Washing and Paint Sealant enough?

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edwinwng

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Hey I was just wondering if Washing and using Paint Sealant is simply just enough.

I know it pretty much depends on how great you want your car to look and how far you want to take it but I just pretty much want my car clean and to be protected.

I got a new car last year, which is always garaged at night, and have diligently washed it using methods I have found on here to prevent scratches / swirls and that sort every couple weeks. I also have been suing DP Paint Sealant every 2 or 3 months.

I know there are other things that can be done such as claying, using glaze, polish and all sorts of other things but is it really necessary? Will my paint and finish fade because I am not doing these things?

I'm not trying to be lazy by not doing those things because I am willing to, I just wanted to know if it was really "necessary" for what I want. Just want a clean car, for it to be protected, and for the paint to not dull.
 
If you want it to stay looking new, you will need to put a little more into it. Not a lot if you do it right, but some effort.

My thoughts:
- Clay at least once a year is a must. You would not believe the crud it will pull out of your clear coat. The contaminates it pulls out will dull your clear coat

- Using a mild polish, cleaner, or cleaner wax is also needed. Over time all those layers of sealant will build up and dull the surface. You will want to get all that stuff off and bring the paint back to it's new shine.

- Mild polishes are good from time to time, as they will get rid of the swirls and fine marring that makes your paint start to look dull. No matter how good you are, those things will start to show up over time. You don't have to go nuts and do a full on correction unless you really need it.

Take a look at this post by Mike showing why a little extra attention is a good thing. http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/68100-here-s-why-you-need-polish-paint.html

I don't think a well kept car needs a heavy duty detail job all the time, but every year or so does wonders to keep it looking good.
 
Using proper wash techniques, washing frequently, and using a sealant every 2-3 months puts you worlds ahead of 97% of car owners--you'll be fine.

EDIT: You might want to think about putting something on your black trim, though. Something like UTTG or WETS.
 
Thanks for the replies.

Ya I was thinking of claying at least once a year and recently read up a little bit on cleaner waxes, which is new to me. Will have to read up more on claying as I've never done that before.

If I were to use a cleaner wax would I just use it as I have paint sealant? Or would I need to do a IPA strip or something beforehand, and then use a cleaner wax??

Also, any recommendations on cleaner wax / sealant? My main priority with the sealant is protection obviously, but also durability, which I've found to be pretty good with the DP paint sealant i've been using.
 
The cleaner wax is going to require a bit more rubbing than you have been doing with your sealant, if you want it to "clean". If you are going to do a lot of rubbing, it's probably better to clay first.

See where this is going? Asking people on this forum what the minimum you should do to keep your car looking new is kind of like asking...well, I can't think of a good analogy, but you're going to wind up doing a lot more to your car than you wanted to if you listen to that advice.

As I said, what you are doing (garaged, carefully washed frequently, waxed quarterly) is some much more/better than what almost all car owners do, you are really ahead of the game. One of the things that gets weathered quickly (perhaps faster than the paint) is black trim, so put something specific on that, and don't worry so much.

If you must do more, use some fine-grade clay, and a nice AIO would be Duragloss 501. I think there is also a Blackfire AIO, but I haven't used that. The DG 501 is good because it's a good chemical cleaner and I haven't seen it stain trim. You can top that with your DP sealant.
 
Ha yes, I have noticed that in order to do one step properly there is always one or two before that need be done first. I'm fine with claying and using a cleaner wax once or even twice a year though, I enjoy the detailing work on my car.

I'll look into that DG 501 as well. Any recommendations on a clay and lubricant?

You mentioned that I could top the DG 501 with my DP Paint Sealant. Does the DG 501 not protect or something? Or is it just because it's durability is very low so I would have to use paint sealant soon anyways?

edit: was this the DG 501 you were talking about??
Duragloss Marine RV Polish #501 cleans, polishes, and shines gelcoat fiberglass boat and RV finishes. Duragloss durable boat and RV polishes.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
See where this is going? Asking people on this forum what the minimum you should do to keep your car looking new is kind of like asking...well, I can't think of a good analogy, but you're going to wind up doing a lot more to your car than you wanted to if you listen to that advice.
Click to expand...

This is true, but the OP said he wanted the paint protected and not to dull. I can't see how you can only do a couple steps and not have things begin to fade over time.

I was in the OP's position...and still am in some ways. I own cars for 8~10 years. I faithfully washed and waxed/sealed them twice a year to keep them protected. A little later on I added the clay step.

The problem I found was that at around the 5 year point, the finish just wasn't the way I wanted it, but knew my work wasn't fixing it. I could see the swirls start to build up and the shine lessened over time.

The apporach I now take is still more measured than most here, but with a little extra work at strategic points in time, I can still get pretty good results. Smarter, not harder I say! :xyxthumbs:
 
Desertnate said:
The problem I found was that at around the 5 year point, the finish just wasn't the way I wanted it, but knew my work wasn't fixing it. I could see the swirls start to build up and the shine lessened over time.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but the OP is only at a year or so. This isn't a hobby, it's a disease, and I'm loathe to turn people into addicts who just wanted to do a decent job and not spend all their waking hours worrying about swirls and posting on forums...and have shelf after shelf of detailing supplies that they'll never be able to use up. Not that I'm talking about anyone I know...

Back to the OP's question about DG501, no, it's quite a decent sealant for an AIO, but the beauty of it (so to speak) is you can top it with your existing sealant and do even better.
 
My suggestion for maintenance is to do a sealant coat twice a year, once before winter and once right after winter. Between those, spray wax after each wash. With that combo you get maximum protection for minimum efforts. If you want to be crazy about it you can do a polish before applying the new seallant coats.

Or... you can apply a coating and simply use spray wax without having to worry about doing a seallant twice a year, that would be a good alternative.
 
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