~ Washing and polishing ~

These are the steps that I use to wash and polish my car. I don't believe it's ever been garaged, so the finish is less than spectacular. Bearing that in mind, I'm extremely happy with the results of this process.

1) Wash

I use a sheepskin wash mitt to wash the car. These are available pretty much everywhere. The long, natural fibers hold more soapy water and allow loosened grit to migrate away from the surface being washed. This reduces washing swirl marks. As far as soap goes, I'm presently using Zymol, basically because I like the smell.

2) Clay Bar

Next, I use Mother's California Gold Clay Bar Paint Saving System (www.mothers.com). I bought this from Pep Boys. The clay bar pulls contaminants and debris out of the paint that that simple washing doesn't remove. You really need to feel the surface after the clay bar to appreciate it.... like glass!

3) Polish

My next step is the actual polishing. I use Klasse All-in-One, followed by Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze. These two Klasse products are great. I've never used a product that compares. It looks great, lasts long, and is extremely easy to use. I bought the Klasse Concourse Kit, which includes the Klasse All-in-One, Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze, and two applicator pads from Proper Auto Care. They claim that using both products will protect up to one year.

Here is an application method from Proper Auto Care that is fast, uses only 1 or 2 ounces per car, and produces phenomenal results.

Take a dry Viper Microfiber Detailing Cloth (not the Glass Cloth) and fold it until it’s palm sized. Lightly mist the cloth with Eagle One Wet Wipe N’ Shine. Apply a dab of All-In-One to the cloth about the size of a nickel. Apply to one section of the car at a time (i.e. a door, 1/2 of the top, etc.). You’ll notice that it wipes on very easily (thanks to the lubricating action of the Wet Wipe N’ Shine) and leaves virtually no residue. When you’re done with one section, take a second, dry Viper Detailing Cloth and re-wipe the area to remove any residual residues.

Continue walking around the vehicle doing one section at a time. Re-fold your application cloth as needed to keep the application surface fresh. Continue with a light mist of Wipe N’ Shine and a small dab of All-In-One to do each section of the vehicle.

If you’re a perfectionist, you can repeat the above steps using Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze. It takes less Glaze to do the same area so start with a dab the size of a dime. You do not need to wait for the All-In-One to dry before applying the Sealant Glaze. It can be applied immediately.

The Viper Microfiber Detailing Cloths (listed on Proper Auto Care's detailing tools page) come three cloths to a package. This is perfect as it gives you one cloth to apply the All-In-One, one cloth for the Sealant Glaze and a third cloth to use as a wipe cloth. The Eagle One Wet Wipe N' Shine can be found pretty much everywhere.

Glass Cleaning

I always hated cleaning the interior glass with windex and paper towels, until I discovered microfiber towels at Target (also available from Proper Auto Care). Now I can clean my interior glass streak-free in minutes using only water and 2 microfibre towels (one wet, and one dry).

webmaster@lustreking.com