I know many of us love our cars so much that we tend to spend more time on them than with our significant others.
I'm guilty of that when I detail my car.
I'm posting this to start a reference point for some products I've used, use and where you can get them.
Online - Top of The Line - http://www.totl.com has everything you could imagine, including tips & tricks and all of the equipment you would need to create your own detailing business.
OTC - I highly recommend Mother's and Meguiar's - Mind you, I have issue with some of their products, but for the most part they have quality Over the Counter product lines.
____________________ Get in, Sit down, Shut up and HANG ON!
I took you advice Chell. as you know I use the TOTL Carnuba trade Secret wax, love it, my car shines incredibly afterwards. I will never use another wax again.
Do they have seperate polishes you can use?? If so, what would you recomend?? I have to ask you, you are the detail queen
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It's not about what you have under the hood, it's about who you have behind the wheel...
I've not used any polymers (they do have them avail) which aren't like the traditional waxes. I perfer the option of being able to strip the wax coating so I can really get into the clear coat to clean and bring out the color and shine in my paint.
Anway - I can definitely recommend some other products...
Product 303
- It's a Marine protectant - you can use it on plastics and rubber compounds - its application is similar to any of the Armorall protectant products, but it is NOT petroleum based and it includes a UV protectant.
Other positives are:
1 - No "high" shine - more of a matte finish (mind you...the more you use the higher the shine!
2 - It does not evaporate like the Armorall type protectants...this makes it's protection last much longer and it will not create a "film" on your inside windows.
3 - A little goes a LONG way!
4 - It does not come off until you clean the surface again with a mild soap & water wash (this is what I do each Spring when I do my deep clean. During the year, I just dust & re-apply.
5 - Acts as a great dust repellant & if you run in the warm weather with your A/C and use a Cabin Air Filter, you will be thrilled with the effectiveness.
I will be adding more things as I think of them...I actually will probably end up creating its own thread for similar products. Less digging that way.
____________________ Get in, Sit down, Shut up and HANG ON!
I'm using TOTL Trade Secret as well, great stuff, I do agree with ya there. I do use Mother's Clay bar system. And for the tires, I use that blechewhite or whatever the hell it's called, comes in a white spray bottle, something you aren't supposed to get on anything. The wheels, I pamper, and with the newer brakes and pads, I have almost zero dust so that's been a big benefit.
I've gotta get some of your 303 Chelly - you're certainly a great product spokeswoman.
I've used Stoner products which work very well and are really easy to use. Their Invisible Glass, window cleaner is amazing. But you need to order their products - at least I haven't seen them in stores.
As for "over the counter" (I just think that is so funny) I really like Mothers. Their carnuba wax is great and it smells SO good. I wish they made a carnuba air freshener for inside the car!
I was actually the passenger in my own car over the holiday weekend and was able to do some 303 work on my dash. looks so much better now!
I agree with the Stoner Products! Love the Invisible Glass and I like the Tire Shine too, but with that, & a breeze, you get it all over your clean car and dust sticks to it like glue.
Joe - Love me the BleachWhite too! Ok, I need to make some more threads here...too many products in one thread...ack! lol!
____________________ Get in, Sit down, Shut up and HANG ON!
I've used Meguires products for a long time. I no longer use any of their waxes. I've found I'm lucky if it lasts for more than a couple of car washes. Meguires Detail Spray is, IMHO, the best. I love that stuff. Meguires also makes a plastic polish. I can't remember what number it is, but it comes in a small, white bottle, and I think it says Novus on it. It's great stuff. It contains abrasive, but it's safe to use on painted surfaces. If that stuff won't shine it...fuggetabboutit. Meguires tire dressing is the worst I've ever used. It's foul smelling, purple goo, that flings off & gets all over everything.
Lately, I've been using Prestone Wax. It's a liquid, shines very well, and lasts, and lasts, and lasts, and la..... It's also easy to use. I also like Mother's clay bar the best. Another thing I like is Armour All. I know, I know...this stuff gets badmouthed by virtually everybody, but I've NEVER had a problem with it in 25 years of use, and quite frankly, I like it. Yes, I've used other stuff, but I keep coming back to Armour All. I use the foam spray for my tires, and the regular, original stuff for my exterior trim. I don't use it anywhere on the interior of my car. For those who think they need to use something on interior pieces, Armour All makes an excellent no gloss spray. I also use Armour All cleaner, mostly on the interior, e.g. kick panels, pedals, console, etc.
IMO, the hardest thing to clean on a car is the glass. I've used a variety of glass cleaners, and haven't liked any of them. Glass Wax does a good job, but is messy to use. IMO Windex seems to be the worst overall. I think I'd be better off using plain water than that. So, my quest for the perfect glass cleaner continues. I'm open for suggestions.
____________________ If you can't read this, you're illiterate.
I forgot to mention Rain-X. It's one of the best products I've used...period. I only put 1 coat on. I use the original stuff, and squirt it on a folded paper towel, then thoroughly "massage" it onto the windshield ONLY. I use a terrycloth towel to remove it, which I do immediately after applying it. I don't use Rain-X on my mirrors, sunroof or side windows. It causes the water to bead too much & those surfaces are relatively protected from the wind. That leaves the water beads on the glass, which makes it hard to see.
____________________ If you can't read this, you're illiterate.
They have a tremendous line of products.
