Wash/Wax Products

[bs1055]

First time I am truly going to take the car detailing seriously (without going overboard beyond my expertise) with my Premium Mach-E that should be arriving in a few weeks. I currently live in Miami and still have my Jeep Cherokee and want to use it as a tester vehicle for what I plan on doing on my MME. I've done some research and come up with the below products/processes that can be applied by hand and at a reasonable cost (no machinery). Please let me know if you recommend otherwise:

1. Clean Slate Wax Stripping Wash from Chemical Guys
   1. The idea is to give the car a strong wash that will strip it of anything leftover from dealership washes and transportation.
2. Light/Medium Clay Bar from Chemical Guys
   1. Get rid of any impurities left over after the wash, give the surface the best possible prep for the sealant.
3. Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating by Turtle Wax
   1. Two coats of this hopefully long term sealant that would repel dirt and water for 6-12 months.
4. Mr Pink Foaming Wash by Chemical Guys
   1. Meant to work as a once every two or three week wash that doesn't erode the sealant applied but does enough to get any dirt/contaminants that have been picked up recently.

Open to any and all advice. I am not married to any of these products and am open to recommendations as far as products, application, and general exterior maintenance thoughts. I do want to emphasize that I am not looking to have any of this done by a professional.

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[Carsinmyblood]

To test:

I washed a section of the hood.
I clay barred half of the washed area.
I ceramic waxed the whole section.

The difference between the clay barred part vs the wash/wax only part was amazing. Just by dragging your finger tips along the surface you can feel the spot where remaining dirt was still stuck to the surface.

Wash, clay bar, wax.

I watched a few Youtubes of tests of ceramic waxes. While we can't get the truely pro stuff, a few ceramics bubbled up to the top of one test. I bought a bottle of Griot's Garage Ceramic 3 in 1 wax (green solution), the TOP performer in this 11 month test. Some name brands very surprisingly were very poor performers.

 

[zvez]

First time I am truly going to take the car detailing seriously (without going overboard beyond my expertise) with my Premium Mach-E that should be arriving in a few weeks. I currently live in Miami and still have my Jeep Cherokee and want to use it as a tester vehicle for what I plan on doing on my MME. I've done some research and come up with the below products/processes that can be applied by hand and at a reasonable cost (no machinery). Please let me know if you recommend otherwise:

1. Clean Slate Wax Stripping Wash from Chemical Guys
   1. The idea is to give the car a strong wash that will strip it of anything leftover from dealership washes and transportation.
2. Light/Medium Clay Bar from Chemical Guys
   1. Get rid of any impurities left over after the wash, give the surface the best possible prep for the sealant.
3. Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating by Turtle Wax
   1. Two coats of this hopefully long term sealant that would repel dirt and water for 6-12 months.
4. Mr Pink Foaming Wash by Chemical Guys
   1. Meant to work as a once every two or three week wash that doesn't erode the sealant applied but does enough to get any dirt/contaminants that have been picked up recently.

Open to any and all advice. I am not married to any of these products and am open to recommendations as far as products, application, and general exterior maintenance thoughts. I do want to emphasize that I am not looking to have any of this done by a professional.

I'm a loyal autogeek customer, they also have a forum attached. the knowledge there for detailing is amazing. I'm not nearly as picky about car detailing as I was years ago. But I like to keep it reasonably clean.

I will say a must have is a good wheel brush. This is the one I bought a year or so ago. No metal comes in contact with the wheel, it's very soft and collapsible so you can get into the back area of the wheell. Expensive but worth it. https://www.autogeek.net/ezdebrfca.html

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

To test:

I washed a section of the hood.
I clay barred half of the washed area.
I ceramic waxed the whole section.

The difference between the clay barred part vs the wash/wax only part was amazing. Just by dragging your finger tips along the surface you can feel the spot where remaining dirt was still stuck to the surface.

Wash, clay bar, wax.

I watched a few Youtubes of tests of ceramic waxes. While we can't get the truely pro stuff, a few ceramics bubbled up to the top of one test. I bought a bottle of Griot's Garage Ceramic 3 in 1 wax (green solution), the TOP performer in this 11 month test. Some name brands very surprisingly were very poor performers.

Clay barring the car is essential for a quality luster and protection.

I also use Griot's 3 in 1 as a top coat recharge on our two vehicles (one a mach-e) with professional ceramic coatings. Works great.

 

[bs1055]

Clay barring the car is essential for a quality luster and protection.

