There are a few reasons to avoid car washes if at all possible - 1. The "Soap" may be highly caustic to be sure that it cleans the car in one pass, causing damage to various parts of the car's finish. 2. The brushes or rags are rubbing the dirt from the car before you as well as your own dirt into your paint. The brushes press with quite some force - a neighbor's car is taken down to the primer on the front of the hood and roof from car washes. 3. The "touchless" ones can spray with enough force to damge door and window seals, and also rub your dirt into the paint with the same force before it is blown away. The same goes for using pressure washers on a car.
It may be ugly dirty, but unless the dirt is corrosive, it is probably better to leave it until you can wash it yourself. espcially if it is sealed with Zaino under the dirt.
By the way has anyone told lapvn than the Zaino products seem to emit fumes that cause severe addiction to glossy, smooth car paint?
lapvn--I don't see many of the "spinning nylon brush" washes anymore. If you've ever flet any of those "soft cloth" washes, they really aren't much better. All of them will cause scratches and swirls in your clearcoat. We've all seen cars that look like they've been washed with SOS pads. That's a result of using those types of washes. Even the guys places who have guys drying the car with shop rags will cause this.
pblevine--I've found after the initial claying, the only time I use clay is when I feel any rough spots or to remove particuarly stubborn "bug guts". It's usually just a quick spray of Z6 and clay of small areas.
fastdriver--unfortunately, I've spent the last couple of years commuting back and forth to Chicago from Cincinnati for work using the 300M....almost 300 miles one way. I was approached to move to Chicago (which wouldn't have been a bad thing), but with a teen needing to finish High School, I decided to just "tough it out" instead of uprooting my son so late in his educational career. I was doing this 3-4 times per month. My son looks like he may get a scholarship to Loyola, so I could move to Chicago afterall. For the time being, my work there is finished, though. The result of all this is that I have well over 100K miles on the 300M. It has been a very trusty "stead" and has served me flawlessly. But, at the 100K mark, I usually trade/sell my cars. So, I have an infernal red 300M, in great shape for sale. My bet would be it's good for another 100K miles, easily. I don't know if I'll buy another car or not. I like the pictures/concept of the 300c I've seen. I also like the RX8 or the G35. Since I came to get the PT Cruiser from my former spouse, I may just use it as my primary driver.
automophile--I agree that even the soap that those touchless places use is much more severe than Z7. Driving through one of the worst winters in recent memory, I used them to at least get the sand and salt off the car with as little damage to the finish as possible. It seemed the lesser of two evils. I've never had much of an issue with the high pressure they spray the water, but I have heard of some harrowing experiences from others.
I was re-reading my notes yesterday on the bus and my wife asked me, "is that for the car again?" I said yes. She said just bring it to a car wash and you are done in 5 minutes.
Another Edmunds post to me explained how he has owned his car for 2 months and he has yet to wash it once.
Clearly these two don't understand how important the shine and cleanliness of a car is to me/us and would not fit in our cult. Some people just don't understand.
On those times that I don't use ZFX I have a few questions to throw out there.
After I take off the first coat of Z2/Z5 and have to wait for the 6 hours is it ok to drive the car?
If it is ok to drive the car while waiting for the 6 hours, do I need to wash it again before applying the second coat of Z2/Z5?
Is it ok to drive the car even though Z2/Z5 is still on it (you haven't removed the polished yet)?
Lastly, how long does one bottle of Z6 last? Not an exact science since everyone here has a different car, but I was just wondering how many bottles to get.
I know the questions above are stupid, but how weird is this, but I am getting anal about the whole entire process and just want to make sure I get it right.
From the sound of it, I think I will just stick to the $2 do it yourself car wash and just use their water sprayer and none of their soap or wax. I will just bring my own bucket and towels and do all of my Z over there. I don't think I can trust any car wash just from looking at their sign, and not knowing all about their business, ie towels they use, soap they use so so forth. I think I will better peace of mind with those do it yourself places.
Absolutely no need to wait to drive your car once you apply, let dry and remove Zaino. By all means, drive it around and show off the shine. You are probably thinking of the "cure" times for Zaino. If not using ZFX, you want to wait about 6 hours before you put another coat of Z2/Z5. With ZFX, you can put a coat on, wipe it off and apply another coat immediately.
Z6 goes quick. I use it a lot...before Z2/Z5 coats...after Z2/Z5 coats and after a Z7 wash. If I wash/wax once/week, then a bottle of Z6 only lasts about two months.
The last year or two, I've tempered my use of Z6 because I was going through it quicker than beer on a hot summer weekend.
Graphicguy--Put that 300M into storage for say twenty years, and it will be worth a ton of Z6 on the Antiques Road Show.
And yes, only clay when the paint surface neeeds it. That's every Spring in the NE (at least).
lapvn--Feel free, but I think there is a better explaination of claying on the Zainobros.com website. Also, the real trick in claying is to lubricate the surface very well as you rub the clay over it. I use a mixture of Z7 and water.
This year, I plan to clay my windshield too. I'll then use the Zaino Glass Polish on it to remove some of the tiny scratches. And then, I clean the windshield again with Spray Way. Provided that the glass is very clean, I plan to then apply Z2 to it.
automophile--I actually approached one of those brushless car washes a few weeks ago. Remember my car still looks like a snow ball after this hard winter. I brought my own Z7 and tried to talk them out of using anything but plain water. But then I spotted those guys with the "towels" waiting on the back side. You just had to see those "towels"! Enough dirt on them to hide their color between the nylon threads. When I asked if they could switch to clean towels, I was told that it didn't matter as the water was re-cycled too. I drove away.
