[Thumpr]

So I am wondering what product(s) and process most of the "anal" (said in the nicest way so please do not be offended) folks use on their cars between a major cleaning.

I will define a major clean as washing, claybar, wax, rewax, detailer. This process can have other steps but it usually has several and can take a weekend or more to do.

Or every time you wash the car you do the entire process?

I know that it will depend on how good the wax is, how many coats you originally put on so that it lasts, if there are issues with the finish, etc. But on a normal basis it appears that a number of posters "wash" their car weekly or so and I cannot imagine doing a major cleaning on it each time.

So what do people do on a more regular basis to keep the car clean and looking shiny/sharp?

 

[mauls]

California duster is all i use between washes, I only wax every 6 months or so. After I wash, I just dry with micro fiber towels that's it

 

[Blackout]

I drive a Black 2009 Challenger R/T. I do the complete deal every three months and a weekly touch up and if needed a daily touch up.

The complete deal involved wash, claybar or cleaner wax (depending paint condition) , polish, three wax coats then detailing spray. I use Meguiar's Ultimate Products.

The weekly wash involves wash and detail spray.

Daily touch up involved detail spray.

Or if you are really "anal" there is always what this guy does.

 

[easinc01]

I only take my lady out on the weekends and I wash with Meguiar’s NXT Generation after almost every outing, Wax twice per year with Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax, and in between waxes (about after every other wash), I’ll use Meguiar’s Ultimate Quik Detailer. Then she goes inside and the cover goes on her.

 

[VolFan65]

Mequiar's Ultimate Quick Detailer.

 

[blucheer]

My Challenger is not a daily driver,but its no garage queen
The California duster,then give it the once over with "Poorboys World Spray and Wipe" waterless car wash great stuff
Every 2 months it gets 2 thin coats of Victoria Red Concours Carnuba wax ,the carnuba content on this wax is 46 percent,have used several waxes over time but Victoria waxes the cats meow! it can be found on line not a over the counter product .

 

[Sasquatch1366]

once a year i clay bar my car to get all the stuff of the paint. every 4-6 months i wax the car, every week i wash and use Meguiars quick detail or Meguiars quick wax on the car, and at the end of the day i use the california duster to keep her clean.

 

[IDMTfirefighter]

wash weekly either by hand with Meguires or a premium car wash.
wax quarterly with Meguires NXT 2.0
Meguires ultimate quick detailer between waxes

 

[Mark052]

I'll do one major cleaning a year. In between that I'll wax it maybe once every 2 months. I'll wash it once every week or two (but could be more frequent) depending on how dirty it gets. I like to use a california duster during the pollen season and my "go to" detailer is Finish Kare #425. This stuff helps keep the shine up between waxings and has a little bit of protectant properties as well. Great for matte finish vinyl stripes too.

 

[DJR]

Meguiar's Gold Class car wash when dirty (sometimes followed up with Meguiar's quick detailer). California Car Duster when it's not dirty, just dusty.

 

[Cuda340]

wash weekly either by hand with Meguires or a premium car wash.
wax quarterly with Meguires NXT 2.0
Meguires ultimate quick detailer between waxes

That's exactly what I do, with great results. Here is a photo of my car.

 

[Speedy!]

I'm of the opinion the less you rub on the paint the better. Less chance for scratches.

My car is a pretty day/weekend driver, but I do drive it every chance I get if it's not going to rain out.

I try to keep the car reasonably clean so I only really need to wash it once a month. That washing is just a standard two bucket wash (one for soap and one for water to rinse the sponge before going back to the soap). I never rinse the sponge in my soap bucket to avoid getting grit in the water that could transfer to the sponge and scratch the paint. No clay bar or anything like that.

When drying the car after washing, I use Griot's Garage Spray On Wax. It displaces water and adds some added wax protection while you dry, smells like Pina Coladas.

For in between touch ups I use a combination of Griot's Spray On Car Wash and Griot's Speed Shine. Both work excellent at removing grime without scratching the paint if used in conjunction with microfiber towels.

For a quick once over before going to a local cruise, I GENTLY use a Griot's Duster. Moving in one direction with the tips of the duster just barely touching the car's surface.

I keep my car garaged, so I only wax it once every two years. I use Griot's Paint Sealant product which lasts a year if the car's in the elements everyday, so it lasts quite a while on a garage kept ride. I clayed the car when I first got it, and again since it's garaged there's no need for that but about every 3-4 years. Mine just doesn't spend enough time in the elements to get trash on the paint that needs claying.

My daily driver car I clay and use Griot's Paint Sealant on it once a year.

 

[Mekanic]

Ours is a daily driver. Wash it once a week with Zaino car wash. Use California Duster and Zaino Gloss Enhancer between washes.

.

 

[BklynAJ]

Zaino Z7 then Z6 :thumbsup: