eksigned

iTrader: (1)

i used to have that issue as well. my ex-girlfriend's car - i noticed a lot of green moss and pollen stuck between her door jams and trunk lining. aside from washing regularly (meaning more swirls), comes more waxing and sealants. i'd nab a corner spot if at all possible. keep your car dirty as well

jesse550

Thanks for the awesome tips guys! Hopefully I'll only live here for a year or so and I really DO NOT want swirls so I'm afraid I'm going to have to keep the car dirty. However I am going to give it a full wax/seal and a wash before the snow strikes.

t-hak

I completely disagree about keeping the car dirty. It would be better to keep it as clean as you reasonably can. If the car is dirty, and someone brushes up against it in the parking lot, the dirt will introduce *more* swirls and light scratches, not less. Besides, the dirt will wash down into every nook and cranny and make your doors and trunk hinges squeak.

If you can't wash it by hand, at least take it to car washes that only spray the car with water and soap rather than the kind with the big fabric strips that slap the paint to death. Those nasty things will ruin your paint faster than washing the car with sandpaper.

You can also wash your car with a product called Optimum No-Rinse (aka ONR) found here as well as other online places:

Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine New Formula (ONR) - 32 oz | Detailed Image

With ONR, you can wash your car with 3-4 gallons of water in a bucket (a 5 gal bucket at Home Depot is about $5) and no need for a hose with running water. You will also need a sheepskin mitt and a few microfiber drying towels.

I use ONR when I wash my cars in the dead of winter when it's too cold for the garden hose. Works like a champ! If you are careful, you can keep swirls to a minimum, if any at all.

Hliang

iTrader: (1)

^+1 for the ONR and keeping it clean, that's what I will be buying/using when my car is parked outside + a car cover.
At least you have a parking lot haha I have to park my car on the street and even if I didn't, I couldn't get in the driveway of my place anyways haha.

jesse550

Will go for a wash. Do you guys recommend those "self washes" where you pay to use their soap and water hose? Should I use high or low pressure? And them dry with microfiber cloths? Is that a good idea? :S I haven't washed her even once yet but it's ony been about a week.

Mayu

I have used the self washes in winter to blast the salt from under the car. I have heard some bad things about them though. Primarily around the recycled water (some, maybe not all, carwashes recycled the run off water) which can still be dirty and the pressure. Both of which are not good for the paint. Use the lowest possible pressure and never use the brush they have at those washes. I usually bring my own mitt. I too live in a condo but have recently purchased a new one and one of the keys selling points was the two carWash bays in the underground LOL! The wife was understanding of my reasons... Thank God!

Good luck!!!

t-hak

^^^ +1,000 on NOT using the brush at the car wash. You never know what they were used for before you got there.

As Mayu said, bring your own mitt instead.

jesse550

Any good mitts you guys recommend ? Perhaps an amazon link?

t-hak

No Amazon link, sorry. Maybe someone else has one.

I'm a big fan of Detailed Image. Greg hooked us up with quality pro-level gear when we bought our 08 G37. Detailed Image is an awesome, upfront, and reliable company. You can't go wrong buying from them.

As for a mitt, I recently got one of these. It was $10, and is a very good mitt:

DI Accessories Sheepskin Wash Mitt | Detailed Image

Just remember to rinse the soap out of it and hang dry it, and it should hold up for a good while. Eventually, though, all mitts will wear out. You will have buy another one later.

It looks like you have one of the silver paints from Infiniti, which is similar to our car. I really like P21S for a wax on our Platinum paint. It goes on creamy and buffs out easily to a really nice gloss. Wax just a panel at a time, then buff it off. P21S is good for silver and light colored paints. It isn't cheap, but it lasts through several washings. A container of it should last you a good while.

P21S Concours Carnauba Wax - 6.2 oz | Detailed Image

For buffing the wax off, these work well. I have several of them.

DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel - 16" x 16" | Detailed Image

For drying towels, I use these. If the car has a nice coating of wax, it usually takes only 2 towels to get the car completely dry. If the wax is worn down, it takes 3. If I have to use 3 towels, I know I'm overdue for waxing. If you use ONR to wash your car (which I mentioned in a previous post) you may have to use 3, 4, or more.

DI Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towel - 36" x 24" | Detailed Image

DI offers a ton of stuff for car care, and the selection can be a little bewildering for a newcomer. They run a forum for detailers, so you might want to look at that, too. If you have questions, I'm sure their staff or people on the forums will be willing to help you out.

Wow, that was way more than you asked. But there you have it.

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Detailed Image other than being a very happy repeat customer for over 4 years.

NoMoneyNoHoney

At least if you notice door dings, you'll know who's car to key

jesse550

Wow, thanks a lot! I'll be ordering a couple of these products soon.

Edit; Ah shiet, 10 bux to ship a 10 dollar mitt. -_-

Hliang

iTrader: (1)

A lot of those mits, towels, products, etc.. can be found at wal mart, auto zone, pep boys, etc... just mabe different brands or a bit different types

Walmart.com: Microfiber Wash Mitt: Automotive
Walmart.com: Microtex Microfiber Cleaning Towel, 8 pack: Automotive

and so on and so forth.

jesse550

So what's the difference between microfiber and sheepskin besides preference? Is one better than the other? Is one finer/less likely to induce swirls?

Dough1397

I've been worried about washing my car in the winter as well. So far I've washed it twice in the winter at a "self wash / pay and spray" I haven't used the foam brush cause i am worried about scratches. However the process of:
-low pressure soap pre soak
-high pressure soap
-high pressure rinse
-low pressure spot free rinse

Hasn't completely cleaned my car Looks like the salt is gone but there is still a layer of dirt on the car. I am thinking of taking a wash mitt with me next time, do you guys take your own soap and bucket or just high pressure soap + wash mitt?

xtremeroller

Don't use the high pressure settings for anything but spraying the undercarriage. Low pressure for everything else.