Keeping it Clean

Lipid_Sama · Nov 12, 2004

I dont have a 05 Mustang just yet. Butthis question might affect those who have one and people with other cars.

My question is, I have a 1999 Black Jeep. This could also work with the Black Mustang GT, 6cyl. Can somone give me some tips for keeping it nice and shiny and smooth. I washed my car every 2 days this summer and id wash it and pull it outside and boom it would be all dirty and yucky within 5min, I mean black is the hardest color to keep clean.

Like products, tips, thoughts, anything for people like me who just cant keep it clean.

midnighttorch · Nov 13, 2004

product called fastwax. thats what i use on my 02 gt works great! can be found in wal-mart if in store yet. i sold the product before it came out to the public(test market) 4 a company i worked for. just in case i have some 4 sale large cans.

boltzman · Nov 13, 2004

Lipid_Sama said:
I dont have a 05 Mustang just yet. Butthis question might affect those who have one and people with other cars.

My question is, I have a 1999 Black Jeep. This could also work with the Black Mustang GT, 6cyl. Can somone give me some tips for keeping it nice and shiny and smooth. I washed my car every 2 days this summer and id wash it and pull it outside and boom it would be all dirty and yucky within 5min, I mean black is the hardest color to keep clean.

Like products, tips, thoughts, anything for people like me who just cant keep it clean.

keep it in the garage

Slapyo · Nov 14, 2004

you'll get some good tips in here. but you might wanna check out the Sound & Shine forum as well.

http://forums.stangnet.com/forumdisplay.php?f=14

kizersoze · Nov 14, 2004

Lipid_Sama said:
I dont have a 05 Mustang just yet. Butthis question might affect those who have one and people with other cars.

My question is, I have a 1999 Black Jeep. This could also work with the Black Mustang GT, 6cyl. Can somone give me some tips for keeping it nice and shiny and smooth. I washed my car every 2 days this summer and id wash it and pull it outside and boom it would be all dirty and yucky within 5min, I mean black is the hardest color to keep clean.

Like products, tips, thoughts, anything for people like me who just cant keep it clean.

1) Don't wash in direct sunlight
2) Use 100% American made cotton towels for both washing / drying
3) Use multiple wash cloths and multiple buckets. I use 1 wash cloth per side of the car and use 2 buckets...1 for soap and 1 to rinse the rags in.
4) For black, don't wash in a "swirling" motion since dirt is picked up by the wash cloth but wash with the grain of the car, front to back or vice versa.
5) If your gonna use the same wash cloths on the wheels, do those last.
6) For drying again i use about 1 towel per side, but, i use the california blade to get most of the water off the car. Be sure to not let the water sit too long on the car as you can get water spots.
7) For wax, i prefer to use Zaino. There are a lot of good products out there so there really isn't a bad choice, but i would stick to known products.

Thats just a short synopsis. Black is difficult but there is a certain pride that comes with keeping it clean.

65conv50 · Nov 16, 2004

kizersoze said:
1) Don't wash in direct sunlight
2) Use 100% American made cotton towels for both washing / drying
3) Use multiple wash cloths and multiple buckets. I use 1 wash cloth per side of the car and use 2 buckets...1 for soap and 1 to rinse the rags in.
4) For black, don't wash in a "swirling" motion since dirt is picked up by the wash cloth but wash with the grain of the car, front to back or vice versa.
5) If your gonna use the same wash cloths on the wheels, do those last.
6) For drying again i use about 1 towel per side, but, i use the california blade to get most of the water off the car. Be sure to not let the water sit too long on the car as you can get water spots.
7) For wax, i prefer to use Zaino. There are a lot of good products out there so there really isn't a bad choice, but i would stick to known products.

Thats just a short synopsis. Black is difficult but there is a certain pride that comes with keeping it clean.

I strongly recommend that you do NOT use any cloth to dry. A chamois is much better, but far, far better than that is NO cloth. Get an electric (cordless or corded) leaf blower and blow dry the car. You won't get marks in the wax that way. Just be sure to blow dry it quickly, as any droplets you let stand may leave spots.

