All you really have to do is properly polish the paint. You can test your skills by hand but for optimal results, you'll want to use a quality buffer. If you're going the hand route, check out Meg's ScratchX or Meguiar's M205. For optimal hand polishing pick up a Polishing Pal and a 4" white pad.

If you can't get the results you're looking for by hand, a quality buffer should do the trick. Let me know if you need a hand with anything else.

Thanks for the kind words

Jesse, the shelf life on most products is around 5 years if store properly. Ideal storage is out of direct sunlight, low humidity, and between 50 - 70 degrees. Make sure you give the product a vigorous shake if you haven't used it in some time.

Let me know if there's anything else I can help with.

George

 

edit, got my answer.
on a side note, detailed image ftw

 

George, please contact me before shipping out my order as I would like to change a few items. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Kevin

 

George, do most detailers keep their products in the house? What about us that utilize the garage cabinets where it gets down in the teens or up into the triple digits? Thanks.

 

Hey George, I'm not sure if this has been asked before, but lately, my driver's side floor mat has been getting pretty dirty and matted up with dirt and crud. I've used the 303 products on the mats and vacuumed it but I can't really seem to get these dead patches out. What can I do to make my entire floor mat soft, fluffy, and in almost brand new condition?

 

^^ Have you tried vinegar mix with a teaspoon of detergent and warm water, followed by scrubbing vigorously. It worked for me anyways.

 

Certainly not the ideal... if the temps are getting that high or low you should move them indoors, say in the basement or something. It's not going to kill the products by any means, but it may slowly but surely diminish the effectiveness, especially if it experiences those temperatures for long periods of time. I admit sometimes, I'm lazy and leave products in the garage and know that the temps get too cold for optimal storage in the dead of winter, but come spring time, I give them a vigorous shake and give them a go and most of the time they perform as expected. You may go from 100% results, to 90-95% in most cases. I have seen some products though that once they freeze they will not perform the same, so you just have to be careful and aware I guess.

You can try what is mentioned below...

Another option is to find someone (or a detailer) who has a hot water carpet extractor. The hot water and shampoo solution usually does a good job of restoring neglected carpets.

Other than that, lots of elbow grease, you can keep a pot of close to boiling water near by to help break up the hard spots. Just keep at it...

 

[QUOTE=Detailed Image;4626895]Restoring a neglected clear bra isn't an easy task. Some people will use a plastic polish like Meguiar's PlastX which has some mild abrasives in it designed to smooth out some minor imperfections and remove oxidation. It requires some elbow grease, so you have to work it into the clear bra. For the dirty areas, I usually treat the edges with a citrus based all purpose cleaner, like P21S Total Auto Wash. Use a soft bristled brush to clean out the edges where the dirt is building up.


Hi George, I just want to say thanks to you being here which made me aware of your products. I'm in the middle of doing a major cleaning of my car and wanted to update you with the results (sorry, no pics yet) and also ask a few questions.

P21S Total Auto Wash and 303 Aerospace Protectant rule! I used this to clean the black moldings and it really brought the black color back. I plan on using P21S to clean the tires soon. I also used this to clean the not-so-clear bra. This was the best product I've used that made it look better, although I'm still not happy with the bra that the previous owner had put on. It's taking lots of time going over everything with a toothbrush, which leads me to a new question.

Do you think it's safe to use the DI Accessories E-Z Detail Brush on the clear bra? As I mentioned, I'm using a toothbrush and it takes way too long to work it in. I'm guessing it wouldn't hurt but I don't want to screw up the brush or anything.

In putting microfiber towels in the washer, is it safe to you the Chemical Guys Microfiber Wash Cleaning Detergent in a HE washer? If not, do you have any other suggestions?

I was cleaning the wheels like crazy with the clay bar to remove brake dust when I realized the black marks on my stock rims was not brake dust at all. It turns out I have inherited a number of small rock chips in the wheels that are black after the silver had come off. Is there anything you have to fix this or do you have any suggestions?

