Rear of W212 gets super dirty FAST (aerodynamics?), & need tips w/ White paint
05-15-2011, 04:16 PM
#26
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w212
i have a w212, although its black, ive noticed the same thing!! just a day after i clean it and the back is dirty (well no one else thinks so, but im ocd about my car being clean). its the only part of the car that really seems to get dirty, so i agree with the aerodynamics comment for sure. I figured out awhile ago, to keep a quick detailer spray and some micro fiber towels in my garage, all you have to do is give the back of the car a couple of small sprays and wipe till the detailer is gone. I usemeguiars ultimate quik detailer but since your car isnt black i would try zanio z-6 ultra clean gloss enhancer. this stuff really is great. it takes two minutes (unlike waxing) and it keeps dirt from sticking and makes your car look really shiny. Its saved me so much time and money from having to wash my car frequently or having to wax it. just make sure you use it outside, they tend to smell strongly.
05-15-2011, 04:27 PM
#27
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2010 E550 Sport Sedan Blk/Blk
I hate a dirty back end, and I aint just talking about cars... hahaha
But I also notice the same thing, but one thing I notice is that I do leave the garage door open too much and with how windy its been lately, all the dust just blows in and and hits the rear of the car since it is the most vulnerable part.
But I also notice the same thing, but one thing I notice is that I do leave the garage door open too much and with how windy its been lately, all the dust just blows in and and hits the rear of the car since it is the most vulnerable part.
05-15-2011, 04:38 PM
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2012 CLS63
tell me about it.......I gave up even trying.....
I have found that cleaning the windows and keeping the outside rim of my wheels clean
can 'make' it look cleaner than it is.....lol.......
but there is also that time of day where the car looks amazing.....clean or dirty.....hehe...usually in the evening.....
I've captured some stunning pix with my 60D even when the car is filthy.....
I have found that cleaning the windows and keeping the outside rim of my wheels clean
can 'make' it look cleaner than it is.....lol.......
but there is also that time of day where the car looks amazing.....clean or dirty.....hehe...usually in the evening.....
I've captured some stunning pix with my 60D even when the car is filthy.....
05-15-2011, 05:25 PM
#30
MBWorld Fanatic!
Your car was delivered when, about a year ago and you never waxed it, what did you expect? Of course airborne contaminants will adhere to your finish. Even if you were silly enough to believe the dealer's bs about 6 mos you're still about another 6 mos past. Get your lazy *** out in the driveway and wash, clay and wax lol. I always use a spray wax and dry product after every car wash, keeps the surface buttery smooth and extra protected against this kind of this sticky stuff. Most cars rear ends especially above the back bumper get the most dirt. We expect full pics after you've rescued your car's finish.
Last edited by RJC; 05-15-2011 at 05:44 PM.
05-15-2011, 06:42 PM
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2005 Audi S4 MT6
Skip all of the Autozone crap. None of that stuff will last long and it's extremely over priced. This forum kind of has a crappy detailing section which is why the people here seem to be uneducated as far as detailing goes.
first off, the rear end of every single car ever made will always accumulate more dirt and contaminants than any part of the car. This is because a negative vacuum is created from the air flowing off the sides, bottom, and top of the car. Just throwing a coat of wax on there is not going to prevent anything, you just have to deal with it.
There are proper ways to remove the contaminants off the paint. Washing it will do nothing to the stuck on stuff, and the last thing you want to do is scrub it. You first want to wash the car with a heavy duty shampoo such as (Einzsett W99 or P21S). Then you need to clay. And I'm not talking about that over priced lump of s-h-i-t that comes in the mother's and meguiar's clay kits. As long as you do this every year, a moderate clay bar such as the Adam's clay bar will be just fine or the Uber medium bar.
After you clay, that is when you would do your polishing. if you have done it before and you're patient, go for it. Mercedes' made after 06-07 seem to have very cheap, soft paint. mercedes used to have very high quality paint like Audi used to, but due to switches to paints that are better for the environment, the new paints are basically just crap. shame that a 70k car comes with paint that's no better than a corolla, but that's the way it has to be unfortunately. You can find all of the polishes you's want to use on detailersdomain. I would use a porter cable with my first step being Meguiars M105 with a yellow pad, and second step being Meguiars M205 with a blue pad. Meguiars polishes are easy to work with and pretty much fool proof. not the best stuff but they are fool proof. Menzerna would be the top brand if you're curious.
