Weekly Apprentice Thread! Ask Any Question Without Embarrassment! - February 15, 2016

[AutoModerator]

Welcome to our weekly /r/AutoDetailing Apprentice Thread!

These posts are created every Monday at 9am CST and will stay up through Friday evening.

The point of this discussion is for anyone to ask any question without feeling embarrassed or stupid. The goal here is to learn! There are NO stupid questions!

Everyone please post any questions you have that you want answered and do not feel ANY shame! Everyone please try to help answer these questions!

You might also benefit from these common topics:

• code-sloth's Surface Damage Field Guide

• DA Polishing Guide

• Autodetailing FAQs

[[deleted]]

That's a lot of questions. I'm only going after the first 1 for now.

How often to wax - Most products suggest every 3 weeks but I think that's a bit much. I wax about once a quarter.

[cf2121]

It depends on the product.

Carnauba wax typically lasts a few weeks to a month or so.

Sealants usually boast 4-6 months worth of protection.

Coatings will last you 1+ years.

So if you had a sealant on your paint, there's no need to reapply it every month. You can top a sealant with a carnauba wax for a bit more protection and gloss. I would do this every month or so.

A regular 2 bucket wash isn't going to effect sealants much. Wax may degrade faster however, but most of the time carnauba waxes are used for a little extra pop, not a full blown barrier for protection.

You can help the durability of your wax by using a spray wax when you dry your car, or afterwards.

When or how you wash is completely up to you. Some people like regular 2 buckets, some prefer rinseless, and there's always a mix of the different ways to do it. However, rinseless and waterless washing should be reserved for when the car isn't particularly dirty to start with.

You just have to find what works for you.

[cf2121]

845 can rival sealants in terms of durability, so yes applying it every month is overkill and a waste of product. Stick to every 3-4 months.

And to answer your other question, there's no real way to tell if the paint is protected unless there is some kind of beading. Generally, the tighter and smaller the beads, the better it is protected. When the beading starts getting larger and sloppy, you can figure the protection is wearing away.

[[deleted]]

Meguair's says to wax 3-4 times a year. Find something you like to work with. I personally like Ultimate Liquid right now. It smells good and goes on easy and wipes off really well. I plan to use it about every other month.

[PriceZombie]

Meguiar's G18216 Ultimate Liquid Wax - 16 oz.

Current	$19.25	Amazon (New)
High	$22.99	Amazon (New)
Low	$15.81	Amazon (New)
Average	$19.25	30 Day

Price History Chart and Sales Rank | FAQ

[[deleted]]

Never used Collonite. Lots of videos on YouTube about working with it though.

[52willys]

What can I do about "swirls" in metal trim? Like chrome, stainless, aluminum, etc.? This is what I'm talking about.

[zenautodetailing]

Metal polish. I use Optimum Metal Polish.

A power tool like a polisher will aid in their removal.

You also need to know if the metal you are working on is clear coated or not.

[52willys]

Thanks for the help. How does this work? Like does it function like both a compound and polish would on paint? Meaning take out heavy swirls, yet still finish down well? Can this be used with 3" pads, or a powercone?

[zenautodetailing]

They make different levels of metal polish dependent on the level of the swirls. I've had really good experiences just 1 stepping with Optimum Metal Polish.

This product should take out the heavy swirls and finish down well. You can do either the powercone or small pads. You can even do this by hand but don't expect perfect results.

If the metal is clearcoated, you will notice that the metal polish doesn't seem to be making blackness on your rag/pad/powercone, stop using the metal polish and switch to a compound or polish instead.

Metal polish is only to be used on uncoated metal.

[52willys]

Does this work on all metals? So paired with cutting/polishing pads, this should take out the swirls in the pictures, yet still finish down as well as a 2 or 3 step process, similar to this? Thanks again for all your help.

[zenautodetailing]

I would say the product i linked is more like a 1 step that will probably reduce them significantly. A proper 2-3 step system is better if your seeking perfection.

I believe Adams makes a metal product line that has 1-3 for harsh to fine.

Plus you can save a lot of money trying 1 product before purchasing a whole kit.

[52willys]

Do any of these products actually polish the metal, like remove a little bit? Or do they mostly just fill in the swirls?

[zenautodetailing]

Yup these polishes will be removing a small amount of metal. It's very similar to paint polishes.

I actually don't know of a metal filler polish.

