pmpski_1

I just cleaned my 09 this weekend. Since I haven't even driven 1000 miles yet it was still pretty clean and it didn't take long to wash, vacuum, and clean the glass.

Since this is the first time I've had a brand new car I'm wondering what I can put on it to protect it and keep it easy to clean in the future. Should I just do a good coat of wax? Any recommended brands or types?

What about the interior? I have a small child, a large dog, dirty hobbies, and a platinum interior. Any recommendations? (Yeah, I'm getting as many mats as I can!)

TIA

max6spd

Get a clear bra. I had some crazy ass woman back into me and my clear bra saved me. Plus, the roads here in NYC suck and I always get rocks kicked back at me. Again, the clear bra saves me.

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07 OBP FSXT M/T (Stage 2)

Gorkon

I've been washing with a car soap with wax added and finishing off with Turtle Wax Ice Liquid Polish. Local Pep Boys had it on sale for ~$10.00. Goes on easy and comes off easy, with no white residue. Seems to hold up well to quite a few downpours we've been having lately and in addition, dirt/debris is not sticking.

For the interior, just use a very weak car soap solution for the dash, console, etc. Try to vacuum out the sand and debris regularly on the floor and mats. I've learned to stay away from the interior protectants as they tend to dry out the interior plastics and vinyls. My '01 was parked outdoors everyday and after 8 years, with just mild cleaning now and then, the dash looked brand new.

For the glass, don't use any cleaners with ammonia, get some cleaner specifically for auto glass or make your own (as others here have said) with some water, vinegar, and a very few drops of soap. Newspaper instead of paper towels works well as it is dust free (and cheap).

pmpski_1

Ahhh - the good old vinegar and water glass cleaner.

Thanks!

Panos

I know when i get my Forester i'm going to use a mild paint cleaner and apply a couple coats of Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax 2.0. That's all it really should require since it is a new car. Shouldn't need much prep. I've used the original and it gave a great shine, but didn't last too long. From what i've heard the 2.0 is overall better then the original and lasts much longer. That's MY biggest concern since we have very long winters up here in the Northeast...i'll try it out and report back.

For the interior i like to use Lexol Vinylex. It's great for vinyl and plastics in the interior. I've been using it for years with no complaints. Gives a nice natural shine and protects too. It last very long and also has UV protection. For the cloth interior, i guess one of those auto upholstery cleaners should do the job. That's what i used on my fiancee's car and it worked fine. My previous cars had leather so i'm kinda new to the cloth interiors...

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09' Spark Silver 2.5X Premium

pmpski_1

I've had leather for a while too, and the last time I had a cloth interior it never really got much more than a vacuum every once in a while since the car didn't get used much except for commuting.

I stopped using armor all and the like on my interiors a while back. The wet look is nice on the exterior but I don't like it on the interior. And like Gorkon said I believe they tend to dry out the vinyl over time. Come to think of it, has anyone proven this? I've only heard it by word of mouth :)

I'll check out the Meguiars stuff. Sounds like that's the type of thing I'm looking for.

scubadoober

Don't wax a brand new car the paint is still curing. ++1 for the vinegar and water glass cleaner.

Panos

How long does the paint have to cure for? I've heard this before but i'm assuming that these cars have been built long before dealers take delivery so it should have had enough time to cure...I'll have to check the build date when i get the car.

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09' Spark Silver 2.5X Premium

scubadoober

It varies by ambient temperature, but I would say by spring your should be fine. If you talk to some custom painters they say two years and don't even touch the paint at all for two months. This is where the I don't drive my car in the rain mentality came from. Think of this if you have hard wood floors it takes the polyurethane about twenty years to fully cure, Hoover dam is still curing. With that said the paint doesn't have to fully cure before you wax it.

Geezer

I am going to stay away from any car wax that contains "polish" (abrasives) at least until the car is a couple of years old. I agree with Gorkon about using ICE synthetic wax. There is nothing in it that will harm the finish in any way, and may in fact offer long-term protection. Of course there are other synthetic waxes out there, but ICE seems to be the easiest to use and gives the car a nice shine. I tried it two months ago and the water still beads on the paint showing that it is still providing protection.