I also use Griot's 3 in 1 as a top coat recharge on our two vehicles (one a mach-e) with professional ceramic coatings. Works great.

thanks. So would you both substitute the Griot 3 in 1 for the Turtle Wax Ceramic spray in my list?

 

[Carsinmyblood]

I will say a must have is a good wheel brush. This is the one I bought a year or so ago.

Come do mine and show how it's done? Spokes... ugh!

 

[Carsinmyblood]

thanks. So would you both substitute the Griot 3 in 1 for the Turtle Wax Ceramic spray in my list?

ONLY based on this 11 month test, yes. I have yet to do mine, but it's what I'll use.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

thanks. So would you both substitute the Griot 3 in 1 for the Turtle Wax Ceramic spray in my list?

You probably want to ask someone who has used the Turtlewax Hybrid product as well. There are a bunch of people here who love it. I used Griot's partly because of the video linked above, partly because I've used their products, and partly because I know it won't streak when sprayed and wiped. As usual, YMMV.

 

[pt19713]

You can get this at Walmart or most local auto parts store. Skip the CG strip wash. This product does the same. Not pH balanced so it'll do a good job in removing prior wax and polish products to prep for clay bar and a fresh polish.

Also, I recommend a product called Tec582 ceramic detail spray. It's a great topper you use every 4 weeks to keep the surface slick and hydrophobic. It'll work in conjuction with your Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions ceramic spray. It can be applied before you dry the car, or after. I've tried it both ways and it works great either way.

 

[Carsinmyblood]

You can get this at Walmart or most local auto parts store. Skip the CG strip wash. This product does the same. Not pH balanced so it'll do a good job in removing prior wax and polish products to prep for clay bar and a fresh polish.

Also, I recommend a product called Tec582 ceramic detail spray. It's a great topper you use every 4 weeks to keep the surface slick and hydrophobic. It'll work in conjuction with your Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions ceramic spray. It can be applied before you dry the car, or after. I've tried it both ways and it works great either way.

I've heard of that one.

 

[zvez]

Come do mine and show how it's done? Spokes... ugh!

that's the beauty of the brush, you can use it on spoke wheels, but drying them so they don't spot afterwords still would be a pain.

 

[pt19713]

that's the beauty of the brush, you can use it on spoke wheels, but drying them so they don't spot afterwords still would be a pain.

Some pros use an air brush and apply ceramic with that. Having a good coating on the wheel will make it easier to dry, especially with a leaf blower.

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

For me, this was also the first car I cared enough about to try detailing.
I went with a Bauer brand random orbital buffer from Harbor Freight.
Washed with Griot’s Garage car shampoo
Used Adam’s Iron Off
Used a clay mitt (as effective as clay bar and a little easier IMO.)
Griot’s complete compound with the polisher on a fine foam pad.
Chemical Guys V38 mirror coat polish on a ultra fine foam pad.
Isopropyl alcohol wipe down.
Then 2 coats of The Last Coat 2 ceramic coat.
You can see my results here: Detail
And 5 months later:

 

[bs1055]

For me, this was also the first car I cared enough about to try detailing.
I went with a Bauer brand random orbital buffer from Harbor Freight.
Washed with Griot’s Garage car shampoo
Used Adam’s Iron Off
Used a clay mitt (as effective as clay bar and a little easier IMO.)
Griot’s complete compound with the polisher on a fine foam pad.
Chemical Guys V38 mirror coat polish on a ultra fine foam pad.
Isopropyl alcohol wipe down.
Then 2 coats of The Last Coat 2 ceramic coat.
You can see my results here: Detail
And 5 months later:

Great write up, thank you.

 

[2FlyMache]

To test:

I washed a section of the hood.
I clay barred half of the washed area.
I ceramic waxed the whole section.

The difference between the clay barred part vs the wash/wax only part was amazing. Just by dragging your finger tips along the surface you can feel the spot where remaining dirt was still stuck to the surface.

Wash, clay bar, wax.

I watched a few Youtubes of tests of ceramic waxes. While we can't get the truely pro stuff, a few ceramics bubbled up to the top of one test. I bought a bottle of Griot's Garage Ceramic 3 in 1 wax (green solution), the TOP performer in this 11 month test. Some name brands very surprisingly were very poor performers.

Yeah, this is excellent stuff. I wished I would have watched it first but the Last Coat 2.0 still did pretty well but not as good as the Griots.

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