CLASSIC DIY: car washing and waxing info

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So it’s time to wash your car again, and you want it looking great.So what are the key things you need to know about washing and waxing?Here is a guide to help you through what to use and what not to use, and how to get your car looking great. What towels should I use, and how do I avoid "swirls"? There are actually only TWO kinds of towels you should ever let touch your car.(cotton/terry cloths are ok once you have a layer or coat of wax on)One is called the “Absorber”, and comes in a plastic type container.It’s synthetically made and will minimize swirling or tiny scratches on your car.It’s awesome at drying, and you even store it when it is wet. The other type of towel is called “micro fiber”.It is also a synthetic type of towel, and even though it feels abrasive, it’s not.It dries better than a regular towel or cotton/terry cloth, and can be used for applying and removing wax, or for buffing.They are often green or blue in color, and should say “micro fiber” on the package.You can buy both the absorber and micro fiber towels at most auto stores. What do I use to wash the car? If your car has not been recently waxed, you should use Dawn® liquid dish soap to wash your car.Use enough to get the bucket nice and full of soap and suds.The reason you use Dawn® is because it breaks down any remaining wax on the car, and is best at removing dirt and build up on your paint.HOWEVER, if you have recently waxed your car and don’t want to strip the wax, use a brand name car washing soap that is actually made for washing cars.You can get it at Auto-Zone, PEP Boys, Sears or a similar place.Just avoid the isle with gold tipped mufflers and neon shift knobs. Okay, the car is washed, so what do I do to wax it? Well there are several ways you can go about waxing, depending on what suits you and how much money and time you wish to spend.There are several brands available on the market for waxing.You can do a simple wax job where you just spray or apply the wax, and then let it dry so you can buff it out.There are many waxes like this.Or you can do multiple stage waxing, where you can get into using clay bars and multiple stage coating of waxes.Depending on what brand you use, the steps to take to wax will vary.Here are a few examples of sites you can go to for waxing products and the steps to use them: Zaino Brother’s Waxthis is my favorite and gets the car looking AWESOME, but is time consuming) Web site: http://www.zainobros.com/ FAQ: http://www.zainobros.com/files/faq.htm Meguiar’s Wax: Web site:http://www.meguiars.com/ FAQ:http://www.meguiars.com/fastrack/fastrack_browse.cfm Mother’s Wax: Web site:http://www.mothers.com/ FAQ:http://www.mothers.com/carcare/carcare.html

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