In the same vein, I would stay away from any Armor All products. Instead, I am using Turtle Wax ICE synthetic interior protection. Unlike Armor All, it provides a polymer protective shield that works on all leather and plastic (including the transparent plastic).

As the car ages, I will probably apply some neatsfoot oil to the surface of the leather about once a year. This should avoid the eventual cracking and rotting of the leather many years from now.

As far as tires are concerned, I would stay away from all of the products that claim to provide a shiny surface. Over time these products will destroy the rubber. They contain petroleum distillate that is an enemy of rubber in any form. Just use a wheel/tire cleaner on them and leave it at that.

Geezer

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Griff (The Geezer)
Drives a 2009 Forester XS Ltd.

Panos

Polymer Sealant or Waxing New Paint:

New cars-
Paint curing process; new cars go through the painting and baking process without any of the rubber, plastic, and cloth components installed. This is why they can expose the cars paint to such high temperatures these high temperatures and special paints used at the factory level ensure the paint is fully cured by the time the car leaves the assembly line.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) water based paint and its clear coat are cured at high temperatures; sometimes as high as 300oF in multiple oven zones where the paint is baked with radiation and convection heat so that 90-95% of the paint systems out gassing has taken place, the additional 5-10% will cure within 2-3 days and the vehicle’s paint can be waxed the moment it is rolled out of the manufacturing plant.

By not applying some sort of paint protection soon after purchase the customer is actually damaging the paint surface instead of helping it. Salesmen that advise a customer not to wax a car for 3-6 months are relying on old paint methods and are misinformed about the latest paint technology.

The newer paints are catalyzed (a chemical reaction that cures the paint) lacquers and enamels needed an extensive time for the solvents to release, with modern water based paints this is not necessary. This is a huge problem in dealerships because customers tend to take the advice offered by a salesman who usually knows nothing about paint, rather than a trained paint professional. This goes a long way to understand why fairly new vehicles paint surfaces are in such bad shape even after a relatively short period of time

When to wax/seal a new car - Detail University - Auto Detailing Forum

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09' Spark Silver 2.5X Premium

ArcadeTom

Yeah...what Panos said.
But yeah, I'm using the Turtle Wax Ice here and loving it.

Gorkon

If your going to wax at all, wax the car when brand new. I bought an '89 Mazda 626 new and waxed about once a month for the first few years then got lazy. I sold the car to my Father and he is still running it almost 20 years later. Probably been waxed a half-dozen additional times over the last 15 years. Car was always parked outdoors and driven exclusively in the Northeast.

Aside from the spot blemishes due to sap, bird droppings, etc, the paint is still shiny and clear (no haze in the clearcoat). I little clay/clearcoat polish and I could make that car look like new.

Feed the paint early. Don't wait for sun, salt, acid rain, etc. to start the deterioration.

TC2000

Ive waxed mine twice already, I try to do it once a month. The wax keeps allot of road dirt and bird poo from getting to the clear coat. And when it rains everything washes right off, kinda like the commercial with that white Outback

I use Maguiar's Gold Class car wash, it suds up good and smells nice. For wax I use Maguiar's NXT Generation wax. for the interior get a bottle of 3M Scotch Guard Protector it'll make the seats semi waterproof and help repel stains

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Whoop-dee-Doo for my Subaru!!

Panos

I feel the same way. Take care of the paint ASAP. Back in 2004 when i bought my Nissan 350Z brand new. The 2nd day i had it, I clayed first then used a paint cleaner, then the wax. You wouldn't believe the dirt that came off that car, the clay bar was black after i was done! This was after the so called "detail" the dealer did before i picked it up...After that the car was so easy to keep clean and the paint always looked great. Of course i kept up with it, but it required little prep every time i had to wax again. I plan to put a few coats of wax on the Forester before winter comes.

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09' Spark Silver 2.5X Premium