Magnetic Gray...like Black to keep clean

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(uclabruins @ Apr 22 2006, 03:05 PM) [snapback]243605[/snapback]</div>

Wash them regularly by hand with plenty of water and a little car shampoo. I prefer a soft sponge to a brush and both pre-rinse & final rinse with plenty of water. I don't bother to dry it, just let it drip dry. Mine gets washed at least once a week and takes no longer than 10 minutes. The more regularly it's washed the less time it takes.

StuartS

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(uclabruins @ Apr 22 2006, 10:05 AM) [snapback]243605[/snapback]</div>

I don't. I live in Seattle. What more do I need to say?

 

wash it every couple of weeks in the brushless auto wash and don't stress over the little stuff.

 

I wash it.

But it depends on how anal you are about appearances.

I like to use the Meguiar's five step paint care system. I also use their products. I attended a class to learn how to properly maintain my car and I do that within reason. But I don't lose any sleep over it.

1. Wash
2. Clean/Prep
3. Polish
4. Protect
5. Maintain

Meguiar's five step paint care system.

I think it's easier to maintain a good finish than it is to repair,restore a finish that has been allowed to deteriorate.

Meguiar's list'o links

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(uclabruins @ Apr 22 2006, 10:05 AM) [snapback]243605[/snapback]</div>

Embrace the dirtiness!

 

I had a black Focus that was absolutely a chore to keep clean. I currently have a gray Focus that isn't nearly as bad. So I ordered my Prius with Magnetic Gray. I can't wait! :lol:

 

I've seen several grays', and none of them are as difficult to keep clean as black. Look at the dirt on a black car, what color is it? Gray... Fits right in on a gray car, makeing the dirt far less noticable. They also show salt spray far less dramatically than on a black vehicle.

Unless you're in a heavy pollen area. Then you need a dark green-ish/yelow color car...

-Ken

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(uclabruins @ Apr 22 2006, 07:05 AM) [snapback]243605[/snapback]</div>

The answer, of course, is "exactly the same as owners of silver, driftwood, blue and red Priuses"---only more often (as with the owners of white ones). B)

The best dirt colors are driftwood and gray.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(uclabruins @ Apr 22 2006, 07:05 AM) [snapback]243605[/snapback]</div>

I wash it or have it washed every week. We have a car wash service that comes to our office every Friday morning and washes our cars in the parking lot for us. On the days that he doesn't show up, or I miss him, I'll wash the car myself. Takes 30-45 minutes (I'm short so I have some difficulty washing and drying the very top of the car and the top-middle section on the front and rear windshields)...I had a black car before this one, so I've kind of perfected my dark-car-washing techniques.

1) Hose down the section I'm cleaning first
2) Drag out the bucket with car wash fluid + water and brush and start scrubbing
3) Hose down the section I just cleaned
4) Repeat 1-3 until the whole car is cleaned-I scrub the wheels dead last, as they're usually dirtiest part of the car
5) Take a large lint-free towel and begin drying the car off section-by-section, beginning with the first section I cleaned
6) Should any water spots or smudges remain on the paint, I take a slightly damp lint-free towel and towel off those spots
7) Clean the windows with an auto-glass cleaner
8) Spray tire shine on the tires

I also try to wash my car NOT during the middle of the day. I've found that the mid-day sun here in CA can help air-dry a car pretty darn quickly, leaving water spots all over the whole thing. Early morning (till ~10am) and later afternoon (3pm+) seem to be the best if you're outside, in an uncovered driveway/parking lot. Or pick a day that's slightly cloudy or overcast.

 

I use a self-serve wash near my office. Works fine. Good spray with lots of soapy water, a quick once over with the foamy brush, then rinse and wax. Takes about 5 minutes, and if done weekly, keeps the car looking good. When it's still wet, I towel dry the windows and mirrors and sometimes the whole car, to avoid the waxy spots. About every other month, I'll follow up the self serve wash with a hand waxing. I steer a course towards keeping the finish reasonably clean (it's a CAR after all, not a Steinway piano) and avoiding the show room obsessiveness that some car owners get into. Klick and Klack say that if water beads up on the finish, you have wax protection.
B

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny @ Apr 27 2006, 04:05 PM) [snapback]246280[/snapback]</div>

:lol:

You and I, same sence of humor.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(uclabruins @ Apr 22 2006, 07:05 AM) [snapback]243605[/snapback]</div>

I have this thing called a "California Duster." It has these soft cotton "strings" (like what you'd see on one of those old-fashioned mops but much softer) that have been treated with parafin wax. I got it at the local Kragens Auto. I lightly wipe it over the surface of the car at the end of the day, almost like one would dust furniture. The treated cotton strands grab and hold the dust, but don't scratch the surface of the paint. That, combined with washing the car once or twice a month seems to keep it looking nice.

Note that the first couple of times you use it, the California Duster thingy leaves a few greasy looking streaks on the car. These are caused by excess wax on the cotton threads. The instructions say is normal for the first few uses, and I found that they disappear after about the third dusting. Also, the duster's "mop" can be removed from the handle and hand washed in warm water and Woolite when it becomes excessively dirty. Oh, and be sure to let it air-dry after washing it, because the heat of a dryer cycle will cause the parafin wax to melt and come off the cotton "strings", thus rendering the mop ineffective (and depositing wax all over the insider of your dryer! )

Peter.