Hauuse96gt · Nov 16, 2004

A leaf blower lol!!! The neighbors already think I am a lil weird. Imagine them looking out their window at that.

GNN60GT500 · Nov 16, 2004

dont wash your car at all.....dust it every morning

65conv50 · Nov 16, 2004

Hauuse96gt said:
A leaf blower lol!!! The neighbors already think I am a lil weird. Imagine them looking out their window at that.

>chuckle< You're probably right!! But that's OK, I do it in the driveway, where they can't see it. And if they do think I'm strange, so what??
But is does work great!!

65conv50 · Nov 16, 2004

GNN60GT500 said:
dont wash your car at all.....dust it every morning

Unless it's a trailer queen, Wrong!! First, "dusting" won't get rid of the grime that gets on it from the road. Second, wiping anything across it, to dust it, will scratch that soft clearcoat (it's plastic, you know).

kizersoze · Nov 16, 2004

65conv50 said:
I strongly recommend that you do NOT use any cloth to dry. A chamois is much better, but far, far better than that is NO cloth. Get an electric (cordless or corded) leaf blower and blow dry the car. You won't get marks in the wax that way. Just be sure to blow dry it quickly, as any droplets you let stand may leave spots.

I tried for a while using a chamois and no matter how clean i thought the car was dirt would get in the chamois, and since their so thin on the surface i was afraid of getting scratches from the chamois.

The towels i use have a thick weave or whaterver its called so that if any dirt is picked up it will work its way down into the towel instead of always staying on the surface.

Just a thought.

Rockatansky · Nov 16, 2004

Lipid_Sama said:
I dont have a 05 Mustang just yet. Butthis question might affect those who have one and people with other cars.

My question is, I have a 1999 Black Jeep. This could also work with the Black Mustang GT, 6cyl. Can somone give me some tips for keeping it nice and shiny and smooth. I washed my car every 2 days this summer and id wash it and pull it outside and boom it would be all dirty and yucky within 5min, I mean black is the hardest color to keep clean.

Like products, tips, thoughts, anything for people like me who just cant keep it clean.

Funny you mention a black Jeep - I've got a 2003 black Wrangler that I 'froad regularly, and the paint looks good as new. I blast the sheet metal with high pressure washer, no soap. That of course only gets the dirt off, but not the film. An old car show guy showed me a pretty cool trick - use your bare hands! It was weird the first time I did it, but it works really well! Just keep the water going, garden hose pressure, while you "wash" the sheetmetal with your hand. He had some explanation for me about how your hand won't accumulate any small particles that will scratch the clearcoat. I tried that early on in my TJ's life, and did a thorough waxing. I then claybar the whole thing once a year (that would make it twice now). I get comments on the Jeep all the time - it really does look good!

Winter is a little more difficult here in the Midwest - I stick to the high pressure touchless car wash which seems to be acceptable, assuming a good wax job before winter sets in.

You mentioned that the rig would be dirty right away. How is your water? Hard water of course will make the most thorough car wash look bad.

65conv50 · Nov 17, 2004

kizersoze said:
I tried for a while using a chamois and no matter how clean i thought the car was dirt would get in the chamois, and since their so thin on the surface i was afraid of getting scratches from the chamois.

The towels i use have a thick weave or whaterver its called so that if any dirt is picked up it will work its way down into the towel instead of always staying on the surface.

Just a thought.

Good thought. You could have a cloth that is better than the classic chamois. But the leaf blower is the best solution I've seen. Nothing touches the surface.

Of course, you need to clay the surface occasionally. My son taught me that one, as it is how he keeps his black Z3 looking great.

And the comment on water hardness is accurate. I used to never have to wipe a car when I was a kid, and knew nothing about chamois or cloth. We just let it dry and there were no water spots, as our city water then was (chemically) among the purest H2O in the nation. Nowadays they add so much gunk that it will spot easily. >sigh< ... and we're drinking that -uhhh- stuff.

Keeping it Clean

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