Paint Job Maintenance and Car Care - Welcome To The Machine

Not quite as convenient as a synthetic chamois, but definitely worth having is Mothers ultra-soft microfiber towel with a foam center that soaks up water better than conventional towels, not to mention it won't scratch paint.

This smaller sized version is for getting into door jambs and soaking up water than can cause rust if undetected.

Nothing beats a super high quality microfiber towel when it comes to touching expensive paint and not harming it. This deep split pile towel is from Mothers.

Ditto for compressed air nothing beats a rubber tipped blowgun like this one from Snap-on combined with a microfiber towel to force out trapped water that can cause water spots and ultimately rust.

In combination with a good microfiber towel, the action of a Snap-on blowgun is superior to a Chinese imitation and works great for blowing the water out of wheels, and off tires.

The next step to wheel care is a follow-up with Mothers products designed for use on chrome, steel, or alloy wheels. Make sure to control the speed when using on polished alloy wheels.

Another microfiber towel superior to anything found in general stores is Meguiar's Supreme Shine with its large 16x24-inch dimensions.

Be sure to remove any labels from microfiber towels as they might scratch the paint.

Proper storage of the clay is made easy with a special plastic box Meguiar's includes with its smooth surface clay kit.

Stay away from pinkish-red colored clay lubricants as they can dye palms and fingers pink. Mothers and Meguiar's clay lubricants are clear and will not dye hands.

Here's a look at Mothers clay still in its airtight sealed package.

A good healthy shot of Mothers Showtime combined with a few strokes of the clay bar removed surface irregularities invisible to the human eye.