MINI2 - MINI Forum - View Single Post - Beginner Car Wash/Wax/Polish "Kit" recommendations

RallyMINI · May 31st, 2005, 06:28 PM

Proper chenille mitt or sponge - A microfiber mitt is easier to clean with...

100% cotton towels - Lots of them

bucket - Get two good buckets, and there is also a special car washing bucket I have seen somewhere that has a dirt trap built into the bottom. It keeps you from rubbing dirt all over the car.

Soap - DON"T use dishwashing liquid! Waaay too harsh. Any number of auto-specific soaps are fine. They tend not to strip the wax off, preserving the waxing job for a few washings.

water blade - California water blade works pretty darn well.

Brush used ONLY for wheels - I have also found that the Dupont Teflon wheel cleaning product works wonders. It dissolves the brake dust and washes right off.. I'd recommend it. But also an entirely seperate brush/bucket/towels for the wheels is good.

303 Aerospace for plastics - My first time waxing my MINI, I got some wax onto the black plastic fenders, and thought I could just wipe it off... WRONG! Wax on plastic looks REALLY bad when it dries, and its VERY hard to get off. The service tech (Brian) at MINI of Peabody recommended Mother's "Back to Black" product, and I am completely AMAZED! It took off the wax, and returned the fenders and black trim to a deep lustrous black. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT!

Wax - Again, everybody has an opinion, so here's mine. Meguirs NXT wax. So far, it looks great, is easy to apply, and is pretty durable. I hear that Turtle wax is suppose to be the best, but I have not tried it, so I couldn't tell ya.

Some other helpful items...
- 2" Wide masking tape ( makes waxing around the fenders less stressful.)
- RainX for the windows (and the wraparound glass on the backside) - you don't need wipers! Almost...
- Meguirs Leather wipes if you have leather - they condition and clean at the same time.

Hope this helps...
RM

May 31st, 2005, 06:28 PM	#4
RallyMINI MINI2 Regular Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Boston Local Time: 09:18 PM Posts: 145 Offline	Just my $0.02 Proper chenille mitt or sponge - A microfiber mitt is easier to clean with... 100% cotton towels - Lots of them bucket - Get two good buckets, and there is also a special car washing bucket I have seen somewhere that has a dirt trap built into the bottom. It keeps you from rubbing dirt all over the car. Soap - DON"T use dishwashing liquid! Waaay too harsh. Any number of auto-specific soaps are fine. They tend not to strip the wax off, preserving the waxing job for a few washings. water blade - California water blade works pretty darn well. Brush used ONLY for wheels - I have also found that the Dupont Teflon wheel cleaning product works wonders. It dissolves the brake dust and washes right off.. I'd recommend it. But also an entirely seperate brush/bucket/towels for the wheels is good. 303 Aerospace for plastics - My first time waxing my MINI, I got some wax onto the black plastic fenders, and thought I could just wipe it off... WRONG! Wax on plastic looks REALLY bad when it dries, and its VERY hard to get off. The service tech (Brian) at MINI of Peabody recommended Mother's "Back to Black" product, and I am completely AMAZED! It took off the wax, and returned the fenders and black trim to a deep lustrous black. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT! Wax - Again, everybody has an opinion, so here's mine. Meguirs NXT wax. So far, it looks great, is easy to apply, and is pretty durable. I hear that Turtle wax is suppose to be the best, but I have not tried it, so I couldn't tell ya. Some other helpful items... - 2" Wide masking tape ( makes waxing around the fenders less stressful.) - RainX for the windows (and the wraparound glass on the backside) - you don't need wipers! Almost... - Meguirs Leather wipes if you have leather - they condition and clean at the same time. Hope this helps... RM Drive Fast! Drive Sideways!