Greetings. Two questions to ask of the detailing pros among us.

1) Can you recommend a good mainstream liquid wax that stands up well to repeated hand-washings and still beads? I use Meguiar's Cleaner Wax in the bottle every 3-4 months on my '07 MC LT, and I hand-wash the car every two weeks. Even after the first wash, I notice that the beading decreases and gets worse and worse with every subsequent wash. The soap I use is the green "Zip Wax" car wash concentrate, and I use put about three tablespoons of the stuff in the bucket before I mix it with the water.

2) To get the road grime off my tires, I use Simple Green spray on the rubber and scrub with a bristle brush. I don't use either the spray or the brush on the wheels (I have the factory 17-inch machined aluminum rims, standard issue with the '07 LT), and I rinse both the tires and wheels throughly with a water spray within 60-90 seconds of that Simple Green tire scrubdown. Am I in danger of harming my wheels by what I'm doing?

Your floor.

-M

 

i have never had trouble with meguiars, what conditions are you in? that may be a factor in the way not lasting as long, or maybe not applying it right or in the right conditions such as direct sunlight

 

I wax my monte alll the time & have used several diff types of waxes & I have noticed that a good coat of paste wax (I use Megiairs NEXT GEN Tech Wax 2.0) plus a good coat of liquid quick wax last a long time. I have been unable to wax my car in a couple months bcuz of the cold weather here & yet the water still beads on my monte when it rains. But I wax the heck out of my car with lots of diff steps & diff products each time I detail it so it's prob got extra coats to spare lol

& about your wheels....NEVER used a bristled brush to scrub your wheels. All it does is scratch the hell outta your wheels. I use this stuff if I have a lot of grim on my wheels...


& let it sit for a couple seconds like it says. Then I spray it off & then I use a separate microfiber mat to soap them up with the car wash soap & spray them off. Then after I'm done washing the car. I take a microfiber cloth to dry them off & once they are completely dry, I take quik detailer & spray them down really good to help protect them. That way they stay nice & shiny for the car shows that I have to travel a bit to get to & have to use my brakes a lot.

 

Oh & I use this car wash, the wash could maybe be striping the wax

 

1. Use a carnauba based wax. I am a big fan of Poorboy's Natty paste wax.
http://poorboysworld.com/natty-red.htm

2. A higher quality shampoo will help the wax to last longer. My new favorite is the Meguiar's ultimate
http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/detail/MEG+G17748



Picture of my monte using the above products. (turtlewax ice products used on the TB)

 

I recommend Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0. Its very easy to apply and wipe off.. I believe it may be one of the easiest in the industry. And is the best paint sealant ive found yet. You should easily get 4 to 5 months even up to 8+ depending on conditions of the environment, weather etc..
http://www.autogeek.net/wg5500.html
Its a bit pricy but its more than worth it. Apply a thin even coat and you will get better coverage with less product. You should got 20 to 30 uses with this bottle minimum.
If you want to enhance gloss and depth to paint I would apply a coat of Carnauba Wax to the finnish. I can recommend you some if you would like.

Next. Aluminum wheels are very very delicate and Must be very carful. I use professional products since im a detailer but I would recommend the Meguiars Hot Rims Aluminum Wheel Cleaner stated above..

What you do to the tire is fine. But Spray that wheel cleaner on the wheel (do one wheel at a time) DO NOT let sit for more that 30 sec to avoid dulling finnish. And never use a degreaser on Aluminum Rims it will etch the wheels (just an FYI). You can use a boars hair brush to scrub wheels gently.

http://www.autogeek.net/ezdebrfca.html
This brush here works fantastic on getting the inside of the wheel.

After gently scrubbing wheels rinse them off completely and move to next wheel.

I would recommend switching to Meguiars Shampoo and Conditioner to wash the car. It preserves wax really well and will add some gloss. I would follow up with a quick detailer after every wash. Such as Meguiars Ultimate Quick Detailer.

I would also Use a quick wax once a month to preserve the wax and help it last longer longer. Such as Meguiars Ultimate Quick Wax.

Any further questions just ask and we can help you..

 

I use the paint sealant that Griot's Garage sells. Then after every time I wash the car, I use their spray on wax.

 

Personally I use Menzerna and it depends on my mood if I wanna use a sealant or a wax. The two toppers give different looks. My cheaper waxes I have but love is Natty's Red paste wax, Chemical Guys waxes, and MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE is made by Swissvax. Klasse is a awesome sealant that I love. I could go on but wont.

In the end its really subjective. Some feel as I said prefer sealents some prefer waxes. But it's really all opinion really. I have spent more money in the past on detailing products its not even funny.

 

I spent around $2000 last year on detailing supplies.. But I run a detailing business. My most favorite wax is Pinnacle Souveran Carnauba Paste Wax which retails at $95 for an 8oz jar

 

I already asked this on another forum topic - is it ever okay to use terry cloth towels on a car?