These days when I get motivated to wash, wax, and detail my car I start off strong but slowly lose the energy and motivation when I get into the second hour. The following must be happening:

1) I am getting too old

2) I get tired of trying to remove every spec off of the starfire pearl paint and eventually give up

3) realize this car (remember it is starfire) will get dirty as soon as I leave the drive way

4) get frustrated with the fact that no matter what I use, I cannot get the 3M film back to its original state (it looks a little yellow)

 

LOL, I can relate. I'm getting old and arthritis is winning but I have changed my approach. Instead of making the detail a huge project that I begin to dislike, I have taken to keeping my vehicles in top shape continuously. It's pretty easy too.

First, you do need to complete a full detail. You can have a pro do this or you can do this piecemeal. You don't need to do it in one fell swoop. You could detail the front quarter one day and the rear another. You also can use tools to assist in the process, like a DA and the new microfiber pads. Even if you are young, doing a polish by hand is a daunting task. Work smarter not harder.

Once done you can maintain the paint with little effort. Here is the key, IMO.

Once your car is detailed, and a couple coats of sealant have been applied, don't let it get really dirty. I use a lot of Quik Detailer, often on a daily basis, to remove light dust and smudges. Time spent, maybe 15 minutes. If the car is dirty from driving in the rain, I wash it as soon as I can. I follow up with a Gloss Enhancer. I use Ultimate Quik Wax, a wipe-on/wipe-off product that leaves the paint slick and glossy. Freshly waxed paint sheds dirt easily. Contaminants tend not to adhere and wash off easier. I apply UQW at least weekly and it only takes 15 minutes to do a SUV. I cover the vehicle from glass to trim with UQW and this keeps the car in pristine shape nearly indefinitely. FWIW, UQW can be used safely on the 3M clear bra. It won't remove the yellowing but it will slow that from occuring.

Item 4 is more of a challenge. If it yellowed, and is still under warranty, take it back and ask them to replace it.

Here is the 3M warranty:

 

Yes agree on all fronts. I did finish the detailing (4.5 hours) yesterday but my fingers and back are killing me today. My biggest issue is that I want my car to be spotless all the time so I wash once a week, wax and detail once a month (including clay).

 

^ honestly, clay is only needed once every ~6 months (give or take)
you can acutally feel the car to see if it needs clay or not.

 

Ahh good tip.

 

^ yes, sorry i didnt elaborate more. read below.

I learned most of the detailing/washing tips from my cousin who has a black M3 (which is an awfully hard color to maintain) and does detailing as a side job.

most of the time, if you run your fingers across the car (after washing it of course) and feel dirt/roughness as opposed to the soft smooth feeling than its time for a clay.

i understand some people are really strict about having their car spotless and clean, but IMHO the way I see it is excessive claying/washing/etc. to the car is a pure waste of expensive products, time, and damage to the clear coat / paint. when not needed and elbow grease / arthritis pain, etc.


for ex. (meguiars tech wax ~15 dollars a bottle)
mothers clay kit (~15 dollars)

and the list goes on.

as some mentioned, the quick detailer can be very useful at times

good luck on washing your cars!

 

I lose mine by the time I get to the third hour I still like to do the work on my own but it does seem draining when doing a detail. It's been a hot & humid summer by me so that may come to play.

 

Good info

 

on a good note when you really have good detail job done. it pay it in the long run cause the washes do get done faster then not having a good detail...example tonight its pouring in new york im come out to the lot seeing rain all over my car the rain stop shortly as i approach home when i got the car into the garage bam all the rain just fell off( thank you clay bar and meguiars tech wax) now tomorrow all i have to do is a quick detail 10min and 'on the road again"( Willie nelson)

 

Your paint can't be worse as BLACK, so I wouldn't complain.

 

If you loose energy and enthusiasm quickly I'd recommend adjusting your process so it's under 2 hours. Here is what I'd suggest:

Wash and Dry - wash with the Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine New Formula (ONR) so you don't have to rinse the whole car down. It saves you a lot of time and it works great. Check out a kit like this - DI Packages Basic Hose Free Wash Package with ONR. Lots of pros use it and you'll save time and energy.

Protection - Sealants will provide some of the most durable protection and nothing applies faster than the Optimum Opti-Seal & Free Yellow Foam Applicator. Spread it by hand extremely thin so you only use .5 ounces or less per coat and you are DONE. It dries clear and will protect for roughly 3 - 5 months. It looks great and I also use it on my glass, headlights, wheels and more.

I hope a two step process like this will be helpful to you!

Greg @ DI

 

What I do is go to a coin op place and wash it. Dry it. Go home wax it, if lazy i use spray wax instead. OCW is the shiz

 

I do a full detail twice a year, wash, clay, polish with porter cable, sealant and then wax it. I follow up by handwashing it weekly which takes about 30-45 min, clean the interior weekly and fully detail it every month. Also if it isnt super dirty and i feel lazy I use the DP rinseless car wash stuff and just do it with two bucks in the garage, takes about 30 min. I detailed my cousins 09 535xi yesterday, black on black, man it wore me out.

 

black on black is the worse

 

On a daily driven car, I have learned that you better use some strong wax or sealant. Using show car waxes on cars that are daily driven in rain, snow, and other unpleasant conditions is not the best practice.

I recommend you using something like Collinite 845 because it is so easy to apply and buff off with a towel. It outlasts any sealant on the market (not including any of the newer nano-coatings, or opti-coat). Collinite 476 is even stronger but it's harder to apply and remove (because it needs a very thin application which is difficult to do by hand).

Those bugs and other elements will wash right off without any hard scrubbing if you use a strong wax like I suggested.

Good luck.