Wax for dummies

[Dado]

Can a dummy scratch my paint or do any paint damage with a spray on wax?

We have a guy at work that washes the cars, I was thinking of getting him one of those turtle wax sprays to use on my car, but I'm afraid his lack of experience might end up damaging my paint.

What do you guys think?

 

[mcfc1987]

no-one washes my car but me, the products aren't the issue, its what is used to apply them, the care people take with jewelry on, belts, zips etc

 

[Matthew_S3]

Just do it yourself... It's really not worth it, I learnt the hard way with my A5, ended up covered in scratches!

Now, the only person I let touch the car is the girlfriend (under my supervision) and she is watched like a hawk!

 

[Dado]

Lmao, my gf is my car's nemesis.

To be honest I've never washed a car in my life, the guy who washes it does about 10 cars a day so he "kind of" knows his stuff.

So lets say he sprays the wax and dries it, could he do any damage if he wipes randomly or in circles using a soft cotton cloth?

 

[Matthew_S3]

At the end of the day mate, anyone, using any product, any way could damage your car, it just takes 1 tiny stone from a dropped cloth and a bit of carelessness!

Personally, I wouldn't even let him wash it as it's his job and at the end of the day... He's not going to treat the car like his pride and joy is he?

If you want to let him lose, I'd personally say, a bit of AutoGlym Fast Wax and a few microfiber clothes and apply with 1 clean cloth, buff out with another clean cloth, if he drops it, put it to one side and get another... But I still wouldn't trust him, sorry pal

 

[Dado]

That's true, it's a scary thought man! Lol
I think I'll send it to the detailers for a proper pasty wax, and keep doing that every 2-3 months maybe.

I also need to get off my *** and learn how to properly wash a car myself haha

Cheers mate, if it wasn't for you I would have a regretful decision tdoay

 

[Matthew_S3]

No problem, a lot of people on here, including myself spend HOURS every week to keep it looking good. And if you don't have 3-4 hours a weekend to keep the car looking good, there are simple things you can do to keep it looking good for less effort!

For example, get a carbon coat on it. (AG Lifeshine I use, apply once every 2-3 years) then apply a sealant every 3-6 months and a quick wax after a 2 bucket wash every weekend (AG Fast wax spray is very easy to apply). The standard weekend should take 1 hour?

If you want my 3-4 hour procedure, you're more than welcome!!

Detailers will charge a fortune to wash and wax it and that's something you can do at home. But if you have the cash, go for it as they do a BRILLIANT job if you go to the right guy!! It might worth sending the car to a professional to get any imperfections out after you let that bloke loose on the car!!

Hope it's all helped and let me know if you require anything else!

 

[Dado]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate you taking the time to help! You really have it figured out completely, I'm going to do exactly what you said, I really like this AG carbon coat, going to get that done asap

Thanks Matthew!

 

[Matthew_S3]

I applied my AG Lifeshine last weekend (as the Audi dealers don't do it properly)... This was the prep work so no dirt was missed! (took almost 6 hours)
1- Snow foam pre wash and rinse
2- 2 bucket wash
3- another wash or snow foam rinse if necessary
4- use swirl/scratch remover to sort the mini scratches etc from the previous owner
5- another wash/rise
6- dry with AG towel
7- clay car
8- Another snow foam/wash and dry
9- clean interioir
10- apply AutoGlym Lifeshine

This weekend after a wash etc
11- apply sealant
12- apply wax and sealant to wheels
13- Clean inside of alloys and brake disks

If you're local I'm happy to apply the Lifeshine for you!
Thanks pal and good choice not to let Jo Blogs loose on the car

 

[Dado]

Wow thanks a lot bro, can't go wrong with these steps! And thanks for offering to apply the Lifeshine, you're awesome bro, but I'm not near you

I'll post pictures when I get it done cheers

 

[Matthew_S3]

Yeah, let me know how you get on!!

Just FYI - Lifeshine from a dealer or detailer is about £300... On eBay and some hard work it's £20!!!!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Autoglym-Life-Shine-kit-x1-/231700909998?hash=item35f2734fae

 

[Dado]

Thanks! I'm thinking I should order the kit and have a detailer apply it, I'm sure he'll do a better job than me

 

[Matthew_S3]

Ok... If you want to pay £300 to apply a product that you can EASILY do yourself? Just follow the instructions and you'll be fine! Save yourself the cash

 

[DrEskimo]

I think its worth stressing here that getting good results from your paint is not based on the product, but on the prep work before hand. Of course, good quality products will help.

Applying any wax or sealant over paint that has contamination and swirls/scratches will only mask them. Over time, when the protection wears off, the defects will just reappear.

Of course for some, this is completely satisfactory and are happy to keep reapplying any glazes or waxes and get the result they want. However, if you want to have perfect paint and get the best results, you will need to go to the next stage. This is where a professional detailer (NOT any valet car washer) is sometimes the way to go if you don't want to invest the time and money into the equipment yourself.

The denomination stage is fairly straight forward, and its amazing how well a good clay bar treatment works. What this will likely do is show all the swirls/scratches, marring and hologramming in its full glory. The only way to remove these permanently is with a machine polisher. Depending on the severity of the defects, this could be a multi-stage procedure where you use a compound to remove heavy defects, then polish to remove compounding haze, and finally a final polish to get it to shine (a key and crucial point to remember here, polishing gives you shine, wax or sealant gives you protection). As you can imagine, doing this over the entire car is extremely time consuming and can take many hours. The results will be astonishing though! Will never have to worry about hiding it when the sun comes out!

So yes, as advised above, a good wash technique, decontamination and protection using your product of choice will certainly get you good results, and isn't too onerous if you don't mind spending a few hours over a weekend. However, if you are looking for perfect, defect free paint, then you can look into professional detailers, or even research how you can do this yourself if you fancy a new hobby. Once the paint has been corrected, regular maintenance using a good wash technique will be all thats needed to keep it looking perfect for a long time. Unfortunately it would mean having to wash the car yourself as well, as any standard £5 wash will undo all of the work you or a pro detailer will do very quickly! Another consideration....!

Hope that helps

 

[Spaceman_RS3]

I applied my AG Lifeshine last weekend (as the Audi dealers don't do it properly)... This was the prep work so no dirt was missed! (took almost 6 hours)
1- Snow foam pre wash and rinse
2- 2 bucket wash
3- another wash or snow foam rinse if necessary
4- use swirl/scratch remover to sort the mini scratches etc from the previous owner
5- another wash/rise
6- dry with AG towel
7- clay car
8- Another snow foam/wash and dry
9- clean interioir
10- apply AutoGlym Lifeshine

This weekend after a wash etc
11- apply sealant
12- apply wax and sealant to wheels
13- Clean inside of alloys and brake disks

If you're local I'm happy to apply the Lifeshine for you!
Thanks pal and good choice not to let Jo Blogs loose on the car

Step 7 should be after step 3 the wash clay wash then polish

 

[Matthew_S3]

Step 7 should be after step 3 the wash clay wash then polish

Ah, thanks for that! Will do next time
Cheers mate

 

[scotty76]

Just to add to this a reputable detailer is worth the money. It's not a dealer style rip off. My car spent 2 days at the detailer when new for a reasonable sum. The guy has to make a living! The car has Cquartz Finest which I have no hesitation in recommending. Well worth the money.