After you polish, wash the car again. Then for wax, well, it's really up to you. Ideally, you want to do a sealant applied with a Porter cable and an Uber black pad. A good sealant to use would be Menzerna Power Lock or Enizsett Glanz. If you want to do multiple layers of sealnt, make sure you are doing them a couple days apart with washes before every application. Do no more than 2-3 coats.
If you want some extra shine and depth, then go ahead and pick you favorite carnuba wax. Don't get anything from autozone or whatever. It doesnt contain enough carnuba to even be considered a carnuba. Look on DD's website and read descriptions and reviews. I would say the best bang for your buck carnubas would be either Lusso-Oro or Adam's Americana. The Swissvax stuff is great. Don't bother with their sub $200 waxes. If you really want a great wax, spend over that and get the one that is designed for your general color.
For general maintenance washes, use a wool wash mit, and a good shampoo (not the HD ones like W99 and P21S). I personally like Einzsett Perls. It doesn't foam at all (which is a marketing gimmick) but it basically lubricates the water you are washing with and leaves behind a nice slick finish without stripping wax. If you like the foam because it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, then Adams Car Wash or Sonax shampoo will work for you. the nice thing about the Adam's car wash is that you can wash the car directly in the sun. you just rinse the whole car when you are done. Whereas with Perls, yo have to literally wash the hood, rinse, wash a fender, rinse. One last important detail - USE 2 BUCKETS!. you never want to dip your wash mit in your soap bucket right after you just rubbed it on your dirty car. have one bucket with soap, and one with plain water. Wash a panel, then rinse the mit in the plain water.
Hope that helps some people here. A good coat of sealant and wax will not prevent the rear end from getting dirty, but it will help you wash it off. I see too many people on here using cheap, useless autozone special waxes and cheap over-hyped car shampoos. Yes, that means that your nice smelling Meg's Gold Class shampoo is better as a cologne than a shampoo.
first off, the rear end of every single car ever made will always accumulate more dirt and contaminants than any part of the car. This is because a negative vacuum is created from the air flowing off the sides, bottom, and top of the car. Just throwing a coat of wax on there is not going to prevent anything, you just have to deal with it.
There are proper ways to remove the contaminants off the paint. Washing it will do nothing to the stuck on stuff, and the last thing you want to do is scrub it. You first want to wash the car with a heavy duty shampoo such as (Einzsett W99 or P21S). Then you need to clay. And I'm not talking about that over priced lump of s-h-i-t that comes in the mother's and meguiar's clay kits. As long as you do this every year, a moderate clay bar such as the Adam's clay bar will be just fine or the Uber medium bar.
After you clay, that is when you would do your polishing. if you have done it before and you're patient, go for it. Mercedes' made after 06-07 seem to have very cheap, soft paint. mercedes used to have very high quality paint like Audi used to, but due to switches to paints that are better for the environment, the new paints are basically just crap. shame that a 70k car comes with paint that's no better than a corolla, but that's the way it has to be unfortunately. You can find all of the polishes you's want to use on detailersdomain. I would use a porter cable with my first step being Meguiars M105 with a yellow pad, and second step being Meguiars M205 with a blue pad. Meguiars polishes are easy to work with and pretty much fool proof. not the best stuff but they are fool proof. Menzerna would be the top brand if you're curious.
After you polish, wash the car again. Then for wax, well, it's really up to you. Ideally, you want to do a sealant applied with a Porter cable and an Uber black pad. A good sealant to use would be Menzerna Power Lock or Enizsett Glanz. If you want to do multiple layers of sealnt, make sure you are doing them a couple days apart with washes before every application. Do no more than 2-3 coats.
If you want some extra shine and depth, then go ahead and pick you favorite carnuba wax. Don't get anything from autozone or whatever. It doesnt contain enough carnuba to even be considered a carnuba. Look on DD's website and read descriptions and reviews. I would say the best bang for your buck carnubas would be either Lusso-Oro or Adam's Americana. The Swissvax stuff is great. Don't bother with their sub $200 waxes. If you really want a great wax, spend over that and get the one that is designed for your general color.
For general maintenance washes, use a wool wash mit, and a good shampoo (not the HD ones like W99 and P21S). I personally like Einzsett Perls. It doesn't foam at all (which is a marketing gimmick) but it basically lubricates the water you are washing with and leaves behind a nice slick finish without stripping wax. If you like the foam because it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, then Adams Car Wash or Sonax shampoo will work for you. the nice thing about the Adam's car wash is that you can wash the car directly in the sun. you just rinse the whole car when you are done. Whereas with Perls, yo have to literally wash the hood, rinse, wash a fender, rinse. One last important detail - USE 2 BUCKETS!. you never want to dip your wash mit in your soap bucket right after you just rubbed it on your dirty car. have one bucket with soap, and one with plain water. Wash a panel, then rinse the mit in the plain water.
