[Porsche2018]

I am curious how often people wash and wax their Porsche, and this question is mainly for owners that do not have a ceramic coating. Is car detailing a hobby or a chore? Do some of you routinely wax your car every time you wash it? What type of wax do you prefer a sealant/synthetic or a carnauba wax, and why?

Lastly, it may be helpful to some of our members if you would share your car detailing routine.

 

[Gtipirelli]

Very quick reply but I normally wash mine when it is filthy dirty and there is likely to be a good few days on nice weather so that my hard work is not wasted

I often use autoglym aqua wax as it is easy and quick to apply and the car can be wet still when I apply it

Unfortunately, with our weather in the UK, the car is often dirty and we do not get many long stretches of warm dry weather

 

[ArchiProf]

I try to wash the Cayman once a week as needed but the other cars not as often. None of the vehicles has a ceramic coating although the Cayman has PPF on the front bumper. I detail all the cars at least once every six months, sometimes more often on the Cayman. I consider this an enjoyable activity rather than a chore.


Steps and Products used for the Cayman:
1. Rinse car to remove dust/dirt
2. Spray wheels with Sonax wheel cleaner, rinse, spray with Simple Green, rinse
3. Wash car with Chemical Guys Blacklight soap using a foam cannon and wash mitts from the Rag Company and Meguiars (I use other soap brands for the other cars)
4. Rinse mitt often using a bucket and grit guard
5. Rinse car and repeat
6. Final rinse using a Camco TastePURE water filter
7. Blow off any remaining water with Ego leaf blower
8. Dab off water remaining with towels from the Rag Company and Gyeon


Wax and Glaze Products for the Cayman:
P21s paint cleanser
P21s carnauba wax
Blackfire Wet Diamond paint protection
Blackfire carnauba wax
Meguiars Endurance tire gel
Car Guys tire dressing
303 Protectant
Nextzett Cockpit Premium interior cleaner
Nextzett Scheibenklar window cleaner
Sonax wheel cleaner
Simple Green cleaner

 

[718S]

Cleaning my car is a chore.... although like many chores, it's often rewarding but I'd rather not have to do it... but no way would I take it to a car wash. No ceramic or PPF.

Regular washing, Chemical Guys Washi-Suds with Relentless Drive Ultimate Car Wash Mitt, sometimes followed by Aero Wash Wax All during rinsing.... drying with microfiber towels (Rag company and Aero Wash brand). I don't use the two bucket system but wash top to bottom obviously. The most annoying part of washing is the wheels. Getting the inside of the wheels is PITA and does get done every other wash or so. When I need to give them a good cleaning I'll use Griot's Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner. Use McGuire's Hot Shine on tires ever month or so maybe? Interior doesn't need much cleaning... maybe a light dusting here and there. My car is only a few months old still.

Car is mostly garaged so it doesn't get too bad... pollen is real nasty now.

 

[CupraLeon]

Washing/detailing is more a hobby to me. Car gets cleaned 1 to 2 times a week. The car has a 'light' ceramic coating (TAC moonlight). Depending on what kind of 'dirt' is on the car I use the next products/steps. I spend about 2 to 3 hours on cleaning the car on average

First step: foaming:- for light contamination: Koch Chemie GSF
- for heavier contamination: Nerta Carnet Jumbo
Step2: cleaning the wheels, applying de-ironiser rinse with pressure washer, then hand (wash with separate bucket) and brush used: Microfibre madness incredibrush.
Step 3: de-ironising whole car with Geyon Q2m iron.
Step 4: two bucket wash with buckets with grit guard,washmitt: microfiber madness incredimitt. Soaps used: Chemical Guys gloss workz
Step 5: drying, using compressed air and water magnet towel/ old microfiber towel for drying wheels.
Step 6: check for tar spots/bug residue, product used: Auto finesse bug and tar remover
Step 7: Koch Chemie FSE, tis is to remove any chalk marks left after drying
Step 8: applying sealant, Meguiars Hybrid ceramic wax
Step 9: all plastic exterior parts get cleaned with an APC and receive Koch Chemie Nano plast care
Step9: vacuum the interior, clean (Alcantara) seats with swissvax brush, floor mats get cleaned with Tornador and product used for fabric cleaning: Koch Chemie Polstar
Leather gets cleaned with Polstar and Koch Chemie leather care for protection (uv protection and paint transfer from clothes)
Step10: Clean all glass surfaces with Kenotek glass cleaner and valetpro glass cleaning microfiber cloth
Step11: Grab a beer,admire my work but most of all the showroom look of the car, and start realizing it wont last long in the kind of weather we have here =)

In the past on my other cars I used alot of waxes, from natural carnuba based to synthetic. I'm more into coatings and sealants now because of hydrofobic properties and lifetime in comparison to waxes.

