First civic!

[VIConjugate]

Hi folks. New here and am getting a new silver civic ex sedan soon. Before I do, however, I want to make sure I get some wash/clay/wax thing down. Every other vehicle i've owned were old beater trucks so this is new territory for me.

My plans are as follows:

Wash with dawn
Dry
Clay (clay magic)
rinse
Dry
Wax (Meguiars)

Next day:

rinse
dry
wax
repeat

Are there any errors to my plan? I mean this is a whole lot different than just hosing off the old pickup.

[Car78412]

Everthing looks fine except one thing. DONT WASH YOUR CAR WITH A DISH WASHING LIQUID! Just wash with a good carnuba car wash. They are made for and chemically balanced for washing cars gently. Why would you want to wash your new car with new paint with something as harsh as Dawn?:
Think about it.

[Janizary]

Originally Posted by Car78412

Why would you want to wash your new car with new paint with something as harsh as Dawn?

Dawn is commonly used to strip any existing wax in preparation for clay barring, polishing, etc. It is NOT something to use for normal 'washes', however, as a prep for the frist detail cycle, it is commonly used.

[06blaksi]

I would wash it again instead of rinsing after you clay. They also recommend washing after you wax although I rarely do unless I'm looking for that perfect shine

[dobiejoe]

Do you really need to clay new paint on its first wash?

[06blaksi]

Originally Posted by dobiejoe

Do you really need to clay new paint on its first wash?

You would be surprised at how much dirt comes off. Don't forget, 99% of all new cars are shipped by rail. My father has worked for the railroad for 35+ years. I know about the dirt, diesel fuel and other contaminants just floating around.

[si_civic]

Washing with dawn soap is benifecial if you want to remove any old wax from your car. You don't need to do this if your car is new. In fact, I don't recommend waxing a new car until after 6 months. This is because the paint is still 'new' and really soft.

The clay process is ok, only if you use a good lubricating liquid detailer spray with it (or a little soap w/water) making sure you wax afterwards thouroughly.

[hoanger]

Originally Posted by si_civic

Washing with dawn soap is benifecial if you want to remove any old wax from your car. You don't need to do this if your car is new. In fact, I don't recommend waxing a new car until after 6 months. This is because the paint is still 'new' and really soft.

The clay process is ok, only if you use a good lubricating liquid detailer spray with it (or a little soap w/water) making sure you wax afterwards thouroughly.

actually it's a good idea to wax a new car right away because the paint was baked and un-protected besides the clear coat that is on it. its still new, so wax it to keep it like that. soft? i've never heard that before... but waxing a new car could be one of the best things you could do to your new baby.

don't forget to wash after your claying process. any residue that is left will be taken away by doing so.

although, i don't see a point in rinsing the next day. lets say you wax today.. you would leave it on for a good 20 - 30 minutes at least and take it off and leave it. the next day your car is the same as you left it the day before, so just take the dust that may have accumulated over night by quick detailing and wax again. leave it for a good 20-30 minutes and take it off. you now have a good 2 layers of wax.

[VIConjugate]

YEAH! I got my car today. Its a 06 ex sedan in black. It looks great.

Okay. Revised plans for this weekend:

Wash with dawn
Dry
Clay (clay magic)
Wash (Meguiars NXT Generation Car Wash)
Dry
Polish ??????
Wax (Meguiars NXT Tech Wax)

Next day:

rinse (its Arizona. Dust gets everywhere.)
dry
wax (Meguiars NXT Tech Wax)
repeat x2

Looks like it'll be a long weekend for me.