Graphicguy, maybe I should not have been sleeping during my English classes throughout HS. Anyway, let me make my questions a little bit more clear.
After I take off the first coat of Z2/Z5 and have to wait for the 6 hours is it ok to drive the car before applying the next coat?
If it is ok to drive the car while waiting for the 6 hours, do I need to wash it again before applying the second coat of Z2/Z5?
To me it would be WISE (which I am not) to wash before applying any additional coat of Z2/Z5, but after driving it,..... all of you have already scolded me that there is no need for a Z7 wash before a second coat of Z2/Z5. Assuming that I just removed the first coat of Z2/Z5, now I need to run to the inlaws (yuck) for some lunch, the drive is about 1 hour. As I sit there and waste time, after 5 hours or so, can I apply Z2/Z5? Or should I wash again then the Z2/Z5?
Is it ok to drive the car even though Z2/Z5 is still on it?
Everybody THOUGHT that I was addicted to Zaino since 1998! You have me beat by a MILE! ;-)) However, that said, I KNOW how you feel although I do NOT take out my seats to clean! Let the next guy do it. It's a lease!
graphicguy-
WOW!!! 100,000 miles! Phew. I can't even imagine that! You know WHY that car has been troublefree! ;-)) Call it "divine intervention"?? LOL.... I agree with pblevine- put it in storage. The way you keep a car, I'm sure it looks as good as the day you got it.
Maybe your next car will be the new Grand Prix?? ;-)) Did you say FORMER spouse? Mmmm... I guess I haven't written to you in a LONG time!
Let's back up just a bit. If you use ZFX in combination with either Z2 or Z5, you can put up to 3 coats on in a single session. In my case, that session my last half a day, but who's counting. If, on the other hand, you are not using the ZFX product, then you must wait up to 24 hours between coats of Z2 or Z5.
Oh, I think I finally got. You may want to due more than 3 coats of ZFX/Z2. Is that your problem? Then nix the driving or re-wash the car with Z7 after a long drive prior to applying the second set of coats. Why? 'Cause there is dust in the air. I once drove around (at 90 mph) to dry off a freshly washed car. And I got a whole load of water spots for my trouble. And that was up in the Berkshire Mountains where the air is pure. You don't want dust between your layers of Z2 or Z5. And a very quick wash is all that would be required. Does this make any sense?
I second pblevine's comments - if you drive between coats you will SURELY get some dust and/or grime that you will then rub into your paint when you apply the next coat. The more reason to use the ZFX you can apply and remove Zaino all day until your arms fall off!
Also - ZA meetings are every other 3rd Thursday.
Today I passed a guy hand waxing a HUGE, black stretch limo! I can't imagine how much work that is with wax, and how much easier it would be with Zaino! Oh well, I guess he needs something to do all day long!
Yea...the Chicago commute did a number on the mileage on the 300M. Vast majority was highway driving, so I'm certain that had a lot to do with how great the car has been. Plus, I'm certain that the way I came across the car had a lot do with it, too.
Truth of the matter, I think keeping it Zaino'd regularly had a lot to do with how the car looks, too. You'd never guess that the car has over 100K miles on it. It looks as good (or better) than some 1 year old cars. Aside from a couple of parking lot dings, it looks and drives the same as when I got it, new.
I've been through two batteries, three sets of tires (put the last set in February) and aside from normal routine maintenance, that's it. I don't know that I particularly want to get rid of it, but I've got 3 cars and two drivers (one being my son's). I only have 5K miles on the PT and I really would like a G35 or the RX8, but practicality tells me it's ridiculous to have just a "casual car". We'll see....I'm not in a hurry to sell the 300M and still use it as my daily driver. I'll take a financial beating if I try to sell an '03 PT Cruiser, which I like a lot, too.
Former spouse....yea, sad story after a lot of years of marriage but I'm over it. My son is with me and that's all that matters.
So what do you guys do with the 6 hours while waiting to add an additional coat of Z2/Z5?
At least during the summer, there are baseball games, tons of outdoor chores, and the million other items my wife has for me to do.
I guess what I would do is Z7 and Z2/Z5 first thing in the morning, then have breakfast, do some inside chores and then right around lunch time, it should be enough to add on another coat.
I usually don't do multiple coats in a single day. I have done multiple coats on subsequent days. Sometimes I'll do a detail on a Saturday evening and just pull the car in the garage. Early Sunday, I'll put on a quick application that only takes about 20 minutes. I don't have to wash it on Sunday or do anything else but put on a quick coat.
About 4 years ago when I was doing a detail, my car vac broke, so I went to the local "spray wash" place to use their vacuum. Since I had just washed and Zaino'd the car at home, I decided to vacuum and Z6 it at the spray place.
A guy in a Porche (why he would take such a nice car to one of the spray places is beyond me) who was washing/waxing his car came up and asked me what type of wax I was using because he couldn't get that kind of shine. I told him I was just using some shine enhancer. We started talking about car care and I told him I would never use the "brush wash wand" that he was using.
He pulled some Turtle Wax out of his stash of wax materials and I told him "I wouldn't use that stuff on an old beater". After talking (and me oggling his Porche), he asked me if he could have the label off of my Z6 bottle so he could take it home and order Zaino.
Don't know if he ordered any or not, but that was a first...someone eyeballing my (at the time) Pontiac and being jealous of the finish compared to a Porche.
hahaha, I love that story. Talk about a story for Sal, he probably will get a kicked out of that story if you told him. I don't lie, and all of you know it, this stuff works.