Hope that helps some people here. A good coat of sealant and wax will not prevent the rear end from getting dirty, but it will help you wash it off. I see too many people on here using cheap, useless autozone special waxes and cheap over-hyped car shampoos. Yes, that means that your nice smelling Meg's Gold Class shampoo is better as a cologne than a shampoo.
05-15-2011, 09:02 PM
#32
Super Member
Skip all of the Autozone crap. None of that stuff will last long and it's extremely over priced. This forum kind of has a crappy detailing section which is why the people here seem to be uneducated as far as detailing goes.
first off, the rear end of every single car ever made will always accumulate more dirt and contaminants than any part of the car. This is because a negative vacuum is created from the air flowing off the sides, bottom, and top of the car. Just throwing a coat of wax on there is not going to prevent anything, you just have to deal with it.
There are proper ways to remove the contaminants off the paint. Washing it will do nothing to the stuck on stuff, and the last thing you want to do is scrub it. You first want to wash the car with a heavy duty shampoo such as (Einzsett W99 or P21S). Then you need to clay. And I'm not talking about that over priced lump of s-h-i-t that comes in the mother's and meguiar's clay kits. As long as you do this every year, a moderate clay bar such as the Adam's clay bar will be just fine or the Uber medium bar.
After you clay, that is when you would do your polishing. if you have done it before and you're patient, go for it. Mercedes' made after 06-07 seem to have very cheap, soft paint. mercedes used to have very high quality paint like Audi used to, but due to switches to paints that are better for the environment, the new paints are basically just crap. shame that a 70k car comes with paint that's no better than a corolla, but that's the way it has to be unfortunately. You can find all of the polishes you's want to use on detailersdomain. I would use a porter cable with my first step being Meguiars M105 with a yellow pad, and second step being Meguiars M205 with a blue pad. Meguiars polishes are easy to work with and pretty much fool proof. not the best stuff but they are fool proof. Menzerna would be the top brand if you're curious.
After you polish, wash the car again. Then for wax, well, it's really up to you. Ideally, you want to do a sealant applied with a Porter cable and an Uber black pad. A good sealant to use would be Menzerna Power Lock or Enizsett Glanz. If you want to do multiple layers of sealnt, make sure you are doing them a couple days apart with washes before every application. Do no more than 2-3 coats.
If you want some extra shine and depth, then go ahead and pick you favorite carnuba wax. Don't get anything from autozone or whatever. It doesnt contain enough carnuba to even be considered a carnuba. Look on DD's website and read descriptions and reviews. I would say the best bang for your buck carnubas would be either Lusso-Oro or Adam's Americana. The Swissvax stuff is great. Don't bother with their sub $200 waxes. If you really want a great wax, spend over that and get the one that is designed for your general color.
For general maintenance washes, use a wool wash mit, and a good shampoo (not the HD ones like W99 and P21S). I personally like Einzsett Perls. It doesn't foam at all (which is a marketing gimmick) but it basically lubricates the water you are washing with and leaves behind a nice slick finish without stripping wax. If you like the foam because it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, then Adams Car Wash or Sonax shampoo will work for you. the nice thing about the Adam's car wash is that you can wash the car directly in the sun. you just rinse the whole car when you are done. Whereas with Perls, yo have to literally wash the hood, rinse, wash a fender, rinse. One last important detail - USE 2 BUCKETS!. you never want to dip your wash mit in your soap bucket right after you just rubbed it on your dirty car. have one bucket with soap, and one with plain water. Wash a panel, then rinse the mit in the plain water.
Hope that helps some people here. A good coat of sealant and wax will not prevent the rear end from getting dirty, but it will help you wash it off. I see too many people on here using cheap, useless autozone special waxes and cheap over-hyped car shampoos. Yes, that means that your nice smelling Meg's Gold Class shampoo is better as a cologne than a shampoo.
first off, the rear end of every single car ever made will always accumulate more dirt and contaminants than any part of the car. This is because a negative vacuum is created from the air flowing off the sides, bottom, and top of the car. Just throwing a coat of wax on there is not going to prevent anything, you just have to deal with it.
