Ask AutoLavish! Answers to your car care questions...

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Mark what is the best way to clean your foam polish and wax pads? i can never seem to get all the old product off after i wash them.. Thanks!

Get foam pad cleaner spray, let sit for 10 min... then wash em out in a sink. I keep "folding" them under the sink untill all the compound is out. Works good.

oh hey Mark didnt realize you changed your name

LOL. Actually I'm glad he chimed in, because that's a very good response. Compound will usually be released much easier through soaking. There are pad specific cleaners, but a normal dish soap should work ok too. Wax on the other hand isn't exactly water soluble which makes it a pain to clean. This isn't usually too much of a problem as wax applicators are often small and cheap so can be easily be replaced if they looked especially caked up.
In any case, always wash your pads, applicators, and towels in the warmest water possible to aid in the breakdown of the polishes and such. Some people have heard rumors that this is bad for microfiber, but with a melting point of around 400 degrees, you won't have to worry about water ruining your towels

 

[webleedorange619]

LOL. Actually I'm glad he chimed in, because that's a very good response. Compound will usually be released much easier through soaking. There are pad specific cleaners, but a normal dish soap should work ok too. Wax on the other hand isn't exactly water soluble which makes it a pain to clean. This isn't usually too much of a problem as wax applicators are often small and cheap so can be easily be replaced if they looked especially caked up.
In any case, always wash your pads, applicators, and towels in the warmest water possible to aid in the breakdown of the polishes and such. Some people have heard rumors that this is bad for microfiber, but with a melting point of around 400 degrees, you won't have to worry about water ruining your towels

Funny you mention the hot water burning the microfiber, I started using cold water but didnt see a difference. I always air dry them too, I did notice a difference there. When i dried a few in a drier they felt rough and not as soft.

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Funny you mention the hot water burning the microfiber, I started using cold water but didnt see a difference. I always air dry them too, I did notice a difference there. When i dried a few in a drier they felt rough and not as soft.

Use hot water, and dry them on low. When they're just slightly damp remove them and let them air dry the rest of the way or let them tumble on no heat in the dryer. Of course, make sure to never use dryer sheets.

 

[VarsityCustomWerkz]

Cool thanks Mark! and Ross..

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Not a problem and thanks for more great questions that'll no doubt help everyone.

 

[Golden]

Have you tried the new Meguiar's Ultimate Wax? I'll be giving it a go in a few months as my LSP of choice on an 03 Vette, 10 Camaro SS, and my DD.

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Nope... I haven't. Of course I love their Ultimate Quick Wax (basically an over the counter spray sealant). Please let me know what you think of it.

On a similar Meguiar's note... I have a tub of Meguiar's #16 wax I'm excited to receive from my buddy Chad (Rasky's Detailing) in MN. I look forward to using this illusive product on my own car once it's a little warmer.

 

[Golden]

Nope... I haven't. Of course I love their Ultimate Quick Wax (basically an over the counter spray sealant). Please let me know what you think of it.

On a similar Meguiar's note... I have a tub of Meguiar's #16 wax I'm excited to receive from my buddy Chad (Rasky's Detailing) in MN. I look forward to using this illusive product on my own car once it's a little warmer.

Chad is a GREAT detailer! I really enjoy his write-ups.
I have 2 tins of Meg's #16, both unused. I found them on ebay for $7/tin. I may also use that on my own DD just for the durability. Then again, Mike Pennington of Meg's said that the new Ultimate Wax is supposed to last even longer than M16. If that's true, then it will be a real winner.

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Chad is a GREAT detailer! I really enjoy his write-ups.
I have 2 tins of Meg's #16, both unused. I found them on ebay for $7/tin. I may also use that on my own DD just for the durability. Then again, Mike Pennington of Meg's said that the new Ultimate Wax is supposed to last even longer than M16. If that's true, then it will be a real winner.

Yea he is and he's also really funny.
Shame on you! You know that using a wax and caring about durability don't go hand-in-hand. There's a reason that I normally use Souveran on my S2000 and normally apply it AT LEAST once every months and a half. Most often once a month. Sure maybe it can go further, but I'd give it 2.5 months tops. I look at wax as a luxury item that I want to enjoy the "experience of." If you care about durability, better switch to the synthetics!

