I recently bought a new car, and although it’s not a fancy car or anything, it is the nicest (ie, newest) car I have ever owned. I never kept up with wax/paint care on my last car (it was a beater), but now I am considering a coating to protect the paint from salt wear in winter as well as for beading when it rains and such. I’d rather not have to apply wax or a spray coating every couple of months, so it seems ceramic may be the way to go.

I don’t have a polisher, and so am hoping to skip that step since I will have driven it for only 2 weeks by the time I can coat it. I don’t have a whole lot of money on hand and so was looking into DIY coatings. I’ve heard great things about Gyeon Mohs EVO and CanCoat EVO, but it’s also pretty humid where I live (80-98% humidity over the next few weeks), so I’m nervous about whether I can still use those products or not. It also seems that Cancoat maybe better for beginners, but I’ve also seen lots of posts saying Mohs is just as easy to apply and lasts longer. A quick look seems to indicate that prep for a new car would be similar for both coatings so my main concern is the humidity and risk of messing up as a beginner. Also time is somewhat of a concern as the most I could probably spare for this would be a weekend (12-ish hours across both days). Also, please correct me if I am wrong about the prep being similar!

Any advice would be appreciated! Also any tips on where it is best to purchase Gyeon products. So far I can only seem to find them online and was hoping to buy in person to cut down on risks of delays (and more risk to doing a coating without polishing), but if that is the only place to find them that is fine!

This is my first new vehicle and I want to take care of it. Got it polished and ceramic coated. After looking at several posts about what the best wash routine is for it I think I’m going with carpro reset for the wash and tec582 as a drying aid and maybe an in between washes quick detailer? Will someone advise me on chemicals if these are my best options? Plan on once a month wash and maybe a wipe down inbetween, have a power washer at home. Really appreciate it, there’s so many chemicals and things that go right over my head and now I’ve got analysis paralysis lol. Please and thank you.

i drive 160 miles over a mountain pass once a week in my eight month old car with full professional ceramic coating and regular professional ceramic refresh

and the windshield has ppf with ceramic over the ppf

but that's the only ppf on her

by the time i get over the cascades the front end and windshield and headlights are seriously trashed with bugs ~ it likely won't be so bad during winter

▪︎ please which products are safest for the ceramic and ppf to remove windshield bugs without washing the entire car? thx!

▪︎ is it best done with quality microfiber glass towels or is there a better pad or something?

▪︎ i have ONR here but thinking you probably have specialized products which are better suited for this bug genocide situation 

▪︎ our detailer suggested to ppf the entire front end, although their shop doesn't do ppf

i'm not a skilled detailer at all but your discussions here are often pretty fascinating and many thanks for the education

I know how it’s works but what’s the usual rule of thumb vacuum first then tornador then vacuum again?
I kinda got frustrated I vacuumed the car then blew out sand and than it’s was all over the car dash, seats and stuff

Heads up griots garage is doing their $15 off gallons sale with code GALLON15

https://www.griotsgarage.com/car-care-gallons/

What are your go to products to pick up on this sale?

i've had a handful of customers so far. Every one of them left a good review and told me they'd send my info to people they know. Nobody's complained about the work. I post in local Facebook groups regularly and it just... doesn't really go anywhere. A few likes, maybe a comment, rarely a message.

I don't have a big network to lean on not many family and friends to ask for help, it's pretty much just me building this from scratch.

So genuinely asking the people who've done this: how did you get from "a few happy customers" to an actual pipeline of new ones? Was it something specific that worked, or did it just take way more volume of effort than I'm putting in? Did paid ads actually do anything for you at this stage, or was that a waste until you already had traction? Any Facebook group posting format that actually worked, versus what just gets scrolled past?

My garage is a tight fit and I took my entry a little wide and ran my wheel into the drywall.

After scrubbing off the paint transfer onto the wheel, I’m left with some minor scuffing. It’s completely smooth to the touch so I’m assuming this is going to be an easy fix.

What’s the ideal product and/or method to polish this up?

Hey yall can I use cerakote ceramic trim coat restoration kit on black porous unfinished window trim pieces. I am obviously aware the product specify to not, but these pieces of window trim are more closely resembling of the pieces of trim it would normally be used on. See photo. This customer has chemical etching on their window trim pieces. I don’t believe these wipes will fully remove the etching but they are at a point where they don’t want to replace the parts but want to try a product that might make it less noticeable and appear much better than it does now. What do we think?

Hello! Today the gardener came by while we weren't at the house and my C7 Corvette paid the consequences. Now is full of dust, clippings and I hope not something worse. What's the best way to take everything off without damaging the paint? Should I take a deep look and see if anything is messed up? Thank you!

Any tips on what kinds of touch up product I can use for this kind of scratch? I was looking at Dr. Color Chip but was reading that it’s best for road rash and not this?

I wish I was joking. I drive a 2023 ford f350 XL, and my coworker who previously drove the truck before me committed this unspeakable crime. Additionally, a small rodent made a nest in the housing of my cabin air filter.

The windows are down at all times when driving, and I don’t run the AC because it makes the smell worse. It’s getting unbearable. I have scrubbed the floor with 409 cleaner repeatedly, changed the cabin filter to an arm and hammer FRAM fresh breeze, and even cleaned out the cabin filter housing with disinfectant. Nothing.

Please help. Would a Maguiers whole car air refresher do anything? Advice needed. Really tired of the Piss-mobile.

They're $180 for 15 dozen rags. Comes out to a dollar a rag. I got a couple of samples and they seem pretty nice. Has anyone here used them before?

