Nautical Blue Metallic....let's see 'em!

So, the last time I hand washed a car a 10 years ago, so I basically watched a few videos (ChrisFix on YouTube was helpful because he makes long videos that cover the details and he moves fast so you don't get annoyed) and I read some of the Detailing forum here on TW.

I got analysis paralysis until I decided to just do my best and accept that I might fuck it up the first time. I decided to buy midrange products because I didn't know enough to know the difference between the very best, expensive products. My plan is to use up the mid range stuff and when I need to restock products, I'll know more and can make better decisions about expensive stuff.

I bought:
$20 foam cannon,
a GritGuard bucket filter,
two microfiber mitts for washing,
24 pack of microfiber towels,
6 pack of microfiber polishing pads for polish and wax,
Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash,
Turtle Wax 50935 Scratch Repair Polish
Meguiars Ultimate Paste Wax
2x 5 Gallon Buckets (clean and new)

And I used a small homeowner-grade pressure washer.

First: Do not wear any clothing with metal, like zippers or rivets, or dirty clothes! If you're brushing on the truck while you wash, your clothes can scratch the paint! I wore a clean cotton T-shirt, basketball shorts, and Crocs so that it didn't matter if my feet got wet.

I pressure washed the whole truck with plain water. I was careful to keep the nozzle pretty far from the paint, but I went to town on the undercarriage and wheels.

Took off the tonneau and blasted the bed.

Attached the foam cannon to the washer, filled both buckets with clean water and added Gold Class soap to the wash bucket. The Grit Guard filter went into the clean rinse bucket.

I foam soaped the entire truck, then I soaked a microfiber mitt in the clean soapy bucket and started at the roof, standing in the bed. I washed in back and forth lines, not in circles, so if there was any grit, it minimized the scratch patterns.

Roof, hood and bumper, then each side in turn starting at the roof line and working down.

After each panel I rinsed the mitt in the rinse bucket and scrubbed it on the Grit Guard washboard inside. The guard keeps the mitt from getting into the gritty water in the bottom of the bucket and lets you knock the dirt off into the water. Highly recommend this for the 20 bucks.

Then into the soapy clean water and wash the next panel. I switched to a new, clean mitt halfway through the truck.

Rinse the entire truck with the pressure washer, then blow dry and wipe. I wish I had bought a big, full size microfiber drying towel. I have ordered one for next time.

I have some light and medium clear coat scratches on the truck. I used the Turtle Wax polish on a microfiber pad, using straight back and forth motion and never circles. I pressed evenly with light/medium pressure on the whole pad with a flat hand, but this is tricky because the wax grabs the pad and wants to pull it. I definitely dropped a pad on the ground and had to throw it away because of this. I polished a few inches around each scratch to blend it. The light scratches are basically gone, and several medium scratches are less noticeable. The biggest improvement was in the depression underneath the door handle where there were dozens of light scratches from grabbing the handle. These are entirely gone now after the wax. The others will need to be wet sanded in the future.

I washed and dried the areas I polished to remove the polish. Just a fresh cloth and clean soapy water, the a rinse with a hose and dry.

Now the truck is clean and dry. I put the wax on the microfiber pads and applied a good layer to one panel at a time, starting at the roof. The wax wants to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before you buff it. I would wax a panel/section in back and forth straight lines, making sure that I was refreshing the pad with more wax as I went. I used slightly more rather than slightly less. Not sure if this is the pro move but whatever. By the time I had done a second panel, the first one felt slightly dry and tacky, and I felt like that's what I wanted, and I would go back to buff the first panel with a clean unused microfiber cloth. I used each cloth in quarters and I was being overly careful so I really only used 1 12x12 cloth for two panels.

When I buffed, I used medium pressure. In the future, I might wrap the microfiber cloth around a dry sponge or a second folded cloth to make a firmer, more even pad, but maybe that's not adding anything? I would buff until it looked perfectly clean and shiny. You can look along the surface and see dull spots and buff them until it shines. I aggressively switched buffing cloths once they started to collect wax residue. I used both sides if I could but I was ready to grab a clean one.

That's it!

I saved the washing and drying cloths and mitts, rinsed them, washed, and dried them with no fabric softener as most sources recommended.

I threw away anything that touched polish or wax. You don't want the grit from the polish getting mixed up in clean cloths, and I didn't think the wax would ever come out and wasn't about to put wax through my washing machine and dryer. I am a real Yankee and I hate to waste and I hate disposable stuff but this was an easy call for me. Just trash them.

Cleaned the foam gun with clean water, washed the buckets and guard, and put all my supplies into the dry buckets for next time. You might want to put the soap and wax into plastic baggies. I put the cloths into clean bags as well so they don't pick up any grit or dirt.

I recommend the Detailing forum, and watching two or three pro videos to get a feel, but honestly it's very straightforward at this level. I didn't correct paint, I didn't do a ceramic coat, I didn't clay bar. You can buy everything you need from the Meguiars/Mother's/Turtle Wax official websites or Amazon stores, including bulk microfiber towels and buckets.

You will be fine using your best judgement, and when in doubt go heavy on soap, change your water frequently, and go light with every other product. It's easier to add more than to remove it. Try to avoid the heat of mid day, avoid direct sun if you can. I was in the shade of trees in the late afternoon and it was fine at about 73F.

I'm also very confident that I will be able to wet sand the remaining scratches in the future, that is an extra step but it is simple and now I won't think about the washing steps because I'm comfortable doing it.

Thank you for attending my Ted Talk.

 

Amazing write up ! Really thorough and detailed…. Just like my next wash! Thanks will definitely reference