Since I was a former turtle wax user, are any of you converts from the other brands, Mothers, and the other one I can't remember. What made you switch?
The question above I guess is for everyone else except for bret, he already has told me that he will need a separate storage / garage just for all the products he has. hehehe
is still good...For air conditioners, bicycles, fire plugs, old mainframe computers, marble tables, driveways, garage floors, politicans, and Howard Stern.
One of the ways I made money in college, lo those many years ago, was to detail the Prof's cars and the "rich kids" rides at night and on the weekends. I eventually turned that into a job with the local car lot, detailing their cars throughout college.
I used to use a mix of water and kerosene to wash. The kerosene would cut through just about everything....road tar, bug guts, old wax, etc. It would also leave a somewhat reflective, oily film on the car that made it look like it shined. Of course, that would only last until the first rain, then they'd bring it back for another wash.
I "graduated" to Simonize and a little later, Rain Dance. After I got real serious, I started buying the higher end waxes and more recent wax technology, like Collinite, Meguiars, Mothers, Liquid Glass, Zymol and many more that I've long forgotten.
I found out about Zaino 4 or 5 years ago on the LS1 BB (a site for corvette lovers). After posting many of the same questions I see here, I finally ordered some and met up with the likes of fastdriver, pblevine, automphile, bretfraz, and others here.
I tossed all the other stuff I used and haven't looked back.
I was using Meguiars Gold and it was good. I mostly did not like the wax harming my plastic/rubber parts and the yellow wax getting into every crack. I don't remember exactly how I got into Zaino. I believe I stumbled onto this site and thought I would try it. After the first try, I gave away all my Meguiars. Nothing better!
Just some background on myself. My cars were always cheap and used, '76 Scirocco (does anyone even remember this one), 80 Tercel, than a 82 Tercel. All 3 giving me more than my moneys worth in miles. Neither of the three really needed to be shiny only because they ere already used and never really cared for. My first brand new purchase was a 93 Integra. Right from the start I took care of it, inside and out. Started with the usual Turtle Wax, and any other store front products that said new and improve. Finally realizing that all were pretty much the same as long as I kept on applying it. Then I found Zaino, and you guys know the rest.
Everyone I know always says to get a light colored car because it hides the dirt. These are the same people who bought a white car, and little by little it is turning grey/brown. Now that we purchased a Midnight Blue Ody, this got me worried on how to keep it clean. If everyone only knew and also understood Zaino, they would see how easy it is to keep a car clean and shiny.
First thing this morning I inspected the car and it was slick and shiny just as expected. I went ahead to do a Z7 wash so I can apply my new purchase of Z2 and also Z6.
My towels, sorry cheap stuff for now, were newly washed and dried. This might be the wrong part I did. Some of the towels washed were the ones I used last week to take off the turtle wax. After the dryer, the towels did feel funny like some form of film on it.
When I went to dry off the car, the outcome was NON slick and NON shiny.
Was this outcome due to the conditions of my towels? Are these normal conditions before applying any of the polishes?
I did go ahead and applied a layer of Z2, I hope the outcome will be ok. This has also taught me to go and buy towels just for this car, and keep the cheap towels for the old one.
I will keep you posted on the Z2, but I am sure you all already know.
Could be a couple of problems with yoru towels. Some laundry soap has different types of additives. I fine plain old Tide to work best on my car towels (also still works well with all my clothes). No special smell additives, or bleach, etc. Just plain Tide.
Another problem could be that you used "fabric softener when you threw them in the dryer. That's a "no-no" as it will leave residue on your car's finish. Dry the towels with nothing additional thrown in the dryer.
Good, 100% cotton towels are a good investment. You can find them on sale just about anywhere. Stay away from foreign made towels. Even though they say they are 100% cotton, as pointed out before, most times that's not the case as stiching, backing, etc may not be cotton.
Some have mentioned microfiber towels, but I've never used them. I'm thinking about trying them though if I can find a source for good ones. You might also look into finding something called the "Absorber" for drying your Ody. It's a synthetic chamois that I've used or years. It works very well. You can find them at any Napa or Pep Boys. I've even found them at Costco and Sam's in the automotive areas.
lapvn: Did you ever get clear on the 6-hour wait? I'm not sure what you were talking about! If you use the ZFX mixed with either the Z-2 or Z-5 you can apply up to three coats in a 6-hour period, depending on the temperature. The new ZFX is an "accelerator" which major function is to significantly reduced the drying time. I know Sal's web site is somewhat confusing as it still talks about the Z-1. Sort out the Z-1 stuff and read only the ZFX stuff! Hope this helps. As far as the towels, it's hard to say. However, I do use only 100% white all cotton, made in USA towels to both wash and dry. I wash and dry the towels seperately from any other house towels or anything else.
bretfraz: Are the Micro-Fiber towels as safe as the 100% cotton towels? Sal's web site made me a believer long ago and anything else scares me.
These threads are very small in diameter making them super soft. Rated in denier, the unit for measuring fineness of fabric, a strand of cotton has a rating of 200. A human hair has a denier of 20 and a strand of silk has a denier of 8. Microfiber has a denier of 0.01 to 0.02! At minimum, 100 times finer than a human hair. Softer than silk, yet bull-dog tough, split Microfiber cloth attracts dust, grime, oily films and salt residues like a magnet.
The key to microfiber is buying them from a source who gets them from a quality mill and does a little QC before selling them. Not all m.f. is the same but neither is cotton.
