New Car

06CivicSi

06CivicSi

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ok i just got my new car... 06 civic si
it is black. i am sure this has been covered before but i have been searching and havnt found anything. i need to wash it but i dont want to put swirls in it. i know that it is going to happen eventually. i need to know what kind of car wash is the best and what the best products are for black.
also will it be ok to use kit car wash for now till i get my future order in?and is it possible to apply waxes/sealants by hand without getting swirls?
 
swirl marks are produced by rubbing dirt or grit across the paint. supposedly microfiber towels are best for washing without scratching, but only if they don't have dirt on them. I take a large mf towel and fold it so I can use a different surface for each part of the car. First the roof, then change, hood then change, trunk, doors etc. I have washed my car about thirty times and I see only a couple of very faint swirl marks. Of course I wash the towel when I'm done using it. I don't see much difference between 3 different car washes, but I used Klasse sealant and Pinnacle signature wax right after I got the car.
 
have any of you used kit car wash? is this ok for now? or would you suggest something else?
 
06CivicSi said:
have any of you used kit car wash? is this ok for now? or would you suggest something else?
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as soon as you can move up to Poorboys Suds, you will notice a big difference. Einszett, Pinnacle, Wolfgang also make some nice washes. P21S and Megs are ok but dont seem to last very long. The new Optimum Car Wash is a good product at a nice price point. Just remember to keep the dishwashing liquid in the kitchen !!
 
mustang666 said:
swirl marks are produced by rubbing dirt or grit across the paint. supposedly microfiber towels are best for washing without scratching, but only if they don't have dirt on them. quote]

I disagree with this. Every single mf towel I have seen has a relatively small nap compared to a good wash mitt or wash sponge. Even the plush quick detailing mf towels (which have a very plush nap for a mf towel) have a relatively small nap. The plush nap on a mitt allows any grit to pulled into it and not pressed against the paint (like a mf towel will do.) A good wash mitt will also hold a lot of soap and help the wash mitt to glide over the painted surface...therefore reducing the chance of swirls.

I use Meguiar's chenille wash mitt and chenille wash sponge. The both have a very plush nap and are very, very soft.

I give the whole car a good pre-rinse (not one with super hard spray but a thorough one to wash off the big particles.) I soak my cars in foam from a foamgun first. Then before I wash each panel, I spray some more foam on the panel and some onto the sponge/mitt. This is enough to agitate the dirt off of the panel but the mitt/sponge also just glides over all of it to. It almost feels like it's floating on top of the paint. When I finally clayed my car, there was hardly any dirt embedded in the paint.
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emazmann you are a little wrong on your assertions, but on track in design. Nap of any size is a benefit when washing and drying a car. You want to pull the dirt, sand up and away but just off the surface is fine.

the problem with most cotton mitts, and terry cloth is that the strands are nowhere near as soft as microfiber (almost like silk strands). As such the abrasive nature of the strands can also cause swirling and marring. Also note that on most mitts there are other materials used to attach the strands, and on towels the decorative ribbon is likely a polyester. These can be extremely abrasive on paint.

Chenille, while a combed cotton type material is very soft at first. Without proper washing and cleaning it actually can take on the feel and appearance of wool. Be sure to wash, dry, and keep the mitt as soft as possible. I loved my Pinnacle Chenille mitts in the past, but they are gone, and I have several micro's that are as soft as ever from same period and just as fluffy.

I also use the foam gun to presoak the car, and I use a sheepskin mitt or Miracle Towel for washing. Resoaking the panel prior to washing is good as it will remove any surface dirt that was dislodged. I would however consider washing your mitt in a bucket of water every panel or two to dislodge the dirt in the mitt. Otherwise before the car is done, you have likely caked or overloaded the mitt and could be rubbing dirt over the finish that can no longer be moved away from the paint quickly.
 
