Shinefind

Car Care products are available in auto sections is almost every place we shop. We even saw them in a drug store! Accordingly, the marketing engine for this industry is so vast that product names, descriptions and terminology is, at best, confusing.

Product claims are often outlandish and the name of the game seems to be to pick the most unique adjectives – deep, gloss, shine, diamond, ultimate, hot, mirror, and the list goes on seemingly forever. Flip over the package and read about carnauba, polymers, abrasives, etc. What does it all mean?

The reality is the technologies used in car care products have changed dramatically but the industry struggles with needing to still use terms that consumers identify with – like wax and polish. So we start our Care Car 101 with some basic knowledge that will help you quickly identify which products you need and want to clean and protect your cars paint.

1. Car Wash Soap: Although extremely important, this is perhaps the most straightforward of the product categories. Typically what you are looking for in a wash product is a mild detergent that will remove dirt but not completely remove any protective products on your car’s paint. A couple of notes here: Never, ever, use dishwashing soap on your car. They are too harsh. Car wash soap should last you a long time. If possible, pay the extra few bucks for the better quality product.

Here is a list of a few reputable products that should be available at your local stores:

· Meguiar’s Ultimate Wash & Wax - Ultimate Wash and Wax is the perfect way to clean and shine your car's finish in-between regular waxing, boosting your protection, glossiness and shine. Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax is compatible with all Meguiar's washes and waxes. Traditional Wash and Wax products are typically weak on suds, shine and protection, but not anymore. Meguiar's hybrid blend of premium carnauba wax and synthetic polymers provides protection and shine while you wash.

· Mother’s California Gold Carnauba Wash & Wax - Mothers California Gold Carnauba Wash and Wax - 64 ounce is the quick and easy way to clean, shine and protect your paint. Used between regular waxing, Carnauba wash and wax easily dissolves and removes stubborn road grime and dirt, all while boosting your existing wax. It helps in giving that "just waxed" look and feel. It is powerful, super-sudsy, bio-degradable and pH balanced. This wash and wax has it all, making it the perfect addition to a well-maintained finish. This formula allows for a quick rinse, and the results are a spot-free brilliantly shining finish.

· Armor All Ultra Shine Wash and Wax - 64 oz. – Armor All Ultra Shine Wash and Wax gently lifts away dirt that can cause scratches and swirls. It delivers mirror like shine and protects the vehicle without any extra effort. This ultra shine wash and wax deposits a layer of carnauba wax for a deep shine as well as protects the surface from nature's damaging elements.

· Turtle Wax ICE Car Wash 64 oz. - Turtle Wax ICE Car Wash gently cleans away dirt, road grime and dust leaving behind an incredible sparkling shine. It features a completely biodegradable formula that is safe for all finishes. This car wash is easy to use and contains a blend of surfactants as well as special paint conditioners.

· Rain-X Wash and Wax with Carnauba Wax Beads - 64 oz. - Rain-X Wash and Wax with Carnauba Wax Beads is designed to outsmart the elements. Its wash and wax delivers deep-cleaning foam with carnauba wax shine. This is a deep cleaning and high foaming wash and wax which leaves a brilliant shine.

2. Wash Mitts and Buckets: There is a wide range of these products available. Most are typically ok to use out of the package. It’s actually how you use, maintain and store these products that more applicable. We’ll post more about that in other “how to” articles, for now here is a list of some popular products:

· Meguiar’s Microfiber Wash Mitt - Meguiar’s Microfiber Wash Mitt features super absorbent microfiber that carries more water and suds. It’s super-soft, deep microfiber safely lifts and traps dirt and grime for a brilliant, swirl-free finish that is lint-free and can be washed and re-used repeatedly. Meguiar’s Microfiber Wash Mitt is an essential tool in creating and maintaining a show car perfect finish each time you wash your vehicle.

· Mother’s Genuine Lambs Wool Wash Mitt - Mothers High Performance Car Care Accessories are a complete line featuring unique microfiber products, lightweight, ergonomic brushes and finishing products. The Mothers Genuine Lambs wool Wash Mitt is the best way to pamper the vehicle's finish. The 100% lambs wool finish is one of nature's softest creations. The thick pile easily lifts and traps dirt and debris, pulling it away from the vehicle's surface. This mitt is lint free, clear-coat safe, and will not harm painted, chromed, or polished surfaces; it's the wash mitt of choice for enthusiasts everywhere.

