New Car - Wash, Polish, Wax or just Wash , Wax

[Euro2005]

G'Day,

On a new car, 1 month old anyway, I am confused .
Should I wash, then polish, then wax
or
just wash and wax.

Thanks

[EuroAccord13]

Wash - Keeps the paint work clean...

Polish - Enhances the shine of the car

Wax - Protects the polish and paintwork and beads water

My recommendation - Wash AT LEAST once a week, polish and wax every 3-4 months.. But Remove any tree sap or bird poo poo as soon as possible. Dried on tree sap or poo poo can be removed using Tea tree Oil.. Or... wet the affected area with water mixed with car wash, dab it over with a sponge and leave the sponge on top of it to soak for a while, this will help to loosen the goo goo....:D

[Euro2005]

Wash - Keeps the paint work clean...

Polish - Enhances the shine of the car

Wax - Protects the polish and paintwork and beads water

My recommendation - Wash AT LEAST once a week, polish and wax every 3-4 months.. But Remove any tree sap or bird poo poo as soon as possible. Dried on tree sap or poo poo can be removed using Tea tree Oil.. Or... wet the affected area with water mixed with car wash, dab it over with a sponge and leave the sponge on top of it to soak for a while, this will help to loosen the goo goo....:D

Polish even a new car?
If so what polish would you reccomend .
I have some Meguiars NXT for the wax will this polish and wax ?
Thankyou.

[h22a accord]

NXT is really good for what you want to acheive. EuroAccord13 sums it up.

[aaronng]

Polish will remove contamination and oxidation on the paint, as well as remove slight swirl marks and small scratches. There are those abrasive polishes, and there are polishes that just replenish oils.

For your new car, just wash the car, use a claybar for tree sap/bird shit/dead bugs that you can't wash off. Against these 'pests', I've used polishing, washing, bug sponges and my fingernail. I don't want you to suffer the same fate as my Euro, scratches from cleaning the shit off.... The best I've found that is most effective and least damaging is the claybar with quik detailer as lubricant.

Then after washing, you use NXT tech wax over it. The NXT is a all in one cleaner, polymer sealant/wax.
The cleaner will remove slight oxidation, it is not a strong cleaner.
Then it will seal the paint, you'll notice that the next time you get bird shit, a spray of water from those spray bottles for misting your shirt when ironing will get shit off! Remaining shit will just need a spray of quik detailer and a wipe off with a clean microfibre cloth. Usually you don't need to use the claybar anymore after you use NXT, unless you left a spot of bird shit on your paint for a few days and it has eaten through the NXT.
Finally, it is a wax too, it deepens the paint colour, giving it a shine and also makes is slippery and causes water to bead off. NXT I think is the best over the counter consumer wax. There are better ones, but you can only buy them online, and at a crazy price (example, P21s carnauba wax, $55 for 175 grams!)

Like EuroAccord13 said, a polish will make your car shine. If you car is shining now after you wash, then use NXT on it. Just wash and wax (if there is stubborn shit on it, then clay). If your car is not shiny anymore, then you will need the polish.

[euro77]

I heard soda water is very good to loosen up bird poo. never tried it though.

[yfin]

Wash AT LEAST once a week

I wish!

If I posted a pic of my car now you would piss yourself. It looks like I have been four wheel driving in the bush.

[Pum[Z]]

uhehehe yeah.. Sometimes ppl just don't have the time to wash their cars once a week... I am lucky to wash it every 2 weeks...

I definetly don't wash my car weekly i wash my car when ever i have the timely...

[REV888]

Black is a real pain in the *** to keep clean , I try to wash my car at least once a week.

[vxexec]

I know what you guys mean about not finding the time to take care of the baby - black duco and cream leather doesn't help either.

Can anone recommend a good detailer in the Melbourne metro area. I would love to give her a 1st birthday pampering - inside and out.

[EuroAccord13]

Can anone recommend a good detailer in the Melbourne metro area. I would love to give her a 1st birthday pampering - inside and out.


The best pampering you can give her is to do the job yourself.. You get a sense of self satisfaction too...

Based on self experience, a wash, polish and wax took me about 6 hours.... And 6 hours worth of personal bonding with the car LOL:D

[aaronng]

Yeah, I used to send my car to crystal car wash... My poor baby.... see them go at it with the drying cloths as if they were super clean! Got lots of small scratches. Now I wash my euro myself, and give it a thorough clay, clean, sealant, wax once every 1-2 months. Nothing beats doing it yourself. :D

[albii]

Yeah, I used to send my car to crystal car wash... My poor baby.... see them go at it with the drying cloths as if they were super clean! Got lots of small scratches. Now I wash my euro myself, and give it a thorough clay, clean, sealant, wax once every 1-2 months. Nothing beats doing it yourself. :D
too true ..i find if you dont let it go it doesnt take long at all....i wash once a week and zymol wax once a month and nothing sticks to it and it is so easy to chamios.

