Cleaning and maintenence of new paint

[zarnah]

Have just had my car taken back to metal and repainted, cost a lot so want it to stay as good as possible, so was wondering what products people recomend to keep it shining and clean and new, ie: washes, waxes, protectants, methods of cleaning etc

[madmike]

 zarnah said:

Have just had my car taken back to metal and repainted, cost a lot so want it to stay as good as possible, so was wondering what products people recomend to keep it shining and clean and new, ie: washes, waxes, protectants, methods of cleaning etc

Best way to keep the paint looking mint is to not take it down the race for a thrash....

[zarnah]

haha, I actually trailered it home, and at its current ride-height I dont think it will even get over the cattle stop at the end of our drive haha,

anyhow..... stop ruining my serious topic Mike

[wrx_lou]

The best way to look after it is to keep it clean.

Make sure you give it a good wax first off. I usualy use mothers as I have the whole kit with buffer.

Wash when needed. I use meguires next generation.

Use a spray detailer regularly. I do this around once a week. Its good for getting the light dust and bird shit off. Use whatever you think works best. This will come down to trial and error. There are some really good ones out there but I've found the result varies on different paintwork.

[madmike]

 zarnah said:

anyhow..... stop ruining my serious topic Mike

Ok.. Serious hat on now...

Caring For Your New Paint

FIRST TWO WEEKS

It is best not to wash the vehicle for the first 15 days. This is a guideline and not a hard rule. If your vehicle is dirty enough to annoy you during the first couple of weeks then wash it following the guidlines below.

FIRST TWO MONTHS

Caring for your vehicle new paint job is critical for longevity. Be sure not to wax new paint as it takes about 60 days to fully cure. This will allow the finish to completely dry and cure. Your paint needs "breath" to ensure a complete cure. This is a hard rule, don't wax it during the first couple of months!

WASHING

Wash the vehicle in the shade only - Never in the sun.

Do not dry wipe the vehicle. Always use clean cool water with automotive soap. Dry wiping can cause scratching. Use plenty of water first, then wipe with a clean, wet, cotton cloth or sponge to wash off dirt. Be sure to keep the surface wet to prevent scratching.

WAXING

Always use a quality wax approved for automotive paint. Do not use silicone containing or super polymer containing waxes or polishes. Silicon-based wax pentrates all layers of paint. Today's finishes do not need such extreme protection. Removal of such waxes is very time consuming and makes touchups difficult.

Before you wax, give your paint a good washing. Use plenty of water first, then wipe with a clean, wet, soft cotton cloth or sponge to wash off dirt. Be sure to keep the surface wet to prevent scratching. Dry with a soft chamois cloth.

It's important to keep your paint waxed, as this helps to protect the finish from minor scratches. Most waxes incorporate UV inhibitors also, which helps to protect your paint from the sun.

SCRATCHES

Accidents do happen, and minor scratches can be buffed out of your clear coat. Be sure to enlist the help of a professional for this procedure. When done properly, a scratch will completely disappear, and cannot be seen or felt after buffing. A good rule of thumb, which ironically uses your thumb (nail), is if you can catch the scratch with your finger nail it probably can't be buffed. In other cases it may be possible to wet sand the paint and then buff. This is not for the weak hearted, this is your paint you're sanding into! When in doubt get with that professional detailer.

BIRD DROPPINGS

If you're lucky enough to find the mess while it's still wet, use a damp cloth and wipe it off immediately. However, if you find it dry and caked on, soak a paper towel with warm water and hold over the mess until it loosens and gets soft. Then taking a damp cloth, wipe it clean. Birds can make a mess of your paint, so clean it up as soon as possible.

HOUSEHOLD SOAPS AND DETERGENTS

Never, under any circumstances should you use a soap designed for cleaning dishes or clothes, or other areas of your house. These soaps can and will damage your paint over time. You're better off buying even the cheapest bottle of automotive soap for 99¢ cents!

OTHER TIPS ...

Touch-up chips and scratches as soon as possible. Unattended chips will begin to rust metal areas.

Extreme heat or cold should be avoided.

Keep the vehicle parked in the shade whenever possible.

Avoid gravel roads and following big trucks. Chipping the finish is easier done in the first 60 days.

Do not park under trees which are known to drop sap or near factories with heavy smoke fallout. Sap and industrial fallout can mar or spot a new finish.

Keep in mind that trees attract birds. Bird droppings have a high acid content and will damage a new freshly painted surface. Be mindful where you park.

Do not spill gasoline, oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid or windshield solvent on the new finish. If you do, rinse it off immediately with water. Try not to wipe the area. If you must wipe, do so gently.

Do not scrape ice or snow from the surface. Your snow scraper will act very much like a paint scraper on a freshly painted surface.

Use common sense! If you think some substance or action may be hard on the paint, it probably will.

[zarnah]

I hear a lot of people rate Mothers and Meguires products, are they really the best products money can buy or just the most cost effective?

I would have thought that maybe companys like PPG or House Of Kolor would bring out some really nice specialist products?

[Shale]

Since you have brand new paint...why not give ICE a try? It's useless on everything except new paint, and on that apparently it's mind-blowingly good.

As for Mothers and Meguiars...I've done a fair bit with em for an amateur, but more in the revival of F**KED paint than the maintenance of brand new. As long as you have a good NON DETERGENT soap, a good pre-wax (read: sealer/glaze) and a good pure carnauba wax, you should be good. And as above, no waxy/washy in sunlight. Cloud/shade ftw.

Car soap doesn't strip wax, it strips dirt. Normal soap is designed to strip any oily residue, hence it'll take all the wax (which is designed to protect the paint) clean off the car. If ya wanna see what it does long term...check out my BC in the Leonidas project thread :'(

Meguiars is a half-step ahead of Mothers from what I've found, but I've been sticking with Mothers lately...

Whatever you do, USE CLEAN, SOFT CLOTHS! Some products do a jolly good job of scratching, especially if your cloths aren't squeaky clean. And don't press too hard or go too berserk when you buff. Just be moderately firm and get ALL the residue off.

[RSB]

Good advice above, also, every spring and autumn clay, mild polish and wax. I find that by doing this i only need to wax in between. Its possible that being new paint you might need/be able to skip the polish step.