Tony Prodigy

Hey Jamie,

The 1200 GSM towels are too thick for polishing. Those are only really designed for the absorption of water for when drying your car. I wouldn't use those. Save them for when you wash the car. I like to wash my drying towel after each wash because they tend to pick up traces of dirt from various areas around the car you don't notice until you look at the towel and see dirt marks all over it. Keeps the contamination down to a minimum so you don't inadvertently induce micro scratches on the paint next time you dry it.

You can get a budget pack of microfiber cloths from Bunnings. Use those for general purpose use such as applying the polish and  the Mr Siga ones I linked would be ideal for the mopping up or wipe off stage as they are a much more higher quality.
The Bunnings ones are low quality but can still do the job, but the 300-400gsm cloths are ideal for wiping off and buffing.
For me, personally, I use microfiber cloths I purchased a while back from "The Rag Company" through Amazon. They aren't cheap but they perform excellent and last. You can also wash them and keep re using them too. There's a washing procedure for microfiber cloths too, just so you know.

You can apply the polish compound with a microfibre cloth. Just fold it into quarters so it's kind of "padded" and away you go. Not a fan of those small spongy puck applicators. The microfiber are more gentler on the paint. Also, If you can find a microfiber padded polishing pad, I'd much prefer that to the previously mentioned. It's more or less a sponge with microfiber cloth sewn around it. They come in round and rectangular shapes. I prefer the rectangular ones as they are thick and fit in the palm of your hand nicely and is way more comfortable to use than those silly little 2cm thick round sponge pucks.

Use the prep spray first to help decontaminate as much as possible before you commit to the polishing/sealant stages.
Read the labels carefully for optimal use.

I rarely hand polish these days as I have a machine, but once the paint has been brought back to a good standard, maintenance gets easier. Just try to remember to apply a paint sealant in spray form every few months and you're golden. You'll notice how much easier it becomes to wash and you'll love those nice water beads. Beading is a good sign the coating is still active.

Hope all that helps mate. Amazon can yield some good buys if you have a little dig around.

Regards
Tony

I see what you mean. So even after you've washed it, those brackish water stains remain ? Do you live near a railway line, industrial area or a coal mine by any chance ? I also assume the car isn't garaged right ? If not, invest in a car cover.

I think the cheapest way to clean it up would be a good polish. If you have a buffing machine, that would be faster, but a good hand polish should remove those stains. I always advocate for a regular treatment of a spray paint sealant. Every 2 to 3 months, which helps ward off any environmental fallout, especially bird poop.
When you have no protection on the paint surface it is much easier for stains, hard water and poop to cling and etch into the paint.

Do you have any detailing products ? If not, Supercheap Auto has a good range for the DIYer. Also, Get yourself some decent microfibre cloths too. These are the only cloths you should be using when applying or removing polish. Don't use old T-Shirts. They will scratch the paint.

Do one panel a time in the shade and it will come up ok. Then once the polishing is done, give it a hit with some paint sealant.

Here's a few products I can recommend

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/bowdens-own-bowdens-own-three-way-prep-spray-770ml/591965.html?cgid=SCA010102#start=8

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/meguiars-meguiars-ultimate-compound-450ml/214309.html?cgid=SCA010102#start=1

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/meguiars-meguiars-ultimate-liquid-polish-473ml/295147.html?cgid=SCA010102

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/turtle-wax-turtle-wax-ice-seal-n-shine-wax-spray-473ml/622353.html?cgid=SCA010102#start=89&sz=60

https://www.amazon.com.au/MR-SIGA-Professional-Microfiber-Household-Dual-Sided/dp/B08PBX22ZC/ref=d_pd_sbs_sccl_3_5/356-9644072-6322456?pd_rd_w=MyvP2&content-id=amzn1.sym.d1825639-ef0c-406d-817e-edd44d294c05&pf_rd_p=d1825639-ef0c-406d-817e-edd44d294c05&pf_rd_r=G0DR5QK37ZKC781ZDPPQ&pd_rd_wg=3W24n&pd_rd_r=2e510934-9426-4065-accd-d5249dc76436&pd_rd_i=B08PBX22ZC&th=1

Light bar looks great. Plenty of Lumens now lol !!

Hope it all works out. Let me know how you go mate.
All the best for the New Year !

Regards
Tony

Hey Buddy, thanks for the message. Christmas was ok, nothing special, but good to have some time off.
Hope you had a good Christmas too mate.

I'm not sure what you mean by "black water stains", and I want to be able to offer you a proper solution. If you can post me some photos and some more background info that would be excellent.

For the time being, If I'm reading this correctly, would I be right in saying you have what looks to be hard water stains ? Did you hose the car down and let it dry naturally ? If so, then your car will "spot" for sure, doesn't matter what colour the water is, I guess at the end of the day, all or most types of water will have a degree of mineralization in it.

Water spotting is caused by the mineral content in the water that stays behind after the water has evaporated. It will cling to the paint and if left for too long, it will etch into the paint, making it more difficult to remedy. In the worst case, you'd need to machine polish out.
It is always recommended that you dry the car asap after hitting it with the hose, preferably after it's washed, of course. Try to wash the car in the shade, if possible, and if you can't, then you need to work faster, or just keep the whole car wet as you go around washing it so one side doesn't dry on you whilst washing the other.

A simple home remedy to use for hard water stains is white vinegar. Pour some into a spray bottle and apply to the surface when cool. Give it around ten minutes to dissolve the minerals and you should be ok. Wash off, and if you have a spray paint sealant ( there are many to choose from), give it a coating to ensure your paint has some protection from UV and other chemical fallout.

Another solution, if you have it, is to use an acid based wheel cleaner, diluted down by 5 parts water to 1 part product. This can also work. If the stain is too stubborn, strengthen the solution.

See you how you go and let me know.

Have a Happy New Year if I don't hear back from you till after then.

Kind Regards
Tony

Looking forward to using the 303 product very much. It's funny how the companies are really starting to take this stuff seriously. The competition is pretty fierce now. As soon as 303 came out with theirs, Turtle Wax hit back with their Flex Wax. It may even deliver the knock out blow according to some of the reviews. I really want to get my hands on both these. 

Exciting stuff, can't wait !

Regards

Tony

Hello mate,

I think Turtle Wax are really starting to shake up the product market with their latest Gen products. Two years in the making too.

 I saw a few videos on the new Graphene Flex Wax and I am very impressed by it's resilience in the torture tests. It out performed some very expensive name brands which is incredible. I will definitely buy this when they decide to bring it here. I hope it doesn't take too long, but it's typical having to wait for ages. They'll probably release another product by the time this one gets here, but I will definitely get one and try.

What I love about this one is that it combines pure graphene ( not graphene oxide) wax, hydrophobic polymers and ceramic components all in one which is crazy, and the net result is more gloss, slickness, UV protection, Chemical Resistance, Water Repellency, Less Water Spotting, Easy to Apply and No Curing Time. That last bit, I'd allow it to cure anyway for best results, as in, don't wash the car or leave it out in the elements.

If you want to Geek out on Graphite Chemistry, read this: https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_is_the_difference_between_reduced_graphene_oxide_and_graphene

If you noticed after his torture test, even though the beading effect had diminished, the water sheeted off completely on the Flex Wax section, which bolsters the claim of "less water spotting" This is exactly what you want. 

Put down your foundation coat after a good surface prep and you're goo. Then It can be used to maintain the coating with a simple top up spray whilst drying. Two sprays per panel is plenty. Bonnet and roof is 4, 2 per half.

The world of detailing is getting more exciting. Thanks for the message mate.

Have a great day 

Regards

Tony