MichaelN

You could go by the smell if you don't want to read the label   
 
In a related note, do make sure your Tire Shine is completely dry before driving the vehicle.

Whoa..why are we using a HD bucket withan Adams bucket sitting by itself against the wall???😜

Did he mean that figuratively or literally?! ??. ?

Very helpful.  Thank you!

Let’s follow up with a whole bunch more information about what paint correction is, and when it should (and shouldn’t be applied). 
 
Paint correction is not a magic bullet. It’s not something that can be done unlimited times. Paint correction works by removing clear coat in order to remove defects in your paint. 
 
Most of the UV protection of your paint comes in the first 1/3 of the clearcoat. Knowing that, we don’t want to remove more than that over the LIFETIME of the vehicle. Once you reduce the UV protection you accelerate clearcoat failure requiring a repaint. 
 
Paint correction also serves to level the clearcoat on a vehicle increasing the glossy look of the finish. This is why even brand new vehicles benefit from polishing. 
 
Modern paint systems are a three part system. They consist of a primer, base coat (color) and clear coat.  Older paints may be single stage in nature mixing the clear and paint layers. 
 
On top of your paint sits a variety of contamination and defects typically. Contamination on the paint is generally tackled with washing, iron remover and clay.
 

 
When we talk about defects, there’s spider webs which are microscratches, deep scratches which may or not be able to be taken care of without repainting and other forms of defects as illustrated below. 
 

 
When paint correcting we are only working with the clear coat. So as you can see, the deep scratches can’t be fixed. And some that are just in the clear coat shouldn’t be fixed for fear of striking through or removing too much clear accelerating failure. 
 
So you get a car, and you paint correct it. You’ve removed a little clear coat. You use good technique in washing and over time you develop damage (it happens no matter what we do). You polish again. But because you’ve used good technique along the way, you only need a finish polish to take a little clear coat off. Using this methodology you can get a long time with out of your paint and great looks. 
 
The other scenario is you perform a paint correction and you take it through the automatic car wash. You damage your finish over time. You then need a full correction to repair the damage which takes off more of the clear coat.  When approached this way, you’re going to burn through more clear coat or get less corrections. 
 
So the ultimate answer to your question is to correct as infrequently as possible to preserve the clear coat. We use a paint thickness gauge to know what we are doing to a clients paint (or what they’ve done to it already). 
 
We are not opposed to using a fine polish a couple times a year. It leaves a satisfactory finish for most clients without significantly shortening the life of the paint. We will sometimes use a compound in isolated spots to handle concentrated damage as opposed to going all in everywhere. 
 
Hope this is helpful. 

A couple of things. Your post would be much easier to read with some paragraphs. Reading a wall of text like that makes it possible to miss some points. 
 
A “one step polish” is literally just that. It’s a polish only and typically a diminishing abrasive that goes from a medium aggregate to a fine aggregate. This will remove imperfections. It will not finish down like a true finishing polish or cut like a compound. This is for your clients who want improvement, not perfection. 
 
An “all in one” is essentially a polish and protection in one. Usually less powerful in cut than even the one step polishes. All in one products are full of compromises because it’s doing multiple jobs. It will never function as well as separate dedicated products. Protection isn’t long lived. We use an all in one as an economy one step polish. We upcharge for different steps and better protection. 
 
If you’re going into polishing for money, there’s a few points I feel need mentioning. First is to get yourself a paint thickness gauge of some kind. It’s invaluable in knowing what you’re working with and how aggressive you can (or more importantly can’t) be. Once you take money from someone for a service, you’re a professional. An “oops” has to be fixed. An oops in polishing can mean repainting at your expense. Know what you’re working with to work confidently.
 
The next point is to not underestimate the cost of the proper tools. We have more polishers than most and you don’t need to go to that extreme, but you will need more than one polisher to do most jobs without cutting corners. 
 
Also from a business standpoint don’t underestimate the expense and number of pads you will need and will burn through. You can’t stop working on a clients car because you smoke a pad. You need a bunch of them. We have six or seven different pads (different cuts, wool/foam, etc) and we keep a bunch of each. This expense needs to be figured into your pricing and you need to sit on stock. 
 
