Zaino Anyone?
Once again, it's time to post my WEEKLY posting of the Dr. Bonz Zaino tutorial. AGAIN I ask that maybe one of the mods can post it as a "sticky" so I can just refer people to it rather than posting it on a weekly basis.
So, without further ado:
Bare minimum Zaino products:
Z-6 (two bottles)
Z-2 (one bottle)
Z-5 (one bottle)
ZFX (one bottle)
You can use any mild carwash but the Zaino Z-7 is best. It is pH balanced and cleans very nicely without removing any of your Zaino polish.
Also, nice to have (but not essential) are the Zaino Tire Dressing (Z-16) and the Claybar (Z-18). Zaino makes a nice leather seat product, a plastic cleaner, a window cleaner and several other non-essential products.
Here are the initial steps of the Zaino process (at least how I do them)
-Wash with Dawn dishwashing liquid. Use a non-scratching wash mit. I use a microfiber mit. Make sure it is completely free of dirt and debris. Make sure your bucket is completely clean too.
-Rinse
-Clay the car with a solution of Z-7 and water. A quart of water and a cap full of Z-7 should do it. I use a clean spray bottle to spray it on the car. Do small sections at a time. Make sure the clay glides over the paint easily and doesn't stick. If it does, spray on more lube solution! Continue to knead the clay to keep a clean fresh surface against the paint. DON'T drop the clay! If you do, toss that bar and get another one.
-Wash with Zaino Z-7 carwash. Do the tires/wheels first and then use a separate bucket of suds to do the rest of the car.
-Rinse. After you are done rinsing with your spray nozzle, remove the nozzle and rinse the car with the stream of water from the hose only (no nozzle, no thumb over the hose). Use the stream of water to "push" off the beads of water. This is a neat trick that will decrease your drying time significantly!
-Dry the car with a microfiber towel. I prefer the waffle weave microfiber towels. I like to use a shop vac to suck out drops of water in tight areas that you can't get with the towels. Make sure you don't touch the car with the vacuum hose.
-Do a Z-6 misting. It's just like using Windex on windows. Just spray on a light mist of Z-6 detailing spray and wipe it off (in). You don't let it dry, just take it right off. I use the Z-6 on all the glass as well. It cleans well and rain zips right off of it.
-Apply your first layer of Z-5 polish. You can add 2-4 drops of ZFX "flash cure" accelerator to ONE OUNCE of polish. If you do this your drying time with be decreased to one hour or less depending on the temperature and humidity. I use 2 if it is very hot and dry and 4 when it is colder and humid. I recommend applying Zaino polish in the shade but it will work fine in the sun as well. It will just dry a lot faster. Take note that the small mixing bottles you get from Zaino with your order are TWO OUNCE bottles so you only fill them half way up (one ounce). One ounce will do the entire car easily. In fact, if you apply the polish thin enough (and thin is the best way to apply it) you can get two layers on the car with one ounce. Zaino shouldn't look like wax on a car. In other words it shouldn't look hazy and white. It should look like the color of your car only a little blurry. If it looks the least bit white, you applied too much.
The other way to go at this point it to not use the ZFX flash cure and just apply the polish to the car. This is fine only it will take a good 6-8 hours to cure on the car and this will limit the number of layers you can get done in a day (or weekend). I often do two layers with the ZFX, and the third one without it. I apply the last one at night and let the car sit in the garage all night and remove it the next day. You can tell if it is ready to remove when you smudge it lightly with your finger and it ALL comes off and leaves a very shiney surface behind. If it is the least bit blurry it isn't ready yet.
The polish goes on with the applicator Zaino sends you. I like to slightly dampen it first with water. It helps to apply it a little smoother and evenly this way. I recommend side to side straight line applications on the horizontal surfaces of the car (hood, roof) and up and down straight lines on the vertical surfaces (doors, quarter panels). Do not use circular motion (swirls) to lessen the chance of scratches and swirl marks.
-Buff off the polish with a microfiber towel.
-Another Z-6 misting
-Repeat another layer of Z-5 (with or without ZFX)
-Buff off
-Z-6 misting
-Final layer using Z-2 this time (with or without ZFX)
-Buff off
-Final Z-6 misting.
This is my method. You don't HAVE to do all three layers nor do you HAVE to do all the prep work (the Dawn and the claybar) but you will get a MUCH better result if you do them. Many feel that the Zaino process is too complicated and involved and want to use "easier" products. It is important to realize that the prep process is NOT exclusive to Zaino. It should be done with ANY product for best results. Also, you don't need to do three layers or even two for that matter. If you want to do just one, go for it!
For maintenance all you need to do is wash with the Z-7 and do a quick Z-6 misting after you dry. This is enough to keep your ride looking great between your BIG detailing sessions.
Good Luck!
The Doc
So, without further ado:
Bare minimum Zaino products:
Z-6 (two bottles)
Z-2 (one bottle)
Z-5 (one bottle)
ZFX (one bottle)
You can use any mild carwash but the Zaino Z-7 is best. It is pH balanced and cleans very nicely without removing any of your Zaino polish.
Also, nice to have (but not essential) are the Zaino Tire Dressing (Z-16) and the Claybar (Z-18). Zaino makes a nice leather seat product, a plastic cleaner, a window cleaner and several other non-essential products.
Here are the initial steps of the Zaino process (at least how I do them)
-Wash with Dawn dishwashing liquid. Use a non-scratching wash mit. I use a microfiber mit. Make sure it is completely free of dirt and debris. Make sure your bucket is completely clean too.
