Mer cleaning products

[mrobinson2]

Searched for mer but nothing comes up.

 

does anyone use it to clean/polish/wax their cars?

 

i used to use it on my previous cars but ran out recently and wondered if it was worth getting some more.

 

cheers

 

Michael.

[Bradders]

Can't stand the stuff myself.

 

I'd recommend Dodo juice or Megs though. Loads of advice on here for detailing. You won't see Mer mentioned though

 

Bradders

[ChrisS]

Another Dodo all the way.

 

Never used Mer. (you can get it from Halfrauds though) [sorry for that,will now go wash my mouth with soap]

[mrobinson2]

is it really that bad? brought my black MR2 up a treat!

 

what would you recommend for a gunmetal Z then?

[martinmac]

Dodo juice for me too. Have a look on the website for Tim from Envy Valeting and drop him a pm for specific advice.

[Wasso]

I use Autoglym - and interestingly enough I put two products on test over the weekend.

 

1. Super Natural Wax

2. Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection

 

Both products came out with top marks, although application of the Super Natural took longer than Autoglum.

 

Super Natural Wax will last longer in comparison to the Extra Gloss

 

Wipping off after application the Extra Gloss was preferred, again quicker.

 

There are pro's and con's to both, although for simplicity and for a very smooth and almost oily feel to the body work Autoglym wins for me.

 

(Note: This was after applying a wax coating)

 

I'd never touch Mer!!

[ChrisS]

is it really that bad? brought my black MR2 up a treat!

 

what would you recommend for a gunmetal Z then?

 

Never used it, but after 6/7 months on the forum.................First time I have heard it mentioned

 

Try a search for Mer+Products,only these posts show up

 

The GM boys will be along soon.............but I bet it's................Dodo

[xStric9x]

I used to use p21s (now called r222) on my gunmetal and found it very easy to apply and rub off Its about 23 quid a pot but lasts for ever.

[Bradders]

I use Dodo Prime Lime to polish after a clay.

 

Must polish first; the difference on a GM is oustanding. Smells nice too.

 

Then Dodo Supernatural Wax. Try a panel pot of it, it goes quite a long way.

 

Red Mist is then good to keep it topped up and beady.

 

Tim, as said, will sort you for both.

 

Mer is just not in the same league I'm afraid.

 

Bradders.

[350ash]

I'm quite new to the whole detailing thing, but since getting the zed I started looking into it and now I'm a bit addicted...

 

When I was trying to decide what wax to get for my car (also a GM) Dodo Juice Purple Haze was recommended by quite a few people; I've since got some and now the car's looking really good! I can't compare it to other products as I'd only used a Meguiars liquid wax on it before, but I'm happy with it anyway.

[rog518]

I used to use Mer all the time and never had a problem but like 350ash found out that this forum throws up a lot of advice. My boss uses collinite 476s on his Vinci grey FIAT LE and he swears by it so got myself a pot and had good intentions to blitz the car ( 54 sunset GT 3 weeks old) for the first time on sat but spent 5hrs cleaning my wheels,arches and calipers aswell as fitting my new spacers so didnt get the chance and cant give you an answer on what its like i'm affraid.

[H5]

Swerve the Mer!

 

Pick up some Chemical Guys / Poorboys / Dodo Juice products and you'll notice the difference......

 

I use a CG wash, Sonus clay, Poorboys Super Swirl Remover (if needed), Poorboys White Diamond glaze, CG jetSEAL 109 sealant and then either P21S (R222) or Dodo Juice wax

[Clb Ltd]

Mer is still available to buy, however detailing and cleaning products have moved with the times and there are so many different products available now you that you will just get brain washed with them all.

 

Products are of a personal choice and everyone expects something different from the products they use. I will briefly explain some of the products.

 

Polish taking into account that the 350z have very thin paint you do not want to use an aggressive polish therefore I would recommend the following:

 

Dodo Juice Lime Prime = this is the most aggressive of the dodo polishes and will remove slight imperfections in the paintwork. I use the word aggressive loosely as although it is more aggressive than lime prime light it will not do any damage to your paintwork.

 

Dodo Juice Lime prime Lite: this hardly has any cutting agents in it at all. It is purely to clean your paintwork rather than remove slight imperfections.

 

Dodo Juice Need for Speed: this is a all in one polish that contains cleaning agents and carnauba wax to give your car that high gloss wet look in one easy application.

 

SmartPolish: This again has a cutting agent in it but it is not aggressive and will not do any damage to your vehicle.

 

I would not advise you to use Autoglym Super Resin as this polish will be to aggressive for your vehicle.

