dr_detail Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 Hello from Maryland, folks. I got into auto detailing for my daily driver a few years ago. I recently purchased a sweet (by my standards, at least) new, "obsidian black" Lexus NX and I want to do a better job keeping it clean, beautiful and protected! Unfortunately the biggest gripe about my previous auto detailing routine was that it left me sore and tired the next day. So I started looking at products that would make my routine less labor and time intensive. That's what is attracting me to Optimum products. After some research, I think my routine will be: 1. Maybe rinse the car down with a foam gun. I have some Meguiar's Gold Class soap that I could use. 2. Pre-spray heavy dirt/bug areas on car with Optimum No Rinse in spray bottle. Wash using the "Garry Dean method" with microfiber towels. 3. Use a nanoskin to decontaminate the car with Optimum No Rinse in spray bottle as lubricant. 4. Do another quick ONR wash or spray/wipe down with Optimum No Rinse in spray bottle to remove any final contaminants left over from the nanoskin. 5. Apply Optimum Opti-Seal to paint. Allow the sealant to cure 6. Use the Optimum Car Wax. I will do the #1-6 above every six months in early spring and early fall. I will do #1,2,6 every month as maintenance. The Optimum Car Wax (step #6) will be a drying aid in my monthly maintenance. I think the nanoskin, Opti-seal and Optimum Car Wax in particular will help reduce the time/effort compared to my old routine. My previous routine used a 2 bucket wash system, Meguirs Gold Class soap, clay bar with Meguirs Quick Detailer as lube, and collinite. The interior routine will be simple: just use a dilution of Optimum No Rinse and microfiber towels on everything. Some questions: How does my six month & monthly routine sound? Would using Meguiar's Gold Class soap be ok if I want to apply Opti-seal later? I wonder if Meguiar's soap will leave some type of residue behind to prevent Optimum products from adhering to the paint. If so, what product is recommended? Would using Opti-Seal and Optimum Car Wax be a good protectant to use on chrome, black plastic trim, "satin finished" plastic, door seals and Suntek paint protection film (particularly the edges)? I'm pretty sure the answer is "yes" to all the above. Should I layer on Opti-Seal? If I put two layers of Opti-Seal, would it last ... 12 months? In the videos I have seen, a small yellow foam applicator is always used. Would it be ok to use a similar-sized microfiber applicator pad? I like how the microfiber pads can be attached to a "grip handle" using velcro. Maryland Dept of Transportation loves to lay down the salt in the winter. If I use a touchless car wash in the winter a few times, how quickly would Optimum products rinse away? I really don't have much of a choice, besides a salty car, since I don't want to freeze in my driveway. Would there be enough seal and wax to get me through the spring? Am I able to use the Optimum Car Wax monthly as a drying aid and maintenance layer without decontaminating with a nanoskin? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron@Optimum Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 Welcome to the Optimum Forum! Your methodology sounds excellent. One suggestion is to mix ONR in the pre-spray/instant detailer ratio = 1 oz to 16 oz of water. How frequently you wash is really dependent on driving conditions. I don't believe there would be any problems using Meguiars with Opti-Seal, but we don't test with competitive products. Opti-Seal and Spray Wax are safe on all surfaces and don't forget headlights/glass. Layering Opti-Seal would extend durability but 12 months would be unusual. Durability again is a function of driving conditions, maintenance, etc. You can apply Opti-Seal with a variety of applicators. Using a touchless car wash (with strong solvents) will reduce the longevity of Seal or Wax but how much is difficult to predict. I'm not sure about how the products will affect nanaskin, again, not an Optimum product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_detail Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 The interior has a mesh fabric that covers up the A-pillar. What do you recommend for protecting that part? I don’t think it will get dirty, but it may get dusty and would need some UV protection. Something like Protectant Plus? On 2/8/2018 at 2:11 PM, Ron@Optimum said: Welcome to the Optimum Forum! Your methodology sounds excellent. One suggestion is to mix ONR in the pre-spray/instant detailer ratio = 1 oz to 16 oz of water. How frequently you wash is really dependent on driving conditions. I don't believe there would be any problems using Meguiars with Opti-Seal, but we don't test with competitive products. Opti-Seal and Spray Wax are safe on all surfaces and don't forget headlights/glass. Layering Opti-Seal would extend durability but 12 months would be unusual. Durability again is a function of driving conditions, maintenance, etc. You can apply Opti-Seal with a variety of applicators. Using a touchless car wash (with strong solvents) will reduce the longevity of Seal or Wax but how much is difficult to predict. I'm not sure about how the products will affect nanaskin, again, not an Optimum product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A&J Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 14 hours ago, dr_detail said: The interior has a mesh fabric that covers up the A-pillar. What do you recommend for protecting that part? I don’t think it will get dirty, but it may get dusty and would need some UV protection. Something like Protectant Plus? I would say Carpet & fabric cleaner & protectant would be a better option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_detail Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 I saw 2 vids showing Opti-seal as a drying aid. What advantage would Opti-Seal have over Optimum Car wax as a drying aid? Would it have greater durability than the wax? Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Soap Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Yes, but the look of the paint will slightly change to "glass" look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron@Optimum Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Agree with A&J that Optimum Carpet & Fabric is a better choice for mesh, will clean and leave protection. The difference between Wax and Seal as drying aids is the look and durability - Seal will last twice as long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_detail Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 Ok great! I will do that. So there was a video from The Rag Company where Opti-Seal was used as a protectant in the interior on the doors. What advantage would the sealant have over Protectant Plus? I think I can just use the diluted No Rinse solution to clean my interior (saw that in yet another video) and then Opti-Seal to protect. This would be for almost the entire interior: door, dash, glass, “NuLuxe” aka fake leather seats. For my leather-trimmed steering wheel, I can use No Rinse to clean and something else to condition and protect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A&J Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Protectant plus is more of an "all-in-one" product. Its a cleaner and protectant for plastic, leather, vinyl. It will give more UV protection than opti-seal and it can nurish leather and hide light scuff marks which opti seal can not. Opti seal will only protect. Not to say it still isnt an option to use if the surfaces you are trying to protect are in good condition. Use ONR to clean and seal to protect and you have got a great combo to clean and protect all hard surfaces on the outside and inside the car. Its a time saver as well as a product saver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_detail Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 Ok. I will stick with Protectant Plus for the interior, since I like to do only "one pass" for cleaning and protection. Thanks for answering my questions so promptly! 7 hours ago, A&J said: Protectant plus is more of an "all-in-one" product. Its a cleaner and protectant for plastic, leather, vinyl. It will give more UV protection than opti-seal and it can nurish leather and hide light scuff marks which opti seal can not. Opti seal will only protect. Not to say it still isnt an option to use if the surfaces you are trying to protect are in good condition. Use ONR to clean and seal to protect and you have got a great combo to clean and protect all hard surfaces on the outside and inside the car. Its a time saver as well as a product saver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron@Optimum Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 A&J is correct, as usual, about Protectant Plus cleaning and protecting vs protection only for Opti-Seal. I also found that OS returned the color to faded interior vinyl...who knew? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest45 Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 OS is my favorite interior protectant product. Very easy to apply and dust resistant. I think sealing plastic components is important to reduce off gasing. Makes cleaning with ONR or Opticlean easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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