

1. Dishwashing detergent is safe to use as car wash.
Absolutely not! Detergents are formulated to strip everything off of the surface, leaving it squeaky clean. A squeaky paint finish tells you that it has no protection. With repeated use, dishwashing detergents remove everything from your paint finish including waxes, silicones and polymers. Once this is accomplished, they then proceed to remove the life giving oils in your paint finish, actually accelerating the oxidation process. For best results, use a pH balanced car wash product, like MEGUIAR'S G12664 NXT GENERATION CAR WASH, with conditioners specifically formulated to enhance the appearance and protection of automotive paint finishes.

2. Washing and cleaning are the same.

While they sound similar, they are vastly different procedures. A car wash removes loose contaminants from your finish like dust, road grime, and fresh bird droppings. A clear coat safe paint cleaner, such as MEGUIARS A3016 CLEARCOAT SAFE CLEANER removes stubborn, bonded contaminants, stains, blemishes and oxidation. A clay bar is the perfect choice for removing bonded contaminants like overspray and tree sap mist that won't flush off with washing.

Not until you complete a thorough physical and visual evaluation of your paint finish. Rub the face of your hand over the paint after it has been completely washed and dried. The surface should be as smooth as glass. If it isn't, you will feel bonded contaminants that can be easily removed with a clay bar and allowing easier application and wipe off of polishes and waxes with dazzling results. To detect below surface defects like blemishes and fine scratches, examine the finish from different angles and light sources.

4. Clay bars should only be used by professionals.
If you have ever played with Silly Putty, you can use clay. Mould a non-abrasive, synthetic MEGUIAR'S CLAY BAR into a pancake looking wafer. Working on a washed and dried car, simply rub the clay bar back and forth over the surfaces using a mist and wipe detailer for lubrication. The bar will grab and gently remove all bonded contaminants, leaving the surface as smooth as glass. No experience necessary!

5. Waxing can remove swirl marks.
Unfortunately, applying car wax over swirl marks does not remove them. The only way to remove a scratch from a paint finish is to reduce the thickness of the paint finish down to the bottom of the scratch. Micro-fine, hairline scratches can often be removed by hand using a non-abrasive paint cleaner, or MEGUIARS G10307 SCRATCH X, Meguiar's scratch and swirl remover. Moderate scratches may require an electric dual action polisher, and deeper swirl marks caused by the improper use of rotary buffers and rubbing compounds may well require professional colour sanding and buffing.

6. There is no difference between polishing and waxing.
While some modern day marketers have caused confusion by naively misusing the terms, the definitions are clear. As in polishing a diamond, the sole purpose of polishing is to create brilliant high gloss. For car show enthusiasts who are obsessed with having perfectly clear reflections, a pure polish, like MEGUIARS G19216 ULTIMATE POLISH, is the perfect choice. Waxing a car falls under the larger heading of protecting the paint finish from the elements by coating it with waxes, polymers, resins and silicones. MEGUIARS G18216 ULTIMATE LIQUID WAX,  provides superior protection with its blend of rich nutrients and tough polymers.

7. Machine polishers damage the paint finish.
Even novices can quickly master the use of a MEGUIARS G3500 D/A POWER SYSTEM or orbital buffer without any risk of burning the paint finish. These buffers oscillate back and forth while spinning and will yield a more even application of cleaners, polishes and waxes, provide deeper cleaning and safely remove swirls. Rotary buffers, which operate at much higher RPM's, are best left to trained professionals.

To avoid scratching your paint finish, you need to avoid using these types of cloths for polishing. The problem is that when small particulates are trapped between a smooth cloth and the smoothness of the paint, they are forced into and skid across the finish, causing the very scratches that you are working so hard to avoid. Always use 100% cotton, terrycloth toweling or premium microfibre toweling, like the MEGUIARS X2010 SUPREME SHINE MICROFIBRE to eliminate this problem and to reduce the time and effort required for wipe off.


10. Paste wax offers greater protection than liquid wax.
Originally, paste waxes lasted longer, and liquid waxes were easier to use. While this is still a commonly held belief, there are now car waxes on the market that are available in both liquid and paste forms with equal ease of use and performance qualities. A goog example would be MEGUIARS G12711 NXT GENERATION TECH WAX PASTE 2.0MEGUIARS G30118 NXT POLYMER PAINT SEALANT LIQUID and MEGUIARS G18211 ULTIMATE PASTE WAX, MEGUIARS G18216 ULTIMATE LIQUID WAX, that redefine quality and performance with their next generation of technology.



Meguiar's, the century old leader in automotive appearance care, offers serious car care for car crazy people around the world.

<< Back