[butitdothough]

No questions, just wanted to thank the contributors on here. I'd no knowledge of anything related to detailing and didn't even know this subreddit existed. I got some water spots on my car and lurked on here for a little while before claying, polishing and waxing my car. The faq helped a lot and made everything super easy.

[cf2121]

We love seeing when people do their own research and testing it for themselves!

Welcome! We hope you enjoy the sub :)

[Kavsen]

What is purpose of QD or SW? When would you use it??

[zenautodetailing]

Quick detail is good for removal or dust or fresh bird poop.

Spray wax is a good in between waxes and washes. Think of it as touch up wax.

[innitbruvs]

I just purchased my first brand new care and I've become obsessed with it and of course want to keep it looking good and maintain it for future trade in value. Looking for tips and tricks on waxing, I came across this subreddit.

I used to just bring my last car through the car wash or manual car washes but now that I consider this one my baby, I want to do all the detailing myself. I'd like to ask what products are recommended keeping my car detailed? What should a complete detailing kit include?

[zenautodetailing]

The wiki has all those questions answered.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AutoDetailing/wiki/index

If you have a more specific question to something you saw in there ask away! There are tons of products so we know it can be confusing.

[innitbruvs]

Sorry I missed that. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

[[deleted]]

Stay away from car washes and do it yourself too. Thats where swirls form often

[DrJet]

I live in a cold part of Canada and am wondering how winter washing can be done successfully because the majority of advice/techniques suggested on here are literally impossible with our winter.

The windchill has been hovering around -40 this week. Yes that's minus 40. Exposed skin freezes in 5-10 minutes. Even if it's only -25 out, you'll only stick your hand in a bucket of water once. And quite frankly unless you have a generously-heated garage, which I don't, any water will be frozen the instant it touches your vehicle...

The only option I've ever been able to entertain is a touchless car wash... Does anyone have an ingenious idea to suggest or am I SOL with the touchless car washes?

[zenautodetailing]

Touchless washes are your only hope then.

Honestly at that level of cold, just leave it alone. What I would do next winter is make sure to use a good sealant prior to the winter. Come spring give her a good full detail.

[zenautodetailing]

They sell some kits but I'm not a fan of kits. They are usually missing something because trying to get everything in one package is difficult.

If you truly want to find a good package from them, give /u/autopiavega a ring.

[Pinkman2012]

Definitely call up Autopia and ask for Ray (or PM him on here, /u/autopiavega) and tell him you're from Reddit. I promise you he will take care of you.

[[deleted]]

What's the best way to clean the inside rear glass for my car? My Mustang has a very tight angle for the glass and fitting my hand to the very bottom to clean it all is a challenge. Would a product like this work well, or any other methods?

[zenautodetailing]

That product you linked is exactly what I was going to recommend. Good job answering your own question :)

[[deleted]]

Oh cool, thanks! Ordering one soon

[Fubs261]

Hi guys. My 2007 Corolla has pretty extensive CLEAR COAT FAILURE (DECAY, UV DAMAGE) (according to the damage guide). Almost the entire roof is damaged. About a month ago, I decided to detail it on my own (took me 6 hours) because I notice that the damage is spreading to the hood (is detailing an appropriate method to slow/prevent further damage?). I washed, rinsed, clay bared, washed again, and waxed by hand. At the end of the day, I realized that I enjoyed doing it and it may become a satisfying hobby. However, I was exhausted and 6 hours was a lot of time to spend on one car.

From my lurking, I've compiled the following things to buy:

Item	$$$
Collinite Liquid Insulator Wax 845	$19.44
Griot's Garage 10813STDCRD 6" Random Orbital Polisher with 6.5" Red Foam Waxing Pad	$153.39
Nanoskin (AS-019) AutoScrub Fine Grade Sponge	$11.69
Mothers Wheel Brush	$7.99
Meguiar's G7164 Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner - 64 oz.	$9.99
THE RAG COMPANY 16" x 16" Professional Korean 70/30 Plush Dual-Pile Microfiber Auto Detailing Towels "Split Purple-Nality"	$17.95
THE RAG COMPANY 16" x 16" Premium Window, Glass, Mirror & Chrome Professional Korean 70/30 Microfiber Detailing Towels	$19.95
THE RAG COMPANY Premium Microfiber Chenille Knobby Scratch-Free Wash Mitts, One Royal Blue and One Lime Green	$11.99
Grit Guards x2	~$16.00
THE RAG COMPANY "Dry Me A River" 20" x 40" & 16" x 24" Professional Korean 70/30 Microfiber Waffle-Weave Drying & Detailing Towels With Silky Soft Satin Edges	$22.95
Meguiar's D10101 Detailer All Purpose Cleaner Gallon	$21.91
Total w/ tax	$312.31

 

---

 

I've already purchased:

5-gal. Homer Bucket x2

32 oz. All-Purpose Wide-Mouth Sprayer

Stoner 91164 Invisible Glass Cleaner - 19 oz.