The local high school kids were having a "free" (actually a $5-donation) car-wash in the parking lot at Sears this morning. Well, my car's kind of dirty and it's a good cause and there they were and...well...I went for it.
Halfway through I noticed they were using Palmolive dish detergent for their wash solution! I said something but the supervising teacher started in about "I've been using dishwash for years and it's never been a problem," and I knew there was no point arguing and it was too late anyway. (Add to that the terrible job they did washing my car...and forget about drying it, which I had to do myself.)
Here's the question (and I suspect the answer): Is my car un-Z'ed now? Do I have to start over from Z1?
You mentioned that you have several links for MF towels. I am in the market for some. What size would you reccomend. I want to use them for drying and have a separate set for removing waxes and interior work. Have you tried any of the bonnets for polishing machines that are MF? Lots of questions I know, so thanks in advance for some help.
Also http://www.pakshak.com is a place where people have had excellent service along with top quality products.
At a minimum I think you need 6-10 regular 16"x16" towels for waxing, polishing, etc. And you need at least one or two large waffle weave towel for drying. Sizes vary a little but many are like 25"x36" or close.
OK....I'm game to try the microfiber towels. I looked at the sites you listed. Lots of info. Where did you get yours from? Which sizes and for what uses? Which drying towel did you get?
I've purchased from the top three on that list. I have about 30 16"x16" towels. These can be considered all-purpose towels - applying or removing waxes and polishes, cleaning windows, wiping down interiors, quick detailing, etc. I leave the real dirty work to cotton terry but use MF for most everything else.
I bought two large waffle weaves from Microfiber Tech and use them strictly for drying the car.
I highly recommend buying a couple of window cleaning towels and using them strictly for that purpose. I keep mine separate from all the other towels which minimizes contamination and ensures I get perfect windows.
CMA and MFtech would be good choices for one-stop shopping.
I have tried MF towels, and as Bret recommends, I LOVE the waffle weave for drying the car after a wash.
But I still prefer terry for Z application/removal. Here are the reasons:
1) You need to hand rinse MF towels afer you use them (actually, after you wash them in the washing machine) to make sure all the dirt, wax, gunk etc. gets removed. When I wash my MF towels in the washer, the MF towels are so absorbant that the towels keep sucking back the dirty water in the rinse/spin cycle.
Soap/detergent is almost impossible to remove from the towels in the spin cycle, no matter how many times you run them through. (Note: the small amount of Z7 that gets in the waffle weave towels when I dry the car is enough that I can go sans Tide when washing them in the washer).
2) I slighty prefer the friction of terry for Z2/Z5 removal. MF needs more "elbow grease"in my opinion.
6 months have passed and next weekend I have set aside time to re-apply Zaino. My plan is a Z-7, Z-1, Z-2 and Z-6 (it has been about 7 applications of Z-2 since I last used Z-1).
My question is, after I Z-7, can I apply Z-6 to my car then immediately start the Z-1/Z-2 process?
I actually got the answers already. Someone made a suggestion and it made real sense. He said that he does the first coat in the evening and then he does the second coat in the morning the following day.
UPDATE: I applied my Z2, and waited about 1 1/2 hours. As I was taking it off it seemed to leave a film and had to go back through each area several times. I think this was a cause of of Z2 still wet or that I over applied it. My opinion is this, I am better off placing 1/2 once in those little tiny bottles that way I can see how much is left. When applying straight from the orginal Z2 bottle, it seems like I apply to thick or just use to much and look for the actual "WAX" haze.
Anyway, the shine was there after taking off the Z2. Though still a bit tick off that after the wash it wasn't as shiny and slick as I thought it should be. I applied my first Z6 and was very impress with the outcome. The Z6 does make a great whole lot of difference.
Schedule for next week: Buy a bunch of 100% cotton towels. Weekend: Z7 Wash, Dry, Z6, Z2, & Z6
I figure what ever I did wrong last weekend with my cheapy terry towels should be ok after next weekend. I will leave the terry for the 10 year old integra.
I have about 25 Terry Towels. The other week I used them to take off the Turtle wax from the other car, used about 10 towels. I washed all of them this week at the local laundry mat using All detergent, no softener used in wash or dryer. They all look fine and those used on the Turtle wax had a slight tint of brown, but no residue of wax. Only when they came out of the dryer that they felt funny. And then of course once I used them to dry the car the shine and slick feeling was no longer there.
This leaves me to think that I will buy a separate set of towels just for this car, and keep the terry towels for the other car and also for any odds and ends to do.
Can anyone pin point where I went wrong? How was it that after all the work I had done the past week or two, and then just to wash with Z7, how did I loose the slick and shine of Zaino.
Some of you are still on the board from my first experience with Zanio and you might remember me as the gal with the "Bus" (Suburban). I was using a different username, which I couldn't remember this time.
I just bought an '03 Highlander this last weekend and wanted to know the steps required for a new car.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Even pointing me to any old posts on this subject. I think I have everything but the new product. (?) The one that shortens the wait between coats.
The best refresher course, even for beginners, is in the "Application Tips" on the Zaino web page, easily found at www.zainobros.com. For a new car, or whatever a Highlander is, generally you should wash well with Dawn, clay, wash all the clay off and then apply the Zaino.
