Paint maintennance on DD...

[Supergus1]

I have a '12 Tundra that (obviously) is a DD. About three weeks ago I washed, clayed, and then waxed with Meg's UW. I was hoping to top with a carnauba for a little extra depth but didn't have time. Since then, at various times, I've washed with Meg's Ultimate Wash&Wax; I've used Lucas wet/dry spray detailer; I've also used Meg's Ultimate Wash&Wax. My question is: Can I apply a carnauba wax such as Meg's Gold Class at this point, or should I clay and start over?
Also, my truck is parked outside so it always has a thin coating of dust (and soon, POLLEN!) Once upon a time I would break out a MF duster, but now I'm not keen on that idea. I would just hose it off but then I'm left with water spots. My question is: would using distilled water work? I thought if after I hosed it down, I used a jug of distilled water for sheeting the paint. Would that eliminate the water spotting and drying step? The reason I ask is that even a couple of hours after waxing, the dust and pollen are there, so rinsing, drying, and spray detailing every time it gets dusty isn't always an option. Thanks in advance.

 

[trekkeruss]

What color is the paint? JMHO, extra depth comes from a pristine surface. If you have swirls or defects in the paint, topping won't make any difference. If your Tundra's paint is indeed defect-free, yes, you can top Ultimate Wax with Gold Class if you wish.

You can use distilled water to sheet rinse water off the car, but I'm certain you'd need more than one gallon. Some guys use a CR spotless system to soften their hose water, but that is an expensive solution.

I know in my situation right now, pollen literally settles on the car just as soon as I wipe it off; it's a bit of a losing battle. I just have to cringe and live with it for a couple(?) more weeks.

 

[GreatAvalon]

I know in my situation right now, pollen literally settles on the car just as soon as I wipe it off; it's a bit of a losing battle. I just have to cringe and live with it for a couple(?) more weeks.

That's the truth. Hopefully only a couple more weeks!

 

[BillyJack]

If it's just a bit of dust and pollen, sounds to me like a situation for a waterless wash. I happen to be extremely partial to:Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+ Concentrate, concentrated waterless auto wash, waterless car wash, but there are others available. There are how-to tutorials available in this forum, but the key is to minimize rubbing and use plenty of towels so you're not rubbing dirt over clean paint.

Bill

 

[Supergus1]

What color is the paint? JMHO, extra depth comes from a pristine surface. If you have swirls or defects in the paint, topping won't make any difference. If your Tundra's paint is indeed defect-free, yes, you can top Ultimate Wax with Gold Class if you wish.

You can use distilled water to sheet rinse water off the car, but I'm certain you'd need more than one gallon. Some guys use a CR spotless system to soften their hose water, but that is an expensive solution.

I know in my situation right now, pollen literally settles on the car just as soon as I wipe it off; it's a bit of a losing battle. I just have to cringe and live with it for a couple(?) more weeks.

The paint is Nautical Blue Metallic, code 8S6. I wouldn't say it's defect free, but the swirls that I see are negligible for a DD. So you're saying that even though I waxed it 3+ weeks ago, I can top with Gold Class now, as long as I wash/dry prior to application?

"If it's just a bit of dust and pollen, sounds to me like a situation for a waterless wash. I happen to be extremely partial to:Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+ Concentrate, concentrated waterless auto wash, waterless car wash, but there are others available. There are how-to tutorials available in this forum, but the key is to minimize rubbing and use plenty of towels so you're not rubbing dirt over clean paint."

Bill

BillyJack- That's probably a good way to go. Thanks

 

[swanicyouth]

I would recommend if your car isn't too dirty to go to the local Pay-N-Spray and power wash the pollen/dust off, if you don't have a pressure washer. THEN, do a waterless wash. You don't have to dry the car in between. Just mix your waterless wash a bit product heavy.

There really is no safe way to remove pollen from a car without washing it. You could just waterless wash it off, but if the pollen is copious - that is not the safest way and will eventually end up in more swirls IME. Pouring DI water out of a gallon may help, but won't give you 100% professional results.

I've been using "method A" since waterless washes became popular and I can tell you it's quite safe, effective, and pretty quick. You can clean the wheels how you will, but if you coat the wheels it won't take much to clean them after they are pressure rinsed off.

Of course, you can't wash your car every day and will have to put up with some dirt and dust. I'm a firm believer in leaving the car dirty until you have the opportunity to wash it in a proven safe manner. Wiping your car down every day due to dust or pollen will end up in marring the paint. It may not be as noticeable on silver, but it will become noticeable eventually.

 

[Supergus1]

I would recommend if your car isn't too dirty to go to the local Pay-N-Spray and power wash the pollen/dust off, if you don't have a pressure washer. THEN, do a waterless wash. You don't have to dry the car in between. Just mix your waterless wash a bit product heavy.

There really is no safe way to remove pollen from a car without washing it. You could just waterless wash it off, but if the pollen is copious - that is not the safest way and will eventually end up in more swirls IME. Pouring DI water out of a gallon may help, but won't give you 100% professional results.

I've been using "method A" since waterless washes became popular and I can tell you it's quite safe, effective, and pretty quick. You can clean the wheels how you will, but if you coat the wheels it won't take much to clean them after they are pressure rinsed off.

Of course, you can't wash your car every day and will have to put up with some dirt and dust. I'm a firm believer in leaving the car dirty until you have the opportunity to wash it in a proven safe manner. Wiping your car down every day due to dust or pollen will end up in marring the paint. It may not be as noticeable on silver, but it will become noticeable eventually.

Sound advice, thanks a bunch! It sure is hard to see it dirty so often. It's a compulsion I think! But then again, if I wasn't AR, then I wouldn't be on this forum!