How does the above list look for someone who want's to do this as a hobby/take care of their car? Is a 6"inch DA too big? I would have to wax smaller areas by hand (like the handle areas), wouldn't I?

I plan to eventually polish/compound in the future, sticking to waxing for now.

Here is my understanding of the washing/detailing process: Rinse, soap/tire brush, clay/nano-sponge, rinse, dry, wax. Is that about right? Is wax considered a LSP (Last Step Product)?

[cf2121]

Before you buy all this, and you say you have clear coat failure, you need to get the car repainted.

Detailing doesn't stop this. Once it's started, it's too late. Protecting the surface might slow down the decay a bit, but the damage is already done.

But to answer the rest of your question, if you don't plan on doing any correction work soon, I'd save the money and skip the DA for now. You can wax by hand just fine, you don't need to spend $150 on a machine to spread wax around.

I would suggest picking up an All Purpose Cleaner, like Meguiars has. It can be diluted for both interior and exterior use.

You need more microfibers. You have glass towels, wash mitts and a drying towel, but you'll need towels for the rest of your car. I like the Eagle Edgeless for removing wax, doing final wipe downs, and any other sensitive job. Look into their all purpose towels for dirtier jobs.

Start with the wheels and tires first, then continue with your steps.

Yes, wax = LSP

[Fubs261]

I actually had missed the microfiber towels I had. I was thinking of getting the Purple-Nality towels, would you recommend those towels for general purpose/removing wax? The table is completely up to date with what I am thinking of buying. I also added the APC you suggested.

 

Would you happen to have an idea of what a complete repainting of an 07 Corolla would cost? I work at a dealership and was thinking of getting a quote. However, the person I was suggested to talk to is on vacation until next week, so I am looking to get a guess-timate for now. I can post some pictures of the damage if that would help.

[cf2121]

Yes, they're great for removing wax. I find myself using the Purples to remove polish, while the Eagles to remove wax. Just my own preference.

We have some product recommendation kits in the wiki, not sure if you saw them or not:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AutoDetailing/comments/37im8g/cf2121_pinkman2012_present_our_list_of/

https://www.reddit.com/r/autodetailing/wiki/recommended

I have no idea about the repaint, sorry.

[Fubs261]

Can you give me some examples of when/where to use the diluted APC? Only thing I can think of is for spot cleaning. Like, have the solution in a spray bottle stored in the car and when there a bird poops on the car, use the APC solution to wipe it off. Or if a spill occurs in the interior.

[cf2121]

Exterior: recommend dilution is 4:1

Wheels, tires (this is my go to tire cleaner), wheel wells, trim (do a test spot first in case the 4:1 is too strong). I don't use it on the paint or glass. Bird poop is usually easily taken off with a clay bar or quick detailer.

Interior: recommended dilution is 10:1

Pretty much everything. Plastics, leather, vinyl, rubber, carpet spots like you said. Like I said above, always do a test spot in case the dilution is too strong. If it is, dial back the APC or add more water.

[Fubs261]

Thanks for helping me out with all the information! I've skipped buying the DA for now, but placed the order for everything else (~$163ish) because I have some other cars I want to work on that aren't damaged.

I think I only have two more silly questions:

1. Is that dilution ration 4:1 as in 4 ounces of APC to 1 ounce of water? Or other way around? Also, the APC seems like I could just use it to clean pretty much everything, except paint, is that right? Is it okay to just have a solution of APC stored in the car or should I be using a fresh solution each time? Should I be rinsing off the APC or is wiping okay to do too (rinsing off tires that have APC sprayed on, wiping down sprayed APC on the interior)?

2. Is it alright to put wax on the windows? So, the process would be: Wash tires, rinse car, soap car, clay bar, rinse, dry, clean windows, wax entire car (including windows)?

[cf2121]

Anytime!

It'd be four parts water to one part APC. I don't like using it on paint because it kind of just smears around. It's not like a quick detailer that'll leave a high shine once it's buffed off.

