Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle

With the wide variety of detailing products available, choosing the right products can be a bit overwhelming. Once you understand Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle, choosing the right products becomes much easier. Below is a quick video that provides a general overview of Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle:

Below are some factors to keep in mind when asking yourself - "Which product do I use?"

Condition of the Surface?

Goals?

Tools Available?

Time Available?

Skills & Abilities?

 

Achieving Great, Show Car Results can be as simple as three steps:

1. Evaluate the Surface

2. Choose the Right Product

3. Use Good Technique

 

Step 1 - Washing

"The removal of loose contaminants from any exterior surface"

Below is a quick video which provides a general overview of Step 1 Washing:

When washing, it is important to use clean quality accessories, a pH-balanced car wash solution, and proper technique:

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The Importance of Clean Quality Accessories

For washing, Meguiar's recommends using a premium Microfiber Wash Mitt, such as our X3002 Microfiber Wash Mitt. Meguiar's X3002 Microfiber Wash Mitt is designed to lift & trap grime away from the surface to help prevent scratching. The absorbent microfiber carries plenty of wash solution from the bucket to the vehicle. Contaminants trapped in the wash mitt are also easily rinsed out. We also now produce a wash mitt, made specifically for our Hybrid Ceramic Wash & Wax, Meguiar's X210200 Dual-Sided Hybrid Wash Mitt.


For drying, Meguiar's recommends using a premium microfiber drying-specific towel such as our X2000 Water Magnet Microfiber Drying Towel. Waffle weave microfiber drying towels like our Water Magnet are made specifically for drying, are soft & and gentle for the paint, and make drying much quicker & and easier. We also now produce an additional style of drying towel sold in select markets, our X190400 Supreme Shine Drying Towel.

 

Our X2010 Supreme Shine Microfiber Towels are great all-purpose microfiber towels for a variety of uses such as using quik detailer sprays, quik wax sprays, removing compound, polish, wax, various interior applications, and cleaning glass.


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Meguiar's recommends using a pH-balanced, automotive-specific car wash solution. Using a pH-balanced car wash solution will preserve your wax protection whether using a traditional wax, sealant, or coating. Washes that are not pH balanced or contain strong detergents can remove your paint protection.

 

All of Meguiar's Car Wash Products are pH-balanced and do not contain harsh detergents.

Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner is a more premium offering designed to both wash & and condition paint in one step. The premium formula gently foams away tough dirt, road grime and contaminants without compromising protection.

 

Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax is the perfect way to clean and shine your car's finish in between regular waxing. Ultimate Wash & Wax works to boost your wax protection, gloss and provides a "just waxed" slickness to the paint finish. Ultimate Wash & Wax is compatible with all Meguiar's waxes.

 

Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wash & Wax brings two unique liquids together in one bucket to deliver advanced SiO2 based Hybrid Ceramic Protection just from washing. Meguiar's Dual Sided Hybrid Wash Mitt ensures maximum performance & even application of our the SiO2 Boost Additive.

   

Using Proper Technique

The Two-Bucket Wash Method - The two-bucket wash method consists of two buckets, one with your car wash, and the other with water. The water bucket is used to rinse out your wash mitt. The wash mitt should be rinsed before retrieving more car wash. This releases any dirt & and grime on your wash mitt into the water bucket, instead of into your clean car wash. The two-bucket wash method reduces the chance of the dirt & and grime you are removing off the vehicle, from getting back up onto the vehicle. Using this technique will work to reduce the chance of inflicting swirls & and scratches into the paint.


Always work on a cool surface, ideally in the shade - Washing a warm or hot surface can increase the chance of water spots being developed during washing. Always work on a cool surface, ideally in the shade. Wash and rinse one section at a time, and start at the top of the vehicle.

 

Use a stream of water for your final rinse - This technique can be used to dramatically reduce the amount of water on the surface required to dry. If using an attachment on your water hose, remove the attachment for the final rinse. Turn on the water to a steady stream. Use this steady stream of water to sheet off the majority of water on the surface. This will make the drying process much quicker.

 

Grit Guard - Meguiar's X3003 Grit Guard is simply used as a baffle in the bottom of your wash bucket which works to keep the loose contaminants on the bottom of the bucket, lessening the chance of them getting onto your wash mitt. Many users will use two grit guards, one in their wash solution bucket and one in the rinse bucket. You can also agitate your wash mitt against the face of the grit guard if you happen to need help loosening any stubborn contaminants within the microfiber.

Never use dishwashing detergent as it can strip your wax protection. Meguiar's recommends washing at a minimum of once a week, to keep your car looking its best & and free of contaminants. Any duration beyond one week & and your vehicle is much more subject to contaminants becoming above-surface bonded contaminants, which will then need to be removed with detailing clay.