[aaronng]

too true ..i find if you dont let it go it doesnt take long at all....i wash once a week and zymol wax once a month and nothing sticks to it and it is so easy to chamios.
How is Zymol? I used NXT, I found that the paint was smooth for 1 week. Bird shit would just come off with regular water! But I had to end up reapplying NXT every 1 or 2 weeks, assuming that I wash every week. Also, I had to switch to microfibre chamois, because natural chamois was so draggy on the NXT that areas that I wiped dry would be less smooth! Now I am trying carnauba wax over the NXT. So far it's been 2 weeks and it is slick and still shines! Washed it once already. It rained last night... so my poor car has waterspots all over the carnauba. A little quick detailer took care of it though!

[Slugoid]

Black car + Melbourne = pain

I try to wash my car every 2 weeks or so, but sometimes I can't even do that.

[aaronng]

Oooh... Every night, a cat will jump on my car, do a little dance so it leaves a ring of oily footprints, and then settle to sleep. It's frustrating, especially after I have just washed my car on Saturdays. I get oily paw prints that are brown in colour, lots of cat fur, and an occasional squirt of something that looks like dried salt on my windscreen. I kid you not! Did I tell you the time when there was this reddish brown stuff on my bonnet? :mad:

[vxexec]

The best pampering you can give her is to do the job yourself.. You get a sense of self satisfaction too...

Based on self experience, a wash, polish and wax took me about 6 hours.... And 6 hours worth of personal bonding with the car LOL:D

6 hours??? Damn!!!!

When can I drop my car off? :D

I'm just a little concerned about taking to a black car with polish - I would hate to leave swirl marks.

Any advice on technique and products recommended including the cloth.

[albii]

How is Zymol? I used NXT, I found that the paint was smooth for 1 week. Bird shit would just come off with regular water! But I had to end up reapplying NXT every 1 or 2 weeks, assuming that I wash every week. Also, I had to switch to microfibre chamois, because natural chamois was so draggy on the NXT that areas that I wiped dry would be less smooth! Now I am trying carnauba wax over the NXT. So far it's been 2 weeks and it is slick and still shines! Washed it once already. It rained last night... so my poor car has waterspots all over the carnauba. A little quick detailer took care of it though!
zymol is great, been using it for years...prior to that i used meguires but as you said it doesnt last......must be careful though if you do use zymol as you dont need much for a good wet swirl free look,apply too much and you will be there for ever.once you get the hang of it its very quick,i wax my euro in about 45 minutes.oh and a word of advice , watch out with those quick detailer sprays as they could leave excessive swirls in your paint..i just dont trust waterless cleaners..

[aaronng]

zymol is great, been using it for years...prior to that i used meguires but as you said it doesnt last......must be careful though if you do use zymol as you dont need much for a good wet swirl free look,apply too much and you will be there for ever.once you get the hang of it its very quick,i wax my euro in about 45 minutes.oh and a word of advice , watch out with those quick detailer sprays as they could leave excessive swirls in your paint..i just dont trust waterless cleaners..
Ahhh. okok. Where can I buy Zymol from here?

[albii]

Ahhh. okok. Where can I buy Zymol from here?
in sydney...sydney city toyota and lexus 826 bourke st waterloo they stock it.

[aaronng]

in sydney...sydney city toyota and lexus 826 bourke st waterloo they stock it.
Cool! That's like 5 minutes from my place. How much was it?

[PNR888]

Oooh... Every night, a cat will jump on my car, do a little dance so it leaves a ring of oily footprints, and then settle to sleep. It's frustrating, especially after I have just washed my car on Saturdays. I get oily paw prints that are brown in colour, lots of cat fur, and an occasional squirt of something that looks like dried salt on my windscreen. I kid you not! Did I tell you the time when there was this reddish brown stuff on my bonnet? :mad:

Perhaps next time you could add some chilli powders or garlic juice in your car wash mix and car wax. I am sure this will keep cats and possums off your car. :p Just kidding.
Oh, Watch out for RSPCA inspectors if you do try it.

[PNR888]

Black car + Melbourne = pain

I try to wash my car every 2 weeks or so, but sometimes I can't even do that.

Is water restriction still on in Melb?? Can you hose the car now, or can only use bucket?

How about in Sydney and other cities?

We are very lucy in BNE. :thumbsup: No water restriction for washing car. but I am always water wise.

[aaronng]

Perhaps next time you could add some chilli powders or garlic juice in your car wash mix and car wax. I am sure this will keep cats and possums off your car. :p Just kidding.
Oh, Watch out for RSPCA inspectors if you do try it.
Nah, I like cats. It's just these cats in the carpark that look for high places to sleep in. From this week, I parked 1 floor above my usual spot. No more paw prints for the past 4 days. :)

Water restrictions are still on in Sydney. The rain is mostly in the coastal areas, not at the west where the dams are located. I use a watering can.