Report: Meguiar's Body Scrub and Scratch-X, and Mothers wax
11-05-02, 06:17 PM
#1
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
Report: Meguiar's Body Scrub and Scratch-X, and Mothers wax
I washed and detailed my mother's car for her birthday, and thought some folks might be interested in my experiences with a few of the products I have.
The car: 1997 Mercury Sable (white)
The products:
Meguiar's Body Scrub
Meguiar's Scratch-X
Mothers California Gold Car Wash
Mothers Pure Carnauba Paste Wax
Car's initial condition:
Prior to my cleaning, the vehicle had spent 2 weeks on the road being driven to Vancouver, BC, and back (about 1,000 miles roundtrip), and THEN sat in the outdoor car park at the airport for another 2 weeks.
So it was pretty gross. Crusty bugs on the front, generally filthy, pollution film, brake dust, etc.
Car has some minor damage, such as small rock chips, and a number of abrasions from other cars, scuffs on the bumpers, black marks on both side mirrors. It has never received any special detailing treatment that I know of, and has probably only been waxed 2-3 times in its life.
I hosed the car down thoroughly to remove major debris, then followed up with the California Gold Car Wash, using an Oxo car brush.
Now the Meguiars Body Scrub. This deep cleans the finish, and is only for cars with a clearcoat. It cleans down to the clearcoat, and I used Meguiar's foam applicator pads to apply it by hand using small circular motions. Only minimal pressure is needed. It smells like lacquer thinner and has a color like dirty sand.
At first I only used the Scrub on the front part of the car, where the dead bug splatter was the worst, but after running my hand over that part, and the part of the car I didn't Scrub, I ended up doing the entire vehicle. The scrubbed parts felt smooth and kinda squeaky, like there's no film or grime on them.
The Body Scrub took off all but the tiniest, deepest bug stains (which I could have gotten out with other products but it was so minimal I didn't feel like putting the effort into a 5-year-old Sable). It also removed the most obvious examples of abrasion on the doors and bumpers where other cars had left "gifts" of paint and rubber marks.
Wipe off with clean, all-cotton terry towels.
Now the Scratch-X. I must say, this really is an amazing product. I used a Meguiar's foam applicator pad (a clean one of course) for this, and only minimal pressure. I didn't run over the whole car with it (although you can do that), but just focused on the problem spots.
This product completely removed the black marks on the side mirrors that I had thought were deep scratches down to the plastic, but were actually deeply embedded rubber abrasions of some kind. Nothing else I've ever tried did that, not even the Body Scrub I just used.
It totally eliminated all but the grossest scratches on the front bumper (which was really a gouge with some small scratches around it).
This product is especially great around door handles and the gas cap, where you get lots of fine, spiderwebby scratches over time. The gas cap and surrounding area cleaned up completely, as did the door handles and the area around keyholes. Wipe down with terry towels, like the Body Scrub.
The Mothers Carnauba Paste Wax is starting to bug me, I think. This is the second car I've used it on, and although the finish it produces is excellent, it leaves an enormous amount of powdery residue that is very hard to clean up.
Also, it's clumpy, which paste waxes will be. I may try a liquid wax and see how that works. Perhaps Meguiars will be my next try for a good wax.
It is, however, fairly easy to apply. How hard it is to rub off depends on how much you use. You really don't need a heavy wax coat -- it doesn't do any good and it's just more difficult to remove. I find the pastes are easier to apply if they're slightly warm, either friction on the applicator, or in your hands.
Wipe down with cloth diapers until you're covered with wax powder.
But the car looks good, better than it ever has. This entire process took about 7 hours spread out over 2 Saturdays. I really need to get a random orbital polisher.
Ral
The car: 1997 Mercury Sable (white)
The products:
Meguiar's Body Scrub
Meguiar's Scratch-X
Mothers California Gold Car Wash
Mothers Pure Carnauba Paste Wax
Car's initial condition:
Prior to my cleaning, the vehicle had spent 2 weeks on the road being driven to Vancouver, BC, and back (about 1,000 miles roundtrip), and THEN sat in the outdoor car park at the airport for another 2 weeks.
So it was pretty gross. Crusty bugs on the front, generally filthy, pollution film, brake dust, etc.
Car has some minor damage, such as small rock chips, and a number of abrasions from other cars, scuffs on the bumpers, black marks on both side mirrors. It has never received any special detailing treatment that I know of, and has probably only been waxed 2-3 times in its life.