Polishes can be kept as simple as compound, correcting and finishing. The line we use gives us seven or eight options  so we can typically find just the right amount of cut. 
 
Practice polishing a bunch before you take money and invest in the proper equipment to do it as a business. 

I'm sure by now you've noticed that over the weekend we did a relaunch of our Premium Ceramic Line to better differentiate the products and make them easier for our customers to understand which products will work best on ceramic coated vehicles. Our team has been hard at work on this launch to offer the best solutions, kits, and different size options at competitive prices. We've added a few new SiO2 Infused products to the line, an update to our previous Coating Prep, now called Surface Prep, and some new accessories to make the ceramic coating process easier as well.
 
We have a whole new CERAMICS tab to the website now under SHOP. From this tab, there are multiple subsections - Prep, Ceramics, SiO2 Infused, Accessories, and Kits - for each specific category. For individual bottles, you can now pick individual bottle sizes that work best for you, ranging from 4oz to 64oz for some of the products from their respective drop-down boxes on their product page. Ceramic Paint, Wheel, and Trim Coating are still sold in 50ml bottles, but with the new labeling for the Premium Ceramic Line.
 
I've been testing the Ceramic Waterless for quite a while now and I've been very impressed with its results! 
 
For St. Patrick's Day, we also launched a Mystery Box yesterday that ends tonight at midnight, which you can pick up HERE!
 
This sale ends March 19th at Midnight, and you can use the code MARCH for 15% off.* Please note that Mystery Boxes and Ceramics are not eligible for discount. Free shipping is set to $75 for continental U.S. orders only.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE PREMIUM CERAMIC LINE NOW!
 







 

Thank you all for the advice! Yesterday, I had time to properly wash my car, to get off the residue left from 2 days of rain, and I used a 7 step process to clean the tire and wheels. Steps 1-3 and 6-7 where done on one tire/wheel at a time. 
 
Step 1: Wheel Cleaning
I sprayed on some Eco Wheel Cleaner and used the Wheel Woolie, Lug Nut Brush, and the Mitt to throughly get off all of the brake dust, and it did a really great job.
 
Step 2: Tire Cleaning
After rinsing the wheel, I then used the Tire and Rubber Cleaner, making sure to not get any on the wheel itself. After agitating with the coarse brush, I quickly rinsed the tire and wheel off.
 
Step 3: Spot Cleaning
After allowing a few moments for the wheel to dry, I would go back and hit areas that I missed with the Eco Wheel Cleaner again. 
 
Step 4: During the Normal Car Wash
Since I use the foam gun, I liberally applied the Car Shampoo to the wheels and tires when I was applying to the rest of the car. I would then use the Mitt to, once again, scrub the wheel. 
 
Step 5: Drying the Wheel
After washing, I used a Microfiber Utility Towel to dry off any standing water on the wheel. 
 
Step 6: Tire Shine
Once the rest of the car was dry--using the Spray Wax, I moved the car inside my garage and moved on to applying the Tire Shine. Because I have low profile tires, I sprayed onto the applicator first, and then applied it to the tires. 
 
Step 7: Quick Detail
Finally, I used the Quick Detail Spray on the wheels and used a Microfiber Utility Towel to apply it evenly. 

If you use a LSP (like paint sealant, HGG or the ceramic spray) on your wheels, the brake dust will be much easier to clean.  You then won’t necessarily always need the wheel cleaner.  I use paint sealant and HGG every few washes. Keeps them in a manageable condition.  I use regular car shampoo for maintenance washes, and only need the wheel cleaner once in a while.  Eventually I’ll ceramic coat mine.

You can experiment with the last step products, to see what suits you.  That’s half the fun.  You can get a ton of gloss adding brilliant glaze to either HGG or Americana.  I use Americana on my sunny days only car.  Then I bust out the brilliant glaze for shows.  Try a few combos and see what you prefer. I do think the Brilliant Glaze helps us lighter colors get some pop—which is much more difficult to accomplish than darker colored paint IMHO. @falcaineer who has a white car will agree with me, I think.  
Heres a link to a few pics and combos I’ve used in the past. 
 

