[mdreibelbis]

Curious - I've seen it recommended to wash with Dawn dish soap prior to doing a full detail for your car however I'm curious if that's necessary.

If I'm going to clay the car then polish it with a DA Orbital polisher won't that remove any surface contaminants that would prevent the sealant from bonding?

Thanks - looking forward to Spring so I can actually get my DA out and give the car the Full Monty!!

 

[ikethegreat]

Well you have to wash it before you clay it so why not just use the dawn? Dawn is good because it washes off completely, unlike some car soaps that leave stuff on the paint to make it appear "glossy" or "deep".

 

[SatinSilver]

I was skeptical about using it as well. Once I tried it and saw how it cut through all the junk I was sold. You have to try it. I'll be using it in a few months.

 

[user320]

^^^ +1 on the Dawn. Like @SatinSilver I was skeptical until I used it. It really does a great cleaning job prior to claying the car. OP, you should give it a try.

 

[ousooner2]

Wash - Clay - (wash again if you'd like) - Polish - IPA Wipedown - Sealant/Coating/Wax

 

[WDMaccord]

Dawn is okay, but I switched to Chemical Guys Citrus Wash Red. I use it in a foamer. It is a good idea to use a soap that will help strip the wax/sealant or any other residue before you clay. The claying and polishing will remove anything leftover after the strip soap.

 

[mdreibelbis]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. We've got a bunch of Dawn soap in the kitchen so I'll give it a go this Spring when I do the full detail on her.

 

[glen e]

Remember it's not a simple squirt in the bucket like you're doing dishes, use a full 2oz of dawn in the bucket with water....car pro eraser is another good one to strip everything....

And dawn will not remove rail or brake dust, you need iron-x or Sonax for that.....

 

[drowned12]

Dawn is okay, but I switched to Chemical Guys Citrus Wash Red. I use it in a foamer. It is a good idea to use a soap that will help strip the wax/sealant or any other residue before you clay. The claying and polishing will remove anything leftover after the strip soap.

I'm guessing "Citrus Wash Red" has been replaced with "Bug and Tar Remover": http://www.chemicalguys.com/category_s/296.htm since they look the same.

My only beef with that stuff (I have some to try) was it seems to require a ton of it to work well as a wax/selant stripper (according to the bottle dilution ratios). My current method is a 1:3 ratio of Optimum Power Clean to Water in a pump chemical sprayer.

Speaking of, I really need to detail my car but it's a 2 day affair that I haven't had the time / energy for. The wash and clay alone will take me 4 hours.

 

[Chineywhale]

When are you guys going to start your spring detailing?

 

[ousooner2]

Hopefully this weekend for me...if it stays nice

 

[drowned12]

Next month when I move into a garage that has soft water on tap.

 

[SatinSilver]

The wash and clay alone will take me 4 hours.

Holy flip, that sounds like a long time. I think Glen on here has said it takes him 20 minutes. An hour tops for me. It sure helps using effective products to make things easier and faster. Plus better results.

 

[drowned12]

Holy flip, that sounds like a long time. I think Glen on here has said it takes him 20 minutes. An hour tops for me. It sure helps using effective products to make things easier and faster. Plus better results.

It is a long time (and my garage is fully equipped with detailing products), but the method I use would probably also be something that would work on a rare and expensive car too. Many prewashes, rinses, rewashing after claying, and generally doing everything possible to prevent the butter-soft paint from getting scratched. Hand-spraying every panel with lubrication prior to touching it with the mitt adds a lot of time, for example. I also do *every* panel, even the door jambs and inside trunk lid, under hood, etc.

 

[ousooner2]

Why not just wash and dry with a blower? You don't touch the paint at all unless you're not using a pressure washer/foam/etc. It's going to get micro-marring at some point. That's what a polisher is for though. In my opinion, put the most durable, hardest thing on it and touch it the least you can. If it's stubborn or really dirty, then do a wash but be very gentle. This paint is definitely soft though. I'm selling a few of my sealants and jumping on the coating bandwagon. Need to research a little more about what route I want to take (OC 2.0, Cquartz, Pinnacle BL coating, etc). I'll keep my Menz. Powerlock for the wheels, other cars, etc.

It takes me a few hours at least to do a good wash also. Brush to clean emblems, inside trunk lid (and around seals), door jams (w/ brush on some of it), grilles, etc.

 

[mdreibelbis]

Remember it's not a simple squirt in the bucket like you're doing dishes, use a full 2oz of dawn in the bucket with water....car pro eraser is another good one to strip everything....

And dawn will not remove rail or brake dust, you need iron-x or Sonax for that.....

Aye - I've got a bottle of Sonax for the wheels waiting in the basement for Spring!

 

[mdreibelbis]

When are you guys going to start your spring detailing?

My plan is to shoot for late April or early May. I want to be sure we're out of danger from any Winter type crap.

In the meantime I keep acquiring more product and tools. Just bought some duragloss car wash soap and PERL today - along with a couple grit guards and some tire brushes.

I'll have enough stuff to open up shop pretty soon...

 

[ousooner2]

DG rinseless with aquawax is great if you want another product. Love it. PERL is great too

 

[glen e]

Duragloss rinseless is how I get it done in 20 min, just as well , with no scratch as if I washed with two bucket,etc...love the stuff, spray on duragloss aqua wax while drying and you get sealant coverage as well...all in 25 min.....

 

[RTexasF]

Glen -----

One red seat? Is the passenger side folded down or what?