Re: washing and waxing coach.

Topic: Re: washing and waxing coach. (Read 2352 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #25 – January 04, 2018, 08:51:26 pm

Thanks, Chuck. I had never "quoted " before, and was trying to make sure that NEAL got my reply. My question to him regarding the 12 oz. bottle has still NOT been answered. Seems like a small bottle for a big coach. I am interested in the product. It looks good in his pictures. How do I shorten the quote, for the " next time " ?

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #26 – January 04, 2018, 10:25:07 pm

Do not delete anything in the top line that has the word "quote." Delete everything between that top line and the final "[/quote]" except the part to which you are replying or commenting.

(Afterwards, you can use the "Preview" button to see if it is right.)

Trent

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #27 – January 05, 2018, 12:04:56 am

Quote from: GleamB – January 04, 2018, 08:51:26 pm

..................was trying to make sure that NEAL got my reply. My question to him regarding the 12 oz. bottle has still NOT been answered. Seems like a small bottle for a big coach. I am interested in the product. It looks good in his pictures..................

Quote from: GleamB – January 04, 2018, 12:35:11 pm

It seems like Glare has LOTS of products online. IF I understand you correctly, you use Glare polish. Was a 12 oz. bottle enough for the entire coach?? I also understand that you use the Wet and Water as " touchup ".?? Is that correct.? Looks great.

Glenn, Sorry. Been busy with meetings today.

As with most topics, different people have different views of "common sense". So my "common sense", with regard to washing and waxing coaches, likely differs from others. In order to answer your questions, maybe I should put forward my "common sense" on this topic:

Do not use old rags, regardless how soft you may think that they are. Old rags tend to have built up, hardened sections or imperfections and entrapped micro-sized particles that, even freshly laundered, WILL damage the surface. The softer the surface (new paint, new clear coat, fresh gel coat), the more damage occurs.

The cloth that you use to wax your vehicle can make the job much easier. That terry cloth rag that people often use for waxing can make it significantly harder to remove residue than a quality micro-fiber rag. Micro-fibre cleaning cloths are widely available at auto parts stores, big box chains, and even supermarkets. Normally sold in packages of five to ten rags, for a modest fee, they are easily worth the cost. A high quality micro-fibre rag feels extremely soft to the skin and is "snaggy" to your fingers. It is actually hooking onto imperfections in your skin. If the micro-fibre rag feels hard, coarse or its layered folds are "slippery" against one another, the micro-fibre is of low quality and will damage your surface. Its folds need to be super soft and stick to one another.

Washing and Waxing:

Before using any type of wax (there are only three types - paste, liquid or spray), thoroughly wash and dry the vehicle using a high quality vehicle cleaning solution that is designed specifically for the gel coat, clear coat, paint, etc., surface that you are cleaning. The exception to the "drying" step is that some misting detailers (like Wash 'n Wax All) are designed to be and are enhanced by moisture. Therefore, they spread and are more evenly applied, then wiped dry/buffed, when the surface is pre-wetted. That's the beauty of their design and another reason that I favor Wash 'n Wax All; because it makes it easier to use by eliminating the "thorough drying and waiting" steps (before applying any sort of wax ingredient). By misting the Wash 'n Wax All onto a freshly cleaned, but still wet, surface and then drying with a microfiber mop, a freshly waxed surface is achieved in a fraction of the time and steps of the alternatives.

• Never wash or wax a vehicle in direct sunlight or if the paint is more than lukewarm to the touch. To one degree or another, direct UV/sun always softens the paint and makes it highly susceptible to scratching. Smearing a dried cleaning or wax product around on a softened surface is begging for permanent damage.

• Use a lamb's-wool or microfibre mitt for washing and then the product designated applicator pads or micro-fiber towels for waxing. Do not use old rags, synthetic fabrics or anything but the finest quality mitts and brushes for washing; remember that whatever you use, it is always going to trap some dirt particles and scratch the finish to one degree or another. Microfibre, lamb's wool and split-end-Marine-quality or boar's hair brushes, will clean the best, while retaining the least contaminant particles.
Wash in small and wax in far smaller (no more than 3' X 5') sections. This saves time because when either soap or wax stays on too long, it will become difficult to remove.

• With both washing and waxing, start at the top and work your way down. Lower surfaces are the grittiest and can contaminate your mitt or cloth, risking scratches. Use different/strictly segregated mitts and applicators for badly contaminated areas such wheels (particularly brake dust, which can approach diamond dust hardness).

Waxing won't improve the shine on a new gel coat/paint/clear coat surface, (which also has the deficit of being more soft/tender) but it can offer protection against tree sap, bird droppings, road grime and other contaminants.

In order of longevity, paste waxes offer more robust and longer protection than liquid waxes. The least protection is offered by spray or misting/"detailing" waxes. However, that length of protection comes at (1) the cost of being more difficult to apply and (2, and most importantly) the amount of trapped and self contamination that the old waxes themselves accumulate on the surface of the vehicle as the UV and other micropore filling/protection ingredients degrade over time.

In general, paste waxes leave the thickest layer of protection. But consider that in six months (depending upon the paste wax, a month or three longer in gentle, temperature controlled environments, a month or two less in harsher UV, high temperature environments), all of the UV and protective ingredients will essentially be "burned toast", will be essentially spent in terms of protection and should be carefully and thoroughly removed before applying the next new layer of paste.

I know that self denial reigns supreme here, but from extensive testing by supposedly unbiased, reputable entities, few liquid waxes last more than three months (in optimum environments) and the misting, "detailing" waxes are good for about a month or so.