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ok i just got done with washing with the kit. after washing i used klasse aio and hgsg. the sg was a pain getting off and i applied a very thin coat. o well. i will take pics soon. what should i do now? more layers of sg? or wax?....
also the seats are suede, what do i use to condion and protect?
thanks fellow members for the advice!!!
 
killrwheels@autogeek said:
emazmann you are a little wrong on your assertions, but on track in design. Nap of any size is a benefit when washing and drying a car. You want to pull the dirt, sand up and away but just off the surface is fine.

the problem with most cotton mitts, and terry cloth is that the strands are nowhere near as soft as microfiber (almost like silk strands). As such the abrasive nature of the strands can also cause swirling and marring. Also note that on most mitts there are other materials used to attach the strands, and on towels the decorative ribbon is likely a polyester. These can be extremely abrasive on paint.

Chenille, while a combed cotton type material is very soft at first. Without proper washing and cleaning it actually can take on the feel and appearance of wool. Be sure to wash, dry, and keep the mitt as soft as possible. I loved my Pinnacle Chenille mitts in the past, but they are gone, and I have several micro's that are as soft as ever from same period and just as fluffy.

I also use the foam gun to presoak the car, and I use a sheepskin mitt or Miracle Towel for washing. Resoaking the panel prior to washing is good as it will remove any surface dirt that was dislodged. I would however consider washing your mitt in a bucket of water every panel or two to dislodge the dirt in the mitt. Otherwise before the car is done, you have likely caked or overloaded the mitt and could be rubbing dirt over the finish that can no longer be moved away from the paint quickly.
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I knew microfiber was much softer but I didn't think the nap on any mf towels or mitts was plush enough to be "wash safe". I've only recently got into detailing. Before, I just used cheap sheepskin mitts from Walmart. I'll keep an eye on the chenille sponge and mitt I have now. I did buy a bunch of them just in case I accidently dropped any during a wash.

I do rinse the sponge/mitt after each section. I used to use the two bucket method before I got the foamgun. I now use 1 rinse bucket and the foam gun. It's a little awkward holding a sponge in one hand and the foamgun in the other; and takes more time but I'm getting the hang of it. I won't ever go back to two buckets either. Just too easy with the foam gun.

I do have to say that I was very shocked at how dirty your rinse water gets. In the past, when I used only 1 bucket, the dirt grey water was mostly obscured by the suds in the bucket. When I started using the two bucket method, my soap bucket was nice and clear and the rinse bucket was just nasty dary grey.

After seeing this, I'm definitely going to get a grit guard...just need to figure out the other stuff I want to order along with it.
 
View attachment 401
it has 1 layer of klasse sg. is it ok to rewash it and put another coat of it on before i wax it with nattys blue? also do i need to apply aio and sg in the door jams or just go ahead with the nattys blue?
 
06CivicSi said:
View attachment 401
it has 1 layer of klasse sg. is it ok to rewash it and put another coat of it on before i wax it with nattys blue? also do i need to apply aio and sg in the door jams or just go ahead with the nattys blue?
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You can wash and then add SG directly over the dry finish. Then top as wanted with Nattys or a dozen gloss adding qd'ers.

I use AIO alone in most closed areas of the car. It has nice cleaning ability and some acrylic protection. Since these areas are not impacted by environment (like doorjambs) you will usually find it sufficent to use alone. Nothing wrong with topping with SG if wanted.

Dont know how you used SG on paint, but some hints. I have found the easiest way to use it is to add it to a small travel size hairspray bottle (walmart). Spritz each panel twice, and wipe off as quickly as possible. WOWO method. If you get a stubborn area, respray and rewipe immediately.
 
awesome.. thanks for the tip i will try it pretty soon.
 
it seems the car care angle is well covered so let me just give you a hearty congratulations. Enjoy that new car smell. :)
 
dude you should re-read this now mmm 3 years later and laugh like i just did thinking of all them crazy questions you had and how much more we know now!
 
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