I hosed the car down thoroughly to remove major debris, then followed up with the California Gold Car Wash, using an Oxo car brush.
Now the Meguiars Body Scrub. This deep cleans the finish, and is only for cars with a clearcoat. It cleans down to the clearcoat, and I used Meguiar's foam applicator pads to apply it by hand using small circular motions. Only minimal pressure is needed. It smells like lacquer thinner and has a color like dirty sand.
At first I only used the Scrub on the front part of the car, where the dead bug splatter was the worst, but after running my hand over that part, and the part of the car I didn't Scrub, I ended up doing the entire vehicle. The scrubbed parts felt smooth and kinda squeaky, like there's no film or grime on them.
The Body Scrub took off all but the tiniest, deepest bug stains (which I could have gotten out with other products but it was so minimal I didn't feel like putting the effort into a 5-year-old Sable). It also removed the most obvious examples of abrasion on the doors and bumpers where other cars had left "gifts" of paint and rubber marks.
Wipe off with clean, all-cotton terry towels.
Now the Scratch-X. I must say, this really is an amazing product. I used a Meguiar's foam applicator pad (a clean one of course) for this, and only minimal pressure. I didn't run over the whole car with it (although you can do that), but just focused on the problem spots.
This product completely removed the black marks on the side mirrors that I had thought were deep scratches down to the plastic, but were actually deeply embedded rubber abrasions of some kind. Nothing else I've ever tried did that, not even the Body Scrub I just used.
It totally eliminated all but the grossest scratches on the front bumper (which was really a gouge with some small scratches around it).
This product is especially great around door handles and the gas cap, where you get lots of fine, spiderwebby scratches over time. The gas cap and surrounding area cleaned up completely, as did the door handles and the area around keyholes. Wipe down with terry towels, like the Body Scrub.
The Mothers Carnauba Paste Wax is starting to bug me, I think. This is the second car I've used it on, and although the finish it produces is excellent, it leaves an enormous amount of powdery residue that is very hard to clean up.
Also, it's clumpy, which paste waxes will be. I may try a liquid wax and see how that works. Perhaps Meguiars will be my next try for a good wax.
It is, however, fairly easy to apply. How hard it is to rub off depends on how much you use. You really don't need a heavy wax coat -- it doesn't do any good and it's just more difficult to remove. I find the pastes are easier to apply if they're slightly warm, either friction on the applicator, or in your hands.
Wipe down with cloth diapers until you're covered with wax powder.
But the car looks good, better than it ever has. This entire process took about 7 hours spread out over 2 Saturdays. I really need to get a random orbital polisher.
Ral
11-07-02, 12:22 AM
#2
Lexus Champion
Great write-up...Thanks, Ral. Oh, yes...I am a major ScratchX fan.
It's so easy and works so well. I keep small squares of 100% cotton (I cut from an old t-shirt) on the shelf next to the ScratchX. If I spot anything that washing didn't take off, like bugspalt on the back of the rearview mirror, I hit it with the ScratchX.
I find foam pads a little too squeaky with this type of product, though...Like twisting a balloon between your hands.
You want easy, beautiful wax? Call your local Harley-Davidson shop and ask if they carry S100 Carnauba wax. $15 and worth a whole lot more.
It's so easy and works so well. I keep small squares of 100% cotton (I cut from an old t-shirt) on the shelf next to the ScratchX. If I spot anything that washing didn't take off, like bugspalt on the back of the rearview mirror, I hit it with the ScratchX.
I find foam pads a little too squeaky with this type of product, though...Like twisting a balloon between your hands.
You want easy, beautiful wax? Call your local Harley-Davidson shop and ask if they carry S100 Carnauba wax. $15 and worth a whole lot more.
Last edited by Daddy-O; 11-07-02 at 12:22 AM.
11-11-02, 04:44 PM
#3
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
Yeah you do get the "squeaky balloon" sound with those foam pads, but the noise doesn't bother me and I like the way they work. I get an even spread of product and they pads don't deform or shred. They're really easy to clean, too.
We had a severe storm here last week, with winds up to 70mph and a torrential rain that pressure-washed the front of my car on the drive home. My mother reported that the wax job I did held up fabulously, beading up everywhere and keeping the windshield clear (I wax the glass on the outside).
Ral
We had a severe storm here last week, with winds up to 70mph and a torrential rain that pressure-washed the front of my car on the drive home. My mother reported that the wax job I did held up fabulously, beading up everywhere and keeping the windshield clear (I wax the glass on the outside).
Ral
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