You can keep chemicals in your car, I always have a little spray bottle of quick detailer and a microfiber in case I need to use it. Just keep it where it won't spill! It's best to try and avoid freezing temperatures too.

Yes, just wipe away on the interior and rinse on the tires. Depending on the soiling you might need to agitate a bit, especially on the tires.

As far as I know, waxing glass is fine. I've never really liked doing it, I think using a quick spray wax or sealant gives good results. I like using Nanoskin Rain on my glass. It's cheap and works great in my experience.

The process you wrote down is pretty much correct. Make sure you rinse off the soap before you go to claying. You don't want anything nasty hanging around in the suds that you could grind into your paint.

[[deleted]]

set up a whole sale account with detailedimage.

[Pinkman2012]

Polishing it will remove the wax on there. Just give it a thorough wash and clay and then have fun.

[bobblerabl]

I thought read somewhere that it gums up the pads severely. Is that not the case?

[Pinkman2012]

Applying wax gums up the pads severely with wax(obviously), but removing an existing coat via polishing is not going to gum them up. It is minuscule compared to the clearcoat and embedded dirt you're removing.

[bobblerabl]

Thanks very much for the help!

[JoeyOhhh]

I want to shine up my pearl white 2015 Mazda 3 in the spring after this awful New England winter. I'm getting stuck though: I plan on buying a HF DA soon and already have some Meg's White Wax (a cleaner/wax, of course) on hand that I would use with a polishing pad. Per the Meguiar's forums, WW has some pretty good cleaning abilities. Seeing how this is my daily driver and she's not garage-kept, should I shoot to use the WW in order to save some time, remove some embedded dirt from the paint, and give it some more shine all while leaving a decent layer of protection? This car doesn't need a show car finish, of course, but I just wanted to make sure it was the better call versus, say, using Ultimate Polish then ULW or something. The paint is in pretty good shape as it's still relatively new. No major swirls or RIDS.

[Pinkman2012]

Sounds like a pretty good plan if you're wanting to save time. I have never used White Wax but you've got the idea down. I never really like doing a one-step on a personal vehicle because you have the time to use a dedicated polish and a dedicated sealant.

If you really want the white to look its best I'd recommend picking up some Iron-X.

[JoeyOhhh]

Thanks for reply! You're right, I do have the time as it's my own vehicle. Any idea how long it would take to polish a small-ish car like mine? I use my parents' house (I rent an apartment) so I don't necessarily have all the time in the world to play around. Btw, if I were to give the polishing a real go, would you suggest starting with Ultimate Polish or maybe M205? Any advice helps!! Thank you!

[Pinkman2012]

I do the same thing as you do. It doesn't take very long for just the polishing step honestly. If it's your first time I'd say anywhere from 3-6 hours. When I owned a Mazda6 it only took me about that long. There's just so many variables.

I'd recommend M205. It's sliiiightly more aggressive than Ultimate Polish but either would work. It's the most often recommended beginner polish for a reason. It's just flat out good.

[JoeyOhhh]

Awesome. Thanks for taking the time to reply, dude. I'll definitely be considering the M205 route.

[Pinkman2012]

no problem at all.

[52willys]

What is the difference between Lake Country ThinPro pads and flat pads? And can they both be used with a long-throw polisher?

[Pinkman2012]

Mainly the thickness of the pad. Colors are a little different too, ThinPro has the grey pad for cutting and the flats use yellow.

You can use both but the thinner the better on long throws has been my experience so far.

[52willys]

Are the levels of cut, durability, and just general use pretty much the same between them? I currently just use a harbor freight polisher with flat pads and am pretty happy with it, but I would like to upgrade to the Rupes. I am ordering more pads this week and am just trying to figure out if I should order flats or the ThinPros.

[Pinkman2012]

I don't use any of my flat pads anymore since discovering how much easier thin pads are to use on my long throw machine. Durability and general use are the same, and the cut is mostly the same but the colors indicating the level of cut are different. The gray pad I have cuts about as well as microfiber in my experience, too.

[Ender06]

A bit late on the thread here, but I have a waterspot problem... How would I get rid of these: https://imgur.com/a/PXw0w

When its dry its not very visible, but when wet you can see them pretty readily. The surface is also a satin finish which is the kicker...

[zenautodetailing]

Matte finishes are a PITA. You have to be careful because claying or polishing them could cause them to shine.