 

[VarsityCustomWerkz]

Mark heres another question for you. How do you clean really dirty light colored seat belts that have alot of dye transfer as well as dirt embedded in them? Thanks!

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Mark heres another question for you. How do you clean really dirty light colored seat belts that have alot of dye transfer as well as dirt embedded in them? Thanks!

Holy cow... you're really throwing the book at me now eh?

Dye transfer is a HUGE p.i.t.a. on its own - especially on a light colored car.
Overall you'll want to clean the seat belts with as little product as possible (so the dirt/dye doesn't soak deeper into the fabric), and blot the stuff away. The goal is to gently remove the topical grime without allowing it to seep into the fibers.

If you're dead set on truly removing the dye, you'll either need to go to a specialist or replace the seat belt in my opinion. Hope this helps!

 

[VarsityCustomWerkz]

Holy cow... you're really throwing the book at me now eh?

Dye transfer is a HUGE p.i.t.a. on its own - especially on a light colored car.
Overall you'll want to clean the seat belts with as little product as possible (so the dirt/dye doesn't soak deeper into the fabric), and blot the stuff away. The goal is to gently remove the topical grime without allowing it to seep into the fibers.

If you're dead set on truly removing the dye, you'll either need to go to a specialist or replace the seat belt in my opinion. Hope this helps!

lol sorry... so there are no cleaners you would recommend?

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

lol sorry... so there are no cleaners you would recommend?

Folex can work very well. I've found it locally at Home Depot. It comes in a white bottle with purple writing. Aside from that, you can try another other product you might have that is meant to get stains out of fabric, to include diluted laundry detergent.

 

[Golden]

Yea he is and he's also really funny.
Shame on you! You know that using a wax and caring about durability don't go hand-in-hand. There's a reason that I normally use Souveran on my S2000 and normally apply it AT LEAST once every months and a half. Most often once a month. Sure maybe it can go further, but I'd give it 2.5 months tops. I look at wax as a luxury item that I want to enjoy the "experience of." If you care about durability, better switch to the synthetics!

:roll: Yeah, guilty as charged. I do care about durability on my DD. It's just a base model Cobalt, but I like it to look nice. However, if it were, say, a vette or another fun car, it would be a different story. I do enjoy the effects of other waxes and sealants. I love how M26 makes my paint really dark and deep, but I also like NXT2.0 and how it reflects and makes the metallic stand out.

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Nothing wrong with taking care of any car! I always find it surprising of how bad of a rep that NXT2.0 gets online: I think it's a great OTC product. Very easy to use and a nice look.
If you want something that'll be easy to maintain with a great look, I'd recommend a couple layers of Blackfire/Powerlock/etc and then follow up with Dodo Juice Red Mist Tropical after each wash. Slickness and durability of doing so can't be beat.

 

[Golden]

I agree on the bad rep. NXT 2.0 on my car:

I have yet to try any Dodo Juice products, but I like what I've read about them.

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

^BLING
And that's a Grey/Metallic paint? Whoa... lots of shine. Goes to show how a car CAN look when properly cared for.

If you've never used any Dodo Juice products, then Red Mist is the one to start off with. Buy some and if you don't like it, I'll buy it off you

 

[VarsityCustomWerkz]

Mark what is the difference between hard wax and soft wax?

 

[Marc@AutoLavish]

Marc what is the difference between hard wax and soft wax?

The consistency. The hard wax is more of a traditional wax where as the soft wax is a little more malleable. I find the soft waxes much easier to use as they spread easier, but many like the hard waxes in Dodo Juice's line-up as they have a higher carnauba content and spread thinner easier.

 

[Trousersnake]

This may have been asked 100x before.. I just bought a torch red 03 cobra and im a paint guy.. it has light swirl's under the right sun light.. would you recomend a trying cutting agent? or just wax. ive got a low speed orbital but im afraid to use it.. if you give me the go ahead ill give it a try, now my best friend swear's buy his adjustable highspeed buffer but i just dont want to screw this up if its a only a few steps to bring it back to 100% i can post a pic with a flash in the paint if you will give me some advise..

Also I want to clay bar the car.. is this fool proof or is there something I should watch out for?