· Turtle Wax ICE 3-in-1 Microfiber MAX Wash Mitt - ICE Car Care Accessories leave a sparkling clean shine. Made for automotive enthusiasts who want nothing but the best when caring for their vehicles. ICE Car Care Accessories prolong that fresh from the showroom look and feel through superior design, quality and value.

· Carrand Long Chenille Microfiber Wash Mitt - Carrand is changing the way cleaning products are used by understanding the need for innovation, design, functionality and quality of the customers. Each mitt is clear coat safe and features deep soft pile for superior cleaning. The comfort cuff keeps the mitt snugly in place.

3. Clay or Clay Bar: The application of clay to a car’s paint is an important cleaning step. Clay helps to remove bonded containments (stuff a typical wash won’t remove and they eye can’t see) and leave a smooth finish. Only a smooth finish will give a pure reflection. One important thing to note here is that most clay will remove all existing protection on the paint (such as previously applied wax). So if your using clay, be prepared to add protection in a later step. Also, clay may only be available at more traditional auto parts stores. Here are some common products:

· Mothers California Gold Clay Bar System - Mothers California Gold Clay Bar System features clay bars that have been created to remove the particulate debris and contaminants that washing and polishing can't. The exclusive clay bar system will remove embedded grains of metal, tree sap, airborne environmental deposits and paint overspray. The clay bar is not hazardous to paint - it is just firm enough to pick up the bad stuff, without being too aggressive. The Mothers clay bar can be used to get rid of paint fouling grime and pave the way for complete waxing. It includes: two 80 gram clay bars and a 16 ounce show time instant detailer, 15 inch x 15 inch microfiber towel.

· Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit - Make your wax protection last longer by removing above surface contaminants while restoring a smooth-as-glass finish with Meguiar's® Smooth Surface™ Clay Kit. Our non-abrasive clay bar safely, easily and instantly removes paint overspray, fallout, environmental contaminants and more, making waxing easier and longer lasting. Removing above surface contaminants and restoring a smooth surface to your paint finish is easily accomplished with Meguiar's® Smooth Surface™ Clay Kit. Our non-abrasive clay bar safely, easily, and instantly removes paint overspray, fallout, environmental contaminants and more, making waxing easier and more durable. The Smooth Surface™ Clay Kit provides the best performance and the best value with a full-sized Quik Detailer and a Supreme Shine™ Microfiber in every kit.

· Simoniz Perfect Finish Detailing Clay Bar - Clay Magic is a deep cleaning and smoothing clay bar that instantly removes harmful pollutants from today's vehicle finishes without using strong, acidic chemicals or harsh abrasives.

Clay Magic is not just another cleaner, it is a totally unique product that instantly removes the environmental contaminants which can deteriorate a vehicle's finish. Clay Magic was developed as a solution to the increasing damage being done to the finishes of today's vehicle due to harsh pollutants that burn right through conventional protectants. Invisible pollutants such as industrial fallout, car exhaust and oxidation from acid rain, along with visible impurities like road tar, tree sap and insect residue, can irreversible damage a new finish in a few short years. Clay Magic clay bars are also effective in removing paint over-spray.

4. Quick Detailer: Quick Detailer is an all around product that is necessary for every garage. Most of us actually keep some in our daily drivers at all times. Quick Detailer can be used during the drying process, after a wash, to help prevent water spots and a quick detailer is great for sprucing up a cars finish, in between washes, to remove very light dust, fingerprints, and smudges. When it comes to choosing a quality quick detailer, there are several types, and most will include protection properties with silicone and waxes. A quality quick detailer is supposed to lubricate the surface and encapsulate dust particles to help prevent surface scratching during the wipe off.

· Meguiar's Quik Detailer Mist & Wipe - Meguiar's Quik Detailer removes dust, fingerprints and harmful contaminants like water spots and bird droppings, before they damage your finish.

· Mother’s California Gold Showtime Instant Detailer – Treat your cars paint to Mother’s California Gold Showtime Instant Detailer for a sparkle that's wet and striking. It is great whether you want to clear a layer of dust or prepare for the judges. Use California Gold Showtime Instant Detailer whenever you need your ride to look freshly detailed. California Gold Showtime Instant Detailer cleans off fingerprints, smudges and dust. Hide minor imperfections and spider-webbing. Designed with color enhancers and shine fortifiers.

