too much washing/waxing?

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about whether or not it's possible to wash/wax a vehicle too much? I am very anal when it comes to detailing my vehicles. I wax my car every week and often more than that just to preserve the shine (and to remove bird doo)! However, after a few years of this, I've noticed that there are several fine scratches on my finish. Is this caused by too much washing/waxing? I've got a newer vehicle with a nice paint job and I don't want to destroy the paint by washing or waxing too much. I avoid public car washes at all cost! I think of them as a last resort! Those brushes look like scratches waiting to happen! I use a standard sponge for washing and microfiber towels for drying. Could either of these be to hard on the painted surface?? I always make sure to keep any foreign objects (dirt, grass, whatever) out of the sponge/towels for fear of scratches. Does anyone have any advice?

A little more detail on your routine might be insightful (especially the waxing part -- what product(s) exactly are you using and how).

Certainly I'd trade the sponge for a plush sheepskin wash mitt.

Have a separate mitt (or use the sponge) on the lower panels and the wheels, and do those eithe first (with a separate bucket of suds) or last.

Two buckets can be helpful -- one for suds and one to rinse the mitt before sudsing again.

I have a chenille (spelling??) wash mit, but I didn't like it because it didn't make as many suds as the sponge does. However, if you think it would be less harsh on the finish, I would certainly use it!
I use Meguiars or Armor All car wash (Meguiars is my fav). I wash vehicle from top to bottom, careful to not get any foreign particles in sponge. I wash the lower (more soiled) panels of the vehicle last, followed by wheels/tires. Then I do a thorogh rinse.
Next I use an Absorber to remove most of the water (again, careful to not get any foreign objects in it).
Then I'm ready to detail. My first steps are to polish wheels and tires. Then I begin the wax. I use Zymol Cleaner Wax. I love this product although it costs nearly $13 a bottle. I use a mircrofiber applicator and evenly apply wax to the vehicle (1 section at a time). I let the wax set for a minute or so, then buff the majority of it off with a microfiber towel. Then I follow up with another microfiber towel to remove any leftover wax.
If I feel up to it, I then do the windows. After I'm finished, I go around looking for any streaks/blemishes that I can go over again. That's about it!
I don't think the wax I'm using would be causing the fine scratches. I've had better success with this product (on my new car). I used other towels on my first car which has lots of the fine scratches. Thanks for the reply!

Thanks for the added info...

You shouldn't have to wax every week with a liquid cleaner wax, and I'm no expert, but that seems a bit excessive. Instead try a spray wax after washing if you feel you must.

I'd get a sheepskin wash mitt. Don't get too obsessed about suds, think more about what's coming in contact with your paint and lifting debris away from it.

Stick with a quality car wash... you usually get what you pay for.

Get a waffle-weave microfiber towel or a large plush drying towel (Absorbers and chamois and water blades have a following, but are quite controversial)

Have you clayed lately? It's a good idea at least twice a year or when necessary.

Spiderwebbing can be difficult to remove by hand, but a 3-step wax system like Mothers -- Pre-Wax Cleaner, Sealer & Glaze and Pure Carnauba Wax, can help hide those defects. You can use the Pure Carnauba every week (it's got no cleaners) and use the Sealer & Glaze before it if you start seeing spiderwebbing again. I think you'll like these better than what you're using. Like claying, you likely only need all 3 steps a couple times a year.

i know what he is referring too. you are talking about the micro clearcoat scrathes (SP) it's time to upgrade to the big boy toys.

that

http://www.meguiars.com/?pro-car-detailing-accessories/Electric-Dual-Action-Polisher

with this

http://www.meguiars.com/estore/product_list.cfm?&sectionname=Professional%20(Mirror%20Glaze%20Brand )>Auto%20Paint%20Care>Paint%20Cleaners/Compounds&sectionID=31301

i know what he is referring too. you are talking about the micro clearcoat scrathes (SP) it's time to upgrade to the big boy toys.

that

http://www.meguiars.com/?pro-car-detailing-accessories/Electric-Dual-Action-Polisher

with this

http://www.meguiars.com/estore/product_list.cfm?&sectionname=Professional%20(Mirror%20Glaze%20Brand )>Auto%20Paint%20Care>Paint%20Cleaners/Compounds&sectionID=31301

Right... basically, a Porter-Cable 7224/7336 series with a good assortment of cutting, polishing and finishing pads and a good polish.

