How to Care for New 1

[AliMoney1]

I just picked up my 135i last night... Alpine White Coupe with pretty much everything except heated seats. It's my first new car, and honestly I have no idea how to care (wash, clean wax, etc) for it. All my previous cars have been junk but I like to keep all my finer things in pristine condition. Any advice you have on the following would be appreciated:

1. What materials do I need to wash the exterior?
- What are the best cloths, soaps, etc.?
- Do I need to treat the Shadowline any differently?
2. What do I need to care for the leather and rest of the interior?
3. How often do you guys wash and wax your cars?

If there are any other things (tips, materials, ideas, etc) you guys can think of please let me know...

[ptack]

Go to the Detailing/Washing sub forum.
Read, read, read

[BForbes]

Congrats! Moved to Detaling/Washing subforum

[jibaholic101]

Originally Posted by AliMoney1

I just picked up my 135i last night... Alpine White Coupe with pretty much everything except heated seats. It's my first new car, and honestly I have no idea how to care (wash, clean wax, etc) for it. All my previous cars have been junk but I like to keep all my finer things in pristine condition. Any advice you have on the following would be appreciated:

1. What materials do I need to wash the exterior?
- What are the best cloths, soaps, etc.?
- Do I need to treat the Shadowline any differently?
2. What do I need to care for the leather and rest of the interior?
3. How often do you guys wash and wax your cars?

If there are any other things (tips, materials, ideas, etc) you guys can think of please let me know...

1. for washing you are going to need some soft towels, wheel brushes, and some cloths for washing or a mitt. i personally use a mitt. as far as soap, i really like the Meguiars NXT car wash because it works really well and is neutral in pH. as far as a wheel brush, i would use the Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush because the stem bends to get all spots of the wheel even around the rotor.
2. for the interior, you can't beat lexol, i use the quick wipes, they are a little bit more expensive, but you dont have to saturate the rag with the product to get a good application. i do this about every 4 months here in seattle where sun is not plentiful. however, if you are in a sunny area, you should do it more often, or when your leather starts to feel a little dry.
3. i try to wash every week by hand and wax every 2-3 months. the weather here isnt optimal for keeping the car clean long, so I am looking into getting some ONR, these people have given a good description of the product http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-no-rinse.html, but i would buy from a vendor on here as you get a forum discount.

hope this helps

[04Enthusiast]

Great color to start learning about the art of detailing.