so it is pretty clear to me when i do the following:

1. wash
2. AIO klasse paint cleaner
3. p21s wax

but say two month later you wash the car and you feel like it lost some shine from two month ago.

do you need to strip AIO and P21S wax or can you kind of pretend it is not there and re-apply AIO to cleanse the paint?

what is the proper procedure for keeping car shiny in between full detail waxes? also, is it me or does it seem like CR spotless dulls the finish a little bit?

 

If after a few months you need to get the depth back, you can just re-apply the wax. As for the CR dulling the finish, that can't be since it's pure water. What you may be noticing is the product starting to wear away. What soap are you using? It may just be the polish and wax weren't applied correctly and didn't bond with the finish.

 

I would recommend claybaring the car as well if it's not already been done so.

BTW, typically carnuaba waxes like P21 don't last more then a few weeks, a month at the most so don't be surprised that the slickness is gone after two months, that's normal.

If you need a wax/sealant that lasts longer then two months try Zaino Z5 or Z2. It'll give you a good 3-4 months on one coat, I always put a few coats on though.

 

This actually sounds like the proper for keeping your car shiny and looking good between details. When you actually have the car detailed, or detail the car yourself, you will need to polish the paint to correct any swirl marks, and micro-marring.



John

 

hm... quick question... what is a paint sealer and at what point do you apply it? sounds like it is something to apply after the wax to seal it in. yes? no? should i use one to help wax shine last longer?

 

It seems to me that you need a better wax and polish. Go with either zymol or einszett. I'm not recommending them because I sell them, they're just good products that work.

 

Recently, I'm beginning to rethink the whole notion of machine polishing cars. Don't get me wrong; there are cars that come to me that NEED the TLC and the only way I'll put my name on it is to machine polish the finish to remove imperfections. But recently, I’ve began to pre-qualify my clients.

The problem I have is maintaining the paint's integrity. When I hand back the keys to a client's car, everyone's expectation is met and exceeded. As a close friend and fellow detailer told me, it has to be a WOW every time. But what happens when the car has left you, the detailer? You can give a pristine and near-flawless detailed car that may have taken a few days to correct, but if the maintenance isn't there, you're right back to where you started six month from now. So what then? Another round of machine polishing that further takes down the valuable clear coat?

So what I do now is make sure during my initial phone conversation, he/she understands how important the maintenance is post detail. Not the car wash, not the local wash guy coming to the office, but he or she, the owner will be the only one caring for the car. I can care less about the $$ I make for the detail, and many pay in the thousands. It's the pride, passion, and hard work that went into making that paint better than factory. I don't want some schlep car wash guy ruining my hard work. Sorry if I sound harsh; I get a little excited when it comes to this subject.

I'm lucky that I have such a passionate group of clients that love their car and appreciate my work. Practically every client I have has converted to maintaining his/her own car. They know I cannot do the washes because of my already tight schedule. This is why I search high and low to get the most cutting edge products that are high in quality, easy to use, and give you consistent results.

I have clients that have had their cars for years and we've never machine polished and all we do is a full detail every six months. So it can be done; this is where the passion and pride comes in.

 

Moe, I'm in the same boat as you. As you know educating our clients is the #1 priority.

I even give my new clients a page with a basic car care write up according to my standards so they can ensure the swirls don't return so soon. I also have an entire section on my website dedicated to educating on car care.

Most follow it, but some think they know better.

 

A sealant is typically a polymer base product which functions much like a wax but for longer. Most are designed to be applied directly on top of the raw clearcoat. This ensures longer durability.

You do not want to put a sealant on top of a wax or glaze or such as the oils in it will be detrimental to the sealant bonding properly.

For any sealant or wax to bond best, the surface should be very smooth, I don't mean look or feel smooth to the touch, I mean all the contamination, oxidation and defects removed. For this you'll need to thoroughly wash, claybar and is some cases machine polish the surface to make it perfect before sealing.

As far as waxing, you can still wax after sealing, I would do at least 2 coats to ensure proper coverage, let cure for 18-24 hours to ensure it's bonded and hardened, then wax with a carnuaba wax with no cleaning abilities as this can diminish or remove the sealants.

The sealant will definately give your shine a longer lasting glow and slickness.

Josh

 

Thumbs up Josh. It's nice to see detailers go out of their way to help their clients. Many wonder why we share these tips. Simple; I want the client to fall in love with his/her car and treat it with respect and integrity. It's also great to teach your clients because the details you do every six months or so aren't done to reverse bad habits or techniques, rather, maintain and improve the look as time goes on. Some of my clients swear their car looks better after each six month detail. They're right

 

I agree with both of you Josh and Moe, and educating our customers is very very important. Especially in my neck of the woods "Seattle", my customers drive even the fanciest cars in the rain, many times getting home and not getting a chance to wash their vehicle for a very long time. They try not to scratch their vehicle, but it's inevitable on a black car if you drive it for a couple of weeks in the rain and wash it, it's probably going to scratch.

John

 

P21s will not last long, one rain storm & 90% of it will be gone, if it sits out side all day & night, you are looking at 1-2 weeks of protection.

Get the 1Z Enizett combo, Metallic Polish & wax, then Glantz Wax. It will remove/fill in fine swirls, cleans the paint, & leaves good gloss. Then top with Glantz, it will last months up to 6 even parked out side, & has great gloss, & shine.

About polishing the car, if you maintain it, & it's washed properly, it will only need a light polish. If you use a dept meter on the paint, minor swirl correction doesn't even register on the paint meter. IMHO, it is better to do a couple of light polishes a year then 1 heavy polish ever 1-2 years.

My downisde is the quick detail! I like the car looking 100% all the time, but even in the garage it gets dirty, so what to do? The QD, no matter how easy you are, it swirls the finish! I try hard to just wait till I can wash the car. Of course this is the life of a black car!

Pro detailer guys, if the finish never needs to be corrected & the owner takes fantastic care of the car, you will all be out of jobs! But lucky here in the NW, you can have a detailer out ever 3 months!

 

That's funny.

I'll never be out of cars to make perfect. Even the best possible conditions and car will still require a good polishing about every 12-18 months. I repolish my truck about once a year, it stays about 85% swirl free for about 12 months or longer. That's good.

Plus I earn there trust and loyalty when I teach them how to better care for there cars they love so much. They usually have me out every 3-6 months or more just to stay on top of it all.

Josh

 

My downisde is the quick detail! I like the car looking 100% all the time, but even in the garage it gets dirty, so what to do? The QD, no matter how easy you are, it swirls the finish! I try hard to just wait till I can wash the car. Of course this is the life of a black car!


Mike, this is my problem too! Do you use a 6:1 diluted ONR for your QD with a microfiber towel? I hate my car to be dirty ever and I only have time to wash on the weekends. Would love to hear tips for the QD!

 

Yes, I use ONR, & 1Z detail. Wait till you can wash it, or else you will put in swirls. A QD is good for spot cleaning like bird droppings. I also spray the car before toweling it off from a wash.

It is good for cleaning brake dust from rims, but you will not have to much of that with your brakes.