Agreed with @camaro2ssblack...it won't hurt, but there's really no need to wash between clay and polish because polishing will remove the clay residue. But a wipe down after polish with 50/50 isopropyl alcohol or Coating Prep is recommended to remove any polish residue and leave a bare surface for your LSP (especially important for sealants and coatings, not so much for waxes or glazes). Also agreed to skip the BW and just use HGG and BG. BW is a carnauba-based wax which work really well for a wet look, but IMO aren't the best on light colors such as white or silver (like your Mustang). I've found sealants like HGG, however, are ideal for lighter color cars to give a vibrant shine and will give much longer protection, too. Use it every 3-4 washes and BG as you'd like. 

Regarding the comment above, I would never wash between the clay and polish steps.  I’m not sure what that would accomplish.  Gently washing or wiping down with an IPA solution after polishing is good practice.  
 
If you dry with HGG there’s no need for Buttery wax. Buttery wax is an entry level product with almost no durability.  It also won’t increase any shine you get with the HGG and BG combo.  I would skip it all together personally.

Love my clay mitt. Can't say I'll "never" use regular clay again, but the mitt is just so much faster and if you drop it, quick rinse with water and keep going. Highly recommended.

Finally got to wash my ride after a long long winter. It hasent been properly been washed since last fall so I was excited to get er clean. This was my first time using Adams products and a pressure washer and I am just amazed to say the least. Thanks for all the info on here and thank you Adam for the great products. For the interior I used ID,Leather Cleaner and Leather Conditioner,waterless wash for the door jams. The exterior I used the blue shampoo,Detail spray,tire/rubber cleaner,wheel cleaner and tire shine and VRT for all the exterior plastic and door seals. I also sealed the windshield with Adams Glass sealant and cleaned all the windows with his glass cleaner. For towels I used every Adams towel to see what I liked best and for what. All worked really great. 
 
My neighbors saw me out there cleaning my ride so they started cleaning theirs. Anyways I saw them out there with new cars but using cheap towels,paper towels,dish soap ect. I offered one to try my Adams products but he refused, the rag and dish soap and his one bucket was all he needed on his brand new truck. I snickered,okay then. He cleaned the interior,tires,wheels,exterior and engine bay....but all with the same one rag and a bath towel to dry. Yikes. Needless to say Im the new wash king on the block,thanks Adams! Anyways here are some pics..
 
Before

 

 

 
 

 

 
After
 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
MONEY SHOT
 

 
 
 
 

First off Welcome Bill! 
 
The clay mitt is 'reusable' vs. the clay bar which must be replaced when it gets dirty.  But the clay mitt is more aggressive than bar.  Not a problem if you only plan to use it on glass, but something to consider if you plan to remove contamination from the paint. 
I would recommend picking up some Rinseless Wash to use as a clay lube.  You can easily go thru a 16 oz. bottle of Detail Spray on a whole car vs. a few ounces of Rinseless Wash (mixed with distilled water).

I use the glass sealant on my Model S windshield and never have chatter. For the glass roof, I purchased a glass coating (another company since Adam didn’t have one last year) but today, I would use the spray coating on the roof and b pillars to help keep those cameras clean. Oh, and a bit of glass sealant on the backup camera really helps too.

The windshield protection kit, plus Glass Sealant is an excellent combination.  I use the sealant about once every 3 months and then use the boost every few weeks.   The longevity of the sealant will depend on the weather, wiper usage and whether or not you leave the vehicle outside all the time. 
 
For the inside of the windshield, I use Brilliant Glaze, it absolutely works wonders and is a product you can use in many locations and for different surfaces. 

For the Green Glass Towel, I like to use the thicker side for heavier scrubbing of bug guts and so on, then the thin side for finishing with a streak-free surface.
 
For our Ultra Plush Drying Towel, both the thick side and thin side seem to absorb water with the same effectiveness for me. I will start by drying the windshield or rear window to get some water in the towel, then I will move onto the painted surfaces with a top-down approach to drying. For sharp areas like emblems, body moldings, etc, I will use the thin side of the towel to avoid it getting caught and fraying with the thicker loop side.

