5H4D0WD347H
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I was going through my elaborate stash of chemicals today. It consists of scratch removal compounds, clay bars, waxes, detail sprays, cleaners, shampoos, glass compounds, glass cleaners, metal polishes, and a slew of other great products. It really struck me... I must have almost 500$ in chemicals, applicators, and microfiber towels for the detailing of the X at any given time.
If any of you are like me you have probably tried just about every chemical known to man.
So... In an effort to save each other money and introduce each other to new & more effective products, I thought it would be a good idea to share what chemical we use for each step of the detailing process and why. I have many many more chemicals then this, these are the line up that I find to be the best and most effective so far from experience.
I will start:
For shampooing the truck I use Meguiars gold class shampoo. I like this shampoo because in comparison to other high quality shampoos this is very affordable and does an excellent job. It doesn't harm the paint, does not leave any films of any kind, and is extremely slick so it suds the grime off your paint with out scratching it with ease.
For clay barring the truck (I do this twice a year - in the spring and fall), I use Meguiars clay bar kit. I find it to be an affordable high quality clay kit. My only gripe is that I use a different paint cleaner and different microfibers so some of the kit goes to waste:
For cleaning/polishing the paint I use SONUS paint cleanser; this stuff is not cheap but not too expensive either. I find that it does the job better then most and a little goes an extremely long way.
What really appeals to me the most about this product is that it contains no abrasives but still does a stunning job with cleaning, removing water spots, and diminishing marks.
You must be careful when selecting a paint cleaner/polish, many products will contain mild abrasives and this is not what we want for a somewhat regular use. We want the least aggressive method possible and this does it for me.
It is a real good product yielding professional grade results:
For further cleaning, conditioning, and adding a special type of waxxing I like the product made by Klasse. Some may say that the use of this product with the sonus product mentioned above is a little redundant, I really like the results:
For a protective glaze I prefer Klasse again. I have not used the Astroshield that some use on here to compare but this stuff works awesome! There are chemical additives known as polychargers that you can add to this product, I am yet to try this as well.
Next in line is not really a quick detailer but is used as such. This is pretty much the Klasse glaze in a spray form but applies quickly and easily. This 'detailer' is pretty expensive (20$ a bottle) and really should be used for restoring the protection of your glaze every few washes, before big events like car shows, or before showing up to a meet/gathering. This stuff (Sonus Acrylic Glanz) is formulated to be used with the Klasse line:
For a quick detail like cleaning up dust or removing some dew spotting I use Meguiars Ultimate detailer. It tends to be pretty inexpensive and does the job very well.
For polishing my glass I use Sonus Glass polish. This glass polish works extremely well and gets rid of most water spots and other build up that glass cleaner just cant. This contains mild abrasives and chemicals that really buff your glass to like new condition.
To clean my glass I like stoners glass spray. It is an affordable, ammonia free, window tint safe, streak free (when used correctly) cleaner that works extremely well:
For cleaning plastics like non-painted taillights, headlights, foglights, etc... I like the product called Plexus. The product Plexus cleans and protects with awesome results, use it once and you will see what I mean. It is kind of expensive but worth it.
For tire care I use Meguiars Tire Gel. I wipe it on with a foam applicator and it really resists flinging onto the paint very well. It is much thicker then the spray on stuff and when used with an applicator lasts an extremely long time:
For a protection wax I like the Meguiars NXT 2.0 liquid. It works great, is fairly cheap, goes on and off real easy, and lasts a long time.
For showing the car off I love the look of a carnuba based wax. I used to use the Meguiars carnuba wax but have since retired it since it is not made anymore (due to governmeant standards). I have been meaning to try some P21S but it is VERY expensive (34.00 for a small container).
For scratch removal I have found great success with the 3M scratch remover. It seems to be more aggressive then the more popular scratch-X so I toss it up between the two. Both products work great for removing/diminishing most scratches that are not through the clear coat.
For a cheap polishing paste that works great on exhaust tips and other metals I use some good old mothers mag polish. I hear the mothers polish ball works incredibly awesome as well but have not tried it.
A mild degreaser that I use for cleaning the engine bay and the wheels is simple green. Its cheap, doesn't hurt to many finishes, and works great.
For more stubborn brake dust I use Meguiars Hot Rims, this stuff is VERY acidic so you should be careful with what you get it on. This stuff removes brake dust like you will never expect. Just spray it on, let it sit for 10 seconds, spray off.
To condition all the plastic on the truck (the bed, door trim, window seals, etc...) I use Meguiars Vinyl & Rubber. It has a UV blocker in it and really brings everything back to black/like new condition.