 

[Nosmo]

Time and weather dependent. I like the process of seeing improvements. I can merrily dance around the car for an entire weekend, feel knackered and satisfied in the evening. As the car is nano and ppf coated (even the ppf is nano coated) the process isn't too involved but still requires care, especially the wheels and uncovered side / top of the car. Like @CupraLeon, the weather normally spoils it within a day or 2.

 

[Muppet]

Love cleaning my car, usually every two or three weeks, throughout the year as the 718 is my daily driver.
Hate to see it dirty.
Try to pick a cloudy day not bright sunlight.

Get to examine the car thoroughly to make sure there’s no damage.

Clean the wheels with Trolls Breath rinse and use Wheel Woolly Brushes.
Snow Foam the car and rinse with Karcher K4 pressure washer.
Wash the car with Autoglym shampoo and wool wash mitt, using two bucket method with grit guards.
Dry the car with Microfibre Towel’s.
Polish the car. Used to use Autoglym Super Resin Polish but have switched to Meguires Ultimate Liquid Wax ( No more white powder residue left on black plastic and gives a deeper gloss shine )
Clean the glass with a Microfibre cloth and wipe down interior with Microfibre cloth.
Top up the wash wipe bottle.
Hoover the car throughout.
Clean the Full leather interior at start and end of summer with Autoglym product’s.

 

[RussellHodgson]

I never wax it. I never take it to a car wash either.



I wash it when I think it is getting dirty. In the summer that is every 3 weeks perhaps. I also wash it after a track event.


In the winter I'll wash it if the temperature is warm enough, which happens maybe 2 times between the end of December and the middle of March.


I'll swiffer the interior when I think it is getting a bit dusty - usually every other wash.

 

[717R]

Weekly wash is a must, in between the week quick clean ups if the car gets splashed, dirty or wet. The Sat morning wash is a great de-stresser for me. Nothing feels better than a squeaky clean ride to start the weekend!

Additionally every monthly I would apply sealant onto my vinyl wrap, tire polish, vacuum entire car, wash floor mats, new car spray.

Every quarterly apply leather and rubber protectants.

Products used below.

Weekly Wash:
- Sonax wheel cleaner
- Chemical Guys Meticulous Matte Auto Wash (foam created in spray bottle)
- WORX WG520 Turbine 600 Electric Leaf Blower to remove excess water post rinse
- microfibre towels for hand dry

Monthly:
- Avery Dennison Supreme Wrap Care - Sealant
- Maguire’s High Gloss Tire Protectant Gel
- Chemical Guys New Car Smell Premium Air Freshener & Odor Eliminator
- Armour All Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner

Quarterly:
- 303 (30382) UV Protectant

 

[Porsche2018]

I never wax it.

My friend, you never wax your Porsche? I think you need to be placed on double secret probation until we can determine an appropriate punishment.>


Allot of great responses and it seems I am not the only one that is kinda of intense about car detailing. Though, to be honest my other cars don't get as much love as the Porsche.

 

[RussellHodgson]

My friend, you never wax your Porsche? I think you need to be placed on double secret probation until we can determine an appropriate punishment.>

Ha!

 

[Dan.B-Cayman]

My daily driver has a self-applied ceramic and gets washed at least one a week.

Wheel woolies are a must - two bucket method when needed followed with Reload.

Wash Wax All when slightly dirty.

I can not stand her without a shiny coat and wheels.

Started using Armor All Tire Shine on the wheel wells to get them nice and black.

Ha! and after a good wash I keep a flour sack rag and window spray in the passenger seat as the windows will get wet after rolling up and down until the inner door is dry. >

 

[717R]

I try to wash the Cayman once a week as needed but the other cars not as often. None of the vehicles has a ceramic coating although the Cayman has PPF on the front bumper. I detail all the cars at least once every six months, sometimes more often on the Cayman. I consider this an enjoyable activity rather than a chore.


