How to keep my stang looking new

[92-93lxsrule]

In the past I have used ol towels /cheese cloth etc... and it does look good but i noticed after a while those minute hazy scratches in the clearcoat appear.
Ive been thinking about just using a sponge with a waterhose and mild detergent and then rushing it to the car wash for the spot free rinse.
Whats your input.
thanx

 

[92-93lxsrule]

In the past I have used ol towels /cheese cloth etc... and it does look good but i noticed after a while those minute hazy scratches in the clearcoat appear.
Ive been thinking about just using a sponge with a waterhose and mild detergent and then rushing it to the car wash for the spot free rinse.
Whats your input.
thanx

Better yet does anyone know how to make their own spot free rinse?
I live 10 miles from the nearest car wash.

 

[UmmYeahOk]

Ok, first thing, own a crappy towel, one you dont mine having permanent stains on. The reason youre getting scratches in your clear coat is because of tiny dirt grains, wiping off your car basically turns those dirt grains into sand paper. Ouch! So this is what I do. Hose down your car. Wipe the entire car off with a soapy sponge. Then hose it down again. Wait for it to dry some what. You want some water droplets left. Not too dry, not too soaked. Then wipe off your car with the towel. This removed any possible spots. Whats said in green, I hardly do. Its one of those things you baby your car with. Kinda like armoralling the black plastic pieces. You don't hafta do it.

What I like to do, id drive it through a car wash. Drive home. THEN wipe it off with a towel. After driving theres enough droplets left for you to do this.

Oh, and most importantly. Wash your towel after every wash. A dirty towel is sand paper to clear coats. Do you wash your cheese cloth?

 

[jas142]

Whenever I wash my car (once a week) I use the process Ummyeahok said. I dunno, I have fun cleaning my car. Every sunday I bring a radio outside and turn on some good music, then:

Rinse the entire car down with the hose, just get everything wet. Fill a bucket with some detergent and water, and get a good sponge. I get the front of the car all soapy, then rinse it off. Then each side, rinse them off. Then the back, rinse it off. Then the rims. Then I toweldry it, and clean the interior. If you do it like that, it'll look great for years

 

[92-93lxsrule]

I agree with all but want to avoid the towel dry and may add in the spot free rinse.My stang is forest green metallic so every little scratch will stand out.
What do u think of the wash-n-wax stuff? Its all 1 step.
I know nothin beats a towel dry and then a fresh wax but im really anal about no haziness on the finish.

 

[rjstaaf]

Better yet does anyone know how to make their own spot free rinse?
I live 10 miles from the nearest car wash.

http://www.protectall.com/qelg.htm

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/products/index.cfm?deptID=2&subOf=12&prodID=1545&src=TSC

 

[rjstaaf]

I agree with all but want to avoid the towel dry and may add in the spot free rinse.My stang is forest green metallic so every little scratch will stand out.
What do u think of the wash-n-wax stuff? Its all 1 step.
I know nothin beats a towel dry and then a fresh wax but im really anal about no haziness on the finish.

Have you tried microfiber towels? They are much softer than cotton terry towels and will NOT scratch your paint. They have specific weaves for drying (waffle weave) and removing wax or quick detailing (terry). The best source I have found for microfiber is www.pakshak.com. Ranney has absolutely the BEST customer service and even though he is in Hawaii it never takes more than 3-5 days to get to me here on the East coast.

 

[rjstaaf]

It also sounds like your washing method may be introducing those scratches. I rarely use sponges as dirt just gets trapped in all the poors and will find its way back to your paint.

1. Make sure you start off by taking your hose and spraying down the entire car including the wheel wells and wheels to make sure you rinse away as much loose debris as possible.

2. Use 2 buckets, one with plain water and the other with your car wash detergent/water mix.

3. The best thing going for washing is sheepskin wool mitts. They have a very deep nap that will trap far more dirt than even terry towels.
a. rinse the mitt in the plain water bucket to remove any debris.
b. dunk the mitt in the detergent bucket to load it with soap.
c. wash one panel with the mitt.
d. rinse panel with hose.
e. start back at a and repeat steps until done.

Some suggest a second wash mitt for the lower panels since they often have more crap on them.

For drying I would highly suggest the waffle weave microfiber towels. To minimize the amount of water on the car you can take the nozzle off the hose and just let the water flow over the car starting at the top. This causes a sheeting action which will carry most of the water off the car minimizing the amount of drying you have to do therefore minimizing chances of spotting or scratching.