Hi.. DavidN! I just read this *amazing* write up, from start to finish! Wow.
I just received my 3er after European Delivery and want to begin some basic washing / detailing. Below is a shopping list. Do you mind looking this over before I purchase? (Btw, my car is Black Sapphire metallic.)
Is it okay if I do just a basic wash now, then wax/sealant in the spring?
Supplies:
-Two buckets, nozzle gun with mist, terry towels for door jambs - Yep, this was the easy part!
Agreed!
-Car wash soap - Mother's california gold vs. Meguiar's
-- You wrote in your initial post that you recommend Mother's but have since said Meguiar's several times. Has your preference changed since 2006? or do you recommend Mother's only if the car is non-Zaino'ed?
Both are excellent washes. In Canada I can't get the Mothers in big bottles but I can get Meguiars Gold Class so I go with that (that's the frugal side of me!).
-Sponge
-- is this different from the sheepskin mitt? What kind of sponge do you recommend?
I should update the 101. I used to use the big car wash sponges on my wheels and wheel wells, however I now use a
dedicated sheepskin wash mitt for those areas, especially on alloy wheels, as the sheepskin is gentler.
-Wash Mitt
I can't find the Simoniz sheepskin mitt... Is lambswool the same as sheepskin? (I know it sounds like a silly question.)
http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Genuin...=1UWNTED93T2C0
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...n+mitt&x=0&y=0
http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Acce...ash-Mitt-P120/
Surprised you can't find the Simoniz mitt (assume you are in Canada). The mothers mitt you linked looks very nice. Go with that if you can find it. And yup, sheepskin/lambswool, same thing.
-Tire Brush - I assume I should use this only for tires? And the mitt for wheels?
http://www.amazon.com/MOTHERS-156000...7007942&sr=1-1
That is correct. Tire brush only on tire side walls and use a nice dedicated sheepskin mitt on your rims.
-Waffle Weave MF towels
http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Micr...00/36-x-24-S1/
Thanks again for this fantastic post! Without it, I probably would have only gone to touchless car washes and never washed the car myself!
My pleasure. Always happy to help.
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