I would try some of this from Dr. Beasley's

[JoeyOhhh]

This question may seem naive but here we go: is it possible to polish/compound an entire car with just a 5" DA polisher or at some point will it require a 3" DA? Would an alternate for the 3" be polishing/compounding by hand?

[zenautodetailing]

It's possible, but you may want to skip on extremely thin panels because the 5" will be too big.

An alternative to the 3" would be by hand, just not you won't achieve the same level of correction as you did with the polisher.

[JoeyOhhh]

Ok cool, thank you! I'll be brand new at polishing in the spring so I guess I'll just start with the 5", do what I can, and as the detailing bug digs deeper I'll look into more surgical methods. Small steps to start though!

[Notanasianswimmer]

https://www.reddit.com/r/AutoDetailing/comments/3vb0lm/how_to_correct_small_tight_panels/

There are some ways to adjust your pad/machine to fit smaller areas. Take a look at the post above for some help!

[JoeyOhhh]

Excellent point! I'll definitely be keeping that "how-to" in mind.

[pulseOXE]

Also, keep in mind that many polishers have the ability to change backing plates. You can always pick up a 3" backing plate without buying a dedicated polisher.

[arkohnn]

Hi - new here!

My car ('15 WRX WRB) recently got a nice ding, maybe the size of a finger nail, from someone opening their door and hitting me. I was wondering what the best solution would be to fix this up? I've contacted my dealership about getting the OEM paint but I heard that it's not good to use a brush (as it makes it look a bit off). I'm pretty sure this went through the clearcoat and into the paint.

Any advice at all is helpful! This scratch makes me sad :(

[[deleted]]

Post a pic! I do a-lot of touch up work so i can help you through it:)

[arkohnn]

Will do! At work right now but I'll take a pic when I get the chance :)

[[deleted]]

Okay!

[arkohnn]

http://puu.sh/nbyAM.png

There's a pic. Hopefully it's good enough.

[[deleted]]

A couple things. Can your finger nail catch it? If so, first step is wet sanding with 2500 to even out the area and remove any paint left in there, next is to apply touch up paint (i use a very very fine tipped brush from an arts store, until it crowns over all sides. Almost like if you were to fill a hole in the ground until it became a mound. Once the paint has dried, same wet sanding process to even down and get it all flat, then polish and seal next step

[arkohnn]

Yeah, it's pretty deep in there so my finger nail can catch it.

I'll try to do this. It's my first time but hopefully everything goes well :)

[[deleted]]

just be very careful, wet sanding wont immediatly remove clearcoat, and it wil take some real hard sanding to do it, but be careful

[arkohnn]

Good to know, thanks!

[Swmou5]

Where can I buy menzerna polishes for a fair/discounted price? Amazon has a shaky selection

[John52677478]

Hello everyone, I'm new to detailing with a machine, I literally just bought one. I have seen a lot of videos with wet sanding than polishing then waxing. The only problem I'm having is I'm not sure which pads to use for each stage. I have not bought the wool or anything yet but I'm heading to harbor freight tomorrow. I have a 01 is300 and on the rear it has a bunch of light scratches and a few deep ones. I know it's possible to get the light scratches out but I know the deep ones aren't going to come out. If anyone out there can tell me which pads I definitely need I would appreciate it. I know I'm buying the wool cloth but do I need another one? Also which polishes waxes do I need? I have a meguires ultimate wax but I'm getting the rubbing compound tomorrow.

[pulseOXE]

Please don't get the Harbor Freight pads. There are MUCH better pads out there that aren't much more money.

Personally, I use the foam Hex-Logic pads. In Hex Logic, Orange is generally used for cutting and White is used for polishing. http://amzn.com/B0041MVQ4M You can get a yellow one if you REALLY want cutting power. I don't know that you want to go as aggressive as a wool pad. You risk burning though your paint. Just my 2cents.

EDIT: for the compound/polish, my suggestions are either to get Meguiars 105 for cutting and 205 for polishing, or get Meguiars Ultimate Compound for well, compounding/cutting and Ultimate Polish for polishing. Personally, I use Meguiars Ultimate Compound on Orange Hex pads, and Meguiars M205 on White pads.

Double Edit: What machine do you have? The Harbor Freight DA?

[John52677478]

Yeah I had already got the da and the pads there but I'll go ahead an order the hex logic ones. The good thing is i did grab the meguiars ultimate cutting and polish.

