I did a final polish with Klasse AIO then applied 2 coats of Finish Kare FK1000 synthetic wax. Along with low temp washer fluid and winter tires for the first time in my 27 years of driving northern Indiana roads. This winter will be nothing but touchless car washes until it can be properly washed in the spring.

 

those touchless car washes use harsh chemicals ... will strip off all the work you already applied. im going to suck it up (get cold) and just hose mine off at the pay n' spray, keeping the sealer intact.

 

^ +1.

i lived in a cold climate for a few years and used the spray 'n washes through the winter. many places were enclosed - as in you drive in and a door would close to keep the bay warm while you were washing.

the trick i used is to go at off hours and bring my own wash mitts and soap. that way i could rinse with the wand, hand wash with the mitts (changing part way while washing top-down), then rinse once again with the wand. the area had hard water so i also did a final spotless rinse and used their blower to blow out all the door jams and locks. the overall wash took about the same amount of time as folks using the steelwool brushes at the wand wash, so it wasn't more in terms of time or effort.

i did this for 3 winters with no problems and was able to maintain the late-November sealant/wax finish through to March, although parking in a garage helped to prolong the protection. another option for folks with garages is to do a no-rinse wash.

now that i'm back in a warmer climate i can hand wash outside year round so no issues...

 

How do you apply a product like Hydr02. Some people say clay bar and stuff to prep but can I just spray on after a wash and buff off?

 

its simple - wash car with a regular car wash soap (no Zipwax or other wax-added stuff)

while car is still wet, spray it on a section at a time, and hose it off. it doesn't get any easier.

i tried using my cordless blower to dry my car after washing it once, and it just kinda pushed the water around. i tried it again after using the HydrO2, and the water FLEW off the car. dried it pretty much completely with the blower in a few minutes. its like Rain-X for the entire car.

here's a video showing how to apply it:

 

Thanks!!

 

Best course of action would be a wash, decontamination (products like Iron-X), then clay barring or using a nanoskin mitt, then apply any products like Hydr02 or other sealants and waxes.

 

So basically a good wash and then apply the Hydr02?

 

No

That is all that is needed



When you wipe the snow off the dirt and road crap comes off too

Telcoman

 

Well washing and decontamination are separate things. It's important to decontaminate before applying any protective products. It gives it a cleaner surface to stick to therefore it'll look better and last longer.

 

Decontaminating by ..? I don't really go too hard in terms of car care.

 

not so much a big deal on a silver car, but on black ....

if you want to do it right, wash, decontaminate with claybar or nanoskin mit to get rid of small particles on the paint (makes it smooth as glass), glaze or swirlmark remover, polish, then wax or sealer.

I try to do the above once or twice a year. this is my 5th black car, and they are a bitch to keep nice looking. had a few silver cars, and its SO much easier. black look awesome when done right, though.

 

Thanks for the nice write up.

 

i bought a nanoskin cloth, but havent used it yet. supposed to do the same job as claybar. search Youtube for some detailing videos.

i learned everything the hard way with a black Porsche ... before Youtube was around. LOL

 

Wow those are some expensive towels! Guess everything comes with a price though