As for towels, lapvn, I'm not quite sure what your question is, but I get the impression that you have one car waxed and one car zainoed, and that you think you have screwed up your Zaino towels somehow. If you are going to get new towels for the Zaino car, instead of cotton, I strongly suggest you get Microfiber towels. I have recently switched and they are great. One of the best sources is pakshank (www.pakshak.com). Get some smaller ones for application and removal and to really do it right, get a waffle weave to use to dry the car after washing.
Once you have used the Microfibers you will never go back to the cotton towels again.
I am more worried about the new car that I Z'ed. The towels were terry towels and I think when I laundried them last week the wax just basically spread throughout the entire load of washing. Then when I used them to dry off the Z'ed car, it took off the slick and shine of Zaino.
I couldn't care less about the towels right now since they were the cheaper ones. I will from now on keep this set for the old car, and have the newer set of towels for the new car with Zaino.
I guess my question is, did I screw up my Zaino, if the wax got spread out through the rest of the towels?
Why was it when I dried the car it did not have that slick and shiny feeling?
I am not sure I am sold on this one yet. I really did like the outcome of Zaino and I only used the cheap 100% cotton terry towels. As for me right now, I think I will try the 100% good towels from those places mentioned above, and if not satisfied go onto microfibre. Just my 2 cents
No...it's pretty difficult to screw up. I would "dump" the towels, however.
Hard to tell what happened, but your description regarding the towels sounds as plausible as any.
You can wash with Z7 and just do a Z6 spray and wipe and you should be good as new again.
I'll admit, I'm a bit anal, but when I apply Zaino in the evening and another coat the next morning I use a "California Duster" before I put on the "next morning" coat just to make sure no dust settled on the finish overnite. It only takes about 5 minutes to use the duster. I found mine at Sam's club if you're interested.
I was wondering what you call those things, I always see the guy on the car showroom using them, but I never knew what they were called.
Next and more importantly, Thank you again for the vote of confidence. I was just going to go with a wash and Z6 this weekend, but just to make sure all and everything bad for the car is off, I will go ahead and apply another coat of Z2.
California Duster, ha, go figure. I'll buy one this week along with my new set of towels.
Is probably not because your towels are "cheap". The reason to avoid "cheap" towels is to make certain you get 100% cotton, which insures that you don't scratch the car due to nylon in the supposed 100% cotton towels.
The problem was most likely because of the residual wax and other products that may have remained in your towels. It could also be that laundry detergent did not get completely rinsed from your towels. If you can run water in your washing machine and get suds without even adding any detergent, it is an indication that you habitually use too much detergent. Cut back on detergent not only when washing your towels, but on all other washing if this is the case.
If residual wax is the problem, then it sounds as though you may have to do another Dawn wash on your car to make sure you get the wax off. I don't believe that Dawn will remove all the Z2, though it could remove some, but it will remove the residual wax.
Note that adding ammonia (in the washing machine) to the towel wash helps cut through wax on the towels. Make sure the water is as hot as possible. I use ammonia in my washing machine for Z towels, and it works fine. I also use vinegar in the rinse cycle for towels to maximize the ability to cut through the soap. Ammonia cuts through grease (so use in the wash cycle) and vinegar cuts through soap (so use in the rinse cycle). You only use 1/2 cup of ammonia or vinegar, both of which are rinsed from the towels. Towels cleaned in this way will not hurt your car. I have been known to run several rinse cycles to make sure the towels are perfectly clean.
Also, FYI, on my color of car (medium grey green), Z6 makes all the difference in the world to the appearance of the car, so you are not just imagining things if you think Z6 is the icing on the cake.
'Sounds like atoews has a good idea which I too should try. Actually, I've never had problems from my 100% Fieldcrest made in USA towels. I simply wash them with liquid Tide. Then again, my towels where never exposed to wax residue.
You are killing me. Do the first day part again. I thought I was just getting the hang of this. Well, you guys knows best. I guess it is a dawn wash this weekend.
Comments
1. The "Soap" may be highly caustic to be sure that it cleans the car in one pass, causing damage to various parts of the car's finish.
2. The brushes or rags are rubbing the dirt from the car before you as well as your own dirt into your paint. The brushes press with quite some force - a neighbor's car is taken down to the primer on the front of the hood and roof from car washes.
3. The "touchless" ones can spray with enough force to damge door and window seals, and also rub your dirt into the paint with the same force before it is blown away. The same goes for using pressure washers on a car.
It may be ugly dirty, but unless the dirt is corrosive, it is probably better to leave it until you can wash it yourself. espcially if it is sealed with Zaino under the dirt.
By the way has anyone told lapvn than the Zaino products seem to emit fumes that cause severe addiction to glossy, smooth car paint?
pblevine--I've found after the initial claying, the only time I use clay is when I feel any rough spots or to remove particuarly stubborn "bug guts". It's usually just a quick spray of Z6 and clay of small areas.
fastdriver--unfortunately, I've spent the last couple of years commuting back and forth to Chicago from Cincinnati for work using the 300M....almost 300 miles one way. I was approached to move to Chicago (which wouldn't have been a bad thing), but with a teen needing to finish High School, I decided to just "tough it out" instead of uprooting my son so late in his educational career. I was doing this 3-4 times per month. My son looks like he may get a scholarship to Loyola, so I could move to Chicago afterall. For the time being, my work there is finished, though. The result of all this is that I have well over 100K miles on the 300M. It has been a very trusty "stead" and has served me flawlessly. But, at the 100K mark, I usually trade/sell my cars. So, I have an infernal red 300M, in great shape for sale. My bet would be it's good for another 100K miles, easily. I don't know if I'll buy another car or not. I like the pictures/concept of the 300c I've seen. I also like the RX8 or the G35. Since I came to get the PT Cruiser from my former spouse, I may just use it as my primary driver.
automophile--I agree that even the soap that those touchless places use is much more severe than Z7. Driving through one of the worst winters in recent memory, I used them to at least get the sand and salt off the car with as little damage to the finish as possible. It seemed the lesser of two evils. I've never had much of an issue with the high pressure they spray the water, but I have heard of some harrowing experiences from others.
