Question for all you car buffs

Well winter is coming up really fast. im worried about my paint and the winter season along with all the salt on the road. I have to take my car to either a car wash place or car wash where I do it myself since my housing area will not allow washing in front of your own house (wtf?) I usually do it myself because it relaxes me and lets me listen to music. So im finding it harder and harder when I have a limit to wash my car to wash the areas by my front tires. I clean it and when I get done and my time runs out I see dirt that’s a B!tch to get off. And then I have to put more money in to get that dirt off. Anyone have some tips to get rid of that easier? What kind of soap you guys use? im looking for something that will kick that dirt’s butt and leave my car looking like glass.

Another problem im having is car wax. I use turtle wax that comes from the canister. I love the stuff to death but im having a hard time keeping it clean from dirt.
Oh yeah and how the heck you get that applicator thing that comes with the wax clean? I can never get it clean. My mom and bro take it from me and do a really crappy job washing there car then they wax with my stuff and make that rubber dirty

Is there a difference between the spray on wax and the stuff you have to rub on and rub off?


Any pointers and tip would be greatly appreciated!!!

JaYsin

[vass0922]

Salt?
In virginia?
Where?!?!?
I think I see it about twice a year down here LOL

Hmm regarding the dirt, if you're at a wash it yourself type place trying using the brush (or your foot more??

If anything take something with you that before you start pumping in quarters use it to scrape off some of the really tough dirt.

Besides where are you driving that you get any dirt?
Round these parts ya gotta go to the zoo and pay money to see actual dirt lol, rest is just pavement

Wax, I know very little bout wax lol
I dont like my car, and beige isn't really the shiniest color out there

[brandon184]

What kind of car is it?

dodge Neon rt 99 brandon


vass0922 we have dirt down here man. and it seems that everytime i wash my car all the damn birds in va decides to try to hit just my car!!!


but some how around my tires get so dirty. along the base of the car in general. i scrub and scrub and it seems like the dirty just won't go away! after im done washing i rub a towel to dry it off and the towel is dirty!


JaYsin

[Kuasimodem]

Does your car have "clear coat" paint? If it does, car wax is the last thing that you should be using on it!! Did you know that on a hot summer day, that car wax (especially the ones with carnuba wax) can liquify and evaporate? There goes your protection!

I use a polymer sealant instead of wax, my brand of choice is DuraShine because the water doesn't bead up and spot my paint, it just kinda runs off completely. And you only have to apply it like 2-4 times a year, depending on how often you wash your car.

Also, the polymer sealants resist dirt better than wax.

Raindance, TurtleWax, etc all make poly sealers for clearcoat paint, just read the labels to find the right one.


PS - RainX your windows! I live really close to the great white north, and we get our fair share of snow, frost, sleet, etc. With RainX you can scrape the frost from your windows with a rubber squeegee. The other nice thing is not having to use your wipers on the highway in the rain, the water runs off faster than the wipers can remove it. It also helps keep your side and back windows clearer in rainy weather.

[BBA]

I use purple stuff in a spray bottle and a foam brush, I wet the car down, spray some purple on it, brush it, then rinse it off...it gets ALL the dirt off.

Then I put liquid glass on it.

I would not use ANYTHING with WAX in it...WAX is bogus. In fact, there was a test on 100 leading polishes and waxes. Out of initial and after 52 washes testing for each wax/polish where percent reflectivity and water drop size was measured, not a single wax product was in the top 20 contenders...all of the upper were strictly polymer polishing finishes. Then testing was done with multiple applications of the same polish/wax. All the waxes built up grungy layers, where the polishes got shinier and reflected better.

In fact, Liquid Glass was the second best compound, second to Zaino Brothers custom car polish. Thats another story, suffice to say you just cant buy Zaino's from discount auto parts. For me Liquid Glass is the only viable choice.

Please...PUT THE WAX DOWN..SIR!

Hey BBA can i get liquid glass at autozone or any car parts place?


JaYsin

[BBA]

Yes, it's most everywhere.

[Graham]

The polymer polishes are the best by far, you dont get nearly as much swirling, the car stays clean longer and washes more easily.
After using dozens of different polishes and even some special polish removers to get rid of swirls (look like someone has made circular marks with greasy fingers), I will never use a wax again, though some do produce great shines.
I use Simoniz Liquid Diamond, easy to apply and polish up.

G

[Ace McGirk]

If by dirt in "the areas by my front tires" you mean under the wheelwells,Use a trick a buddy of mines uses to keep his motorcycle (dirtbike) clean in the Washington mountians.

First clean it really well,once all or most of the dirt is off,spray the area under the wheelwells with W-D40 ,lots of it.This keeps the next batch of dirt from sticking.I was always suprised when after a day of riding my buddy would just stop by one of those "do it yourself" car washes and in 5 minutes his bike looked brand new(almost)