Clean - Preparation  Clean - Preparation

Step 2 - Clean/Prep

The removal of above surface contaminants & below surface defects.

 

Evaluation

Now that we are working on a clean & and dry surface after washing, the next step is to evaluate the paint finish. There are two types of defects we are evaluating for:

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Above-Surface Contaminants - Our vehicles are exposed to a variety of environmental fallout especially when outdoors. Examples include dirt, dust, road grime, tree sap mist, industrial fallout, and paint over-spray. Over time, these environmental contaminants can bond to the paint finish, and washing the car alone does not remove them.

 

To Evaluate for Above-Surface Contaminants - When the surface is clean & and dry after washing, feel the paint surface with your hand. If the paint is not completely smooth or feels rough, this is an indication the vehicle has above-surface bonded contaminants. Don't be surprised if your car feels rough, this is very common, but also no need to worry, these are easy to remove. We will discuss how to remove these contaminants in Step 2 - Clean/Prep, but to evaluate, feel the paint when it is clean & and dry.

   

Below Surface Defects - Swirls, scratches, stains, water spots, & and oxidation are unfortunately all too common in today's paint finishes.

To evaluate for below-surface defects, use proper lighting. Direct sunlight, fluorescent lights in a garage, an LED flashlight, or Meguiar's MT103 Sunlight 3+ can work great when evaluating for below-surface defects. If the vehicle is in the shade, typically one cannot see the defects as well, since less light is reflecting from the surface.

 

Removing Above Surface Contaminants - Detailing Clay or a "Clay Bar" removes above-surface contaminants from the paint finish. The use of a clay bar is a simple process. Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit includes everything needed to accomplish the clay step. On a cool, clean & dry paint surface, knead and compress the clay into a flat wafer shape, then wet the area of the paint surface with Meguiar's Quik Detailer spray. Glide the clay back & and forth over the paint. You don't need much pressure at all, just enough to control the clay. It is important to keep the area wet with Quik Detailer Spray while using detailing clay. As the clay removes the bonded contaminants, you will feel it start to glide more and more easily. Once the area feels completely smooth to the touch, wipe it dry and move on to the next section, continuing this section-by-section process until the vehicle is complete.

 

A couple of facts about clay:

•                 Detailing Clay is for removing above-surface contaminants, and does not remove below-surface defects

•                 Detailing Clay can be used on exterior paint, glass, chrome, and most smooth & and "hard" surfaces

•                 Detailing Clay enables clear reflections and allows your car wax to adhere to the paint better so it will last longer

•                 Use a Mist & Wipe product like our Quik Detailer Spray as a lubricant for the clay bar

•                 If you drop your piece of clay on the ground, discard the clay & and replace it with a new one

Swirls are the #1 Complaint we receive about automotive finishes

Removing Below Surface Defects

Paint cleaning, not to be confused with washing, is the process of removing below-surface defects. This is accomplished with a Meguiar's Liquid Paint Cleaner or Compound. These products contain Meguiar's advanced technology to deep clean & and remove any shallow below-surface defects. Among the most common types of below-surface defects, are swirls, fine scratches & holograms. Swirl Marks which appear to look like spiderwebs are primarily from the washing and drying process, when poor techniques or tools are used, like old towels, dish-washing detergents, coarse sponges, etc. Holograms are a specific type of defect caused by improper use of a high-speed rotary buffer power tool.

 

Meguiar's Paint Cleaner & Compound products should be applied to small areas at a time, no larger than one square foot when working by hand or two square feet when working with a dual action polisher like Meguiar's MT300 or D/A Power System. Working small areas at a time is crucial in order to concentrate the work rather than spreading out over too large of an area. Keep the following points in mind when working with any Meguiar's Liquid Paint Cleaner or Compound product:

•                 Meguiar's Paint Cleaner & Compound Products do not need to dry before removing and in fact should be wiped off immediately after you have worked them over the paint finish

•                 Meguiar's Paint Cleaner & Compound Products need to be worked into the finish, they are not wipe on, wipe off products like wax

•                 A defect, such as a deep scratch that goes through the clear coat will not be able to be corrected without repainting or applying touch-up paint

•                 Meguiar's Paint Cleaner & Compound Products remove any wax on your vehicle, so after using you will want to re-apply a coat of wax for protection

 

  

Step 3 - Polish

Simply put, the use of a polish works to create a brilliant high gloss. Meguiar's offers two types of polishes:

Pure Polishes - A pure polish is solely designed to provide gloss & and depth to your paint finish. Pure Polishes do not contain any cleaning or defect removal ability, so they won't remove swirls & and scratches. Pure Polish also does not offer protection, so it is not a substitute for wax. While any paint color can benefit from the application of a pure polish, these benefits are most noticeable in darker colors. Below are examples of Meguiar's Pure Polishes.