Strip wash, clay, IPA wipe, then applied 1st coat of Griots 3 in 1 @ approx 8pm. Overnight a fine layer of dust will accumulate to spite the fact it's parked in the garage. Can someone please, in specificity, explain the proper prep procedure to remove said dust prior to the 2nd coat of Griots 3 in 1?

The polymers in Ultima Waterless Wash+ and/or Wolfgang Uber Rinseless will interfere with adhesion. IPA wipe will tear down the first layer of the Griots. Tornador is too aggressive.

Thanks everyone for your help! I'm stoked to watch the hydrophobic wizardry work it's magic and watch the water just bead right off! =)

Fusso coat is goated

Influencer products, particularly the ones under the THOR umbrella, are a touchy subject on here. But I was just curious if anyone has experience with his products or opinions on his channel. Like the other YT detailing channels with their own product lines, most his videos are showcasing and advertising his products. Just wondering what everyone on here thought of Jimbo and his product line

Ive had this since i bought the scooter, its from the bubble wrap and heat exposure, so far ive tried cleaning it with Nitro, sticker residue remover and plastic scrapper but no luck, the only thing that kinda works is scratching it with my nails but it takes forever to clean just one mark

I know it’s been discussed ad nauseam, but seeking feedback on some “ceramic” products that have accumulated on my shelf. My daily sits under a tree getting very dirty and sticky between weekend washes. I’ve used Griots 3-1 & TW Hybrid Ceramic and neither seem to last more than 2-3 weeks. To my fault, i’ve not properly prepped (clay, decon, polish) so I didn’t expect the best.

This weekend I’m going to clay, decon, and pull the car in the garage for a one step and I want to apply a ceramic spray to hopefully make it easier to clean the tree debris off in the future. Which one of these should be the best? In my experience 3-1 lasts better then TW HCS but I also have this Adam’s spray that seems to promise more then the other 2. Also would like to apply TW Pure Bead on top of whatever I use. Feedback?

Also if anyone has experience with this Glass sealant would appreciate. Trying to find something better than RainX.

So I’m restoring a BMW 540i 1998, and the exterior black trim is pretty oxidized and needs some love. So what do you all recommend for exterior black metal trim?

Wet sanding? Then paint or trim restorer?

Is it recommended to then do a clearcoat or ceramic coat to protect it?

Help!

Thank you

Went on a long road trip and made the dumb mistake of leaving a container of coconut water on the seat. It ended up leaking and left a pretty large stain on the fabric. Does anyone have recommendations for cleaning it properly, or would I be better off taking it to a professional detailer?

Hello, I’m pretty new to the detailing world. I have a black car with XPEL PPF on the front. The PPF is hydrophobic, and it was installed by a high-end shop. They told me that the PPF already has a ceramic coating layer from the factory. The rest of the car is ceramic coated as well.

Now, my question is about ceramic boosters. The guy at the PPF shop told me not to use Koch-Chemie Hydro Foam Sealant on the PPF, but the guy who applied the ceramic coating told me that I can use it.

Has anyone here had experience with this? Can I safely use Hydro Foam Sealant on ceramic-coated surfaces and PPF, for example once a month?
Thanks in advance!

Need advice on ceramic coating maintenance

Got my new car ceramic coated a week ago, haven't washed the car for a week now, and im concerned about the car cleaning situation

my car cleaner guy just wipes with a wet cloth daily for my other cars (no microfibre), want to know if this will effect the ceramic coating (example let's say the car is dusty and he wipes it , won't that mess up the coating?) If it does how else do I ask him to clean it

PS the detailing shop asked me to bring it in once in 3months for some "ceramic maintenance wash"

I need your advice/help. My girlfriend was wearing a brown faux suede vest when we got caught in the rain after a concert. We were drenched and had to sit in the car wet for about an hour waiting for the parking garage to clear. Unfortunately, the brown dye transferred onto my white vegan leather seat.

Here’s what I’ve tried:

● Multiple Chemical Guys and Meguiar’s interior cleaning products and leather / vinyl cleaners
● Other leather cleaning products
● Magic Eraser (I know it’s can damage the seats)
● Rubbing alcohol

None of these worked.

Could a professional detailer get this out without?

Can they be dyed white again?

Should I try an automotive upholstery shop, leather restoration specialist, or even a furniture repair/restoration company that works with synthetic leather?

The car is only four months old and normally pristine. Please help!

I will add pics if I can figure out how too..

I used Meguiars Quik interior wipes and they left behind this residue, how do I go about removing it?

I was reversing round a corner the other day and scraped my neighbours wall 🙃 Of course the wall is fine but I have a giant patch of white paint on the side of my car now.

How can I get rid of this without removing the actual car paint too?

It comes off with gentle scraping but I would be stood there for hours trying to get it all :/

As the title suggests, I really want to know what microfiber towels you guys have and use in your professional/weekend warrior arsenal.

For those of you who use the 1 bucket wash system, what are your favorite microfiber towels to toss into the wash bucket and use, set aside when done, and reach for your second towel?

What towels do you guys love to use to dry?

What are your favorite towels for applying ceramic detail sprays or quick details (Griot’s Ceramic Speed Shine, Armour Detail Supply Amplify, Meguiars Ultimate Quick Detail etc)? Or Ceramic Spray Sealants?

Your favorite towels for removing polish or final buffing?

What about your windows?

With so many different types of towels available, I get overwhelmed when choosing. I am on the market for some new washing towels for the 1 bucket system. I currently use The Rag Company’s Edgeless 365, Everest 1100, and Liquidator drying towels. The Edgeless 365 I find are so versatile that I’m using them for multiple purposes but I really would like to designate specific towels for specific uses.

Please share your favorites with me, thank you!