I am planning on detailing my car soon. I just washed it today and I got some water spots I want to get ride of. I've heard on here about vinegar works. But what I want to know is if this is the right order for everything:

1) Wash
2) Clay bar (Clay Magic)
3) Wash again
4) Distilled white vinegar (For water spots)
5) Paint cleaner (P21S Paintwork Cleansing Lotion)
6) Polish (1Z Metallic Polish)
7) Wax (Meguires Gold)

-What I don't know is whether to use vinegar before I clay bar the car. Does it really matter? How do people feel about those products, those who have used them, or any other suggestions? Should I also wash after vinegar?
-I also have these cream colored spots on my hood, it's almost like bird poo but not. I have clay bared it and they didn't come out, and it was smooth when I ran the clay over it. Would paint cleaner or polish get this out?

Thanks,
Mooney

P.S. Color is deep evergreen if that matters.

 

looks good, i dont know how long ur trying to spend cleaning but
1. wash
2. clay
3. wash
4. polish
5. wax and i promise you wont be disapointed

today i used meguiars # 7 polish ..followed by NXT Wax very VERY good results

and start to finish took 2 hours tops

 

I would use the vinegar before claying. That way, the minerals from the hard water spots will come off with the vinegar instead of getting trapped in the clay bar.
I would definitely wash the car again after using the vinegar too.
1. Wash
2. Vinegar bath
3. Wash
4. Clay
5. 1Z Metallic Polish (Polish before PCL...PCL will leave a smooth base for your sealant/wax)
6. P21S PCL
7. Wax/sealant

Personally, I would use a better wax than Gold Class. You are using a great polish and cleaner, so you might as well use a great wax. I would recommend P21S/S100. Or you could go with a sealant instead of a wax, and use FourStar Ultimate Paint Protection, Klasse Sealant Glaze, or Wolfgang Sealant.
At least use NXT instead of Gold Class.

 

The polish should remove the water spots, I believe. I don't think the clay bar would become too contaminated with water spot stuff. (in fact, it probably wouldn't remove them too well) And I'd only use vinegar if the car was covered with spots. I would:

1. wash
2. clay bar
3. polish
4. wax

 

Thanks for the help and advice. The whole car isn't covered with water spots, just the trunk, hood, and the roof. On the trunk they are bad and I'd like to get ride of them. Clay did me no good for water spots. I think I'll go with white95max's way or either charcoal's way.

Charcoal95GXE: I plan to spend the amount of time it takes to get my car lookin good.

Mooney

 

I personally would do this in this order:

1. Clay
2. Wash
3. Polish
4. Wax

The washing after claying will eliminate any residue/contaminates left from claying. i did this to my car about 2 weeks ago (and it's ben raining here in Cali ever since) and the car came out with a great shine. But this is my 2 cents worth.

 

Bluesbrekr has the order right. No need to wash again after claying. I would also say to use a good wax like white95max said. I use S100 personally on my deep evergreen and I love it. I used it exclusively for a while, then switched it up to a Poorboy's sealant with carnauba and topping with 2 or 3 layers of S100.

 

This is what I use.....
Mr Cleans Auto Dry Wash
#7 Polish
#7 Wax
And then use random orbit waxer

 

hey hey, looks like we got a few deep evergreeners here on this topic..

 

Your process is confusing me. Meg's #7 is a glaze. It's not a polish OR a wax. They call it a polish, but it has no abrasive capabilities, and it leaves very little to no protection behind, so it can't be considered a wax either IMO.

 

JMooney: Your process is on point with the exception of the second wash. Usually, I don't wash after claying because I go straight to the polishing step. As for the vinegar, I would use it before claying to remove the water spots but if that doesn't work, they will be removed via the polishing step.

Are you doing the polishing steps by hand or machine?

 

Thanks for the help guys. I was planning on doing it by hand, but I want to do it by machine. We have a 6" and a 10" buffer/polisher here from walmart, they are about 2,600RPM. I want to use one of them, but I hear horror stories of people messing up, so I am affraid. I have bad swirl marks on my hood, looks like streaks, from where I messed up claying it, didn't fold when it was dirty. I want to get rid of those.

Thanks,
Mooney

 

JMooney: Is the buffer you mentioned similar to those "wax-on/wax-off" buffers you see at Wal-Mart and Sears?

 

I think so, it's the MVP SuperLine, Walmarts brand. In the intructions it says you can put wax on and take the wax off. Taking the polish off with the buffer is what takes the swirl marks our right?

I picked out a polish, it is made by 3M. 3M Perfect-It Swirl Mark Remover for Dark Paints or 3M Finesse-It II Machine Polish. These good?