Cleaner/Polishes - Cleaner/Polishes have the ability to remove light to moderate defects because they contain mild defect removal ability. Cleaner/Polishes also work to perfectly prepare the paint surface after a paint cleaning or compound step. Below are examples of some of Meguiar's Cleaner/Polishes:

 

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 Step 4 - Protect

At this stage, your vehicle should feel smooth, have a deep, high-gloss appearance, and be nearly defect-free. Now it's time to preserve this high gloss finish by applying a wax, sealant or coating.

Wax Protection serves as your protection against the sun, your sacrificial barrier against elements of the environment, provides water beading protection, and works to preserve your high gloss paint finish. Keeping a quality coat of protection on the vehicle also provides many other additional maintenance benefits that are often forgotten. A vehicle with a quality coat of protection will stay much cleaner when in use, is easier to get clean during washing, and is easier to dry during washing. These additional maintenance benefits are especially apparent with Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Products & and Hybrid Paint Coating.

 

Meguiar's has a few different types of waxes or protection options to choose from.

Polish/Waxes, not to be confused with Cleaner/Waxes, provide protection & and add high gloss from their polishing oils in one product. There are two different types of Polish/Waxes Meguiar's offers, Carnauba Based & Synthetic Based Waxes or "Sealants."

 

Carnauba-based waxes such as Meguiar's Gold Class Carnauba Plus have been used for many years & and provide great protection & and excellent gloss.

 

Synthetic Based Waxes such as Meguiar's Ultimate Wax, are also referred to as "Sealants" and are polymer-based, man-made wax protectants. Our synthetic polymer-based waxes utilize more advanced technology and will provide more protection, last longer, and be more durable than our Carnauba-based offerings.

 

Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Waxes represent our most advanced & latest technology. Utilizing a hybrid ceramic/sio2 base, Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Waxes offers the longest lasting protection in a traditional liquid wax we offer, & also offer extreme water beading levels never before seen within our other waxes. These water beading characteristics offer enhanced ease of maintenance, the vehicle stays more clean & is easier to get clean during washing.

 

Meguiar's Hybrid Paint Coating blends the best attributes of traditional ceramic paint coatings with the advantages of our proprietary Hybrid Polysiloxane Technology. Meguiar's Hybrid Paint Coating is our most durable & long-lasting paint protection option to date, offering 1+ year longevity all while offering an easy application.

 

Cleaner Waxes or also known as "one-step cleaner wax," provide cleaning, polishing, & and wax protection in one easy step. While Cleaner Waxes won't provide the same overall results as doing these three steps individually, it is an excellent choice when time is a priority.

 

Which one should you use? A lot of this decision comes down to personal preference.

Meguiar's recommends applying almost all of our waxes at least 3 - 4 times a year, to ensure even coverage & and protection.

One of the biggest mistakes when applying wax is applying it too heavy or thick. This prolongs the drying time, makes the waxes more difficult to remove, and actually wastes the product.

 

  

Step 5 - Maintain

Now that you have your vehicle looking the way you want it, and it's well protected, you will want a proper maintenance routine to keep it looking it's best. We refer to maintaining as the frequent removal of fresh contaminants before they have a chance to bond or etch into the paint finish.

 

Meguiar's Quik Detailer sprays provide the lubricity needed to allow the user to safely wipe away light dust, fingerprint smudges, fresh bird droppings and most any light contaminants without scratching the paint, in a easy mist on/wipe off type application. Our Quik Detailer sprays also work to provide added gloss, & our Ultimate Quik Detailer works to add water beading protection. For any level of contaminants greater than light dust, fingerprints, or bird droppings, we recommend using a traditional washing method or an alternative wash method like Meguiar's Ultimate Waterless Wash & Wax.

 

Meguiar's Quik Wax Sprays provide added protection, gloss, & and slickness. Not intended to replace your standard liquid or paste wax coat which we recommend applying at least 3 - 4 times per year, the use of a Meguiar's Quik Waxes works to add to the life of your original wax coating, and provide that "just waxed" gloss & slickness. Quik Waxes should be used on a clean surface, like after washing or after using a Quik Detailer spray. All of Meguiar's Quik Waxes will not dry white on exterior non-painted trim and are a quick & and easy, spray on, spread product, to wipe off with a microfiber towel application (With the exception of Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax, this product's application is a spray on rinse off - See Label for more details).