Shampoo, then SRP, then..?

[nammynake]

I'm very new to this whole detailing world thing, therefore my first attempts have been:

1. Rinse off whole car with several buckets of water (don't have a pressure washer or hose yet)

2. Wash wheels using a soft brush and Autoglym shampoo

3. Wash whole car, starting at roof working down, with Meguirs lambswool mitt

4. Rinse off using several buckets of water, and dry using a Halfords waffle cloth.

5. Autoglym SRP, applied with one soft cloth, removed with a seperate one.

Am I missing any stages here? What does waxing do, and is it neccessary each time (or does SRP contain wax?)

Thanks

p.s. Also just learned about the 2 bucket method.

[gsd2000]

srp contains some synthetic wax but i would top srp with Autoglym EGP. You can buy it from Halfords

[j3ffers]

Only other thing as a similar amateur I would consider is to clay the car after washing, and before applying the SRP. Otherwise you risk rubbing some hard to remove dirt across the paintwork, leaving more swirls that you are trying to remove.

[autoglym]

Hi,

Good start. If you would like to wax after SRPing, use Extra Gloss Protection as said above or use High Definition Wax for the ultimate finish. After waxing you need only wash the dirt off the top of the wax layer without needing to polish all over again as the wax will sit on the car for a long time. When an improvement in appearance is required do the whole proceedure again, omiting the parts that aren't necesary. That is why the clay idea may not be a bad one - it's all about the preparation in detailing, not the last thing you apply to the paint, but usually the first and second!

[nammynake]

How often is claying required? I thought this was only safe to do a few times a year? So if I shampoo, clay, SRP then wax, then the next few times I can get away with a just simple shampoo and dry? Or do the whole procedure every time (once or twice a month?).

Thanks

[Anatol]

I'll defer to the detailing pros in case of any conflicting opinion, but as a different kind of finish professional, I'd advise against automatically including a polishing stage in any regular care routine.

Polish is an abrasive - fine liquid sandpaper. Use it only when you want to remove topcoat build, essentially to remove a defect.

Wax/glaze/sealant adds protection to your finish. Polish permanently removes it. Good finish care is not (to quote a pro detailer on a previous thread) "lopping a few microns off the paintwork" every weekend.

Many cars - maybe a majority - will have had aftermarket paintwork, and a lot of those will have a blended clearcoat edge somewhere on the car where a bodyshop or other repairer has opted not to paint (for example) the entire roof sill down to the bottom of the windscreen A-pillar for some damage low down on the rear quarter. Regular polishing of this sort of blended edge will make it look very unsightly, whereas non-abrasive care routines will not.

Autoglym SRP isn't the harshest polish out there - but it is a polish nonetheless. Save it for when there are trace scratches to remove.

HTH

[autoglym]

nammynake said:

How often is claying required? I thought this was only safe to do a few times a year? So if I shampoo, clay, SRP then wax, then the next few times I can get away with a just simple shampoo and dry? Or do the whole procedure every time (once or twice a month?).

Thanks

Clay as necesary. It is a safe process if done correctly. Chances are that there won't be a build up of clayable material on the paint after a short period. That is why it isn't necesary that often.

"the next few times I can get away with a just simple shampoo and dry?" - That's the plan

"Or do the whole procedure every time (once or twice a month?)" - Not necesary, but repeat the steps when an improvement in appearance is required.