New car paintwork protection

[HustleRussell]

I helped my Mum buy a new VW Polo in the spring. I advised her to pass up on the £400 paintwork protection because I suspected there was a chance the car would get whatever treatment they were offering anyway, or at least we'd be able to get the same thing for half the money after the car was delivered.

Naturally she wants to take good care of her brand new car, it's the first she's ever bought- so I told her not to take it to the hand carwash she used to use. She initially intended to start washing the car herself. I 'showed her how to do it' once...

The problem is that dirt seems to cling to this car really well and washing it is a chore. I think the paint needs a gentle polish and a wax or sealant of some description.

Looking around there are a handful of detailers who work in my area who can provide a 'new car' protective prep service for under £200.

First question- Supagard, GardX, Autoglym lifeshine... any good?

Second question- My Mum isn't realistically going to hand wash the car herself in all weathers in the long run, so what is the least damaging way to wash it once the protective treatment is done? I wondered whether the local BP automated car wash might actually do less damage than the hand car wash based on a piece I saw on old Fifth Gear many years ago.

[belleair302]

Unless you are spending money on a wrap, protective film or nano coating I would not spend my money elsewhere. A couple of good coats of wax every 12 weeks will offer some protection but nothing beats a proper clean with two buckets, a mitt and decent drying tools. Scratches and swirls are all from cheap local hand washes, poor prep, sponges and unclean mitts, cheap shampoos not lifting off dirt and no open hose rinse before drying. These is no simple answer re bodywork protection.