Ok, so I am detailing my car this weekend (clay, wax,etc...). This is a "daily driver" for now and I want to make sure to keep up the finish as best as I can. What is recommended for the in between waxes? A good wash with soap and water? How often should I re-wax? I know that I can you the instant detailer, but like mentioned in the FAQ, this isn't recommended as debris can scratch after seeing the road a few times. Any tips?

 

Your best bet would be to use rinseless wash. It provides plenty of lubrication to remove dirt without inducing swirl marks. Waxing really depends on the wax. Once you can see that water no longer beads on your paint it's time to re wax. I usually wax once a month and wash my car every week. Something else you might look into is a sealant (lasts longer then wax).

 

Optimum no rinse with some mf towels...unless its really really dirty then use some duragloss 902 car wash with a sheepskin mitt using two buckets.

sealant will last a bit longer than wax. i use a sealant then a carnuba paste wax.

 

good suggestions in here.

just wash it and dry it as safely as possible.

the key is to use a soap that doesn't remove whatever protection you've applied, and to wash (like you said) without inducing damage. many of the soaps on the shelves of your average auto store will have surfactants that while good at removing grime can also beat up your wax or sealant if you wash often.

902 is a great soap - very cost effective. i like optimum's basic soap too, as it's about the same price and size/concentration as duragloss, but it's not as readily available (online only) like the duragloss, which can be sourced at carquest (or at least it used to be!).

if you see anything caustic on the paint, use a MF and instant detailer to get it off as soon as possible.

one thing i've been doing is when drying after washing, i'll use optimum's gloss enhancer mixed 4:1 with distilled water. i spray it while drying and sop it up/ spread it around while drying with my huge waffle weaves. it really does a great job of making the surface super slick like it was just sealed, and it also helps the car reflect light, like glow.

you can also use a high quality spray wax when drying if you prefer, but that's more expensive.

 

Thanks for the input, I think this will help! Is the 902 soap recommended for every wash? I want to make sure that the claying I do gets all the contaminates, yet I want a soap thats not going to eventually destroy all my hard work.

 

902 is a pretty darn good soap. use it sparingly though. a jug will last you a while

 

yep, it's amazing how concentrated it is! the big bottle ideally lasts me through 80-90 washes. it calls for 1oz per 3 gallons and i'd imagine most people are using 75% full 5 gal buckets like i am...or maybe not! i dunno.

OP, yeah, you can use it as often as you want. it's very easy on your finish but pretty tough on grime.

 

Great info, I appreciate it. I googled 902 soap and it just brought up soap dispensers. Any site in particular carry this?

 

Its a duragloss product. I order it from Autogeek.net but I think one of the autoparts chain stores carries duragloss products.

 

Awesome!