[MVSandman]

Awesome forum here, folks.

I live in the san francsco bay area and have had my first BMW now for exactly 1 week. I'm a bit confused about how to care for it for the next few months until its time for a full detail. I took it right from the dealer and they prepped it (had no idea there was a down side to that).

Now its time for a wash. To be honest this forum has made me terrified to take it to ANY carwash for fear of what could happen. I used to always hand wash my cars as a kid but have no detailing experience at all.

Am I good to just wash (or ONR) and go for the next few months or should I be using some additional protectants after every wash? When it comes time to detailing, I think I can handle the processes outlined in the stickies. Its what to do in-between detailings that has me confused and afraid to do anything or fear of the dreaded f-up.

Your input and advice are greatly appreciated (in advance)!

MVS

[Gig103]

Congrats on the new car!!!!
It might be smart to not use a car wash, at least that's the consensus here in this forum! Regular car washing with ONR or regular car soap (never dish detergent) is a good idea. In fact, since you mention ONR, it's on sale with our forum sponsor DetailedImage for a few more days. $10 off of a gallon, $5 off of a quart. Supposedly Optimum is coming out with a new formula, but people have used this formula for quite a while with good results, so why not take advantage??

There is no need, protection wise, for waxing every time. It never hurts, but even a high carnauba wax will last 3-4 weeks, so the other times would be for appearance. Your best bet is to get a sealant that will last longer, and then if you choose, put wax on top of that for looks. Zaino is popular, Chemical Guys is popular, and I'm very tempted by Blackfire for a dark colored car (but I haven't bought it because I have plenty of sealant left still).

If you decide to wax frequently, you may want to consider Optimum (the same people who make ONR) Spray Wax. I have no experience, but people recommended it to me in a thread below - I decided to just not worry about waxing that frequently. My personal favorite is Poorboys Natty Blue. I even like it more than CG 50/50, and it's cheap at $20 a can.

[MVSandman]

Exactly the kind of advice I needed, thanks!

[Gig103]

No problem! Keep on posting questions, and read the stickies, and even check out the Pro Section at Detailed Image for more advice on all sorts of topics.

[tdekany]

Originally Posted by MVSandman

Awesome forum here, folks.

I live in the san francsco bay area and have had my first BMW now for exactly 1 week. I'm a bit confused about how to care for it for the next few months until its time for a full detail. I took it right from the dealer and they prepped it (had no idea there was a down side to that).

Now its time for a wash. To be honest this forum has made me terrified to take it to ANY carwash for fear of what could happen. I used to always hand wash my cars as a kid but have no detailing experience at all.

Am I good to just wash (or ONR) and go for the next few months or should I be using some additional protectants after every wash? When it comes time to detailing, I think I can handle the processes outlined in the stickies. Its what to do in-between detailings that has me confused and afraid to do anything or fear of the dreaded f-up.

Your input and advice are greatly appreciated (in advance)!

MVS

Congrats for getting a good color. It will be easy to maintain. Did the stealership induce any swirls? Look at then paint in the sun.

READ!!!!!

Be gentle when washing/drying it and have someone polish it and wax it for you right away.