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Waxes 101: Types of Waxes & Their Uses

Daily driver = einszett Einszett makes great machine polishing products comparable to Menzerna. Great all around polisher Flex XC 3401

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Old 05-05-2009, 10:49 AM   #1 (permalink)
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Einszett makes great machine polishing products comparable to Menzerna.

Great all around polisher Flex XC 3401
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Old 05-23-2009, 02:59 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by SoCal 370Z View Post
Daily driver = einszett

Einszett makes great machine polishing products comparable to Menzerna.

Great all around polisher Flex XC 3401
Einszett is great. I've been using their products for awhile. I like how their polish does great with no machine application. And their glanz wax has to be the easiest wax to apply.
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Old 05-27-2009, 12:02 PM   #3 (permalink)
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A member on another forum I frequent has come up with some very valid point, so I thought I'd share them with you!

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Originally Posted by white_is View Post
what products do you use and recommend? from doing some reading online and stuff i've gathered that i should clay bar, polish and wax. so what stuff do you use?

Wash?
Clay Bar?
Polish?
Wax?

i've been trying to figure out what order to do everything to really get my car as well as my brothers, sisters, and girlfriends looking nice. i'm still kinda confused. but i've gathered that i should..

wash and dry (twice)
clay bar
polish
wax

but what if i want to use some scratch remover. do i do that before the polish or after? and i've also read that some people use a polish then a sealant and then a wax. do you recommend this? or should i just use one or the other?
Yes, you will want to wash your car twice with a proper car body shampoo. Do not use the all-in-one products (soap, wax, paint cleaner, &c.) as you're just putting more muck on your paint! I recommend Meguiars' Deep Crystal. You will want to use your scratch/swirl remover (I recommend ScratchX from Meguiars') after you have completed your clay bar process, but only if you're not laying down a polish. If you are not comfortable with a clay bar, as you can damage your paint if you don't do it correctly, I recommend getting the liquid version; it works just as good if not better and it is practically fool-proof. A good polish followed by a finishing polish will get rid of most if not all minor scratches and imperfections, so no real need for the scratch remover (it's more or less just a finishing polish in itself). You will want to work your polish in a small spot before you lay it down over the whole car; during this first application of a new polish it's a good idea to keep track of the amount of time it takes for the polish to settle! Clean up the spot you've worked on regularly and check the finish of the paint. When you see no more marring and imperfections, your polish has been worked thoroughly and you now know how much time you have to work per panel in order to get the most out of the polish! I'm personally not a big fan of polishes… they're a lot of work. I'm a lazy detailer! :P

You will then want to seal up the paint with a wax. Now I'm not up to date here when it comes to the English-language terms but as far as I know, regular waxes are made from a natural base (carnauba) and a sealant is just a fancy term for waxes made from synthetic polymers. A true paint sealant such as the Quantum Sealant System, I don't recommend applying yourself. Remember, stay away from Teflon and silicone based waxes and "sealants!"


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Originally Posted by ISx300 View Post
Is it recommended to wash the car AGAIN with soap and water between the clay bar and polish/wax steps?
After a clay bar your car will be as clean as you will ever get it! I don't recommend washing your car between the steps, but giving it a good wipe-doy with a microfiber cloth and the detailing spray provided with the clay bar sure doesn't hurt!
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Old 10-21-2009, 12:32 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by Alexus View Post
After a clay bar your car will be as clean as you will ever get it! I don't recommend washing your car between the steps, but giving it a good wipe-doy with a microfiber cloth and the detailing spray provided with the clay bar sure doesn't hurt!
I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong as my car looks a little dirty after I clay it. The residue (a mixture of, I'm guessing, the liquid you spray on, a bit of what comes off the paint and a tiny bit of clay) comes off easily when washed.
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Old 10-21-2009, 12:56 PM   #5 (permalink)
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I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong as my car looks a little dirty after I clay it. The residue (a mixture of, I'm guessing, the liquid you spray on, a bit of what comes off the paint and a tiny bit of clay) comes off easily when washed.
I once used a mixture of Baby shampoo and water; it does the job but the clay bar starts to have bits coming off.

If you use a correct liquid spray, the clay bar should stay in one piece.
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Old 10-21-2009, 02:28 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by earwicker7 View Post
I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong as my car looks a little dirty after I clay it. The residue (a mixture of, I'm guessing, the liquid you spray on, a bit of what comes off the paint and a tiny bit of clay) comes off easily when washed.
This is normal, depending on the lubricant and clay being used you may get some messy residue. Just wash it agin and you should be good, if not use a pre wax cleaner then your favourite wax or sealant.
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Old 05-05-2009, 11:09 AM   #7 (permalink)
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Zymol Cleaner Wax. Rmoves water stains and spots left over from washing, and hides swirls. It does leave the white residue on the black trim though, and doesn't last too long. I wax about once a month with it.
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Old 05-07-2009, 02:45 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Has anyone tried using the Mothers Reflection line of products?
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Old 04-22-2010, 07:33 PM   #9 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by ozzfest View Post
Has anyone tried using the Mothers Reflection line of products?
I have used the Mothers California Gold 3-step products, and also their wheel cleaner.

Wash with their car wash soap, then do step 1, which is the cleaner that takes everything off the paint, then step 2 which is the polish and sealer, then step 3 which is the liquid yellow carnauba wax.

It's EASY to use, and is user friendly as it goes on very easy and seems to really get applied to the paint very well and evenly, and buffs off very easily and completely without leaving any "residue" that you have to go back over to completely remove it, and the depth and shine is great.

I know there are other products that are rated better, but to answer your question, I would not consider Mothers products to be inferior by any means. And for the price, which can be half of that of the more expensive lines, you get just about the same end product as the much more expensive lines.

You can wax the hood and front twice for a tad more protection if you want.

You may have to polish and wax the car more often with Mothers than with some of the other more expensive lines that have waxes that last longer, but for the end look, you can't go wrong with Mothers.
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Old 05-07-2009, 03:15 PM   #10 (permalink)
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Zymol Works great on Silver cars.



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Old 05-07-2009, 04:04 PM   #11 (permalink)
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I have used Pinnacle Souveran, and i liked it.

But, i am using Autoglym High Definition Wax based on a friend's recommendation and i love it.

Both are carnauba waxes.
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Old 05-08-2009, 06:23 AM   #12 (permalink)
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Has anyone used the Ultima line. I have used the entire system once on my 370 and it seemed to do a great job. Just wondering if anyone else has tried it?
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Old 05-23-2009, 09:22 AM   #13 (permalink)
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bump
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Old 08-29-2009, 09:40 PM   #14 (permalink)
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fellas go to 5starshine .com gauranteed stuff. use it once and thats it
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Old 08-30-2009, 04:37 PM   #15 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hybridnation View Post
fellas go to 5starshine .com gauranteed stuff. use it once and thats it
More garbage. I like when it says it can only compare to the paint protection systems from new car dealerships, that stuff is crap and is the biggest rip off in the auto industry. The only thing that can bond to your cars surface for years is more paint, everything else is short term protection. A sacrificial barrier is needed but just don't pay more that $20 or so for it.
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