Steps and Products used for the Cayman:
1. Rinse car to remove dust/dirt
2. Spray wheels with Sonax wheel cleaner, rinse, spray with Simple Green, rinse
3. Wash car with Chemical Guys Blacklight soap using a foam cannon and wash mitts from the Rag Company and Meguiars (I use other soap brands for the other cars)
4. Rinse mitt often using a bucket and grit guard
5. Rinse car and repeat
6. Final rinse using a Camco TastePURE water filter
7. Blow off any remaining water with Ego leaf blower
8. Dab off water remaining with towels from the Rag Company and Gyeon


Wax and Glaze Products for the Cayman:
P21s paint cleanser
P21s carnauba wax
Blackfire Wet Diamond paint protection
Blackfire carnauba wax
Meguiars Endurance tire gel
Car Guys tire dressing
303 Protectant
Nextzett Cockpit Premium interior cleaner
Nextzett Scheibenklar window cleaner
Sonax wheel cleaner
Simple Green cleaner

Hi ArchiProf. I use the same wheel care products as you! Lately I noticed with Meguiar tire endurance gel it gets onto my wheel arches in the first few drives after application. Do you have the same experience? Other than this issue I must say it’s THE best tyre (matt) shine product I’ve used thus far! It simply lasts and lasts even with bad weather.

 

[Malcolm E Cay]

The Cayman was washed every couple of weeks.

I clay barred it soon after I bought it and it was polished and waxed three times in the year I owned it.
The Boxster I have just bought is ceramic coated so my routine will change going forward.

 

[ArchiProf]

Hi ArchiProf. I use the same wheel care products as you! Lately I noticed with Meguiar tire endurance gel it gets onto my wheel arches in the first few drives after application. Do you have the same experience? Other than this issue I must say it’s THE best tyre (matt) shine product I’ve used thus far! It simply lasts and lasts even with bad weather.

I have not noticed this but will check the next time I apply the product. I generally wait until later in the day when I know I will not drive anymore so the gel has time to "cure" overnight. I also wipe the excess off with a towel which may also help.

 

[fundrive]

Hi all, i wash 2 porsches and one is an outside car. this usally happens weekly. But instead of tradional waxes etc, i uses anything that will allow me to still wash my cars as i get older. my so called detail is below. i cant imagine that i spend more than 2 hours on this.

Detail steps (3 maybe four times a year)
1) Clean the wheels and rubber. i use Mcquirees non acid wheel cleaner (50% diluted). 2) wash the cars with with whatever chemical guys has on sale. 3) uses a no name clay mitt (from amazon) to remove any surface contaiminents 4) do a final wash with a chemical guys stripper soap (its safe on my clear bra) 5) spray on mckees 37 sios 2 spray and wash. i just spray it all over the car and use a micro fiber wash mitt to rub it into the black trim and also the wheels (dont continimat your tools). be sure you wash it with a realy hard stream of water. thats it for the "detail job". The tires are dressed with mckees 37 sios2 wheel shine. It seems to work fine but more than one coat was neeed for my first appication.

weekly wash are:
1) clean the wheels and tire with Mcquirees non acid wheel cleaner (50% diluted) 2) wash the cars with a good quality car soap. 3) dry.

occasionally, the wash will add step 5 from above for a shine boost (every 6 weeks or so).

Also, and i think this is most important, get some 303 (they market it for auto, marine, etc. just get the cheapest thats a protectant. DONT use it on alcartera. I will rub and buff this on the dash (leather and the man made stuff), apply it and buff the rubber (door seals), i apply and buff it on the exterior lights (prevents any yellowing) and i will also use it on the black trim (but i think after the sios spray and wash its not needed). i also apply it to all the platic in the frunck and in the cayman hatch. its applied to all the mccan interior serfuces but for the carpets, roof liners and glass. if you get it on glass - wipe, buff, wipe with a wet mircofiber, buff, wipe with a wet microfiber and buff again. its good stuff.

hope this help someone else.

 

[Porsche2018]

As it stands now I wax my car every time I wash it, and I wash it every two weeks. I am probably waxing the wax at this point but anything less would feel like I'm slacking off. ?

 

[Dan.B-Cayman]

As it stands now I wax my car every time I wash it, and I wash it every two weeks. I am probably waxing the wax at this point but anything less would feel like I'm slacking off. ?

"... would feel like I'm slacking off."
I went about five days without needing much of a wash and felt bad about it. So I washed the always-need-a-wash wheels and felt a little better.

 

[Whitety]

Washes mine once a week and application of a coating for my PPF ...