Quote:
Originally Posted by 214ryan
Questions:
1. How do I know if I need a foamer instead of a sprayer Marolex?
2. Is double or triple strength McKee's just 2x or 3x the recommended ratio on jug? (If it says 2McKees:1water, go with 4:1 or 6:1)
3. What is the best waffle weave to buy?
4. What is TWFW? I googled everything I could think of.
Thanks for the guidance!
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You got it! A few quick notes ...
* You can adjust the dilution of RW
So 1:10 if you want a light road film removal, up to 1:4 if you spent the week in rainy muck.
* Get Pink Perfection too
As long as you're making an order from O'Reilly's, you might as well get Pink Perfection too, and maybe even green-all as an APC. PP works great for bugs (they also have BugzBgone) & is more of a foamy shampoo, though you don't have to foam it. Without going into the details, different products have different chemicals to clean different things and so many specialize in just a few things; PP covers a broad spectrum AND has a sufactant, i.e., foaming soap. RW is a great road film remover, but if you also have bugs or harder to remove things like tar, then PP will usually do a good job with that tougher stuff. If you have some real tough tar, then you'll need to spot treat with citrol which also works great for really tough bug removal.
* Use a protectant when you dry
Mckee's makes a RW w/ wax which is a great all-in-one or you can use their hydro formulas which are literally spray on rinse off. I like turtle wax flex wax (TWFW) which does take more time but it gives me a little quality time on each panel. Just remember as you're drying the RW to check for bugs & tar and remove that before you put on the TWFW. You wouldn't want to protect over bugs! they'll be harder remove later. The way I use TWFW is after washing the panel with Mckees, when it's still wet, I spray some TWFW onto an applicator sponge or lightly damp MF and then apply. I fully buff dry with a dry MF & if you get any high spots you can fix with a damp MF which I keep hanging from a pocket. Each panel takes a bit more time, but damn do I love the slickness & gloss I get from TWFW. If you can then let it sit overnight it'll get even glossier and if you really want to ball it out, apply a 2nd coat in the morning (or ideally after 24 hours) and let it sit at least another 8 hours. If nothing else, if you can do that for the nose & mirrors where you're likely to get bugs, it makes them pretty easy to remove.
Your Questions:
(1.) good question ... I have both but honestly I only use the sprayers and only use the foamer if I want a little fun. Personally I don't find much value in foamers. For example you can put brake buster in a foamer at 10:1 and it foams great! but ... why?
I usually just spray it on full strength or diluted up to 4:1 - that's my go-to wheel & tire cleaner. So I guess the answer is, I'd stick with the sprayers to start and add in a foamer if you get the itch for foam.
(2.) YUP!
(3.) Long answer here ... and it really comes down to preference which you don't know until you know and requires experimenting. The only reason I recommended waffle weaves is because that's what the previous poster had on hand. In general your best best is to buy The Rag Company MFs & take care of them! but the question is which ones? That's where the preference comes in. You have a bunch of factors like weight, weave, and edge and some different price points for Korean vs Chinese. Personally I generally prefer Korean-made & edgeless - so if I had to make a recommendation it's be the Edgeless 350 or 365s for everything and/or when they have a deal for 20 towels. E.g., they just had 20 creatures on sale for $20 (?) so I picked those up just because. In general you want something with a thicker plush weave (e.g., circular knit) to wash off dirt & dry and then a thinner weave (like terry) to put on TWFW. You can also get dual pile weave towels like the Drago which have a plush side & a terry side so you can switch them. ANYway, lots of info, but to start I'd probably just get some edgeless 350s; they're easy to fold, work well, and you can't have too many. Over time you can try others to see if you like something better which is what I've done. I've tried pads & mitts & all of their towels and given all of that I usually still reach for the 350s (though pads are nice for the very bottom and the roof).
(4.) Turtle Wax Flex Wax! It's easier to apply than Seal-n-Shine but less chemical resistant. SnS is almost ceramic in its chemical resistance so it might be good for the front bumper, say, where you get a lot of bugs and maybe use PP more and/or citrol. TWFW is shinier/glossier to my eye and given I wash a lot I use it everywhere.
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Final tips
* Carry around mixed McKees in a spray bottle & some MFs
Great for removing bird poo, bugs, sap, water spots or anything that you want to get off quick. Along with that, you can also carry a can of citrol that'll be your hardcore bug & tar remover, but it also will kill your TWFW or similar so you'll want to get some protectant back on when you get home or even carry that around too.
* Be mobile
All of this sounds like a lot, but it's really not once you do it a few times! So if you carry around a collapsible bucket, a hydroshot, and the stuff above you can basically fully wash & detail your car anywhere; but especially on road trips even in a hotel parking lot. Even just a Marolex loaded with McKees & some MFs is enough to handle just about every routine situation (heavy mud needs a power spray of course) ... the hydroshot is just be completely nuts. A dude in a hotel parking lot power washing his car? That's fucking nuts!
