Car Detailing Update - 4 Months Later
I receive a lot of questions from beginners who want to start taking better care of their car. So I thought I'd update this thread with my updated impressions on the topic of Car Care specifically.
So, in the beginning, I spent around 60k on my new car on Detailing Products, Paint Correction, and Tools. 4 Months later, I don't think I'd recommend the same to everyone else. Here's why:
The pollution and dust level in Pakistan is the biggest hurdle in Car Care and Detailing. I've spent half of my time in Faisalabad and the other half in Lahore and I've to say the environment is not in our favor in either of these locations. That said, swirls and scratches are going to happen and they are going to happen FAST!
However, here is some stuff you can focus on without getting too much obsessed with Car Care and yet still Delay the scratches and swirls quite a bit (compared to those who don't have the SLIGHTEST CLUE about car care).
So here are the MOST IMPORTANT and BASIC Car Care Rules
NO DRY DUSTING
Dry Dusting basically means just scratching the car surface with dust as you're dragging it across the car surface - It has the biggest impact on your car. The alternative to that in the Car Care world is a waterless wash like ECH20. Always use soft and plush microfibers to lift off the dust after spraying Waterless Wash liquid on the car.
Use the "2 Bucket Method"
After Dry Dusting, the biggest mistake is washing the car without the 2 Bucket Method. Adding a dirt trap in one bucket catches and traps all the dirt so you don't rub it onto the car again and again which results in a similar situation like Dry Dusting. Oh and another HUGE mistake here is using Surf mixed water to wash the car. Always use a good shampoo (I personally use Chemical Guys Honeydew but I've heard good stuff about Meguiar's as well)
PROTECT THE SURFACE WITH A WAX
I use Collinite 845 since its very economical and I love the results. It has a good balance of shine and longevity. Personally, I don't prefer Glass Coating since it's both expensive to apply and to maintain. Plus I like spending time with the car by applying wax on it every 2,3 months (That's how much the Collinite lasts)
If you simply follow the above rules, that should put your mind at ease and make your car look WAYYY better than others (Since 90% don't follow even the most critical steps above. A year ago, I had no idea Car Care was even a thing.)