"By the way has anyone told lapvn than the Zaino products seem to emit fumes that cause severe addiction to glossy, smooth car paint?"
Is this as someone posted earlier why there are "Zainos Anonymous" meetings for.
Another Edmunds post to me explained how he has owned his car for 2 months and he has yet to wash it once.
Clearly these two don't understand how important the shine and cleanliness of a car is to me/us and would not fit in our cult. Some people just don't understand.
After I take off the first coat of Z2/Z5 and have to wait for the 6 hours is it ok to drive the car?
If it is ok to drive the car while waiting for the 6 hours, do I need to wash it again before applying the second coat of Z2/Z5?
Is it ok to drive the car even though Z2/Z5 is still on it (you haven't removed the polished yet)?
Lastly, how long does one bottle of Z6 last? Not an exact science since everyone here has a different car, but I was just wondering how many bottles to get.
I know the questions above are stupid, but how weird is this, but I am getting anal about the whole entire process and just want to make sure I get it right.
Z6 goes quick. I use it a lot...before Z2/Z5 coats...after Z2/Z5 coats and after a Z7 wash. If I wash/wax once/week, then a bottle of Z6 only lasts about two months.
The last year or two, I've tempered my use of Z6 because I was going through it quicker than beer on a hot summer weekend.
And yes, only clay when the paint surface neeeds it. That's every Spring in the NE (at least).
lapvn--Feel free, but I think there is a better explaination of claying on the Zainobros.com website. Also, the real trick in claying is to lubricate the surface very well as you rub the clay over it. I use a mixture of Z7 and water.
This year, I plan to clay my windshield too. I'll then use the Zaino Glass Polish on it to remove some of the tiny scratches. And then, I clean the windshield again with Spray Way. Provided that the glass is very clean, I plan to then apply Z2 to it.
automophile--I actually approached one of those brushless car washes a few weeks ago. Remember my car still looks like a snow ball after this hard winter. I brought my own Z7 and tried to talk them out of using anything but plain water. But then I spotted those guys with the "towels" waiting on the back side. You just had to see those "towels"! Enough dirt on them to hide their color between the nylon threads. When I asked if they could switch to clean towels, I was told that it didn't matter as the water was re-cycled too. I drove away.
After I take off the first coat of Z2/Z5 and have to wait for the 6 hours is it ok to drive the car before applying the next coat?
If it is ok to drive the car while waiting for the 6 hours, do I need to wash it again before applying the second coat of Z2/Z5?
To me it would be WISE (which I am not) to wash before applying any additional coat of Z2/Z5, but after driving it,..... all of you have already scolded me that there is no need for a Z7 wash before a second coat of Z2/Z5. Assuming that I just removed the first coat of Z2/Z5, now I need to run to the inlaws (yuck) for some lunch, the drive is about 1 hour. As I sit there and waste time, after 5 hours or so, can I apply Z2/Z5? Or should I wash again then the Z2/Z5?
Is it ok to drive the car even though Z2/Z5 is still on it?
Everybody THOUGHT that I was addicted to Zaino since 1998! You have me beat by a MILE! ;-)) However, that said, I KNOW how you feel although I do NOT take out my seats to clean! Let the next guy do it. It's a lease!
graphicguy-
WOW!!! 100,000 miles! Phew. I can't even imagine that! You know WHY that car has been troublefree! ;-)) Call it "divine intervention"?? LOL.... I agree with pblevine- put it in storage. The way you keep a car, I'm sure it looks as good as the day you got it.
Maybe your next car will be the new Grand Prix?? ;-)) Did you say FORMER spouse? Mmmm... I guess I haven't written to you in a LONG time!
fastdriver
Oh, I think I finally got. You may want to due more than 3 coats of ZFX/Z2. Is that your problem? Then nix the driving or re-wash the car with Z7 after a long drive prior to applying the second set of coats. Why? 'Cause there is dust in the air. I once drove around (at 90 mph) to dry off a freshly washed car. And I got a whole load of water spots for my trouble. And that was up in the Berkshire Mountains where the air is pure. You don't want dust between your layers of Z2 or Z5. And a very quick wash is all that would be required. Does this make any sense?
Also - ZA meetings are every other 3rd Thursday.
Today I passed a guy hand waxing a HUGE, black stretch limo! I can't imagine how much work that is with wax, and how much easier it would be with Zaino! Oh well, I guess he needs something to do all day long!
Truth of the matter, I think keeping it Zaino'd regularly had a lot to do with how the car looks, too. You'd never guess that the car has over 100K miles on it. It looks as good (or better) than some 1 year old cars. Aside from a couple of parking lot dings, it looks and drives the same as when I got it, new.
I've been through two batteries, three sets of tires (put the last set in February) and aside from normal routine maintenance, that's it. I don't know that I particularly want to get rid of it, but I've got 3 cars and two drivers (one being my son's). I only have 5K miles on the PT and I really would like a G35 or the RX8, but practicality tells me it's ridiculous to have just a "casual car". We'll see....I'm not in a hurry to sell the 300M and still use it as my daily driver. I'll take a financial beating if I try to sell an '03 PT Cruiser, which I like a lot, too.
