Argh! Confused! Help me!

[Brock]

I've searched, read, over and over and I'm still confused! Maybe 1st time car owner...pai seh.

 

What type of cloth do you use for waxing? Chamois? 100% cotton cloth? Microfibre?

 

1st round of waxing use chamois then clean up with microfibre?

 

 

What about washing? To use 100% cloth to wash clean or use car sponge, using foamy car shampoo water? Straight lines or circular motion? Will car sponge scratch the car?

 

Drying I've got no problems. Chamois.

[Kaiserdome]

1. I would recommend using Meguiar's applicator pad for waxing. Cost $2, available in most car accessory stores. Chamois is NOT for waxing, it might marr ur paint I think.

 

 

2. After the wax dry and haze, use a good MF cloth to buff off. Recently using HiGlaze88 MF, thick and smooth

 

3. As for washing, try NXT Wash together with Meguiar's Washing Mitt. Direction should be back-and-forth motion. AFAIK, sponge is good only for rinsing soapy water onto the car, not for wiping onto car. Hence contact on car surface should be kept to minimal.

 

 

Hope I'm making sense

Edited April 13, 2005 by Kaiserdome

[Eddymerckx]

Chamois should be used only for drying the car after washing. Its good only for absorbing the water and not leaving streaks. Using it to wax will create a waterproof barrier on the chamois surface, making it lose its effectiveness.

 

Apply wax with the applicator pad thats provided, buff off with microfiber or a terrycloth towel.

 

As for washing, car sponge should do the trick. By itself, it wont scratch your paint. its the sand and grit that gets trapped there thats doing the scratching. So rinse the sponge often. And before you start washing, hose down your car to knock off any large particles.

 

Hope that helps

[Brock]

Kaiserdome ,

 

Gotcha on that. Will hunt around for the applicator pad. And yes you are making good sense!

[Brock]

Eddymerckx,

 

Yes...my first wash was rinse car with water first. Then foam and gently wash with car sponge. Then dry off with chamois.

 

Will be doing 1st waxing soon. BTW, when does polishing coming in? Same materials to use as suggested by Kaiserdome? Using applicator pad to polish?

[Tien]

actually, for waxing, using an applicator would be best.

 

however, if you are polishing your car, then a cotton cloth is recommended. this is becos cotton cloth is "more rough" and therefore is better in rubbing those dirts from your car.

 

a microfibre cloth is too "smooth" and therefore may not be suitable for polish use.

 

a microfibre cloth would be great for buffing (to remove the hazing after you have waxed or polished) or just for drying car after wash

 

so this is what i use for a full grooming session:

 

sponge - wash car

micrfibre cloth - drying after wash

claybar

cotton cloth - polishing

microfibre cloth - buffing off polish residue

applicator - waxing

microfibre cloth - buffing off the "hazing"

[Apollo]

rule 1/ eventually the car will get scratch. so, dun worry.

 

2/ color of ride? if u r getting stockingnette (cotton), head for paint shops, it's cheaper there. it's so cheap, use n throw. dun use microfibre.

[Brock]

Tien,

 

That was the answer I was looking for. Thanks. I only need to get the applicator. No car accessory around my place (Sengkang) though.

[Kaiserdome]

Hmm...maybe u can go carrefour...quite a selection there, can shop as well

Edited April 15, 2005 by Kaiserdome

[Brock]

Kaiserdome,

 

I did actually. Couldn't find any applicator pads. Only chamois cloth.

[Kaiserdome]

hmm...how abt autobac at bukit batok? a bit far though...

[Brock]

Whoa...drive all the way there for just a few bucks worth of pad? Cannot la bro...

[Kaiserdome]

alas bro...u can poison urself with all the car accessories there mah...

[Brock]

actually, for waxing, using an applicator would be best.

 

however, if you are polishing your car, then a cotton cloth is recommended. this is becos cotton cloth is "more rough" and therefore is better in rubbing those dirts from your car.

 

a microfibre cloth is too "smooth" and therefore may not be suitable for polish use.

 

a microfibre cloth would be great for buffing (to remove the hazing after you have waxed or polished) or just for drying car after wash

 

so this is what i use for a full grooming session:

 

sponge - wash car

micrfibre cloth - drying after wash

claybar

cotton cloth - polishing

microfibre cloth - buffing off polish residue

applicator - waxing

microfibre cloth - buffing off the "hazing"

 

I just realised...does that mean that u need to keep at least 6 different types of cleaning materials?! What about polishing / cleaning interior like vinyls?

[Steelblue]

microfibre applicator

[Tien]

you just need sponge, a microfibre cloth for drying after car wash, 1 microfibre cloth for buffing (after polishing, after waxing), applicator for wax and cotton cloth for polish.

 

some ppl use a wet cloth for buffing... that's fine also. in which case you need only one microfibre cloth.

 

for interior, i normally just re-use the cloth i used for drying the car after wash. by now, the cloth is already wet so just nice lah, just it to wipe the interior! hahahaha

 

 

how many of which cloth you need really depends on your grooming "style" and preference. think it's best for you to buy 1 piece of which cloth, do once and see which cloth you need more. it's basically a trial and error process.... just like the million dollar question: which wax is the best?

Edited April 17, 2005 by Tien

[Brock]

Tien,

 

For the interior, I actually use 100% cloth for vinyl protector. You mean water alone is sufficient? Or is buying and using a vinyl protector solution necessary?

[Tien]

usually i simply wipe with damped cloth. after all, interior mah, wont be very dirty one lah.

 

only if i have stain than i will use those shampoo meant for interior. there after, apply protector to put back some of the "oil" into the vinyl.