Recommendations, "Over the Counter" Waxes/Polish

Anyone have any quick reccommendations for "over the counter" waxes/polishes that I can pick up @ the local walmart or something on my way home?

I am going to do a quick wash and wax tonight and would like some pointers on what to buy and what to leave alone.

I would like to do a full wash / clay bar / wash / wax in a few weeks. I am thinking of ordering the zaino bros system. But need to do something in the meantime.

Thanks

Meguirs NXT for sealant and there isn't much for polish that I personally would use. Go to Autogeek.net or danase.com (they are a vendor here and offer a discount) and order a package from there.

For compounds, polishes and glazes, I only use 3M and you can buy it anywhere. I like the "professional" line. It's easy to use and quite forgiving for newbies but if you know how to use it, it can be used as the sole brand if you run a detailing buisness.

 

For a store bought protectant, I would use either Meguiars NXT. If you have time and dont want to detail the car too often, Liquid Glass is pretty good, it last a long time and most people have no idea how well it shines.

 

I would steer clear from the Meguiars clay bar, I have never seen something crumble apart in my hands like that stuff does. Try to pick up a Clay Magic bar.

to clay magic.... which reminds me I need to go get some more

Ok, for what it's worth I'm a fan of turtle wax liquid ice. It's semi-clear liquid polish/wax that you rub on with an applicator sponge...you can put it on anything. Glass, rubber trim, paint (of course), etc.

 

It dries clear....on darker colors, it looks a little like oily swirls. Impossible to see from 5 feet, but it shows a little up close.

 

Anyway, takes about 10 minutes to do the whole car with it and 10 minutes to remove. It makes the trim look fantastic, the paint look fantastic, and leaves a nice "shell" of protection for a few weeks.

 

Nothing like a really good wax or sealant, but also very easy to use.

 

Joe

yah, i dont use off-the-shelf, but if i had to, i would get the Ice.

that shit sucks balls^. i threw away 1/2 a bottle it's easy to use and deosn't leave white residue but, it doesn't protect worth shit.

s100 from a harley store they have a paste wax and polish..or NXT...carnuba for the darker colors and the nxt for lighter or colors with metallic in them

that shit sucks balls^. i threw away 1/2 a bottle it's easy to use and deosn't leave white residue but, it doesn't protect worth shit.

 

 

Like I said, "It makes the trim look fantastic, the paint look fantastic, and leaves a nice "shell" of protection for a few weeks.

 

Nothing like a really good wax or sealant, but also very easy to use."

 

 

It protects for a few weeks, at most. It's good for something take takes 20 minutes and barely breaking a sweat to apply. It's also one of the very few products you can easily, quickly, safely apply to paint AND trim. Your trim will thank you for it.

 

If I wax my car 2-3 times a year, I'll use the turtle wax liquid ice 2-3 times a year in between those waxes to help give the car a little shine.

 

Joe

If you apply turtle wax liquid on top of a real wax or sealant that's chill but, I wouldn't trust it to protect your paint by itself.

Mothers

^^+1

Mother's Reflection and Mother's FX lines are pretty good OTC's, and their carnauba ultimate wax ain't half bad either.

I use Meguiars NXT 2.0 now. Lasts a lot longer than the old NXT. On black cars, I'd use a bottom layer of Gold Class carnauba to bright out the black gloss, and then a layer of NXT to protect it.

 

Then maintain with Meguiars Ultimate Quick Detail. It cleans like the old Quick Detail, but it now has wax it in to maintain protection.

When I look for a wax I'm more concerned about how well its going to protect the paint and think of the shine second. I use Black Magic it's like 5-10 bucks its durable, easy to apply, lasts long and is cheap. I would never had touched the stuff but CR did a test a while back and it outperformed all the other waxes they were testing. Word of advice let it haze for like an hour before you start buffing it out otherwise it streaks. http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/living/autos/cr-rates-car-waxes-60626.shtml

 

It's all in the prep: car wash, clay, paint cleaner, polish, wax. I usually just clay and wax unless I got time.

i just started using mothers maybe a week ago. Best ive tried so far for cleaners, sealent and waxes. so easy to work with. turtle wax hard shell wax is also really good

I have a whole article dedicated to over the counter products that work great. The article is called "basic detailing" only because it is for the detailer that wants to shop locally. Once you get more knowledgable about what you want to use and what you want as far as results go, then you have to branch out and shop online. There are much better product options online than there are locally.

Tech Wax 2.0 is great...

I'm loving Wolfgang's pre-polish enhancer + sealant. Thanks for the recommendation a while ago, OCD.

 

OK, maybe not "over the counter", but available on the interweb.

Just picked up a 7 piece Meguiers detail kit at Wal Mart for $20 on closeout. Polish, wax, tire gel, interior stuff. It's worth trolling the aisle if you're by there.

 

Of course I don't need it because OCDetails has cost me about $600 on supplies over the last month:p, but I can always give it away.

I do my best. I seriously ought to just start selling this stuff. I've got a passion for the business and I know I could make it a success, but I'm at a point in my professional career that anything else would be a cut in pay, and who can afford to do that these days? I don't have the time to even do it part time, so I'm just happy to make the recomendations where I can and get people pointed in the right direction.

 

Off the shelf stuff is great, but you really do need to get online if you want to take your detailing to the next level. WalMart and AutoZone don't care about the appearance of your car quite like an Autogeek or Danase or DetailCity do. It's like the difference between shopping for a car at a rebuilt title car lot versus a brand dealership. There is a whole lot of difference in quality and options and customer service. Don't be afraid to get online to order things. Just order a lot of it so you can offset the shipping.

Me and a lot of my friends use Zaino it's great Although Pricey.. But if you love your car then purchase it..

http://www.zainostore.com/

Zaino is great for durability. It has almost a cult following too. It's following is strong enough that it was the topic of this member's first post. lol I used to stock it for customer requests, but I haven't had a customer request Zaino for four years, so I stopped buying it. Sal needs to get with the times and update his formula.

Zaino is definitely cult-like

 

I've begun to see Klasse in the same light, except it's much cheaper. I haven't bought it yet, and OCDetails has me scared to death of using Klasse Sealant Glaze.....but it seems like the price vs. performance is pretty good.

 

OCD - How do you compare Klasse SG vs. Zaino for durable protection?

 

I definitely am looking for durability....as without a garage or really the appropriate tools to get the job done right, it's a real PITA to do it...

 

Joe

BTW, OCD - you talk about industrial fallout. I had begun to notice my car (a "galaxy gray" 06 Civic) was getting ALOT of circles of dark gray dirt on it while at work.

 

Now I park in a big parking lot with the nearest tree (or anything overhead) about 100 feet away.

 

Sadly, it took me awhile to realize that I work about 1-2 miles away from Willow Grove Naval Air Station, a busy military airport with large planes and small jets flying overhead all day long. The amount of pollution coming down is staggering.

 

I didn't want to clay, but now I gotta

 

Joe

I use both Klasse AIO and the SG. The glaze though is a bastard to buff off if you let it sit to long but I then just apply NXT quick detail spray and buff off as I go.