What's in your kit?

It's hot out and the car needs to look its best so what I want to know what's in your detailing kit? My kit so far consist of Armorall car wash and extreme tire shine with turtle wax scratch and swirl remover along with super hard shell turtle wax. For brushes I have a green bristle brush (since I'm not using acids. However if you we're using acid you would need a yellow bristle brush), mothers detail and tire brush. Lastly I have a meguiars microfiber wash mitt with supreme shine towels.

 

So anyone have any suggestions on what else I should get or feedback on the products I have now?

First off, it is great that you are even considering putting together a kit. A lot of people just go with whatever they can find. The fact that you are considering which products to use and how they will be used speaks volumes about your eye for detail and your respect for the car. It sounds a little goofy to say that, but if you don't respect the car then the car makes you pay for it. Manufacturers have assured us of that.

 

Swirl removal is very difficult to do without a machine, so just be warned of that. Plan on spending a couple hours just on that step alone if you are going to try to get rid of lots of swirls. If you are doing this job by hand then there may be some better products which will give you a better appearance and be less work. Meguiar's NXT comes to mind. It has micro particles in it which will help polish the paint, but it also contains some fillers which will mask a lot of the swirls. On top of that it is a synthetic sealant which will give you a great looking shine that will last far longer than your Turtle Wax will. It is a one step product that is actually worth using and it gets a thumbs up from me for sure.

 

One step you are missing is the clay bar. That is a very important step and you should definitely invest in one of those. Turtle Wax actually has a terrific clay bar kit that comes with a liquid clay polish (which you should throw in the trash immediately), the clay bar, clay lube, and I believe it may have had an applicator or a towel, but I could be wrong there. Anyway, the clay bar is a very good quality clay and very gentle on the paint. Either get the Turtle Wax clay bar kit or the Clay Magic kit. They are fairly close in price at probably around $12 or $15 bucks for the kit and it will make a HUGE difference in the feel of your car. It pulls the particles out which cause the little black and orange dots you probably can see on your bumper and deck as well as getting tree sap, tar, and bugs that are embedded in the paint out. Clay is a simple product to use and it is unbelievable when you are done. You may not see much difference, but you will feel it for sure. Trust me on that one.

 

Give Eagle One A2Z wheel/tire cleaner a shot too. That is another step that is important before you put on tire shine. It is a terrific cleaner and will make keeping your wheels looking good much easier. Don't expect the product to do all the work though. Spray it on before you wash the car and then hose it off. It will get a ton of crud off, but you will still want to wash the wheels with soapy water to get the rest. This just makes it so much easier to get a thorough job done.

 

Oh, don't forget to hit your headlights and tail lights with the wax when you are done. That will help keep them from fogging. Your car is getting to the age where that is going to start becoming an issue, so keeping them protected is important.

 

I think that is just about it. You'll have a great little kit sitting there for anytime you want to get your car looking good again. Kudos to you for your effort!

Yeah I always respect my cars oil changes at every 2k miles since I put 300 miles a week lol. Just as you said respect your car it will respect you I am a VERY strong believer of that! So with the scratch and scuff remover I would need a buffer? I will also defiantly look into the clays

Just avoid the $50 generic buffers you find at Sears. Go to coastaltool.com and get a Porter Cable 7424. It should be about a hundred bucks shipped. That is the first polisher anybody should get. It won't do damage to your car, it has a short learning curve to be able to use it well, and it is damn near indestructible. Don't try saving a couple bucks by buying one with plastic gears and wool pads. You'll just burn your paint and cause more work for yourself. The PC7424 is the machine you want to invest in. Until you have that machine I would probably suggest just living with the swirls and try not to introduce new ones by drying the car with a bath towel or using nylon brushes when you wash it.

Oh yeah no bath towels I invested in a 3pk of meguiars supreme shine microfiber towel and thanks for a suggestion on the buffer. I'll def take your advice! With the brush I'm almost sure that the yellow bristles are nylon cause the nylon can deal with acid.

Two things...

 

1. Not all microfiber towels are created equal. They make everything from basketballs to underwear out of microfiber, so not every product is going to work the same. For drying the car I would recommend a waffle weave microfiber towel. There are some towels designed for buffing, some for wiping, some for cleaning, and waffle weave is designed for drying. A plush microfiber towel is great for buffing off wax and polish. A non fluffy towel is great for wiping and cleaning. There are others that are better at glass cleaning than others as well. Again, don't use just any old towel to dry with just because it says 'microfiber' on the label. A great drying towel is made out of microfiber, but not all microfiber towels are great for drying with.

 

2. Nylon bristles = SWIRLS. They make great wheel brushes, but I wouldn't use them on your paint. I know it may be made for Meguiar's, but not everything on the shelf made for cars is safe for cars. Meguiar's also makes a lot of money selling polishes to remove the swirls that their brushes and lousy clay create, so there is that. Boar's (hog) hair brushes are a hundred times safer for your paint and they will essentially do the same job. Honestly, if it is just a weekly summer wash then I'd suggest getting a sheep skin or microfiber mitt. Brushes are great on roofs you can't reach across or on super dirty vehicles that just came back from off roading, but on a daily driver that just has typical driving grime on it you can probably get away with using a mitt. Just a suggestion.

Yeah I have a mitt along with mothers tire brush for the rims I have the other green bristle brush for my mud flaps and wheel wells for the caked on stuff. Then little detail brushes for the the little creases in my dash and the other small areas. But really awesome advice can't thank you enough

Can you suggest what towels to use for drying and for interior

For the interior any towel will work. You can get one of those big packs at Costco for all it matters there. It is only on the paint that I recommend going big and paying a couple bucks per towel.

 

As far as drying goes, I like the Guzzler towel. http://www.autogeek.net/microfiber-waffle-weave.html I have a couple of them and I love them. Considering how many cars I dry with them, I am amazed at how long they have lasted. I'd wager I've had these towels for three or four years at least and they still work like new. Definitely a good investment and a very effective drying towel.