Former spouse....yea, sad story after a lot of years of marriage but I'm over it. My son is with me and that's all that matters.
How's the CL doing?
At least during the summer, there are baseball games, tons of outdoor chores, and the million other items my wife has for me to do.
I guess what I would do is Z7 and Z2/Z5 first thing in the morning, then have breakfast, do some inside chores and then right around lunch time, it should be enough to add on another coat.
About 4 years ago when I was doing a detail, my car vac broke, so I went to the local "spray wash" place to use their vacuum. Since I had just washed and Zaino'd the car at home, I decided to vacuum and Z6 it at the spray place.
A guy in a Porche (why he would take such a nice car to one of the spray places is beyond me) who was washing/waxing his car came up and asked me what type of wax I was using because he couldn't get that kind of shine. I told him I was just using some shine enhancer. We started talking about car care and I told him I would never use the "brush wash wand" that he was using.
He pulled some Turtle Wax out of his stash of wax materials and I told him "I wouldn't use that stuff on an old beater". After talking (and me oggling his Porche), he asked me if he could have the label off of my Z6 bottle so he could take it home and order Zaino.
Don't know if he ordered any or not, but that was a first...someone eyeballing my (at the time) Pontiac and being jealous of the finish compared to a Porche.
Since I was a former turtle wax user, are any of you converts from the other brands, Mothers, and the other one I can't remember. What made you switch?
The question above I guess is for everyone else except for bret, he already has told me that he will need a separate storage / garage just for all the products he has. hehehe
I used to use a mix of water and kerosene to wash. The kerosene would cut through just about everything....road tar, bug guts, old wax, etc. It would also leave a somewhat reflective, oily film on the car that made it look like it shined. Of course, that would only last until the first rain, then they'd bring it back for another wash.
I "graduated" to Simonize and a little later, Rain Dance. After I got real serious, I started buying the higher end waxes and more recent wax technology, like Collinite, Meguiars, Mothers, Liquid Glass, Zymol and many more that I've long forgotten.
I found out about Zaino 4 or 5 years ago on the LS1 BB (a site for corvette lovers). After posting many of the same questions I see here, I finally ordered some and met up with the likes of fastdriver, pblevine, automphile, bretfraz, and others here.
I tossed all the other stuff I used and haven't looked back.
CUSAFR
Everyone I know always says to get a light colored car because it hides the dirt. These are the same people who bought a white car, and little by little it is turning grey/brown. Now that we purchased a Midnight Blue Ody, this got me worried on how to keep it clean. If everyone only knew and also understood Zaino, they would see how easy it is to keep a car clean and shiny.
My towels, sorry cheap stuff for now, were newly washed and dried. This might be the wrong part I did. Some of the towels washed were the ones I used last week to take off the turtle wax. After the dryer, the towels did feel funny like some form of film on it.
When I went to dry off the car, the outcome was NON slick and NON shiny.
Was this outcome due to the conditions of my towels?
Are these normal conditions before applying any of the polishes?
I did go ahead and applied a layer of Z2, I hope the outcome will be ok. This has also taught me to go and buy towels just for this car, and keep the cheap towels for the old one.
I will keep you posted on the Z2, but I am sure you all already know.
Another problem could be that you used "fabric softener when you threw them in the dryer. That's a "no-no" as it will leave residue on your car's finish. Dry the towels with nothing additional thrown in the dryer.
Good, 100% cotton towels are a good investment. You can find them on sale just about anywhere. Stay away from foreign made towels. Even though they say they are 100% cotton, as pointed out before, most times that's not the case as stiching, backing, etc may not be cotton.
Some have mentioned microfiber towels, but I've never used them. I'm thinking about trying them though if I can find a source for good ones. You might also look into finding something called the "Absorber" for drying your Ody. It's a synthetic chamois that I've used or years. It works very well. You can find them at any Napa or Pep Boys. I've even found them at Costco and Sam's in the automotive areas.
If you go MF you can put away The Absorber, the chamois, even the cotton terry. Microfiber kills them all.
bretfraz: Are the Micro-Fiber towels as safe as the 100% cotton towels? Sal's web site made me a believer long ago and anything else scares me.
CUSAFR
The key to microfiber is buying them from a source who gets them from a quality mill and does a little QC before selling them. Not all m.f. is the same but neither is cotton.
Halfway through I noticed they were using Palmolive dish detergent for their wash solution! I said something but the supervising teacher started in about "I've been using dishwash for years and it's never been a problem," and I knew there was no point arguing and it was too late anyway. (Add to that the terrible job they did washing my car...and forget about drying it, which I had to do myself.)
Here's the question (and I suspect the answer): Is my car un-Z'ed now? Do I have to start over from Z1?
I am a very unhappy camper today.
Steve
At least when its done right your car will be completely clean and back to Square One.
I recently bought some ZFX and other stuff. Soon I hope to have a Z day.
Thanks again.
Steve
http://www.properautocare.com/
http://www.neatitems.com
http://www.microfibertech.com
Also http://www.pakshak.com is a place where people have had excellent service along with top quality products.
At a minimum I think you need 6-10 regular 16"x16" towels for waxing, polishing, etc. And you need at least one or two large waffle weave towel for drying. Sizes vary a little but many are like 25"x36" or close.
Hope this helps.
Thanks!
I bought two large waffle weaves from Microfiber Tech and use them strictly for drying the car.