There are proper ways to remove the contaminants off the paint. Washing it will do nothing to the stuck on stuff, and the last thing you want to do is scrub it. You first want to wash the car with a heavy duty shampoo such as (Einzsett W99 or P21S). Then you need to clay. And I'm not talking about that over priced lump of s-h-i-t that comes in the mother's and meguiar's clay kits. As long as you do this every year, a moderate clay bar such as the Adam's clay bar will be just fine or the Uber medium bar.
After you clay, that is when you would do your polishing. if you have done it before and you're patient, go for it. Mercedes' made after 06-07 seem to have very cheap, soft paint. mercedes used to have very high quality paint like Audi used to, but due to switches to paints that are better for the environment, the new paints are basically just crap. shame that a 70k car comes with paint that's no better than a corolla, but that's the way it has to be unfortunately. You can find all of the polishes you's want to use on detailersdomain. I would use a porter cable with my first step being Meguiars M105 with a yellow pad, and second step being Meguiars M205 with a blue pad. Meguiars polishes are easy to work with and pretty much fool proof. not the best stuff but they are fool proof. Menzerna would be the top brand if you're curious.
After you polish, wash the car again. Then for wax, well, it's really up to you. Ideally, you want to do a sealant applied with a Porter cable and an Uber black pad. A good sealant to use would be Menzerna Power Lock or Enizsett Glanz. If you want to do multiple layers of sealnt, make sure you are doing them a couple days apart with washes before every application. Do no more than 2-3 coats.
If you want some extra shine and depth, then go ahead and pick you favorite carnuba wax. Don't get anything from autozone or whatever. It doesnt contain enough carnuba to even be considered a carnuba. Look on DD's website and read descriptions and reviews. I would say the best bang for your buck carnubas would be either Lusso-Oro or Adam's Americana. The Swissvax stuff is great. Don't bother with their sub $200 waxes. If you really want a great wax, spend over that and get the one that is designed for your general color.
For general maintenance washes, use a wool wash mit, and a good shampoo (not the HD ones like W99 and P21S). I personally like Einzsett Perls. It doesn't foam at all (which is a marketing gimmick) but it basically lubricates the water you are washing with and leaves behind a nice slick finish without stripping wax. If you like the foam because it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, then Adams Car Wash or Sonax shampoo will work for you. the nice thing about the Adam's car wash is that you can wash the car directly in the sun. you just rinse the whole car when you are done. Whereas with Perls, yo have to literally wash the hood, rinse, wash a fender, rinse. One last important detail - USE 2 BUCKETS!. you never want to dip your wash mit in your soap bucket right after you just rubbed it on your dirty car. have one bucket with soap, and one with plain water. Wash a panel, then rinse the mit in the plain water.
Hope that helps some people here. A good coat of sealant and wax will not prevent the rear end from getting dirty, but it will help you wash it off. I see too many people on here using cheap, useless autozone special waxes and cheap over-hyped car shampoos. Yes, that means that your nice smelling Meg's Gold Class shampoo is better as a cologne than a shampoo.
05-15-2011, 09:21 PM
#33
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2005 Audi S4 MT6
Blackfire makes good stuff. I used to use their Blackfire wet diamond sealant and their wet ice over fire wax. Good combo but you should try the Menzerna sealant. Lasts a little longer. It also doesnt look as "plasticy" as BF. More depth which is good for dark colors. but for white, and silver, I like BF better
05-15-2011, 09:31 PM
#34
MBWorld Fanatic!
No matter what products one uses to wash, clay polish and wax, it's always a good idea to use use a good quality wax as u dry type product after washing, as no matter how gentle the 'shampoo' is it will always remove some of the wax. Implementing this simple process has kept my high quality detailing fresh and has stopped the acids in bird dropping in their tracks on even a black car baking in the hot Florida sun all day; this extra easy step also extends the time between regular waxing etc.
05-16-2011, 01:15 AM
#36
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No matter what products one uses to wash, clay polish and wax, it's always a good idea to use use a good quality wax as u dry type product after washing, as no matter how gentle the 'shampoo' is it will always remove some of the wax. Implementing this simple process has kept my high quality detailing fresh and has stopped the acids in bird dropping in their tracks on even a black car baking in the hot Florida sun all day; this extra easy step also extends the time between regular waxing etc.
Your comment above, about Soap slightly stripping Wax, no matter how gentle, is exactly why I never soap, until the day that I Wax/Seal/Detail. I use a bucket of water and a Chamois, and gently remove the dirt on my car (I garage it and keep it generally very clean anyway, and remove contaminants after every drive). I've been doing this with all my cars, and my cars are always the most pristine looking out of almost any that I see on the road.
