- Aug 28, 2007
- 16
- 1
- 1,503
Dear all,
Good day. The article below is aim at newbies who wish to try out the product but do not know where to begin and which product to use. Hopefully with the steps and tips in the article, we will be able to learn together and explore this hobby further. As for existing enthusiast, this article will also deepens and widens our knowledge in this hobby.
Meguiar’s Five Step Paint Care Cycle
1. Washing
2. Cleaning
3. Polishing
4. Protecting
5. Maintaining
In generally, it is important for us to know that washing actually loosen up the contaminations on our car surfaces. Always ensure that our vehicle is washed under a shade and when the surface is cool.
Tips:
• Never use dishwashing detergent.
• Always wash in the shade and make sure the surface is cool before beginning.
• 2 bucket method will reduce chances of swirls.
• Use a high quality wash mitt.
• Wash and rinse one section at a time. This keeps suds from drying on the surface.
• Using a stream of water, give a final rinse to the vehicle. This helps create a sheeting action that will cut drying time in half.
• Always wash using a wash mitt / high quality sponge. Recommended wash mitt include Meguiar’s Ultra Plush Wash Mitt and Meguiar’s Deep Pile Chenille Wash Mitt.
• Always dry using Meguiar’s Water Magnet Drying Towel or Meguiar’s Super Suede Drying Cloth.
• Recommended washes include Meguiar’s Soft Wash Gel, Meguiar’s Gold Class Shampoo & Conditioner and Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash.
After washing, you can try to feel the surface and some can actually feel the roughness of the surface even after washing. In this step, we will clean the surface of the paint. This is important as over the days / weeks of our traveling, our paint surface is exposed to contaminations all the time. The contamination includes bird droppings, tree saps, dust, industrial fallout and overspray. These are categorized as above surfaces contaminations that are lying on top of our paint. On the other hand, some can even identify fine scratches, stains, paint oxidations and acid rain etching marks on our paint. These are what we called the sub-surface contaminations. All of these contaminations will not be remove when you wash your car and it is why the cleaning of the paint is a very important aspect that many had missed out. The cleaning process is the removal of bonded contaminations and stubborn stains that cannot remove from washing.
Tips:
• A cleaner/prep does not need to dry.
• If the defect is not completely removed after the first application, a second can be beneficial.
• A defect such as deep scratches that go through the clear coat cannot be corrected without repainting.
• Use a clay bar / paint cleaner for this process.
• Always use a 100% Microfiber cloth / Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Microfiber to wipe off residue.
• Recommended products include Meguiar’s Quik Clay Detailing System, Meguiar’s Smooth Surface Clay Kit, Meguiar’s Bug N’ Tar Remover, Meguiar’s Deep Crystal System Paint Cleaner (Step 1) and Meguiar’s Scratch-X.
Once our paint is as smooth as a glass, we proceed to the third step, polishing, to bring out the brilliant high gloss of our paint. It is also important to be aware that, polishing is actually an optional step that is not performed on a regular weekly / monthly basis. This is because polishing is abrasive and will thin down the clear coat of your car. The recommended frequencies for polishing will be from 4 to 6 months depending on your paint condition.
Tips:
• When applying a polish, never apply too much.
• A polish does not need to dry. When finished working it into the finish, simply wipe dry using a clean 100% cotton terry cloth towel or Supreme Shine Micro fiber Cloth
• Great for lacquer paint
• For maximum protection, always follow with a wax
• Recommended products include Meguiar’s Deep Crystal System Polish (Step 2) and Meguiar’s Color X.
The fourth step is identified as protecting and many regarded it simply as waxing. It is indeed an important aspect in maintaining the overall high gloss created by polishing. Therefore, protecting / waxing is required to “lock-in” the gloss and give it the ultimate protection from harsh contamination in our environment.
Tips:
• Use the “squeak test” to determine if you need wax.
• The difference between paste and liquid is primarily convenience
• Always allow a “wax” to cure before wiping dry. Use the “finger test” to determine correct
wipe off time.
• Always use a 100% Microfiber cloth / Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Microfiber to wipe off residue.
• Recommended products include Meguiar’s Cleaner Wax, Meguiar’s Gold Class Wax, Meguiar’s
Deep Crystal System Carnauba Wax (Step 3) and Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax.
After waxing, we will also need to be aware that the process does not end here. It is important to ensure that, we frequently remove contaminations before they have a chance to bond / etch into the surface. We can use any spray on detailers or spray on waxes to enhance and prolongs the wax level to give us a everlasting protection.
Tips:
• Always apply products while surface is cool and vehicle is in shade.
• If product becomes slow to wipe off, that might be a sign it is time to re-wax.
• Always use a 100% Microfiber cloth / Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Microfiber to remove product.
• Recommended spray-on waxes includes Meguiar’s Quik Wax and Meguiar’s NXT Generation Spray Wax.
• Recommended spray-on detailers includes Meguiar’s Quik Detailer and Meguiar’s NXT Generation Speed Detailer.