The combination of the fine clay bar and Poorboy's World Spray & Wipe are working as expected, great products there.

Thanks again

 

Thanks for the feedback on some of the products you've used so far. Both P21S TAW and 303 Aerospace Protectant are two of our best sellers and are excellent products.

You wouldn't really use the EZ Detail Brush for the clear bra, not sure where it would be effective. For maintenance washes, your wash mitt should be fine and for removing crud around the edges, I don't think it would be effective enough.

You shouldn't have a problem using the CG MF Detergent in a HE washer. If you were concerned, you could pre-treat the MF towels in a bucket w/ the MF Detergent and use something like Tide Free in your washer.

Unfortunately, I don't have a good solution for the paint chips on the wheels.

Let me know if there's anything else I can give you a hand with.

 

Why am I so late??? Defintely trying to purchase some of your Chemical Guys products!!! I've been hearing some good things about those products!!! I've got waterspots up the wazoo!!! I feel so bad for my G!!!

 

Hey guys,

I just got a preowned 08 G35x in blue slate. It has some minor scratches (they look a bit white, but not very deep...and I'm not talking swirls, I mean actual scratches). They are like th e ones behind the door handles (I have those too), with some a bit deeper than that. Is there something I could do to get those out without touch up paint, etc?

I'd love to remove the swirls too, but this seems to require a lot of different products and a buffer, etc and carries the risk of screwing your paint job so I think I won't be doing that any time soon. The visible scratches are more important to me to get out anyway since the swirls are not super noticeable on a blue slate. Thanks!

 

CG makes some good products. Let me know if you need a hand selecting anything.

I'd recommend tryingMeguiar's M205 for both the scratches and swirls. If you want the best results by hand, pick up a Polishing Pal and some white 4" pads. This will allow you to apply even distribution as you polish by hand, something difficult to accomplish with a traditional foam applicator pad. Here's a how-to on polishing by hand. You won't be able to use the Polishing Pal behind the door hand obviously, so pick up a regular foam applicator pad for that. Chances are this should reduce the scratches down to a point where it blends in and they will be difficult to find.

Keep us posted on how things turn out after you use the M205.

 

Thanks for the detailed response! I will check that out and let you know. I did not realize hand polishing was really much of an option for me. Do I need to wax my car afterwards to protect the paint? Also, if I end up polishing the whole car, should I clay bar first? Finally, is there any serious risk to damaging the paint if I work myself by hand? This would be my first time doing anything to a car except washing it. Thanks so much! I'm looking forward to getting into this!

 

You'll want to protect your paint after polishing. Polishing will strip off any protection that may be on your paint and leave it bare. If you don't plan on waxing monthly, I'd highly recommend a sealant instead. Blackfire Wet Diamond is our best selling sealant as it excels in just about every category. For optimal results you could clay prior to polishing, but keep in mind that claying will usually induce some marring or swirls, especially on soft Infiniti paint. When used properly it's not much but can still happen.

There's no real risk in damaging the paint by hand, certainly nothing you couldn't fix with some proper technique. Obviously, you don't want to grind the polish in to the paint as hard as you can, start with light pressure and add more as needed monitoring your results. M205 is a pretty easy polish to work with, it's not too aggressive, so don't expect miracles. You could opt for M105 first for some more bite, then follow up with M205. I'd suggest using orange pads with the M105. It should make for a nice improvement in your paint, but don't expect it to turn out perfect like you see some professionals achieve with a buffer.

Let me know if there's anything else I can help with. Keep us posted on your results too!

 

Can I use the 105 for the parts with deeper scratches adn the 205 for the entire car? Also, do I have to polish the entire car if I already start doing any parts? Also, won't the polish remove the micromarring caused by a clay bar (especially if I get the fine grade clay bar?). Finally, I do not plan on waxing regularly--how long will the protection from the sealant last? Thanks so much!