Washing materials

[SybErkRimInAL]

Just curious, what do you guys use to keep your baby shining? I just, FINALLY, got my Tundra. I can't even sleep. I keep waking up to look out the window at it. She's a beaut! I just know it's gonna take some work to keep her clean. Do you just use generic stuff or is there a brand in particular you use? My Tundra is black. Thanks in advance.

[WhiteFang]

I use a soft mit and specialty car wash soap (like Blue Coral) to clean the truck. I tried some spot free Trutle Wax soap yesterday and it streaked and left spots, so it's back to Blue Coral.

Best protection you can give the truck though is to wax it - and wax it often. If you do then "thin factory paint" issues are not going to be a problem.

[SybErkRimInAL]

Originally Posted by WhiteFang

I use a soft mit and specialty car wash soap (like Blue Coral) to clean the truck. I tried some spot free Trutle Wax soap yesterday and it streaked and left spots, so it's back to Blue Coral.

Best protection you can give the truck though is to wax it - and wax it often. If you do then "thin factory paint" issues are not going to be a problem.

Thanks for the info man. How often is often as far as waxing goes? I live in Palm Springs, Ca and the summers are BRUTAL! 120 degrees plus. All of my previous cars, which I hated, were seldom washed or cared for. So I need to know how to protect my ebony baby.

[kwarstler]

I use a shaggy micro fiber wash mitt along with Turtle Wax's new ICE car wash formula. It's a little pricier than some of the other stuff, but I like it. It really carries the dirt away and I've noticed that the truck cleans easier the next time it gets washed - i.e. bug smears etc. I also use a chamois to gather the heavier water during drying and I follow up with a nice micro fiber towel. Keeps the truck looking good. As far as wax goes, I've been using Turtle Wax's ICE synthetic paste. Some people like it and some people don't. Some think other waxes give a deeper shine. But what's nice is it can be used on all surfaces, including the plastic trim and it doesn't leave that white residue. There is absolutely no residue. Great product. They also make a spray detailer that you can wipe on between washes.

[WhiteFang]

Originally Posted by SybErkRimInAL

Thanks for the info man. How often is often as far as waxing goes? I live in Palm Springs, Ca and the summers are BRUTAL! 120 degrees plus. All of my previous cars, which I hated, were seldom washed or cared for. So I need to know how to protect my ebony baby.

How often? Well, that depends on how long you want the protection to last and how deep you want the shine.

Under normal usage the wax should last at least a few months. However it never hurts to wax more often.

In 1980 I had a then new Corvette that I was head over heels with. At the time of the purchase I really couldn't afford the car, but managed to get it financed anyway. Unfortunately the payments zapped so much of my income that I could barely afford gas, so I generally just admired the car in my driveway. The Vette was washed every other day and waxed every other weekend (no lie - you can ask my wife).

Where am I going with this you might ask? Well, we also had a female Siberian Husky at the time and she had a thing about cats (she LOVED them - thought they tasted just like chicken). One day, when the dog was on a lead attached to the garage door, a cat came by to visit and jumped up on the roof of the Vette. The dog attempted to protect her domain by going after the cat. Unfortunately her lead was only long enough to get her up on the hood of the Vette where she attempted to claw her way to the top. This left scratches all over the hood of the Vette - or so I thought. Remember the wax? Seems the multiple wax jobs that were on the Vette created a barrier that protected the finish. All I needed to do was remove the existing wax base (just use dish washing detergent as this will stip most wax finishes) and reapply. Once done the car looked like new again.

I have no idea how many coats of wax were on the Vette, but there were quite a few. I also have no idea how many coats it would take to duplicate the protection. But I do know one coat won't do it. So wax often and the finish will look like new for many many years...

[SybErkRimInAL]

I'm gonna give the turtle Wax Ice line a try. I found this offer that sounds pretty good for what you get. My only question is what's a clay bar?

ICE Turtle Wax

[WhiteFang]

A clay bar is basically just that - a bar of clay. It's somewhat soft (think silly putty) and is used to remove "stuff" that manages to get on the paint but won't wash off. Kind of like a beauty bar for your truck. You use it after washing and before waxing. I've never gone so far as to use one, but I did watch a demo once on how they work. It did make a difference on the vehicle they were using. Made it nice and smooth...

[kwarstler]

If you go with the ICE products, they do not make an actual clay bar. They have a product they refer to as liquid clay bar. It's good for getting bug marks, tar marks and that general gritty grime you often find along your door sills and quarter panels from debris spraying up. It's often recommended to use a clay bar prior to waxing to insure you have a completely clean grit free surface. I've heard a real clay bar works best, but the liquid clay bar has worked so far for me. I spent an afternoon getting the grit off the bottom of my GMC Envoy. It took awhile but it worked. I've found that mud flaps help big time! Glad my Tundra came with them. If you don't have mud flaps, get a pair. It will save you from a lot of heartache from stone chips, grit, etc.

[SybErkRimInAL]

So basically when waxing your vehicle you're supposed to wash it first, then go over it with some other pre-wax product then finally wax. Sounds like an all day job but I'm sure it's worth it to protect the paint. I'll look into mudflaps.

[WhiteFang]

Originally Posted by SybErkRimInAL

So basically when waxing your vehicle you're supposed to wash it first, then go over it with some other pre-wax product then finally wax. Sounds like an all day job but I'm sure it's worth it to protect the paint. I'll look into mudflaps.

Well, actually you're suppose to wash it again after you wax it...

[SybErkRimInAL]

Originally Posted by WhiteFang

Well, actually you're suppose to wash it again after you wax it...

You serious? I'm depending on your advice to keep my baby in mint condition. I've had plenty of cars/suv's in the past and never cared for any of them. This one's special

[WhiteFang]

Yes, I'm serious. But I can only recall doing so once or twice. Generally speaking, by the time I finish waxing the last thing on my mind is washing it again. Way too pooped to do so...

Anyway - after you wax the vehicle there will be a lot of wax dust left from buffing (either by hand or machine). The last wash is to remove the dust. Think of it more as a rinse cycle than a wash. No soap required, just a clean water rinse.

[mhadden]

As much as I am a car/truck connoisseur and all about keeping my vehicles in perfect condition, I take mine to the local self-serve bays. I don't use the boar hair brush though, I have a bucket that has a plastic grate (as not to get dirt particles in the mit) and a microfiber mit with Blue Corral. Works great, although it costs more than washing it in my driveway. At least I don't have to clean anything up Then usually every 3 months I clay and use Zymol Titanium glaze to protect it. After using the Zymol, you can rarely see micro scratches, but I've never had to polish any of my cars since I keep them clean

[WhiteFang]

+1 of the Zymol

I've used Zymol for several years. The shine is amazing. To tell the truth, I don't feel the wax lasts as long as some of the other brands. But - it is VERY easy to put on, so I generally wind up returning to Zymol after trying other brands. I would have to say it's far and away my personal favorite. Matter of fact, just bought a large bottle the other day at Target. And while I'm not looking forward to waxing something as large as the Tundra, I am looking forward to the results of my labor...

[SybErkRimInAL]

Would you guys say paste wax is more effective than liquid wax? And what brand would you reccomend? I was looking at the 3m wax and heard that worked well. I guess everyone will have a different opinion so it's probably more of a trial and error type of deal.