Cleaning the DC5

J

jimmy_atr

Advanced Member
Messages
621
I know its been discussed many times but wanted opinions of cleaning the DC5. Got first free weekend in ages and want to give DC5 a bit of a spruce.

My old washing scenario went like this

1) 2 Buckets, wash car with Meguiars Microfibre Cloth and NXT Shampoo
2) Dry with Meguiars drying towel
3) Polish with Turtlewax Colour Magic Wax polish and applicator.

I then added clay bar and detailer after stage 2, and also NXT Tech Wax to finish off after the polish.

I wont clay bar it all the time (maybe 4 times a year) so wanted an intermediate wash system and also heard about scratch-x which is meant to be good as in sunlight a few swirls appear even after polishing. But im confused where to use it :?

Im thinking that new scenario would be something like this....

1) 2 Buckets, wash car with Meguiars Microfibre Cloth and NXT Shampoo
2) Dry with Meguiars drying towel
3) Meguiars Clay Bar, detailed (if needed) & Scratch-X
4) Polish with Turtlewax Colour Magic Wax polish
5) Finish with NXT tech wax

Does that sound about right? does it need a another wash and dry after the scratch-x?

Finally what interior products do people use for the recaro seats and carpets?
 
P

PORTHOS

Resident Rembrandt
Messages
5,727
I was looking at getting some scratch x too....

I would wash the car first... apply the scratch x (it can be applied onto whole pannels or just patches), then wax it afterwards.

Not sure about the claybar 4x a year! I think you only need to do that once a year.... but I guess it depends how often you use the car.
 
W

Wardy7

Advanced Member
Messages
628
Isn't claying it 4 times a year a bit excessive. I thougth I'd read twice a year was more than enough so you don't do more harm than good?

Cheers
Wardy
 
Mark_teg

Mark_teg

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,361
I wouldn't have thought it would do any harm, clay baring 4 times as long as wax is applied afterwards :?
Maybe im wrong though :lol:
 
keevster

keevster

Advanced Member
Messages
497
The thing is, if the car has been clayed, and protected properly after it with a good polish and wax, you should not need to keep repeating the claying, protecting it with the wax occassionally should be enough, unless your glossy shine from the polish starts to diminish, then i would basically start the process again.

A decent polish and wax should see you okay for a few months :lol:



Paul :wink:
 
impne

impne

Advanced Member
Messages
684
I used to use the nxt tech but now use Blackfire from poorboys and must say it is better, I'm just using it on my Fiesta Zetec-s at the moment as the teg is on the way but my neighbour the other day came across and asked what I was using as it was so shiney.

I was reading about wax's on some forum can't remember which but they were on about P21S Carnauba Car Wax, does anyone on here use this and what is it like.

I want to see if I can get the best shine I can from the blue teg when it arrives
 
L

locky

Active Member
Messages
79
a quick guide to what i would do when detailing cars fully


wash and dry

rinse car with water
foam car with foam gun (if you have 1)
clean wheels
wash car with 2 bucket method and wash mitts
clay car using lots of lube
wash again
dry using waffle weave towel


polish
if only polishing by hand i would use autoglym super resin polish

if yousing a porter cable i would use menenza polish to remove swirls and scratches

waxing
i use chemical guys 5050 wax
im going to be trying dodo wax soon as i have heard good things about this

polish and wax were applied youing a german aplicator pad
polish and wax were all removed using a micro fibre cloth


theres no need to clay a car more then twice a year if you keep the car clean

to remove tar instead of using the clay bar use autoglym tar remover that does a great job

i dont rate the scratch x at all auto glym super resin polish is one of the best polishes what can be bought from local supliers and used by hand


hope that helps people
 
W

Wardy7

Advanced Member
Messages
628
hessy1 said:
what does the clay bar do apart from removing tar spots
Click to expand...
It removes all bonded on stuff that you can't see, such as tree sap. Th ebest thing to do is clay bar a section of your car and then run your hand over that and then over a bit that has not been clay barred, you will notice the difference. The clay barred bit will be pretty much completely smooth.

Cheers
Wardy
 
G

gaz3434

Advanced Member
Messages
233
I emailed Rich from www.polishedbliss.co.uk for some car cleaning advice specific to Honda paintwork and here's what he replied with:

"because original Honda paint is very soft, and needs to be treated carefully, both in terms of maintaining it and working on it. Here is what I would be using if I were you...

*Wash* (ideally every week)

Basic Wash Kit

*Clay* (once or twice a year, spring and autumn are the best times)

Meguiars Quik Clay

*Polish* (after claying)

First time: to remove swirls, fine scratches, marring and other defects, I would recommend using Menzerna Intensive Polish applied with a Lake Country CCS Light Cutting Pad using moderate speed and pressure. After this stage, I would then follow up with Menzerna Final Polish II, again using a Lake Country CCS Polishing Pad, and moderate speed and pressure.
The Intensive Polish corrects the paint, the Final Polish II refines the finish and boosts the gloss. Compared to the Menzerna polishes, the Poorboys polishes are coarser and break down less easily, which isn't so good on soft paint.

In future: after claying, buzz the car with Final Polish II using a polishing pad to remove any light, fresh defects and boost the gloss.

*Protect* (top up every 4-6 weeks)

Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection

This product gives a great wet shine on white, and is very easy to put on and take off (apply using a German Pad, buff off using Poorboy's Deluxe mega Towels), making it a safe bet for soft paint."
 
J

jimmy_atr

Advanced Member
Messages
621
some good posts in here 8) especially Gaz's as specific to Honda's cheap paint!

I will probably follow that method next time and see how it comes out. On weekend i followed these stages

Wash with Meg's NXT Wash Shampoo
Dry with Meg's drying towel
Meg's Scratch-X
Meg's NXT Wax

Good results but wasnt impressed with the scratch-x, removed some swirls slightly but could still see them in direct sunlight.

On my shopping list now is

Menzerna Intensive Polish
Menzerna Final Polish II
Lake Country CCS Light Cutting Pad
Lake Country CCS Light Polishing Pad
Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection
Poorboy's Deluxe mega Towel
 
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