What Washing/Waxing Products to Use?

[globe9]

My 2010 Wicked Black Rogue S with 360 package is now a week old...It's still shiny and new, but was quite dusty from sitting in the driveway all week, so I hosed it off and dried it.

I want to keep my Rogue looking shiny and new so I've been looking into different products/techniques to keep the black paint looking great for years to come. I just bought some Meguiar's Deep Crystal Car Wash and some microfiber mitts and towels, as well as another bucket to use the 2 bucket method.

When it comes to polishes and waxes, etc. I'm a little confused. I almost bought the Meguiar's Carnuba Liquid Wax...it was carnuba and also had a polymer in it. Decided to do some more research and get some opinions. I know I can get specialty waxes and polishes online that cost $20+ for like 12oz....I'd rather stick to something that works well and I can buy at any Pepboys,Autozone,O'reilly, or Wal-Mart. Don't mind spending some $$$, but this isn't going to be a show car or anything.

I want to protect the paint and avoid swirls. Also, when should I polish this car? Does it need waxing yet since it's brand new and the paint is clean(no oxidation, pits, swirls, scratches, etc?).

Love to hear what you guys use and what techniques. Thanks!

[casperfun]

I use Black Magic® Wet Shine Liquid Car Wax after my researching. It seems to be highly rated on reviews and the turtle wax one, forgot which one though.

Gets the job done for me. Not for show, but to clean from time to time. I love it for spot cleaning.

I'm not into the hard work of waxing and washing. Got a buffer in the past but to lazy to use.

Easy to find at Wal-mart, Rite-Aide...etc.
Modified by casperfun at 5:36 PM 3/21/2010

[DanTheMan]

I use only Meguiars on all of my vehicles. I too have the '10 wicked black. Wash it and use Ultimate Quick Detailer on it. You wont believe your eyes. After about two months, use their NXT wax and then follow up with their Ultimate Quick Wax and a periodic Ultimate Quick Detailer. You will be VERY happy with the results. They have a great forums site.

[philipa_240sx]

Long time Meguair's user here. I now use their NXT wax. Works very well.

[gpsmoucer]

I spent (or you could say wasted ) a lot of time a couple month ago answering just the same questions. I came up with the following products that seem to strike a good balance between cost/value and performance/results.

Here's a summary of what I currently use (to see the full list I complied click here http://spreadsheets.google.com...=html :

Paint PrepClay Magic (Clay Magic Perfect Finish Kit): Works well, but it's the only brand I've ever used. You don't need to get the whole kit, but it does come with some nice spray detailer to be used as "lube."

Polish - Scratch RemovalScratchX 2.0: Removes larger scratches & swirls. Use by hand. Does an adequate job.

Polish - Light Abraisive Meguiar's 81: Good to use by hand. Lightly abrasive. Honestly can't really tell a difference (probably don't put enough time into it, hand polishing is hard!), but I use it occasionally anyways.

Sealant/Wax Duragloss 101: Rated as a great looking synthetic wax/sealant that has some cleaning agents (but no abrasives) with good (~6 months) durability. When this is gone I'll replace it with #501 which is similar but has much more cleaning ability - they say it is designed to RVs and boats. I'll also probably get some 601 and 105... 105 is supposedly the best pure sealant Duragloss makes (no cleaning agents), and 601 is designed as a primer for the 105.

Final Wax Duragloss Aquawax: Spray on synthetic used every 4 weeks, on top of sealant. After washing, but before drying, you spray it on and wipe it off. Seems to actually work pretty well. Gives my venom red rogue a much darker color. On the down side I seem to use a lot and my small bottle will be gone after only 2-3 applications.

Tire Dressing Armor All Original Protectant: Cheap & easy for matte finish.

Interior Plastic/Vinyl Meguiars Quik Interior Detailer: Cleans and protects.

Leather Cleaner & ProctectantMeguir's Gold Class LEATHER: Already had it, seems to do a decent job, but probably better out there.
Modified by gpsmoucer at 5:55 AM 3/22/2010

[philipa_240sx]

Staying on the boat/RV theme....

If you like a nice clean, non-greasy, matte finish for your dash, nothing beats 303 Aerospace Protectant. This has been the favorite with the boat/RV crowd for years. Use it on any plastics, inside or outside. Also works well to protect weatherstripping.

[Elton Noway]

Staying on the boat/RV theme....

If you like a nice clean, non-greasy, matte finish for your dash, nothing beats 303 Aerospace Protectant. This has been the favorite with the boat/RV crowd for years. Use it on any plastics, inside or outside. Also works well to protect weatherstripping.

I agree 100%. Aerospace Protectant 303 is an excellent product for treating the plastic surfaces on your car. It also has an added benefit of hiding fine scratches in plastic surfaces. I initially looked into the product after being intrigued by the products slogan: "SPF 40 for your Stuff". On researching, I discovered 303 was originally developed for aerospace and aviation applications but is usually found and sold in boat and marine accessory stores. When you think about it... a boat has as much, if not more plastic and vinyl than a car, and on the average, spends more time baking in the sun. UV will damage damage plastic so why not use a product that has the added advantage of being designed to protect against UV.

I use it exclusively on ALL the plastic surfaces of my Rogue. It does a great job hiding / covering scuffs and minor scratches on plastic paneling in the cargo bay and door sills. I also use it on the rubber and vinyl in the engine compartment to keep it looking new. The only caution is... Wipe it on, wait a minute or two, then wipe it dry! DO NOT spray it on and walk away or do a half-a** attempt at wiping if off. I personally recommend spraying it on a soft cloth (I use microfiber) then applying it using the cloth versus spraying it directly on the surface. Doing it this way keeps the over spray off your instrument cluster, carpet, window glass etc. NOTE: If you spray it on a surface and leave it dry without wiping it off (gasp), you can get it off by applying more 303 over the same area or use warm water and a cloth. 303 IS NOT like some of those tire black products where you spray it on and walk away.

FROM THE BOTTLE LABEL: 
Interior/Exterior: Vinyl & leather interiors, plastics bumpers, fender flares, trim and lenses, car bras, tonneau covers, vinyl soft tops & plastic windows. Spray on and WIPE COMPLETELY DRY.

The only downside might be the cost. Its not cheap. But then nothing good ever is. It runs about $1.00 per ounce! (a 16 ounce bottle cost me $16 bucks) Then again... I'm still on my first bottle and have detailed my Rogue multiple times. Look for it in boating / marine supply stores or shop online.

[takeshi]

Another +1 for 303.

The other products I use aren't relevant to the OP though I use them on the other car. I generally just pay to have the Rogue taken care of.