 

If you want to follow with a wax then this is a quick explanation of the different waxes available:

 

Soft Wax: This is a wax that can be applied by Hand or by a pad or finger mitt. Being a soft wax it is durable for about 2 months.

 

Hard Wax: This wax can only be applied with a applicator pad or a finger mitt. Being a Hard wax it is durable for about 3 months.

 

A soft wax is less durable than a hard wax because there are more carrying agents in a soft wax. These carrying agents are what allow the wax to be applied by hand.

 

Collinite wax is a wax that has been designed more for protection than to enhance that deep glossy look. This wax can only be applied by pad or mitt. If you have never used this product before then I would advise you to do two panels and go back to the first panel and buff off the wax. This is an extremely durable wax and therefore is harder to apply.

 

Collinite Superdouble Coat will be durable for at least 12 months per application.

 

Collinte Marq d elegance will be durable for at least 6 months per application.

 

The choice of wax does solely depend on what you want to achieve from it.

 

Dodo Juice Red mist can be used after you have applied the wax. Red mist is prominently a paint sealant however it also doubles up as a Quick Detailer. Using Red mist after you have applied the wax will remove any unwanted oily residue and enhance the deep gloss of the wax whilst sealing the wax onto the bodywork.

 

The advice I have given you is purely bassed on products we use and sell there are plenty more on the market. I hope this helps..

[alessandro]

Where are you guys based?

[ATTAK Z]

Where are you guys based?

try Wrexham

[Ian]

Dodo juice for me aswell I've got Blue velvet, purple haze & supernatural

 

 

[Clb Ltd]

Where are you guys based?

 

Wrexham, North Wales

[mrobinson2]

Wow, thanks for taking the time to type all that out clb. Very helpful. Looks like cleaning the zed is going to be a begged job than cleaning the celica we currently have, that normally gets a wash with a bucket of hot soapy water and then chamoised off with a leather and that's it!

 

So let me see if I get this right:

 

1. Wash the car with car shampoo?

2. Leather the car off?

3. Apply a product like dodo Juice?

4. Apply a sealant like red mist?

 

How often should I do all this?

[H5]

Everyone will have their own routines....

 

I wash every week or two if needed (ie if it has been out of the garage!)

You can top up the wax whenever

 

Once you have the wax / sealant on the car, you don't really want to polish. You need to remove the protection you have built up so you will need to use a more concentrated wash to strip the surface. Then you go through the clay / polish stuff again.

 

How often you leave it between polishing efforts depends on how often you top the wax up and what wax you use. As CLB noted, there are waxes that can protect for up to 12 months so with a top up of some Red Mist for example, you would just need to keep it mildly washed.

 

As for washing technique, most people go for the two buscket method. This is one bucket with the car wash in, and another with clean water and a grit guard in the bottom. And do NOT use a sponge. Reason being the flat surface of a sponge simply moves the grit around the car, therefore putting swirls and scratches into the surface. A wash mitt allows the grit to absorb a bit. You then use the clean bucket to rinse the dirty mitt before dipping back into the wash bucket and hitting the car again. Hope that makes sense!

[Sarnie]

Are people still leathering cars in 2010?????????????????????????

[Clb Ltd]

Wow, thanks for taking the time to type all that out clb. Very helpful. Looks like cleaning the zed is going to be a begged job than cleaning the celica we currently have, that normally gets a wash with a bucket of hot soapy water and then chamoised off with a leather and that's it!

 

So let me see if I get this right:

 

1. Wash the car with car shampoo?

2. Leather the car off?

3. Apply a product like dodo Juice?

4. Apply a sealant like red mist?

 

How often should I do all this?

 

There are so many different levels to detailing,however the stages you need to follow depend on what you want to achieve. If you want to achieve the best you possibly can without taking your vehicle to a professional then I would do the following:

1. Wash car

2. Clay Bar

3. Polish

4. clean windows ect

5. Apply Wax

6. Wipe down with Red mist

 

Following the above stages will ensure your vehicle is free from any bonded contamination before sealing the paintwork.

However you could also do the following

1. Wash

2. Dry with a Drying Towel

3. Polish

4. Clean windows ect

5. Apply wax

6. Wipe down with Red mist

 

By missing out the Clay bar stage you are not pulling the bonded contamination from the bodywork. However you are still cleaning and removing surface contamination during the polish stage.

 

Depending on which wax you use would depend on how often you would need to reapply the wax. Once you have applied the wax you do not polish your car as the polish stage would break down the wax and remove it. Once you have clay barred your vehicle you would not then do it for a least another 12 months.

 

For Instance if you have applied a hard wax then you would only need to polish and reapply the wax every 3 months or when the water stops beading.

 

Carmen