-Rinse
-Clay the car with a solution of Z-7 and water. A quart of water and a cap full of Z-7 should do it. I use a clean spray bottle to spray it on the car. Do small sections at a time. Make sure the clay glides over the paint easily and doesn't stick. If it does, spray on more lube solution! Continue to knead the clay to keep a clean fresh surface against the paint. DON'T drop the clay! If you do, toss that bar and get another one.
-Wash with Zaino Z-7 carwash. Do the tires/wheels first and then use a separate bucket of suds to do the rest of the car.
-Rinse. After you are done rinsing with your spray nozzle, remove the nozzle and rinse the car with the stream of water from the hose only (no nozzle, no thumb over the hose). Use the stream of water to "push" off the beads of water. This is a neat trick that will decrease your drying time significantly!
-Dry the car with a microfiber towel. I prefer the waffle weave microfiber towels. I like to use a shop vac to suck out drops of water in tight areas that you can't get with the towels. Make sure you don't touch the car with the vacuum hose.
-Do a Z-6 misting. It's just like using Windex on windows. Just spray on a light mist of Z-6 detailing spray and wipe it off (in). You don't let it dry, just take it right off. I use the Z-6 on all the glass as well. It cleans well and rain zips right off of it.
-Apply your first layer of Z-5 polish. You can add 2-4 drops of ZFX "flash cure" accelerator to ONE OUNCE of polish. If you do this your drying time with be decreased to one hour or less depending on the temperature and humidity. I use 2 if it is very hot and dry and 4 when it is colder and humid. I recommend applying Zaino polish in the shade but it will work fine in the sun as well. It will just dry a lot faster. Take note that the small mixing bottles you get from Zaino with your order are TWO OUNCE bottles so you only fill them half way up (one ounce). One ounce will do the entire car easily. In fact, if you apply the polish thin enough (and thin is the best way to apply it) you can get two layers on the car with one ounce. Zaino shouldn't look like wax on a car. In other words it shouldn't look hazy and white. It should look like the color of your car only a little blurry. If it looks the least bit white, you applied too much.
The other way to go at this point it to not use the ZFX flash cure and just apply the polish to the car. This is fine only it will take a good 6-8 hours to cure on the car and this will limit the number of layers you can get done in a day (or weekend). I often do two layers with the ZFX, and the third one without it. I apply the last one at night and let the car sit in the garage all night and remove it the next day. You can tell if it is ready to remove when you smudge it lightly with your finger and it ALL comes off and leaves a very shiney surface behind. If it is the least bit blurry it isn't ready yet.
The polish goes on with the applicator Zaino sends you. I like to slightly dampen it first with water. It helps to apply it a little smoother and evenly this way. I recommend side to side straight line applications on the horizontal surfaces of the car (hood, roof) and up and down straight lines on the vertical surfaces (doors, quarter panels). Do not use circular motion (swirls) to lessen the chance of scratches and swirl marks.
-Buff off the polish with a microfiber towel.
-Another Z-6 misting
-Repeat another layer of Z-5 (with or without ZFX)
-Buff off
-Z-6 misting
-Final layer using Z-2 this time (with or without ZFX)
-Buff off
-Final Z-6 misting.
This is my method. You don't HAVE to do all three layers nor do you HAVE to do all the prep work (the Dawn and the claybar) but you will get a MUCH better result if you do them. Many feel that the Zaino process is too complicated and involved and want to use "easier" products. It is important to realize that the prep process is NOT exclusive to Zaino. It should be done with ANY product for best results. Also, you don't need to do three layers or even two for that matter. If you want to do just one, go for it!
For maintenance all you need to do is wash with the Z-7 and do a quick Z-6 misting after you dry. This is enough to keep your ride looking great between your BIG detailing sessions.
Good Luck!
The Doc
Originally Posted by bixby
Hey Doc? I didn't see any Z8 in there! To me it's a "bare minimum" as that last step. 
Originally Posted by kcobean
I was wondering about that. On their website, they say that Z8 is for occasional use only for things like car shows, etc. where "extra shine" is required. Is there a reason that Z8 shouldn't be used after every wash?
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amalarri - don't even try to get by with less than what the good Dr. has recommended. The results will be okay, but doing it the doc's way will make your eyes bug out.
They say it doesn't make as much difference on colors like Silverstone, but I say they're WRONG! I've only got 4 coats of Z-2 on over a single coat of z-5, and you can read the license number of my wife's car (which was parked 10 feet away) in the reflection on my bumper. The stuff is that good. Downside is my wife now wants me to do her car. Wouldn't be a problem, but it's an Acura MDX. That's a LOT of vehicle to put several coats on!
They say it doesn't make as much difference on colors like Silverstone, but I say they're WRONG! I've only got 4 coats of Z-2 on over a single coat of z-5, and you can read the license number of my wife's car (which was parked 10 feet away) in the reflection on my bumper. The stuff is that good. Downside is my wife now wants me to do her car. Wouldn't be a problem, but it's an Acura MDX. That's a LOT of vehicle to put several coats on!
Originally Posted by tnsewalkin
Downside is my wife now wants me to do her car. Wouldn't be a problem, but it's an Acura MDX. That's a LOT of vehicle to put several coats on!
I hired someone off this form to do my Expedition. Claybar, 2 Z5, 1 Z2 Plus the required washings. Paid him $150.00 bucks and it took him all day. Well worth it. Now all I do is lay a single coat on once every few washes.
Originally Posted by bixby
I hired someone off this form to do my Expedition. Claybar, 2 Z5, 1 Z2 Plus the required washings. Paid him $150.00 bucks and it took him all day. Well worth it. Now all I do is lay a single coat on once every few washes.
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