I've got a 7336SP and love it with an orange or yellow Lake Country pad and Mothers PowerPolish and PowerWax...

There's a lot of quality products out there, but without a substantial investment, hiding those with a glaze is an affordable alternative.

One problem is... without some improvements in the washing/drying regimen, those spiderwebs will just keep coming back.

Awesome! thanks both of you for the great responses. I do use a spray wax in between washings to preserve the shine. Like I said, I'm having great results from Zymol, but I'd like to step up to something better. I live in the boonie's on a gravel road:( so dust/dirt is a major issue for me. I will certainly take those links into consideration.

What do you guys think about the public carwashes?? Like I said...last resort!

right now i take mine to a self serve presurre wasg one becuase i ran out of all my detailing stuff and i had like 300 bucks worth of stuff.

Realize that scratches can occur from driving your vehicle on the road, not just washing and waxing.

Your best bet for getting some of those scratches out would be to clay bar the vehicle to get the paint smooth again and pull out any overspray/bugs/acid rain residue/etc, use a rotary buffer and first buff the scratches with a heavy cut compound (Like Meguair's Diamond Cut Compound 2.0 if you have access to their Mirror Glaze products although that's a dealer-level product) with a 100% wool pad. Wipe off the dust and residue with a microfibre, then take an MSR compound (Meguair's Swirl-Free compound) with a black foam finishing pad to remove the swirls from the wool pad, then use a fine cut cleaner if you want ontop of that, then wax.

Have you ever tried Zaino...I love that stuff.

Do you do much highway driving especially behind 18 wheelers? I've gotten more than a few chips and small scratches from SUVs tossing up rocks on the highway.

I'm on the highway every day, but not extended distances. Actually I'm so anal that I keep WAY back behind or pass semis or larger vehicles. If one is coming towards me I get as far over to the right as possible. This is probably good practice for any kind of driving as well as me being anal....lol. I'm sure everyone gets their fair share of damage from driving, but I was basically talking about minor scratches in the clearcoat...like from washing/waxing too much. I dust the car off nearly every night with a miicrofiber towel. I also use detail wax at least once a week to keep the shine up between 'real' waxings.

I take my vehicle to the car wash about once a month, maybe twice.

But yea, I know what you mean, I'm starting to notice "swirls" in my hood, I guess perhaps the pressure on their washer is too high for my car? Only thing I can think of. Other than that, the car wash does great. the one I take it to is one of the few in the area that uses filtered/treated water....I remember I took my mom's SUV to some car wash near a river, got it out of the carwash, and there was like some speckle stuff on it....I was like wtf, rubbed it and it smelled almost like salt water....like maybe they were grabbing water from the lagoon or something for their car wash....lol. who knows.



I've got other scratches too though, it's hard to say, Semis will throw up pebbles, put so will those crazy SUV drivers who don't have adequate mud flaps on. Going too fast, or tail gating will also cause debris to be shot up (including your fuel usage...when you have to brake at the last minute).

Ya i had also heard that too much washing & waxing is not good. If any one is thinking to repaint his or her car then i would like to suggest you a website, Its Spray paint. It has a variety of shades available for all kinds of cars. I am sure even u would love the shades here.

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Closed.

Hello Everyone I am a professional detailer and during the past years I have been helping people to take care of their vehicles properly I know swirls are a big problem for all of us but there are ways to minimize swirl marks on your car and keep them almost show room finish.

