What kind of car wash do you use to wash your P5 with? I use to use just plain ol car wash soap to wash my last car, but I want to use the best for my baby.

Also, are terry cloths the best thing to use to wash and dry your car? Mazda.com recommends this.

One last thing, I the dashboard and panels of the P5 are not smooth like most cars, it feels somewhat like elephant skin . Is it ok to use Armoral or a similiar product on the dash?

 

I like to use a huge sponge for car washing and dishwashing soap although i heard that its bad for the car(is that true?)

For drying i use a Shamy(i think its really spelt Shamois or soemthing). Its awesome for drying

And for the dash i tried armoral once and it made it all shiny and ugly(dont use this just yet!!) I like used it and it just made the nice smooth wierd look into like a shinny armor all look. it looked ugly, its slowly going away though. GRRRR!!!!!!!!

yea but thats about it i guess.

 

Well, one thing for sure, i KNOW that its not good to use dishwashing soap to wash a car. As for the chamois, its great, but the only ones that are worth getting are the real leather ones, the imatation isnt that great.

So, does anyone else use car washing products? or does everyone use dishwashing soap

 

As far as carwash is concerned, I use a product called Ultra-Violet Wash n' Wax made by a company called Malco Products, Inc. And I use a really soft cotton towel to dry it with. The Wash n' Wax does a really good job. One of the best I've seen in a Carwash product. And on the dash I use regular soap and water. Not really into making the dash shiny, just want it clean.

 

definitely do not use dishwashing soap. It's too strong and may harm the clearcoat. Overall, car washing products aren't that expensive so why try to save a few dollars? I mean a product designed for a specific purpose has to work better than some other general purpose product. heck, even Turtle Wax car wash liquid works pretty good.


so leave the dishwashing liquid for the dishes and other kitchen stuff

For the dash, try Pledge, it's pretty good without getting it too shiny.

 

I use car wash soap. Don't use dish washing soap or any other soap unless you want to remove the wax from your finish. To remove road tar I use WD40, then wash the area with car wash soap and apply a coat of wax to the area. To dry the car I use a chamois. As far as the interior goes the best thing is to clean it with soapy water and keep it natural. All this so called protectants, actually they do more harm than good in the long run, specially in the areas directly exposed to the sun like the top of the dashboard. Eventually in a few years it will crack. But if you don't plan to keep for a long time you can use mop & glo for a permanent shine. Try it first in the panels in the hatch area to see how you like it ( that way it will be out of sight if you don't like it ) Apply a light coat and after it dries if you want more shine apply another coat.

 

I use all eagle one products. Car wash, wax, spray and shine, tire gel, and interior protectant.

 

LOL , Mop N Glo? Thats a first!

I guess everyone has their tricks of the trade.

Thanks for all the suggestions/info everyone.

 

Definately stay away from high pressure washers. The high pressure water will put pin holes in your clear coat causing it to peel up and look all crappy. Every one has probably seen cars that look like they have a sun burn? That is what pressure washing does.
Stocker

 

I had to use Dawn dishwashing liquid to remove dealers wax, and than I applied 3 coats of Zaino Car Polish (a multi-step car polish system) and it comes with it's own Car Shampoo, it works great.

 

I have to wholeheartedly agree with P5er. Zaino makes the best stuff around. They are mail order only though. Go to www.zainobros.com to see if you have a local distributor.

Dishwashing soap is only good if you want to strip the old wax on it in preparation for new wax.

Sponges and anything synthetic are BAD news for paint. Use a white cotton wash mitt and dry with white 100% USA cotton towels.

I have lots of Zaino experience and knowledge if you have any questions.

 

I disagree. If you mean the pressure washers at the coin-operated wand wash, they are fine. I've been washing my vehicles there for 10 years and have never had a problem with the shine of my paint, with rust or anything to do with pressure washers. The automatic touchless washers I'd be concerned about though. They use very high pressure and can peel paint if it's loose or already peeling in one spot. Never get closer than 6 inches with a pressure washer too.

 

I wash my car every week at the $1 carwash, just simply spray on the pre-soak, then soap spray, then rinse. I spray 2001 foaming wheel cleaner on the wheels before. I would strongly recommend getting an Absorber to dry your car. It is the absolute daddy at getting water off your car. I wax my car every 3 weeks to keep it shiny and in between waxes i use mcguires quick-detail spray (i would recommend this product, if you need a quick shine). For the wheels i use straight-up windex! It makes them shiny believe it or not. For the tires i use black magic tire gel, it lasts so much longer than spray tire-wets. When i am not washing i always use my california duster to get rid of that dusty crap that always seems to get on my car after a good wash. And thats my method to keeping my pro 5 tip top. Heres all the stuff broken down into a list.....

$1 Car Wash
2001 Foaming Wheel Cleaner
Absorber
McGuires Quick Detail
Black Magic Tire Gel
Windex
Regular Turtle Wax (in the bottle)
California Duster

 

I use Maguire's auto soap, but that's mostly because I could
find it in a big bottle.

Armor All *cleaner* is great for everything: brake dust, bugs,
tar, etc. I try not to use it on the painted parts, just because I
don't know if it's too harsh. Armor All *protectant* is good too.
(Here's a tip: spray it on the cloth then wipe it onto the car.
Don't spray it directly onto the car, because overspray, especially
on windows, is hard to get off.)

My buddy says that 3M makes a protectant lotion that's even
better than Armor All, but I haven't tried it yet.

Hey, here's a question...I use a liquid wax on my car. It says
to wipe it on with a soft cloth, let it dry, then buff it off. OK,
easy enough...but then what do I do with the waxy cloths when
I'm done? They're like really hard to get clean. Do you guys know
how to clean car wax out of cloths?

 

wow, im just really getting bashed on eh? Its all good though thanks for all the input. Ive washed my car like 3 times with dishwashing soap and after reading this will never go back. Im tossing my shamois into a box and busting out the brand new "100% USA cotton terry towels", heh. Also, i got some turtle wax although it seems like krap. Im gonna go buy some mcguires stuff or whatever, ive seen it around but never got it. I hate armor all and am never gonna use it cuz it made my dash look so freakin ugly after that first time, ill just stick to soap and water i guess. Also for the weels i dont use anything special just soap water and it works fine. I use black magic tire spray and it works awesome, keeps my tires shiny for days with driving around daily/all day. Also, since i did in fact wash my car 3 times with dishwashing soap should i apply a coat of wax on it? ive never waxed a car before but im prepared to do so . What type of wax should i do and what should i use to buff it n stuff, i dont have anything special and dont want to spend a lot of money..

Final conclusion:
1. My washing techniques suck a$$
2. Change to "100% USA cotton terry towels" for washing and drying
3. Never use dishwashing soap
4. Use soap n water for dash
5. Maybe apply new coat of wax or 2 pending approval from the great washing gods of protegeclub.com

Thanks guys