Quote:
Originally Posted by zeeder
My car is a little on the dirty side right now, I haven't washed it since I bought it a little over a month ago because of all the rain lately (and trying to figure out what direction I wanted to go with polish/wax). I just purchased a bunch of Zaino and other car care items so I'm not sure if I should run the car through a brushless before I start the Zaino process to knock of the heavy stuff or just be really careful at home. Any suggestions?
Also, a lot of the stuff I've read say to wash in the shade. I can do it in the garage but I'm a little worried about all the water. Should I wash in the garage, rinse in the drive and dry in the garage? I bought a leaf blower to help dry the car.
I've never hand washed a new vehicle before and only older vehicles a handful of times, and very poorly I'm sure...lol.
Sorry for the noob questions but I've been searching and reading a lot and am in information overload...lol. Not to mention the fact that I'm worried I'm going to screw something up due to my inexperience!
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Junkman has some great videos and instructions in the detailing section if you haven't already checked them out. I don't have personal experience with Zaino, but I have heard only good things. The products I use are Meguiar's Clay Bar Kit, Adam's Brilliant Glaze, and Meguiar's Ultimate Paste Wax. I don't use anything special for regular car wash soap, though - I am nearly finished with a large bottle of RainX brand soap that I've had since before the Z.
Washing in the sun isn't too bad unless the car is extremely dirty and it takes a long time to wash (I do it in the Texas summer sun without too much trouble). Just don't let the soap stand in the sun too long before washing it off, and be sure to give it a good, thorough rinse just prior to pulling it into the shade for drying. The touchless car wash IMO can be a useful initial clean before you hand wash. I typically wash the Z in the driveway, first wheels then the car, before pulling it into the garage for drying and any additional steps like clay, glaze, wax, etc... (I don't do those last steps every wash). I also do all of my interior detailing in the garage as well.
I'm only saying this because you called yourself a noob, but lastly, don't ever use circular motions when washing the Z. Always move the mitt lightly over the paint in a straight line (shouldn't have to put any pressure - I use a bug sponge for anything that doesn't wipe off easily). Also, be sure your mitt is clean every swipe because a dirty mitt is a quick way to scratch up your paint. Using circular motions and a dirty wash mitt is the most common cause of paint swirls
