1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Of course, there is the obvious: NEVER wash in direct, hot sunlight. A hot paint surface should never have cold water sprayed on it. Take your watch and ring(s) off. And watch that belt buckle.
Some washes especially made for car surfaces are easier on carnuba than others. Before you wax it doesn't matter which of these especially- formulated soaps you use. After you wax, you should stick to soaps that won't wash away your hard work.
The manufacturer of my own carnuba wax (a Porsche concours man who displays at car shows), which he says is the heaviest in natural carnuba of any wax on the market, says he personally doesn't used a wash mitt, preferring a natural sea sponge and terry wash cloths. Terry wash/dry cloths (white for the upper part of the car and darker for below the beltline) should be washed in phosphate-free soap.
He gives as reasons for this that
(a) wool mitts get heavy and the wool itself will fine-scratch and
(b) wool mitts take up grits on the ends of the fibres which tend to scratch. Sponges take grits up into the interior of the sponge.
As well, he doesn't use a chamois as he says it takes off wax.
He doesn't use high pressure sprayers as grits can actually be ground across the surface of the car that way. He prefers nozzle-less water. I use fine spray a lot but only under wheel wells and on the wheels do I use high pressure.
In any surface strokes except {{applying}} wax and polish, always use straight lines along the contours of the car. If there are to be swirls, then they should follow the lines of the car and not be swirly. This way, the observer's eye isn't caught by swirls quite so much.
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