Aclarke

Damn Jersey winters... I just got my IS on the 28th of December and its already covered in salt from the snowy roads. Is it ok to wash this car immediately or is it wise to let the paint "settle"??? Thanks.

Tammy

Wash it... Don't forget the wheel wells and undercarrage. Your clearcoat paint has settled.

Pheonix

Always wash. You can't wash too much. Letting anything sit on the car is not good for the paint.

jfelbab

Wash if you have access to a heated garage and can do a dual bucket hand wash. If you are talking about a machine wash seek out a touchless one.

If you just got the car you probably don't have any wax or sealant on it yet either. Again, if you have access to a heated garage I'd clay it and apply a sealant ASAP.

Aclarke

Well, I hand washed it tonight.... looks good as new

jfelbab...
you like touchless car washes???? I keep reading bad things about harsh chemicals being used and scratches being created due to the high pressure hoses. Have you had good experiences with these???

I believe the car was waxed at the dealer before I ever picked it up... Im a little afraid to detail the car myself since Im a such a newb and am afraid to screw up my shiny new car. Any suggestions on what I should do?

jfelbab

No, I don't really like touchless car washes but if you have no alternative they are better than the mechanical car washes or not washing at all. Kind of the lesser of evils thing. They don't scratch though. The ones I've used have de-ionized rinse water that doesn't leave water spots. They don't do a great job but I didn't have a heated garage.

I cheat a bit these days. I now spend my winters in Cape Coral. It's been in the mid 70's to low 80's lately so I have no problems hand washing. I used to winter in Wisconsin and used touchless washes all winter long.

First thing I did with my new RX330.
1. Wash using two buckets with grit guards. I used Meguiar's Gold Class Wash.
2. Clayed with Meguiar's Quik Clay system.
3. Polished with Meguiar's #80 Speed Glaze
4. Applied 2 coats of NXT Tech Wax 24 hours apart.
5. I apply NXT Booster Spray Wax after every other wash to keep the car slippery and shiny. Dirt doesn't stick much to a freshly waxed surface so I like the Booster Spray for that.

mikeloc24

Jim, please explain the use of 2 buckets. I've never done that.

Also, how would you rate the Meguiar's Quik Clay system? I bought a box/bottle of the NXT wax last night because I plan to detail my car tomorrow and the girl behind the counter told me I should grab a Quik Clay system as well, I was in a rush so I said "next time" What do you think? Is it worth doing? I have a 1992 SC and my paint is in pretty good shape, but I know it could be better. It rained down here in SoCal last week so my car is nice and filthy...it really needs a good cleaning and polishing.

-Mike

mkorsu

Mike.

1 for the wash water and one for the rinse water. Helps keep down the amount of grit that can get in wash mitt.

mikeloc24

Thanks Mark, I guess I never employed that method because I wash my car pretty regularly and it never gets as dirty as it is now...because of the recent rain and me not washing the thing for a week it's pretty dirty right now so I guess a 2 bucket method is necessary.

I also have to get a new wash mitt or sponge or something as my current one is falling apart, lol

mkorsu

That and the fact that you don't live in the armpit of hell like we do, with salt eating away at your paint and undercarriage 5 months of the year!

jfelbab

I bit more detail on proper washing.

The use of two buckets, with grit guards, will minimize swirls to a great degree. When you drag a dirty wash mitt over the paint it is like fine sandpaper. Washing so as to minimize swirls doesn't take much more effort than washing improperly so why not keep your paint nice and shiny.

I use two 5 gallon buckets. I fill the buckets with about 4 gallons of water. I measure the amount of soap precisely according to the manufacturer's recommendation. Using more soap concentrate will remove more of your protectant and not do any better job at removing dirt. Don't use a soap not intended for washing vehicles. They don't contain the needed lubricants to safely wash away the dirt and grime and will contribute to swirls.

Be sure you are using a clean wash mitt. I prefer a sheepskin mitt. I wash the mitt in the washing machine after every use. I replace the mitt every 3 months and use the old mitt for washing rocker panels and wheels. The very oldest mitts see service to clean the wheel wells. Don't use a sponge. They trap dirt and are not plush enough to hold the contaminants away from the paint. They will scratch too easily.

Be sure to wash your vehicle in the shade, or early morning or late evening and that the paint is cool to the touch. Rinse the surface completely with the hose prior to beginning. This will dislodge much of the loose dirt and will also serve to cool the paint a bit.

To begin load up the wash mitt in the sudsy bucket and begin to wash at the top, one panel at a time. When finished with that panel take your mitt to the rinse bucket and vigorously agitate it to remove any trapped contaminants. Squeeze out the water and take it to the sudsy bucket and load it up again and repeat for the rest of the vehicle, panel by panel. Take care not to press too hard. If you have some stubborn dirt, try to soak it with sudsy water and come back to it again after it softens. Things like bugs may need added soaking. A specially made body brush will usually remove stubborn dirt without marring the finish. I like this one from Meguiar's.

When you finish washing take a look at what is left in the bottom of the rinse bucket and you may be surprised to find a lot of crud that could scratch or swirl your paint.

After washing the vehicle remove the hose nozzle and rinse it, using the water stream to flow off most of the water droplets. Finally, using a waffle weave, micro-fiber drying towel, gently remove the remaining water. Once again, don't rub the paint with any heavy pressure or swirls will result. Let the towel absorb the water.

The washing process is the greatest single source of swirls in most paints. Taking a little extra care will minimize the swirls and keep your paint looking new longer. It is so much easier to avoid swirls than to remove them with a polish that it is worth the extra effort, IMO.

Cheers!