To finish detailing the engine bay I use Maxima SC1. This is a spray silicone detailer that goes on extremely easy, makes things look flawless, an smells like cherries!
If any of you are like me you have probably tried just about every chemical known to man.
So... In an effort to save each other money and introduce each other to new & more effective products, I thought it would be a good idea to share what chemical we use for each step of the detailing process and why. I have many many more chemicals then this, these are the line up that I find to be the best and most effective so far from experience.
I will start:
For shampooing the truck I use Meguiars gold class shampoo. I like this shampoo because in comparison to other high quality shampoos this is very affordable and does an excellent job. It doesn't harm the paint, does not leave any films of any kind, and is extremely slick so it suds the grime off your paint with out scratching it with ease.
For clay barring the truck (I do this twice a year - in the spring and fall), I use Meguiars clay bar kit. I find it to be an affordable high quality clay kit. My only gripe is that I use a different paint cleaner and different microfibers so some of the kit goes to waste:
For cleaning/polishing the paint I use SONUS paint cleanser; this stuff is not cheap but not too expensive either. I find that it does the job better then most and a little goes an extremely long way.
What really appeals to me the most about this product is that it contains no abrasives but still does a stunning job with cleaning, removing water spots, and diminishing marks.
You must be careful when selecting a paint cleaner/polish, many products will contain mild abrasives and this is not what we want for a somewhat regular use. We want the least aggressive method possible and this does it for me.
It is a real good product yielding professional grade results:
For further cleaning, conditioning, and adding a special type of waxxing I like the product made by Klasse. Some may say that the use of this product with the sonus product mentioned above is a little redundant, I really like the results:
For a protective glaze I prefer Klasse again. I have not used the Astroshield that some use on here to compare but this stuff works awesome! There are chemical additives known as polychargers that you can add to this product, I am yet to try this as well.
Next in line is not really a quick detailer but is used as such. This is pretty much the Klasse glaze in a spray form but applies quickly and easily. This 'detailer' is pretty expensive (20$ a bottle) and really should be used for restoring the protection of your glaze every few washes, before big events like car shows, or before showing up to a meet/gathering. This stuff (Sonus Acrylic Glanz) is formulated to be used with the Klasse line:
For a quick detail like cleaning up dust or removing some dew spotting I use Meguiars Ultimate detailer. It tends to be pretty inexpensive and does the job very well.
For polishing my glass I use Sonus Glass polish. This glass polish works extremely well and gets rid of most water spots and other build up that glass cleaner just cant. This contains mild abrasives and chemicals that really buff your glass to like new condition.
To clean my glass I like stoners glass spray. It is an affordable, ammonia free, window tint safe, streak free (when used correctly) cleaner that works extremely well:
For cleaning plastics like non-painted taillights, headlights, foglights, etc... I like the product called Plexus. The product Plexus cleans and protects with awesome results, use it once and you will see what I mean. It is kind of expensive but worth it.
For tire care I use Meguiars Tire Gel. I wipe it on with a foam applicator and it really resists flinging onto the paint very well. It is much thicker then the spray on stuff and when used with an applicator lasts an extremely long time:
For a protection wax I like the Meguiars NXT 2.0 liquid. It works great, is fairly cheap, goes on and off real easy, and lasts a long time.
For showing the car off I love the look of a carnuba based wax. I used to use the Meguiars carnuba wax but have since retired it since it is not made anymore (due to governmeant standards). I have been meaning to try some P21S but it is VERY expensive (34.00 for a small container).
For scratch removal I have found great success with the 3M scratch remover. It seems to be more aggressive then the more popular scratch-X so I toss it up between the two. Both products work great for removing/diminishing most scratches that are not through the clear coat.
For a cheap polishing paste that works great on exhaust tips and other metals I use some good old mothers mag polish. I hear the mothers polish ball works incredibly awesome as well but have not tried it.
A mild degreaser that I use for cleaning the engine bay and the wheels is simple green. Its cheap, doesn't hurt to many finishes, and works great.
For more stubborn brake dust I use Meguiars Hot Rims, this stuff is VERY acidic so you should be careful with what you get it on. This stuff removes brake dust like you will never expect. Just spray it on, let it sit for 10 seconds, spray off.
To condition all the plastic on the truck (the bed, door trim, window seals, etc...) I use Meguiars Vinyl & Rubber. It has a UV blocker in it and really brings everything back to black/like new condition.
To finish detailing the engine bay I use Maxima SC1. This is a spray silicone detailer that goes on extremely easy, makes things look flawless, an smells like cherries!
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