Cheers,
Good day. The article below is aim at newbies who wish to try out the product but do not know where to begin and which product to use. Hopefully with the steps and tips in the article, we will be able to learn together and explore this hobby further. As for existing enthusiast, this article will also deepens and widens our knowledge in this hobby.
Meguiar’s Five Step Paint Care Cycle
1. Washing
2. Cleaning
3. Polishing
4. Protecting
5. Maintaining
In generally, it is important for us to know that washing actually loosen up the contaminations on our car surfaces. Always ensure that our vehicle is washed under a shade and when the surface is cool.
Tips:
• Never use dishwashing detergent.
• Always wash in the shade and make sure the surface is cool before beginning.
• 2 bucket method will reduce chances of swirls.
• Use a high quality wash mitt.
• Wash and rinse one section at a time. This keeps suds from drying on the surface.
• Using a stream of water, give a final rinse to the vehicle. This helps create a sheeting action that will cut drying time in half.
• Always wash using a wash mitt / high quality sponge. Recommended wash mitt include Meguiar’s Ultra Plush Wash Mitt and Meguiar’s Deep Pile Chenille Wash Mitt.
• Always dry using Meguiar’s Water Magnet Drying Towel or Meguiar’s Super Suede Drying Cloth.
• Recommended washes include Meguiar’s Soft Wash Gel, Meguiar’s Gold Class Shampoo & Conditioner and Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash.
After washing, you can try to feel the surface and some can actually feel the roughness of the surface even after washing. In this step, we will clean the surface of the paint. This is important as over the days / weeks of our traveling, our paint surface is exposed to contaminations all the time. The contamination includes bird droppings, tree saps, dust, industrial fallout and overspray. These are categorized as above surfaces contaminations that are lying on top of our paint. On the other hand, some can even identify fine scratches, stains, paint oxidations and acid rain etching marks on our paint. These are what we called the sub-surface contaminations. All of these contaminations will not be remove when you wash your car and it is why the cleaning of the paint is a very important aspect that many had missed out. The cleaning process is the removal of bonded contaminations and stubborn stains that cannot remove from washing.
Tips:
• A cleaner/prep does not need to dry.
• If the defect is not completely removed after the first application, a second can be beneficial.
• A defect such as deep scratches that go through the clear coat cannot be corrected without repainting.
• Use a clay bar / paint cleaner for this process.
• Always use a 100% Microfiber cloth / Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Microfiber to wipe off residue.
• Recommended products include Meguiar’s Quik Clay Detailing System, Meguiar’s Smooth Surface Clay Kit, Meguiar’s Bug N’ Tar Remover, Meguiar’s Deep Crystal System Paint Cleaner (Step 1) and Meguiar’s Scratch-X.
Once our paint is as smooth as a glass, we proceed to the third step, polishing, to bring out the brilliant high gloss of our paint. It is also important to be aware that, polishing is actually an optional step that is not performed on a regular weekly / monthly basis. This is because polishing is abrasive and will thin down the clear coat of your car. The recommended frequencies for polishing will be from 4 to 6 months depending on your paint condition.
Tips:
• When applying a polish, never apply too much.
• A polish does not need to dry. When finished working it into the finish, simply wipe dry using a clean 100% cotton terry cloth towel or Supreme Shine Micro fiber Cloth
• Great for lacquer paint
• For maximum protection, always follow with a wax
• Recommended products include Meguiar’s Deep Crystal System Polish (Step 2) and Meguiar’s Color X.
The fourth step is identified as protecting and many regarded it simply as waxing. It is indeed an important aspect in maintaining the overall high gloss created by polishing. Therefore, protecting / waxing is required to “lock-in” the gloss and give it the ultimate protection from harsh contamination in our environment.
Tips:
• Use the “squeak test” to determine if you need wax.
• The difference between paste and liquid is primarily convenience
• Always allow a “wax” to cure before wiping dry. Use the “finger test” to determine correct
wipe off time.
• Always use a 100% Microfiber cloth / Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Microfiber to wipe off residue.
• Recommended products include Meguiar’s Cleaner Wax, Meguiar’s Gold Class Wax, Meguiar’s
Deep Crystal System Carnauba Wax (Step 3) and Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax.
After waxing, we will also need to be aware that the process does not end here. It is important to ensure that, we frequently remove contaminations before they have a chance to bond / etch into the surface. We can use any spray on detailers or spray on waxes to enhance and prolongs the wax level to give us a everlasting protection.
Tips:
• Always apply products while surface is cool and vehicle is in shade.
• If product becomes slow to wipe off, that might be a sign it is time to re-wax.
• Always use a 100% Microfiber cloth / Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Microfiber to remove product.
• Recommended spray-on waxes includes Meguiar’s Quik Wax and Meguiar’s NXT Generation Spray Wax.
• Recommended spray-on detailers includes Meguiar’s Quik Detailer and Meguiar’s NXT Generation Speed Detailer.
Cheers,