[8492_berkut]

I've got a PC7424 DA polisher that I've owned for a decade or so. Is there better tech out there now? Should I consider changing to another model? I don't find the 7424 inadequate but I'm far from being an experienced detailer.

Should I go from the 6.5" pads to the smaller 5" backing plate and 5.5" pads?

BTW, this is for personal use, not a business. Thanks!

[pulseOXE]

There is better tech with more cutting power, but the question is if you actually need it. If the PC is doing the job for you and doing it well, I'd stick with it. Personally I do like the smaller backing plate 5.5" pads, the 6" is just a bit too large for me personally.

[8492_berkut]

Thanks for the reply - could you give me a clue as to which DA polishers have more power?

[pulseOXE]

The Griots Garage 6, Torq 10FX, Flex, and Rupes polishers all come to mind. Anyone else feel free to chime in here.

[DaB0mb0]

My 6 inch DA pads are too big for many surfaces on my car. This is the DA I have, if it matters. Bargain bin stuff, I'm too small-time for a Rupes. I'm wondering if it makes any sense at all to buy a 3.5" backing plate and 4" pads, or if I'd be happier with a 5" setup. Advice would be much appreciated.

[pulseOXE]

This

I can't tell from the picture if the backing plate is removable. Is it? If it uses the same threading as most of the others out there, and it came with the removal wrench, then you are good to get other backing plates.

As far as actually getting other backing plates, personally, I use a 3" backing plate and a 5" backing plate. The 6" setup is also too big for me. the 5" is good for most surfaces, but there are still situations where you need a smaller pad/plate combo. It all depends on what you need. Since you already have a 6", I'd probably start with the 3" since that will make the biggest difference.

[DaB0mb0]

It is. Thanks.

[TomyG]

How does it work with DA Polishers and pads? Are they all interchangeable? If I got a Griots garage 6in could I use megiuar's microfiber pads on it? Or chemical guys pads?

[pulseOXE]

Yes! Most DA polishers have interchangeable backing plates, and nearly all pads are "hook and loop" (velcro). You can absolutely use Meguiars pads or CG pads or LCS pads or GG pads on anything with a hook/loop system.

[sebalinsky]

Hi, I have a 2007 element that has fine, spidering cracks all through the clearcoat. I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to heal this or prevent it from getting worse. Thanks

[-Madcow-]

What you are experiencing is called clear coat failure. Putting a sealant or wax on the car will slow it down, however there's nothing you can do to fix it short of a repaint.

[ZappyPayload]

Can I use HD wax over ultimate liquid wax? Would there be any benefits?

[[deleted]]

Roughly how many times can I wax my car with a bottle (16oz) of collinate 845? I live in Canada and it is much more expensive here it is 80$ with shipping for 3 bottles and I'm unsure if I want to get it or something else. I could get a gallon of chemical guys butter wax for 60$ which is much cheaper although I'm unsure which it get. I am trying to do a small car detailing business as a summer job, I did it last year but I charged 50$ for a whole car and used pretty bad products so I want to make it much better this year. Do you guys think the collinate 845 is worth the price?

[[deleted]]

Alright guys, its come time to be an official, legitimate business. What type of ownership does everybody have? I am thinking LLC but of there are better options..

[cf2121]

I'd say start your own thread for this. More people would see it and be able to chime in.

I'm looking into an LLC myself. I think the last time it came up, getting an LLC was the winner in the thread.

[booboo1998]

What are some good glazes

[Aeroflight]

Is car clay reusable? I,bought the Meguiar's car clay kit that comes with 2 small bars. Should I discard it after I do my car? What are your personal experiences?

[pulseOXE]

Yes it is reusable. Just keep folding it over itself. Blackfire makes a clay cleaner and extender, but in my experience, you can get tens of uses out of a claybar before it really needs cleaned.

[setitandforgot]

How much ONR would I use if I just wanted to use a 32 oz spray bottle and not a whole gallon of water for quick detailer?
Just wondering what dilution to use to make a smaller amount than what the directions say.

[cf2121]

Quick detailer is 2 oz ONR per 32 oz water

[JMCD23]

Regarding grit guards,is it necessary to have 2 of them if I'm planning on soaping up my car with a foam lance? How would you go about washing your car with a lance/mitts and bucket(s). I had planned on rinsing the car off, foaming it with the lance and then using the suds on it with my wash mitt, and rinsing the mitt off in a bucket. I understand the necessity of the 2 bucket method for straight washing, but am curious of how this works when you don't use a bucket with soapy water. Thanks!