· Turtle Wax Black Spray Detailer - Turtle Wax Black Spray Detailer fills in minor scratches and swirl marks with a blend of carnauba wax and polymers. Turtle Wax Black Spray Detailer works great on both clear coat and conventional finishes. The Black tinted detailer fills in minor scratches and swirl marks, provides a blend of carnauba wax and polymers and multiple applications provide additional shine and protection without streaks or build-up. Provides professional results with the ease and convenience of a spray detailer.

5. Polishes: True paint polishes are liquids that contain extremely fine abrasives that are designed to cut and refine a vehicle’s clear coat when used by hand or in conjunction with a machine during the car paint polishing process. They do not offer any protective properties at all, only corrective. Paint polishing will yield the biggest improvement to a vehicle’s overall appearance, not the kind of wax you use. Aggressive polishes are called compounds because they have larger, sharper abrasives that quickly flatten the paint’s uneven, swirled surface. Compounds can be viewed as liquid sandpaper. Polishes are less aggressive liquids that help refine a paint surface to remove finer swirls and holograms from the compounding step. Many well-kept vehicles don’t even need to be compounded, as polish can have enough bite to remove the finer swirls in the paint’s finish. talk about the purpose of polish, when and why you need it, the types of polish…. Pure polish (for oils), microabrasives, diminishing abrasives, etc. maybe go into what is “cutting” and how products are classified by their strength, and then list products to include compounds, etc.

6. Protection: Protection is where it can get very confusing. In general the term “wax” is used often however, while this used to refer to literal “carnauba wax” it is now a term more interchangeable with any protection. There are four main types of protection found in retail stores; All in One Products (aka Cleaner Wax), Carnauba Wax, Synthetic Sealant (sometimes called wax), and Synthetic/ Carnauba Blends.

Each has pros and cons and provides a slightly different look and amount of protection. Let’s take a minute to define the differences in Synthetic Wax and traditional Carnauba Wax:

Synthetic protection is generally long lasting (several months), easy to apply and remove, and often is described as leaving a slick feel and wet look.

Carnauba Wax usually applies like butter but, after left to dry, is a little harder to remove than Synthetic. It generally does not last as long as Synthetic. The feel is generally softer than most Synthetic and the look is undeniably beautiful – especially on dark cars.

Here are some common and popular products along with their classification:

· “Meguiar’s Ultimate Wax Liquid/Paste” - Synthetic Protection with mild cleaning ability during application

7. Spray Wax: Automotive spray waxes are the easiest paint protection products to apply. A few years ago spray wax products were a joke, but today they rival some of the best liquid and past wax products. What changed? In a word, polymers! Polymer coating technology is getting so good that a product like Meguiar’s Ultimate Quik Wax offers the same level of protection as the original formula Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax that hit the market a few years ago. Best of all, you can apply the best-of-breed spray wax products is a matter of minutes. Many of them can be applied in direct sunlight, although best results are always achieved in the shade. To apply a spray wax thoroughly wash and dry your car. With a microfiber buffing towel in one hand and your spray wax in the other, spray and wipe a small area at a time. Distribute evenly, then flip the towel to a dry side for a final buff. It’s that easy.

NOTE: For best results, always give a final wipe with a clean, dry microfiber buffing towel that has not be used to distribute product.

· Meguiar’s Ultimate Quik Wax

· Meguiar’s NXT Tech Wax

8. Microfiber Towels: While microfiber products have been in existence for more than twenty years, fewer than twenty percent of all car owners use microfiber products to care for their cars. There is a diverse offering of microfiber products for automotive detailing, including towels, applicators, gloves, dusters and wash mitts. In the towels category alone, you will find dozens of different weaves, material weights, fabric blends, colors and sizes. It’s almost dizzying when you look at the different products side-by-side. Here’s how I categorize microfiber towels for my own use:

(1) All-Purpose - This is typically a microfiber towel (16” by 16”) with a standard terry cloth weave and an 80/20 blend of polyester and polyamide. The towel has no specific purpose, and will be equally adept wiping paint, glass, vinyl, plastic and leather. This towel will have a medium thickness (plush-ness) nap. If you do a lot of quick detailing on your car, this will be the towel you use most frequently.

(2) Glass & Polishing - Microfiber cloths that work well for polishing and glass cleaning seem to have the same basic characteristics. First, the towel should be 100% lint free. In most cases, this means the weave will have a shorter nap, compared to an all-purpose towel. Many people believe that a good glass towel will leave as little water as possible so the droplets will evaporate without leaving a spot. A good glass towel needs scrubbing power to successfully remove the residues that cause streaking. It’s the same characteristic that makes a good polishing cloth. A new generation of “edgeless” microfiber towels reduces possibility of scratching by removing the binding.