So, keying off of James Stallings recommendations to me (a decade or more ago) I started on a regimen of radically minimized layers of wax (Carnauba or any other kind) for contaminants to hide in, by doing the following; (1) washing with a premium automotive soap (like the Meguire's #62), as soon as possible after accumulating any dirt (or monthly, whichever comes first) and (2) using James' recommended Wash 'n Wax All product immediately after each washing. Then polish once each 6 to 10 years or so.

Wash 'n Wax All leaves little or the least residual film and it leaves an electrostatic coating that repels dust and dirt. Therefore, long term it does not attract or trap contaminants, even on gel coats (which are far more porous than the FOT and especially Extreme clear coats). Monthly may sound like a lot of washing and waxing, but in practice, I've found it to be much easier/faster than what I had been doing in the past and the long term appearance has been an order of magnitude better.

The "GLARE (+) professional polish" product, despite all of the hype appears to be a high quality and highly effective cleaner and polish. Yes. With a good orbital buffer, a 12 oz. bottle easily polishes out the four sides of a 42' coach, with at least 2 or 3 oz. left over (roof is FOT pebble grained coating). If you don't have a load of trapped and embedded wax/dirt, the "GLARE (+) Pro Polish" removes the surface contaminants, super-smooths-out the clear coat surface and leaves the pores and surface filled with what is touted to be, some good UV and leveling protection (up to five years if you choose to believe their hype).

I'm planning on a year maybe and I'm very pleased with how super-smooth the clear coat came out. The slight haze from the GLARE (which can be applied with equal ease to glass, rubber, plastic, vinyl, fiberglass gel coat, even leather, etc., without concern for residual or reoccurring haze residue) is most easily "detailed away" with a microfiber cloth that has been misted with Wash 'n Wax All. So once again, step savings and the Wash 'n Wax All is also the only wax that has been applied. That's why, with freshly decontaminated/cleaned and leveled/smooth clear coat, I'm back to the routine monthly "onceover/touchup/freshening" with Wash 'n Wax All, hopefully for several more years before another polishing.

HTH,
Neal

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #28 – January 05, 2018, 08:45:43 am

Neal,
Thanks for the detailed and informative write up, I now use Wash Wax All, for about a year now, really like the product.

I have always used a brush on a 4' painter's extension handle to wash with though. Maybe not a good idea?

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #29 – January 05, 2018, 10:00:30 am

Neal, Thanks you for taking the time for such a detailed and informative response. I had been watching a lot of You Tube about detailing, washing and waxing, etc, but find that product recommendations change daily. I will be purchasing the products you recommended. Very nice looking rig!!

Re: Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #30 – January 06, 2018, 02:05:42 pm

Quote from: Dave Dunington – December 26, 2017, 11:18:42 am

I would be extremely careful with the amount of dish soap you use. I washed my car, the soapy water dried on the hood, red paint, before I could get it all shammied off, it stained the paint ! I think car wash soaps would be a safer bet ! At least that would be my preference !

Safe travels,
dave

I agree with Dave...dish soap strips waxes...also Ionized water leaves no spots...many brands of car washes on the market.
IMHO

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #31 – January 06, 2018, 05:03:15 pm

Finally chose Meguiar's "Flagship" cleaner & wax. Took the water drops off and gave me the best shine ever! Darkens the stripes nicely.

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #32 – January 06, 2018, 05:13:08 pm

Remember, on vinyl decals 303 Aerospace ONLY, no wax.

Re: Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #33 – January 06, 2018, 05:30:49 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – January 06, 2018, 05:13:08 pm

Remember, on vinyl decals 303 Aerospace ONLY, no wax.

Oh oh, saw nothing on the label. What will take the wax I've put on off? Sure looks purty. What does the wax do to the vinyl?

Re: Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #34 – January 06, 2018, 05:41:11 pm

Likely do as much damage by trying to remove it at this point. As wax disappears (stops beading up) use 303 on the vinyl.

You don't use wax on rubber or vinyl.

Re: Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #35 – January 06, 2018, 07:50:02 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – January 06, 2018, 05:41:11 pm

You don't use wax on rubber or vinyl.

Speaking of which:

When I was washing and waxing my windshield, I noticed that my microfiber towels got a lot of black on them whenever they touched the gasket. Is there something I should clean the gasket with first, or is that just the nature of soft rubber?

Trent

Re: Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #36 – January 15, 2018, 03:02:57 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – January 06, 2018, 05:13:08 pm

Remember, on vinyl decals 303 Aerospace ONLY, no wax.

I got ahold of the fellow that did the beautiful new stripes on ours. He said that the pros seal the 3M stripes these days, so no need to worry about the warnings on the wax bottles about vinyl. He suggests 303 for older coaches not getting a re-stripe. Now, what do I do with the wax remover I sent for? Ah ha! Maybe clean up the interior floor!

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Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #25 – January 04, 2018, 08:51:26 pm

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #26 – January 04, 2018, 10:25:07 pm

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #27 – January 05, 2018, 12:04:56 am

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #28 – January 05, 2018, 08:45:43 am

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #29 – January 05, 2018, 10:00:30 am

Re: Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #30 – January 06, 2018, 02:05:42 pm

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #31 – January 06, 2018, 05:03:15 pm

Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #32 – January 06, 2018, 05:13:08 pm

Re: Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #33 – January 06, 2018, 05:30:49 pm

Re: Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #34 – January 06, 2018, 05:41:11 pm

Re: Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #35 – January 06, 2018, 07:50:02 pm

Re: Re: washing and waxing coach.

Reply #36 – January 15, 2018, 03:02:57 pm

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