poodle. It's like a shammie! I treat my max's paint very poorly. Owned it for about 7months? and the car hasn't seen wax. I got a lot of paint chips on the hood from freeway driving. I've autoXed it (cone-happy i am)...i've open-tracked the car (they had cones on the track to try to limit speed, i was one of the idiots who took out the cones so we could go faster)...in other words, i got a lot of nicks and scratches and cone scruffs all over my car. I use dish-washing soap and a sponge. </b>

 

I admire your attention to detail. I run a detailing business during the Spring/Summer/Fall seasons and would like to suggest a couple things. Try Rain-X, its a windshield conditioner, its keep a tight bead on your windows, which increases visibility and decreases wear windshield, wipers & wiper motor (At 40 mph+, I don't run my wipers because the water blows off.) Also, a detailer friend coaxed me to try using a tsp. VEGATABLE OIL (1 tsp to 5gallon bucket) in with whatever car wash product I was using. It does two things in capsulates the the dirt and replenishes the natural oils in the paint job so that it keeps its luster and ability to fight off the elements. Soap merely breaks the water tension to better carry away dirt. I was astounded by the results. I have found out detailers, from Germany, for Porsche and Mercedes/Benz don't bother with soap at all. I gotta few more if you interested.

 

Thanks for the suggestion regarding the veggie oil...sounds odd, but I'll give it a shot. You probably didn't catch in a follow-up post that I mentioned I use RainX also. You are absolutely correct about the use of wipers; I typically run mine on delay, even in downpours, cause the water just rolls right off. It's great, particularly since the constant sweep of a wiper is really annoying to me; especially since they design wipers to give the passengers a great view, but throw the water in the line of sight of the driver...go figure.

I'd appreciate any other tips you have for maintaining interior/exterior. One concern I have is the volume of chips I'm getting in my hood! I've had the car a little less than two months and I have 8 significant (for a paint chip) spots I've had to touch-up. My blemish free sloping hood is now only a memory.

I've bought a mask...but can't for the life of me figure out how it is supposed to fit! It looks like a mistake!

 

Shiv, this is off topic,but do you go to American High?

 

3M has a product that I intend to purcahse when the weather gets a little better. It's called ClearMask. It was developed by NASA and the military. Apparently, it has been used for a number of years on air planes, Indy cars, other vehicles. Its a clear urethane that is 8 mils. thin that is designed to preserve the paint job of your car from chips and etc. It is guaranteed for 5 yrs and can installed by a do-it-yourselfer or 3m dealer. The base kit ( 5 pieces) goes for $75 which includes hood, fendercaps, Driver & passenger mirrors. However, the bumper is $120+ because it is precisely cut to accomodate the curves. It can be removed if necessary. Also, the kit comes with a video. Only thing that is required is a garage. The salesperson I spoke with seemed nice and answered all my questions with courtesy. (I'm big on customer service.) The web sight is http://www.clearmask.com see if that peeks yo' interest.

 

I use a broom and a mixture of dish detergent & bleach...
the bleach really keeps the white paint looking fresh!
If the car's really dirty I use a rake instead of a broom.

hehe...j/k...

I use any good car wash liquid then polish it with Zaino's.

 

Zaino actually reccomends using Dawn liquid dishwashing detergent before Zainoing if it is your first time. Dawn strips old wax, because Zaino does not work well work other waxes.

 

I've been using Zaino's for 2 years now...
Its all i have used on my Maxima...
Zaino brothers live about 5 minutes from me.

 

My preference is Zaino, and I use it according to Sal Zaino's directions (website: http://www.zainobrothers.com)with far less hassle or effort than with any other products I've tried. It has worked astonishingly well on my 1991 Lexus LS400 (and really rejuvenated the finish), and on my wife's 1998 Buick Regal, keeping it looking new. As for my 2001 GLE, it's too soon to say, but the shine is "to die for".
-umpopa

 

DOOOOOOOnnnnn't do that its like fingers scratching down a chalkboard.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Maxima-Ness
Well, I know its only January, but, we have to start thinking about spring SoMeTiMe. I know i'm probably like the rest of you guys; on those rare days the temperature gets above 50 degrees (even less if it really needs it) i'm out in my driveway cleaning my car. What i'm wondering is, what do you guys use? What have you found works best for YOUR car? Everything from soap, wax, tire cleaner, dash cleaner and protectant to tire wax, bug tar remover, wash pads or sponges, and what you dry your car with. I just want to know cuz everytime I go to PepBoys, I never know whats the best
I figure that this way, Ill not only know what's good, I'll know what's good for my Max [/\


Hello guys i recently washed my car about twice a week if i have time. i currenly use meguires gold class shampoo and condioner wash it really helps bring out the shine to my max and i use the gold class purple tire gel for my tires dont really use any shiny stuff for my dash. I just simply used a damp towel to mainly get the dust off the dash I surely dont waxed my car yet because it already consist of the factory clearcoat protectant wax or something like that for you guys that have the 2k or 2k1 and already waxing your cars dont do it until you had it after a yr your just taking the prewaxed coat off and i also dry my car with the absorber

 

I washed my car today, and took your advice. It was kinda dark out, so i couldnt tell towards the end how it came out, but i did notice how much easier the dirt came off.

cool.


if ya got any more tips, post em here!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Pmp-n8a
for those of you who are using Zaino I would stop using it if you are planning to keep your car for a considerable length of time
i.e. 3+ years [/QUOTE

I've been looking for a follow up to this... What happens after 3+ years?

 

Ditto. That dude just threw that factoid out there and
didn't bother to come back and substantiate it.

I just sent an email to Zaino. Let's see what they have to say. They seem to be straight shooters - I don't think
they would intentionally mislead us if their products
aren't intended for long-term use.

I'll post the response here.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by javamax

Quote:

Originally posted by Pmp-n8a
for those of you who are using Zaino I would stop using it if you are planning to keep your car for a considerable length of time
i.e. 3+ years [/QUOTE

I've been looking for a follow up to this... What happens after 3+ years?