(3) Drying – There are two different microfiber towel weaves that make good drying towels: Terry Cloth & Waffle (Piqué) Weave. I have found that a short terry loop or one of the offset (longer on one side than the other) terry loops work well for drying. If you choose a microfiber terry cloth with a heavy, plush nap, you won’t be able to wring it out when it gets wet. My favorite drying towel material is the Piqué fabric that mimics a waffle pattern. It has the ability to wick up water like nothing else I’ve found or tested. As with the terry material, it’s best to find a fabric that’s not too heavy, or you won’t be able to wring it out when it gets saturated.

Microfiber “waffle weave” drying towels come in a range of colors and fabric weights. The fabric weight and differences in the weave dramatically change how the towels feel and perform. The highest quality drying towels offer satin bound edging.

(4) Cleaning – There are a few microfiber weaves that are marketed specifically as “cleaning towels”. The nap is very tight and course, and the microfiber strands are not split. These towels have very little absorbency. The intended purpose of these towels is janitorial work, not car detailing. What I have found works best for me are hand towel size waffle weave towels and polishing towels.

(5) Final Buffing – A couple years ago microfiber “suede” fabrics hit the clothing market. These fabrics crossed over into the auto detail arena as final wipe towels and final buffing bonnets. I have not been overly impressed with the fabric for automotive use. It is soft, but it does not seem to perform any better on paint (for final buffing) than an all-purpose towel.

· Carrand Auto Spa Microfiber Max Supreme Drying Towel – A quality waffle weave drying towel that cleans as it absorbs water and consists of satin edges that helps prevent scratching a paints surface, while drying and cleaning.

· Meguiar’s X2000 Water Magnet Drying Towel – Meguiar’s ultra plush Water Magnet absorbs up to three times the water of traditional terry towels to reduce drying time and create a spot-free finish. The extra large 22 x 30 waffle textured towel wrings out effortlessly and is trimmed with premium satin edges to prevent scratching.

· Microtex Microfiber Glass Towels - Microtex microfiber glass towels are soft for glass application and fast drying while remaining durable for multiple uses. Microtex glass towels are put to good use in the shop, but can be used in the home as well as any other application that requires a little shining up. These towels are constructed using a 80/20 polyester polyamide blend, which allows for streak-free cleaning on glass and lenses.

· Microtex Platinum Wax & Shine Towels - Keep your car looking great with Microtex Platinum XL Wax & Shine Towels. The silver textured side removes wax haze, and the charcoal side buffs to a shine. These towels are the perfect companion to waxes, polishes and protectants.

· Mothers Ultra Soft Polishing Cloth - Mothers uses patented ultra soft technology to create a surface-friendly polishing cloth for wax and polish removal. The cloth grips the surface to effectively remove dried products without getting them caked in its fibers.

Hand Applicators: Not all-wax applicator pads are created equal. There are many opinions regarding likes and dislikes over what applicator pad is best, ranging from shapes and sizes to microfiber and foam. Typically, the wax applicator pad is used to apply liquid or cream wax to car, boat or motorcycle paints, but can also be used to apply tire, trim and interior dressings. They are usually industry standard size of 3”x 5”x 1” (approximate) rectangular and also round applicators. Materials used can be terry cloth, microfiber and foam. What makes a big difference on how people rate wax applicators is the interior sponge. Some like the sponge soft while others prefer a firm sponge. Hand applicator pads are great for applying polishes, waxes, glazes and sealants.

· Meguiar’s Hi Tech Foam Applicator Pad – This pad is ideal for evenly spreading paint sealants and carnauba’s. Since this pad is on the smaller end of the scale, in size, it is also a great pad for applying trim and interior dressings.

· Meguiar’s Even Coat Microfiber Applicator Pad - Meguiar’s Even Coat microfiber applicator is the ultimate pad for swirl free, show car perfect results. Gentler than a foam pad, this applicator is ideal for ultra fine polishing and waxing. It’s large, 5 inch surface area allows for faster polishing and waxing.

· Carrand Terry Cloth Applicator Pad – This soft terry cloth is ideal for applying polishes and liquid waxes to your cars paint. With it’s lint free design, this applicator pad would also be ideal for applying leather conditioners or glass treatments.

2. Buffers and Polishers: Explain a basic orbital you see in stores simply for application, and then what is a DA (maybe list the one autozone is carrying as well as the new megs drill based thing).

3. Anything Else for paint?