Car Cleaning

What does everyone think works the best for washing, waxing, ect...

I've tried a bunch of things but nothing has really stood out for me. I've even tried a sponge with built in wash and wax. It works great for if you need the car clean really fast, I think its called Spongetech Car Sponge, I bought it at Walgreens. Does anyone have any suggestions for high performance waxes, washes, ect...

I use Meguiar's polish and waxes. They do a pretty good job and are easy to remove. I used their Plastex on my headlights after I sanded them and now they look new. I purchased a Sears orbital buffer and it made a big difference in the results compared to doing it by hand.

I use Meguire's paste wax (lasts much longer than the liquid stuff) after a pre-treatment using either Mother's or Meguire's Clay Bar kit. The clay bar, if used correctly, does an incredible job at removing those stubborn road stains and even the tiny grit and particles that stick to the surface of your paint. Tip: the clay bar removes any protective wax or polishes that remain on your paint, so I recommend waxing/polishing immediately after using the clay bar.

Headlight lens oxidation is also a big problem on my car (2000 Altima). I discovered a very easy remedy that requires no sanding and no expensive chemicals. All you need is a paper towel or cloth and a teaspoon's worth of automatic transmission fluid. 1-2 teaspoons worth of fluid (depending on the severity of the oxidation) should be all you need for both headlight lenses. Just rub the fluid evenly over the lenses until you visually see the oxidation go away: literally takes seconds. Then buff away the excess fluid using a clean cloth or paper towel. One caveat: the oxidation will eventually return (about 1 or 2 weeks later) depending on how much sun and outdoor elements your vehicle is exposed to. The scary thing is you see people trying to market these "secret" headlight cleaning solutions on Ebay; these are typically nothing more than your typical $2 quart auto tranny fluid sold in a 2 ounce small bottle for like $10.

Oh one more thing.... Use microfiber towels and cloths for clay bar residue removal and wax removal. These suckers suck up every little speck of loose dirt leaving no lint residue. Also, I use the "Absorber" to dry my car after a thorough soap and water wash and rinse, which is the best synthetic reusable chamois I've ever owned. This sucker has lasted me more than 6 years (I think it even pre-dates the Sham Wow) and it's still going strong. It's machine washable as well. Unfortunately, the "Absorber" doesn't do the best job on windows, so I recommend touching up the windows with a clean microfiber towel which will take away any remaining streaks and water spots.

I did headlamps on my caravan last week using 1000 and 2000 grit 3M wet sand paper. Finished them off with Meguire's Plastex cleaner using my Sears orbital buffer. Now they look new.



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