Waxing Regime

[craigsup]

Hi,

I recently purchased a bunch of products for my BMW in order to keep the paint looking tip-top.
I got most of it based on reviews from review websites and as such, Autoglym seemed to be the best(?).

So from that I purchased:
Autoglym shampoo,
Autoglym Polish
and Autoglym HD Wax.

I also got a few sponges and microfibre wash mits + a shammy.

2 weeks ago I washed my car thoroughly, shammy'd it dry and then polished it to remove any dirt etc.
To polish it I simply used a microfibre cloth and in small circles rubbed a small amount of the liquid polish. Once I'd done the car I gave it a once over with a clean cloth to remove any excess.

I then let the car sit for about 3 hours while I watched some F1. After that I went back out and waxed the car - using a similar technique to the polish but using the provided sponge. I applied a small layer panel by panel - once I'd covered one panel I removed the previous panels wax with a microfibre cloth. So I reckon it had about 10 minutes to sit on the body.

My real question is, is my technique correct? Did I leave the wax on for enough time?

I plan on repeating this tomorrow as I have access to my dads drive way and hose pipe etc. (I live in a city so had to use a petrol station jet hose before). Any tips or pieces of advise is welcome.

Cheers

[e21Mark]

Did you use a clay bar first, to remove assorted crap from the paint?

[craigsup]

e21Mark said:

Did you use a clay bar first, to remove assorted crap from the paint?

Nope, I read somewhere that the autoglym polish has something in it that removes said crap?
Guessing that's wrong and I need to use a clay bar?

[PositronicRay]

A clay mitt is much easier than a bar.

[craigsup]

PositronicRay said:

A clay mitt is much easier than a bar.

Can you recommend any?
I'm going to be doing my car early tomorrow morning - so preferably one I can get in a store on the way to my dads house (as ordering online will be too late).

[Nedzilla]

G3 clay mitt is superb,available from Halfords for about £15. Use after washing while car is still wet,best used with G3 quick detailer spray as lube and keep dipping in your clean wash solution bucket to clean and add extra lube. Panels will soon feel as smooth as glass.
Dry the car then polish then wax.
Also if you are doing the work outside I wouldn't leave several hours before waxing as all kinds of dirt,dust and debris could fall on the bodywork which will then be rubbed in to the paint when waxing causing damage.

[craigsup]

Nedzilla said:

G3 clay mitt is superb,available from Halfords for about £15. Use after washing while car is still wet,best used with G3 quick detailer spray as lube and keep dipping in your clean wash solution bucket to clean and add extra lube. Panels will soon feel as smooth as glass.
Dry the car then polish then wax.
Also if you are doing the work outside I wouldn't leave several hours before waxing as all kinds of dirt,dust and debris could fall on the bodywork which will then be rubbed in to the paint when waxing causing damage.

Brilliant - I'll drop by Halfords and get them.
When waxing, do you think 10-15 minutes is long enough before removing the wax? Or should I do the whole car, and then remove in one go?

Also the only reason why I left so long was because the F1 was on, and I didn't have time to do it before - or do the whole wash/polish/wax after. This time, I'll be doing it all in one go

Edit: The only 'lube' I saw with a similar name to what you mentioned was this:
http://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-cleaning/clay...
Is that the one you meant?

Edited by craigsup on Friday 23 October 13:45

[Nedzilla]

Any detailing spray will do to be honest and there's a few at Halfords. This is the one I used but I'm sure any will be fine.
http://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-cleaning/clay...
Just dipping the mitt in a good shampoo solution will do the job but a spray of detailer/lube will be better still.
Do a panel or part of a larger panel at a time rubbing the mitt back and forth in straight lines. You will feel the resistance as it is removing the contaminants until it feels completely smooth like ice.

As far as the wax goes,I'm no expert but it really depends on the wax your using and the conditions your doing it in. The longer you leave it the better really as long as you are able to still remove it. I tend apply to the whole car and then start to remove which usually is about 10 minutes in cool weather in the shade.

[e21Mark]

Seems Halfrauds do pretty much all you need to clean, sorry detail, you car. I need to do mine for a show next weekend and am dreading it, as find it tedious. Yes, I like how the end result can look but hours of polishing is just so bloody boring.

[swisstoni]

I remember when Halfords 'detailing' section was a roll of stockinet cloth, some T Cut, and a tin of Simoniz.

[Craikeybaby]

You don't need to clay/polish each time. I only polish once a year, I just keep the wax topped up.

[craigsup]

Thanks for the tips guys, I gave it a good go yesterday - and it looks in fantastic condition
I didn't really notice much by using a clay mit - made some streak marks on the surface which disappeared when polishing.

Hoping that with the wax I've applied, it'll keep the paint looking good over winter!