Quote:
Originally Posted by 4ML INC
Thanks for such a detailed response. I really appreciate that. I’ve a few questions if you don’t mind answering.
I was curious why to use strip wash on a new car that’s coming straight from factory. As I mentioned - the dealership is not to wash or prep the car - so it shouldn’t have any wax or sealants to be stripped.
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You have a good set of stuff! I think you might be surprised at how easy some of this is / can be unless you don't want it to be.
For example, IMO, there's zero need for a foam cannon - they don't do a lot and they're really only there for fun. I mean blasting foam onto your car IS super fun, but it can also be a lot of expense, it's kind of a mess, it does require a bunch of hassle, and ultimately all it's for is fun. Once you've done it a few times, at least for me, it's
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As an example, here's a process you could use that's ULTRA safe and quite effective, and also fast & easy
IF YOU DO IT WEEKLY:
(1.) Spray off your car to remove loose dirt
Just a hose is fine or power sprayer if you have one / have it out
If your car is pretty clean you can skip this step
OPTIONAL for filth
If your car is super dirty OR been driven in rain for a few days, spray it down with 4:1 Road Warrior (super cheap, buy it at O'Reillys, but gotta order it). Panel by panel, spray on, let it dwell for 1-5 min, then spray off (don't let it dry). You can dilute up & down to adjust for dirt levels. I use a Marolex sprayer, but you could use an iK or a Kwazar double-action sprayer or just a home depot zep sprayer. BTW, if you use a Marolex foamer it's basically a foam cannon effect without the hassle. I don't need the foam so I usually just use the sprayer.
(2.) Blow your car dry
If you have a blower, use it now! If you want to be baller get an Ego battery-powered blower. The new 765 is coming out in a few weeks
This will also help remove loose dirt, but mostly it's to blow the water out of all the nooks & crannies so it doesn't drip out later.
(3.) Rinseless Wash
Mix a double or triple strength McKee's 37 in 1/2 a bucket (ideally use de-ionized water from Whole Foods) & toss in your waffle weaves. Take one out, very light wring out so its still dripping, fold it in 4ths. Also fill a sprayer with the McKee's solution and spray a panel, then wash one panel at a time (lightly pull in a single direction, say right-to-left). You should be able to do 8 panels with each one (count the hood, tailgate, roof as 2 or 3 panels each).
(4.) Combo dry & coat
After you do one panel, take a dry TRC Pearl folded in 1/4s, give it a spray of TWFW, and wipe the panel, being careful to evenly coat and watching for "high spots". When you get those, use a damp TRC Pearl to smooth them out.
You'll be stunned at how clean, shiny, and slick your car is
I offer that purely as a way to safely, quickly & easily clean your whole car without having to get out lots of buckets, hoses, etc. That stuff can be fun, but it usually ends up being work and then you slow down on doing it regularly. If you take most of the hassle, tools, & time out of the process it stays easy & fun - just my 2 cents.
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Ok, why a strip wash on a new car?
Well, first, a strip wash is for any time: the alkaline soap will cut through dirt, dust, sap, pollen, rail dust, brake dust and anything else that got on your car *in the factory*, during transport, or sitting waiting for you to pick it up. By taking it off chemically, you don't run the risk having to abrate it off & marring your paint while you do it.
As for toppers and all that, I'd skip it if you're going to use a protective drying aide like TWFW (versus, say, Mckees 37 as a drying aide). Trust me when I say you'll be very happy with the gloss you get out of something like TWFW ... there's almost nothing that tests higher. The only way to get higher gloss is to have a pro do a full "paint enhancement" polish first and (a.) you don't want to do that too much, and (b.) you likely can't tell the difference. It's like deciding if a light bulb is 95w or 100w ... back to back you can tell if you really try but it's a small increment for a lot of money / work.
One tip with any LSP:
If you can, let them cure overnight in a garage. It'll enhance the gloss. And if you want to really ball it out w/ TWFW, wait 24 hours w/o driving it, then do another coat and let it sit overnight.
Also, you want to avoid polishing overall (or anything that triggers polishing like claying) - BMW paint gets thinner & thinner every year (including clear coat) and IMO most new cars only have 2 or 3 corrections max before they're risking burn-through so you want to use those sparingly.
If you follow the process above - or a similar one - you'll get great results for years with very little marring (esp on a white car!)
I'm not kidding when I say, if you follow the process above every few weeks, there will be times when you skip it simply because it looks way too blingy and you want the car a little dirty for a visit or something and you don't want to look like a baller.