> Mer is quite popular in the UK, especially with the concourse
> brigade it
> seems, but I find it leaves white powdery traces in the
> crevices of my less
> than concourse but rust-free black-tulip roadster, and these
> only seem to
> appear over time several hours or days after polishing, so I
This tends to be a problem with most waxes. It's something that most of
the polymer sealants don't do, making life much easier.
> the cloth. Turtle Wax does take a little off onto the cloth,
> although I
> have been using it two or three times a year for 12 years or
> so and haven't
> worn through yet, but is much easier to apply and polish off
> and gives a
> good deep shine. Washing is more important than polishing in
If you're getting color on the cloth, it means that either your paint is
chalking, or that the wax you're using has an abrasive.
> the brush on the body, then rinsing off with the hose then
> leathering off.
There's no reason to use a leather chamois these days. Microfiber
towels will soak up much more water, and are less likely to cause any
scratching.
> I never use a sponge and bucket as the sponge traps tiny particles to
> scratch over your paint. I also never use a car shampoo and
> especially not
> washing-up liquid which can dull the surface, as they also
> take off any
> remaining polish. After thoroughly drying and before
Nothing wrong with most car shampoos, nor with using a bucket, as it's a
good way to get any grit released from the wash mitt. Definitely never
use a sponge. The cotton chenielle mits are great, as they hold a lot
of water, and any grit tends to be pulled up by the fibers. Ideally,
you'll only make a single front-to-back pass before dunking in the
bucket again.
While in general, dishwashing detergent is a big no-no, Dawn liquid is
excellent at getting the car to a good starting point. It will strip
wax very well, but is alkaline and won't cause any damage to the paint.
You obviously only want to do this when you're planning a full detail.
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