I'm a big advocate against soap on a car that is well protected (Wax/Seal regularly enough) and cleaned regularly.
05-16-2011, 12:02 PM
#37
MBWorld Fanatic!
No I didn't follow all your threads just what was written here. You do need some soap to remove exhaust soot, oils etc just using plain water won't cut it, the soap will also help float off/suspend dirt particles from scratching your fininsh; the secret as discussed is to always rejuvinate the base wax as described. Have you ever done an extensive +/-11hr detail yourself? It's most gratifying and I wish I could still do mine, I miss it so.
Last edited by RJC; 05-16-2011 at 05:31 PM.
05-16-2011, 01:47 PM
#38
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2012 S350 Bluetec 4Matic, Diamond White, P2
Blackfire makes good stuff. I used to use their Blackfire wet diamond sealant and their wet ice over fire wax. Good combo but you should try the Menzerna sealant. Lasts a little longer. It also doesnt look as "plasticy" as BF. More depth which is good for dark colors. but for white, and silver, I like BF better
05-16-2011, 03:53 PM
#39
MBWorld Fanatic!
The Blackfire polish is actually a Menzerna product. Menzerna products are great for MB paints. One thing you are mistaken about is the "softness" of MB paints. Since 2004 MB has been using Ceramiclear clear coats on virtually all of their cars except A and B class. These nao particle clear coats are very hard. In fact, Menzerna created their line of nano particle polishes specifically for Mercedes for use on the assembly line. These clear coats are very very hard and require special abrasives to polish out imperfections. You may have a lot of critiques on MB paint, but, softness is not one.
Last edited by RJC; 05-16-2011 at 04:17 PM.
05-16-2011, 04:27 PM
#40
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No I didn't follow all your threads just what was written here. You do need some soap to remove exhaust soot, oils etc just using plain water won't cut it, the soap will also help float off/suspend dirst particles from scratching your fininsh; the secret as discussed is to always rejuvinate the base wax as described. Have you ever done an extensive +/-11hr detail yourself? It's most gratifying and I wish I could still do mine, I miss it so.
Makes sense about the soap. I try and do it once every other month or so. But the no soap thing has always worked for me, and allows my cars to shine and keep a detailed look longer than most, I've noticed. Also, things like the rubbers and plastics always look so much healthier than when they get a cleaning product on them a lot (which after a while forces me to use rubber/plastic treatment).
05-16-2011, 05:39 PM
#41
MBWorld Fanatic!
IMHO soap every other month is not a great idea especially if you wash your car +/- once a week. As I tried to describe earlier soap helps to encapsulate/suspend dirt particles that scratch and float them away where plain water does not; if you like the idea of preserving the waxed finish by just using water you're only half way there. After you wash with a mild auto shampoo then just use a wax as you dry product (in addition to regularly scheduled details) and you'll get the best of both worlds. Your car will also have extra protection and always feel buttery smooth.
Glad you are able to detail the car yourself, it always gave me such pride to do my own while looking at the finished result after all my effort. Also got a good healthy sweat at the same time.
Glad you are able to detail the car yourself, it always gave me such pride to do my own while looking at the finished result after all my effort. Also got a good healthy sweat at the same time.
Last edited by RJC; 05-16-2011 at 05:43 PM.
05-17-2011, 03:56 AM
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The Blackfire polish is actually a Menzerna product. Menzerna products are great for MB paints. One thing you are mistaken about is the "softness" of MB paints. Since 2004 MB has been using Ceramiclear clear coats on virtually all of their cars except A and B class. These nao particle clear coats are very hard. In fact, Menzerna created their line of nano particle polishes specifically for Mercedes for use on the assembly line. These clear coats are very very hard and require special abrasives to polish out imperfections. You may have a lot of critiques on MB paint, but, softness is not one.
About the "ceramiclear", Menzerna had to design a new polish called 106F for Mercedes to use on the assembly line of freshly painted cars. The way that ceramiclear cures is different than tradition clear coats so a special polish had to be made. They did not create this polish because MB paint is harder and more difficult to polish. I've only done 3 newer Mercedes: an 09 SL550 (black), 08 S550(gray/silver), and an 07 C300(white). Only one older one which was an 02 C-class(silver). The newer cars are all just easier to work with. Let me make one thing clear(that sounded like obama), defects in all of these cars are pretty mild. The ceramilcear seems to resist marring and swirling better than some other manufactures (besides black cars). But, when it came to polishing those cars, it wasn't any more difficult than any other car. The black cars, however, like all black cars, were pretty swirled up.
