How long does it last?

[lisafrp]

I treated my Ford Racing Puma to:

Quik Clay
Scratch X
Deep Crystal 1
Deep Crystal 2
Deep Crystal 3
Gold Class

After taking nearly 2 weeks to complete the lot (it kept raining in between!) I finished it and it was looking stunning.



I've washed it (using a brand new Meguiars Wash Mitt) a few times since then and now it looks really dull and swirly again.

I would have thought that the polish would have lasted loads longer than a few weeks and a few washes before going dull.

How long do other people efforts last??

Lisa

[lisafrp]

Anyone?

[Setec Astronomy]

Well, perhaps a few things at play here. It's possible that the swirly/dull parts are some residue from the products you've applied that haven't been completely removed. Could be that whatever you are using to wash is too harsh and has removed the products or is so harsh it has caused other dulling. The other possiblity is that you have induced wash swirls. Most of the road dirt (from concrete, tarmac, or dirt dirt) is much harder than your paint. Just like sandpaper, this dirt can microscopically scratch your paint, if you aren't extremely careful when washing.

There's a few other variables as well...did you polish by hand or machine?

[Monk]

THis raises another question I forgot to ask Mike last week. If you have a good coat of fresh wax on your car, how exactly is it possible to instill swirls, assuming wash mitt/two bucket method, grit guards? Wouldn't you have to work through the wax nsome way? Also assum you are washing with Gold Class car wash and not something that is likely to remove all the wax on the first wash.

[Top Down]

Also, another question is the steps you're taking to wash the car. you mention that you're using a new wash mitt, but what soap are you using? Are you using two buckets with gritguards? Majority of swirls are induced during the washing/drying step.

Also, from the pic it's hard to tell, but was the car swirl free after all your hard work? I attempted to ScratchX a whole car and couldn't get past the hood since my arm was so sore. It could be that the polish and wax just hid the fine swirls, so they come back after awhile.

One last thing is Maintenence, the last of the 5 steps. Do you use booster wax in between waxes or use a detailer spray? If your car is a daily driver, the protection from the wax will stay, but the appearance may not.