All of our other towels that we offer are the same thickness on each side. I hope that helps out

I have my PC for years for general polishing and waxing, etc. I also have a rotary (FLEX) when I am doing serious paint correcting or polishing after DA wet sanding new paint work. If the PC is not getting results sometimes if you want excellent results as an example you would do a DA wet sanding with 3000 grit then even maybe 5000, then rotary polish with 2 or 3 levels of polishing. In this example the wet sanding removes the scratches and the polish finishes the wet sanding. That result could then be maintained with your PC and Adams Correcting and / or Finishing polish.

I'm on board with @Chris@Adams. You won't regret getting the SK, even if only using it a couple of times a year. Especially now with the 15mm currently on sale plus 19% off, it's a steal.
 
Like many, I started with the PC and together with Adam's it gave me great results. After a couple years I added the SK to the arsenal and haven't looked back. Yes, I had to add new pads, but it's so smooth and works really quickly (about twice the throw of the PC). It's not quite the workout the PC gives. I then converted the PC to a "mini" with the smaller backing plate and 4" pads, so it's still in use, too.
 
Just something else to consider...

It's time to celebrate another successful year - time sure does fly when you're having fun!
 
It's hard to believe this all started 19 years ago. We’re thankful for the friends we’ve met, the places we’ve seen & the memories we’ve made over the years. While premium car care products are fundamental to our growth, we know the key to our growth is you. Our team is humbled by your support, and thankful for your business. 
 

We're celebrating by offering 19% off storewide* with the code 19YEARS at checkout. Free shipping to the continental U.S. can be had on orders over $115, and this anniversary sale will be running until Tuesday March 12, 2019 at Midnight MST.
 
Please note that the Throwback Brilliant Spray Glaze and Throwback Tire Dressing are extremely limited at 400 bottles each, so 1 person customer while supplies last - they will sell out quickly!

CLICK HERE TO SHOP NOW!
 

Food for thought...
 
Longevity as it applies to detailing products is purely subjective. The variables in environments are numerous and make it really difficult to quantify how long a product will last. 
 
Hot environments are hard on waxes. Chemically harsh environments (think those with snow) are also harsh, but in a different way. 
 
Try different products and see what works for you. What works for someone else may not be the best for you. And what’s best for you may not be good for someone else. 
 
You will also learn a ton about detailing and products through actually trying them and forming your own opinions. 
 
Part of what we do as a business is test products and processes to see what ultimately works for us and our clients. We never fail to learn something in the process. 

Here's another great video short on the start of Adam's Polishes!
 
 
Reminder: Sale ends tonight at midnight!
 
CLICK HERE TO SHOP!

Copied from the announcement on our Facebook Community:
 
Friends and Customers of Adam’s Polishes-
 
We recently learned of posts on social media raising concerns about potential credit card issues in connection with transactions on the Adam’s Polishes web site. We place huge value on our relationship with our customers, and we are writing this post in an effort to respond to those concerns.
 
First let me clarify, Adam’s never stores or holds credit card information. When our customer types in a credit card number during the online purchasing process, the information is first encrypted in the browser before it is sent directly to our credit card company. Adam’s employees do not have access to credit card information at any point of the process.
 
We take security and privacy very seriously and we have been working proactively and diligently to address any potential issue. When we learned of these concerns, we engaged expert security professionals to review the concerns raised by our customers, our security and our website. All of the scans have come up clean, and thus far we have not been able to identify any issues with our website or service providers.
 
Adam’s is not trying to minimize or avoid the fact that people have and are experiencing credit card fraud. We are just trying to understand it and react to what is a very complex issue. At the end of the day if customers have an issue, we have an issue – we fully understand that.
 
As part of our ongoing effort to improve service and security and in addition to our ongoing software upgrades, we are changing our server hosting provider this week as part of commitment to improving the customer experience and security.
 
We appreciate your loyalty and hope you will be patient with us as we go through this difficult and time consuming process. Of course, if you have concerns about the Adam’s site, you can use Amazon, PayPal or contact your local dealer.
 
If you do feel like you have had a security issue as a result of ordering through the Adam’s site, please contact us directly at IT@adamspolishes.com. We will update this post on Friday, March 15th with any new information.
 
Thank you.