K-A: You really need to be using a soap on your car. As was already mentioned, the soap removes oils and grime that water won't be able to remove. Just use a mild soap like the Einszett Perls that I put a ling to in my big post up there^. It's about as mild as they come. It doesn't even sud up.
05-17-2011, 06:56 AM
#43
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Blackfire is not really a Menzerna product. Blackfire and Menz just use the same chemist. The sealants are completely different in my experience.
About the "ceramiclear", Menzerna had to design a new polish called 106F for Mercedes to use on the assembly line of freshly painted cars. The way that ceramiclear cures is different than tradition clear coats so a special polish had to be made. They did not create this polish because MB paint is harder and more difficult to polish. I've only done 3 newer Mercedes: an 09 SL550 (black), 08 S550(gray/silver), and an 07 C300(white). Only one older one which was an 02 C-class(silver). The newer cars are all just easier to work with. Let me make one thing clear(that sounded like obama), defects in all of these cars are pretty mild. The ceramilcear seems to resist marring and swirling better than some other manufactures (besides black cars). But, when it came to polishing those cars, it wasn't any more difficult than any other car. The black cars, however, like all black cars, were pretty swirled up.
K-A: You really need to be using a soap on your car. As was already mentioned, the soap removes oils and grime that water won't be able to remove. Just use a mild soap like the Einszett Perls that I put a ling to in my big post up there^. It's about as mild as they come. It doesn't even sud up.
About the "ceramiclear", Menzerna had to design a new polish called 106F for Mercedes to use on the assembly line of freshly painted cars. The way that ceramiclear cures is different than tradition clear coats so a special polish had to be made. They did not create this polish because MB paint is harder and more difficult to polish. I've only done 3 newer Mercedes: an 09 SL550 (black), 08 S550(gray/silver), and an 07 C300(white). Only one older one which was an 02 C-class(silver). The newer cars are all just easier to work with. Let me make one thing clear(that sounded like obama), defects in all of these cars are pretty mild. The ceramilcear seems to resist marring and swirling better than some other manufactures (besides black cars). But, when it came to polishing those cars, it wasn't any more difficult than any other car. The black cars, however, like all black cars, were pretty swirled up.
K-A: You really need to be using a soap on your car. As was already mentioned, the soap removes oils and grime that water won't be able to remove. Just use a mild soap like the Einszett Perls that I put a ling to in my big post up there^. It's about as mild as they come. It doesn't even sud up.
05-17-2011, 10:59 AM
#44
KA:
It sounds like you have a lot of pride and intent to keep your car clean and that is great, I don't doubt your car looks great.
But you are taking unecessary risks!
If you want to keep the car clean (not just look clean), then car wash soap is necessary when doing a traditional wash. You need to break down some contaminents, and provide lubricity so that you have a safe washing process. Don't have to use fulll strength, can cut it down and adjust it to your needs depends on how dirty your car is, conditions, etc.
If you are wiping down a lot as opposed to washing, may I suggest Optimum No Rinse or Optimum Opti-clean? Both products, used properly, are superior to water alone (although they are comprised mostly water).
It sounds like you have a lot of pride and intent to keep your car clean and that is great, I don't doubt your car looks great.
But you are taking unecessary risks!
If you want to keep the car clean (not just look clean), then car wash soap is necessary when doing a traditional wash. You need to break down some contaminents, and provide lubricity so that you have a safe washing process. Don't have to use fulll strength, can cut it down and adjust it to your needs depends on how dirty your car is, conditions, etc.
If you are wiping down a lot as opposed to washing, may I suggest Optimum No Rinse or Optimum Opti-clean? Both products, used properly, are superior to water alone (although they are comprised mostly water).
Last edited by mbuster25; 05-17-2011 at 11:00 AM. Reason: grammar
05-17-2011, 08:42 PM
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Porsche Macan S SportDesign / Ex M-B's: 11 & 10 & 06 E350's, 02 S500
Thanks for the comments! I will definitely incorporate Soap more regularly, but the careful water/chamois thing has always worked so well for me, that until I see negative results from it (knock on wood, hopefully never), I'm probably gonna stick with it. I think the key is to have a well protected car, that is garaged and washed regularly. For the record, I always wipe off contaminants after I get home (bird crap, etc.). I get your points though. I'll make an effort to use mild soap a bit more often.
