Washing Products
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Haven't washed the SE myself but I use one of those Mr. Clean wash gun things with the soap and the spot free rinse and the high pressure washer on my gen 5 and no problems like that at all. I also whore both cars with Meguiar's quik detailer :lol: :thumbsup:
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Mother's
Since I installed a "clear bra" I am using Mothers 05701 California Gold Carnauba Cleaner Wax Liquid. This will work with the Ventureshield film. With a silver XLE, I don't see the tiny scratches. I waxed it last month and the surface feels pretty smooth and looks good. It was pretty easy to apply and take off.
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261 Posts
Best thing to do is to wash/clay bar/Polish the vehicle, then use a permanent sealant like Opti-Coat to offer higher scratch protection and a permanent shine. Once you have done that you just have to maintain it.
OCW (Optimum Car Wax) and ONR (Optimum No Rinse) on an OPti-coat car will help maintain it. It is what I did with mine, just make sure you wash, clay bar, and polish properly before putting on the sealant as whatever imperfections left will be permanently put under the opti-coat.
http://www.optimumcarcare.com/ocoat1.php
http://www.optimumcarcare.com/owax.php
http://optimumcarcare.com/onrwns.php
OCW (Optimum Car Wax) and ONR (Optimum No Rinse) on an OPti-coat car will help maintain it. It is what I did with mine, just make sure you wash, clay bar, and polish properly before putting on the sealant as whatever imperfections left will be permanently put under the opti-coat.
http://www.optimumcarcare.com/ocoat1.php
http://www.optimumcarcare.com/owax.php
http://optimumcarcare.com/onrwns.php
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While I really like BlackFire, my first choice would be Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0
Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 provides a very hard coating that protects the paint, making it more resistant to scratches, swirls, etc. It also is resistant to dirt, debris, overspray, sap, bugs, which makes washing it very easy. If you do not look forward to a regiment of cleaning, this would fit your needs better.
The product is easy to apply and if you follow the instructions you won't have any issues. Below are the basic steps, but you can also find a local detailer to do all this for you.
1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Paint Correct
4. Clean corrected surface
5. Apply Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 one panel at a time.
Many folks will wipe the cleaned vehicle down with a mineral spirit, just prior to the opti-coat, in order to completely prep the paint and maximize adhering. It is at least a 4hr job, most likely closer to at least 6 hours. So the cost would be a minimum of around $200 for this service, many charging closer to $300.
I will have to get some photos of my opti-coated camry.
i suspect this is a well-trodden thread, however FWIW I too have a 2012 Black XLE. I have long been a fan of Zanio (http://www.zainostore.com/) products. In my case, my very first wash involved the use of original Dawn dishwashing liquid (diluted of course!) which will help strip other wax products already on the car. I followed this with a clay bar treatment to remove any dust or grime (you can get stuff like brake dust from the transporter even on a new car!). This part of the treatment I would only do about once a year, from here on in, it is Zanio products all the way. For me two coatings of their Z-5 product followed by 2 coatings of Z-2, finishing off with their Z-8. That first treatment took me about a day. In between waxings (about every two months), I just wash down with their Z-7 wash and dry off.
cheers
cheers
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I used Zaino many many years agot. Have the products changed much since then? I would think they would reformulate over time to keep up with the competition.
Would love to see photos of your car.
they have certainly added some new products since I started using them. In addition I have noticed some color changes in the products as I have replenished my stocks, so that suggests they have updated their formulations over time, but I dont see any press-releases or info to support this.
I will work on photos, but I dont think photos do justice to all aspects, because an important part of the end product is--at the risk of sounding kinky--the *feel* of the paintwork as well as how easy it is to clean off subsequent and the durability of the look, all of which I have found to be excellent.
cheers
I will work on photos, but I dont think photos do justice to all aspects, because an important part of the end product is--at the risk of sounding kinky--the *feel* of the paintwork as well as how easy it is to clean off subsequent and the durability of the look, all of which I have found to be excellent.
cheers
as far as keeping those minor swirl scratches at bay, make sure to wax your car good twice a year. the wax right before winter is particularly important.
Scratches have been showing up on my cosmic gray car as well. i don't think the dealer puts on a good wax on the car. i think they give the cars a spray wax job. i say that because i clearly remember the smooth waxy feel of the paint when i was buying the car. and now three months and a few cars washes later, i touch the paint and the paint feels "naked". i don't feel in wax on it at all. sometime this week i'm going to get a professional wax done.
Scratches have been showing up on my cosmic gray car as well. i don't think the dealer puts on a good wax on the car. i think they give the cars a spray wax job. i say that because i clearly remember the smooth waxy feel of the paint when i was buying the car. and now three months and a few cars washes later, i touch the paint and the paint feels "naked". i don't feel in wax on it at all. sometime this week i'm going to get a professional wax done.
A rinseless wash is definitely the way to go if you want a quick and easy way to keep the car fresh and clean.
I'm using mostly Duragloss products. They're pretty cheap comparatively and can be found over the counter in some instances.
I bought their 931 rinseless wash by the gallon since I'm going to be washing my cosmic gray SE every 2 weeks. Not only does rinseless wash save a ton of water (only 2 buckets per wash), it's also easy to apply, just wipe on and wipe dry. The duragloss rinseless wash has some aquawax in it to give it more shine and a measure of protection. Though you should still clay and top it off with a proper wax.
Don't forget to use microfiber towels and wipe in straight motions instead of circular motions to limit swirls
I'm using mostly Duragloss products. They're pretty cheap comparatively and can be found over the counter in some instances.
I bought their 931 rinseless wash by the gallon since I'm going to be washing my cosmic gray SE every 2 weeks. Not only does rinseless wash save a ton of water (only 2 buckets per wash), it's also easy to apply, just wipe on and wipe dry. The duragloss rinseless wash has some aquawax in it to give it more shine and a measure of protection. Though you should still clay and top it off with a proper wax.
Don't forget to use microfiber towels and wipe in straight motions instead of circular motions to limit swirls
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There is a detailing forum on here too.
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Duragloss
I'm a fan also. They sell a Swirl Mark Remover which is very good. Contains polishing agents along with a durable sealant. Runs about $10 a bottle. Here's a writeup by a top notch detailer using it:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/43535-key-repair-step-step-procedure.html
I'm a fan also. They sell a Swirl Mark Remover which is very good. Contains polishing agents along with a durable sealant. Runs about $10 a bottle. Here's a writeup by a top notch detailer using it:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/43535-key-repair-step-step-procedure.html
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Tried the new turtle wax ice on my old dark silver Camry loaded with scratches from a hard life. Works as described, fills in the scratches with a wet look was that does not dry with any white powder. Not bad for a quickie wax.
Thanks for the link, that guy did an awesome job on that keyed car.
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