I am not sure if its ok to say brand names but I use one that is not very well known but honestly that is the least concern I use it on high end vehicles and daily driver vehicles and it performs just the same great quality, anyways Ill post on how this products have saved my paint from swirl marks

The brand is Toro Wax and the rest of their products

Hello Everyone I am a professional detailer and during the past years I have been helping people to take care of their vehicles properly I know swirls are a big problem for all of us but there are ways to minimize swirl marks on your car and keep them almost show room finish. Some tips to avoid swirl marks from you would be nice. I have a pearl white car. What is the best way to see the swirls on it? They do appear during harsh sunlight but in my garage under the white tube lights it is very difficult to see them.

theautonut I recommend to avoid using dirty towels, avoid using too much pressure when touching your vehicle example when you are scrubbing the car while washing and also when you are drying I'll tell you my favorite products for maintenance

Soap Toro Rosato
Spray detail Toro Detail

both products will help you prevent swirl marks because the way they both perform follow these simple steps

Wash with Toro Rosato mix 5 gallons of water and 1 oz of product (Do not use pressure when scrubbing the vehicle this is when you can get swirls)

After you rinse the vehicle while the vehicle is wet spray Toro Detail since this product contains sealant it will help you to lubricate the paint when you start drying the vehicle this is another key when it comes to prevent swirls not only that but this is a win win case minimize swirls and make the paint work shine like crazy not to mention you leave a film of smooth paint protection.

Anyways these are quick and simple steps you can follow to prevent and minimize swirls on your car.

Hope this is valuable information for you and for the people trying to fight swirl marks on their cars.

The following page is where I get my products USA made products www.torowax.com

If you have more questions or if I forgot to mention something please let me know

Please be aware that auto cleaning detergent is simply a surfactant. It simply breaks the bond between the dirt and the surface. It's the water that removes the dirt. The single most important element in maintaining a clean and shiny finish is to use plenty of water. Other important elements are clean soft rags (preferably cotton), a light touch (do NOT scrub) except in unusual situations, and then only modestly), and rinsing the surface as well as possible before touching it with the cleaning rag.

Remember also that the simple act of driving introduces miniscule surface scratches no matter what you try. A good wax like Maguire's with carnauba wax will also help greatly, primarily in creating a conformal coating over the paint and also in preventing the loss of the paint's oils.

IMHO waxing the car every week is doing more to introduce microscopic scratches than to protect your finish. I recommend not waxing with today's products more than four times a year, depending on your climate. Every good wax on the market today will last at least four months in any climate.

By the way, the flex agent used in the paint on your plastic bumper covers will cause the clear coat (if you have it) or the paint to begin to deteriorate after about ten years unless your car stays garaged 27-7 no matter what you do. My current car is over 13 years old, maintained extremely well, and I can see close up deterioration on the clearcoat of the bumper covers. It cannot be avoided.

My qualifications? Besides being a retired engineer, I've been keeping cars looking good for over a half a century. I'm going to try to attach a photo of my current car, if the site will let me. Here goes:
Well, the software says the file is too large. Sorry.

Actually, I found that a good, soft cloth car wash is good for dark color cars. Take it to a coin op and do it yourself. Lots of soap and water, which is key. There is little, if any scratching. I seldom use cleaner waxes as I believe they do scratch. I polish the cars, light and dark, at least once a month. I also the spray cleaners in between, but only on sections that birds bombard or in back of wheel wells.
Also use a "blade" if you wash it yourself. It takes the water off and does not scratch, if you polish.

I'm not a car expert, but too much waxing is actually a bit excessive as that would in most cases develop scratches and swirls. Instead you can go for Spray Bottle and Microfiber Cloth Method. There are many products available in market, but I personally prefer TopCoat F11. It hides micro-scratches & swirl marks more effectively, is longer lasting, more durable, and is easier to use on glass.No unsightly white wax residue left behind! Just spray on, rub it in and buff it. Shines like new.