I highly recommend buying a couple of window cleaning towels and using them strictly for that purpose. I keep mine separate from all the other towels which minimizes contamination and ensures I get perfect windows.
CMA and MFtech would be good choices for one-stop shopping.
But I still prefer terry for Z application/removal. Here are the reasons:
1) You need to hand rinse MF towels afer you use them (actually, after you wash them in the washing machine) to make sure all the dirt, wax, gunk etc. gets removed. When I wash my MF towels in the washer, the MF towels are so absorbant that the towels keep sucking back the dirty water in the rinse/spin cycle.
Soap/detergent is almost impossible to remove from the towels in the spin cycle, no matter how many times you run them through. (Note: the small amount of Z7 that gets in the waffle weave towels when I dry the car is enough that I can go sans Tide when washing them in the washer).
2) I slighty prefer the friction of terry for Z2/Z5 removal. MF needs more "elbow grease"in my opinion.
My question is, after I Z-7, can I apply Z-6 to my car then immediately start the Z-1/Z-2 process?
TIA
UPDATE:
I applied my Z2, and waited about 1 1/2 hours. As I was taking it off it seemed to leave a film and had to go back through each area several times.
I think this was a cause of of Z2 still wet or that I over applied it.
My opinion is this, I am better off placing 1/2 once in those little tiny bottles that way I can see how much is left. When applying straight from the orginal Z2 bottle, it seems like I apply to thick or just use to much and look for the actual "WAX" haze.
Anyway, the shine was there after taking off the Z2. Though still a bit tick off that after the wash it wasn't as shiny and slick as I thought it should be. I applied my first Z6 and was very impress with the outcome. The Z6 does make a great whole lot of difference.
Schedule for next week:
Buy a bunch of 100% cotton towels.
Weekend:
Z7 Wash, Dry, Z6, Z2, & Z6
I figure what ever I did wrong last weekend with my cheapy terry towels should be ok after next weekend. I will leave the terry for the 10 year old integra.
I just hope that what happened this weekend was a fluke.
This leaves me to think that I will buy a separate set of towels just for this car, and keep the terry towels for the other car and also for any odds and ends to do.
Can anyone pin point where I went wrong? How was it that after all the work I had done the past week or two, and then just to wash with Z7, how did I loose the slick and shine of Zaino.
Sorry I do tend to be long winded on my post.
I just bought an '03 Highlander this last weekend and wanted to know the steps required for a new car.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Even pointing me to any old posts on this subject. I think I have everything but the new product. (?) The one that shortens the wait between coats.
Thanks!
julie
The best refresher course, even for beginners, is in the "Application Tips" on the Zaino web page, easily found at www.zainobros.com. For a new car, or whatever a Highlander is, generally you should wash well with Dawn, clay, wash all the clay off and then apply the Zaino.
As for towels, lapvn, I'm not quite sure what your question is, but I get the impression that you have one car waxed and one car zainoed, and that you think you have screwed up your Zaino towels somehow. If you are going to get new towels for the Zaino car, instead of cotton, I strongly suggest you get Microfiber towels. I have recently switched and they are great. One of the best sources is pakshank (www.pakshak.com). Get some smaller ones for application and removal and to really do it right, get a waffle weave to use to dry the car after washing.
Once you have used the Microfibers you will never go back to the cotton towels again.
I couldn't care less about the towels right now since they were the cheaper ones. I will from now on keep this set for the old car, and have the newer set of towels for the new car with Zaino.
I guess my question is, did I screw up my Zaino, if the wax got spread out through the rest of the towels?
Why was it when I dried the car it did not have that slick and shiny feeling?
Hard to tell what happened, but your description regarding the towels sounds as plausible as any.
You can wash with Z7 and just do a Z6 spray and wipe and you should be good as new again.
I'll admit, I'm a bit anal, but when I apply Zaino in the evening and another coat the next morning I use a "California Duster" before I put on the "next morning" coat just to make sure no dust settled on the finish overnite. It only takes about 5 minutes to use the duster. I found mine at Sam's club if you're interested.
Next and more importantly, Thank you again for the vote of confidence. I was just going to go with a wash and Z6 this weekend, but just to make sure all and everything bad for the car is off, I will go ahead and apply another coat of Z2.
California Duster, ha, go figure. I'll buy one this week along with my new set of towels.
Thanks again.
The problem was most likely because of the residual wax and other products that may have remained in your towels. It could also be that laundry detergent did not get completely rinsed from your towels. If you can run water in your washing machine and get suds without even adding any detergent, it is an indication that you habitually use too much detergent. Cut back on detergent not only when washing your towels, but on all other washing if this is the case.
If residual wax is the problem, then it sounds as though you may have to do another Dawn wash on your car to make sure you get the wax off. I don't believe that Dawn will remove all the Z2, though it could remove some, but it will remove the residual wax.
Note that adding ammonia (in the washing machine) to the towel wash helps cut through wax on the towels. Make sure the water is as hot as possible. I use ammonia in my washing machine for Z towels, and it works fine. I also use vinegar in the rinse cycle for towels to maximize the ability to cut through the soap. Ammonia cuts through grease (so use in the wash cycle) and vinegar cuts through soap (so use in the rinse cycle). You only use 1/2 cup of ammonia or vinegar, both of which are rinsed from the towels. Towels cleaned in this way will not hurt your car.
I have been known to run several rinse cycles to make sure the towels are perfectly clean.
Also, FYI, on my color of car (medium grey green), Z6 makes all the difference in the world to the appearance of the car, so you are not just imagining things if you think Z6 is the icing on the cake.