Originally Posted by dojj
so, in this order
mop
wax
and then just keep waxing
and cleaning, with a clean cleaner sponge
have i missed anything out?
In simple terms that's not far off.
If cared for correctly and washed 'with' care at least weekly its possible to :
YEARLY - 1-2 Days - De tar, clay, machine polish, hand polish then hand wax.
Followed by :
MONTHLY - 1/2 day - Hand polish then hand wax.
Followed by :
WEEKLY (or more) - 1 hour - wash.
The odd 'touch' up could be needed in between i.e. bird shit, bad tar from road works etc.
The key to good maintenace is good (i.e. non scratching) regular washing so contaminents dont have time to stick (requiring clay).
Use a good wash mit (lambs wool) and use two buckets (one for clean wash, one for flushing the mit) or use one bucket with a grit guard.
Loads of stuff has been written about methods before on places such as autopia. Have a look and find one that suits your time, budget and level of finish you expect.
Bear in mind that the color, type and age of paint on your can can vary its maintenance needs vastly.
On a soft water based clear coat a freshly polished surface would pick up fine scratches from just brushing past it with with jeans or similar. Not allways visable to the average person but doesnt half do your head in when youve spent a day polishing
On the other hand my GF has a silver Puma and you could wash that with a brick and it still look OK
I think you can still download a stunning 'how to' guide from the Autopia site. Careful though it soon becomes a addiction