I've tried the sealant and don't rate it.

Wax doesn't take long to put on. I washed mine this afternoon and the dirt just rolls off. Waxed SWMBOS' date=' took about 20 mins for a quick no frills wipe over.[/quote']

Hi Stu

Thanks for the input.

My original posting was based on the need to keep the car clean and easy to clean quickly. As a driving instructor, I often need to get the car cleaned halfway trough a working day (you cannot half a days lessons in grubby winter weather, then take someone for test in the afternoon without washing the car, so often, the carwash is really the only option).

What I am trying to get to the bottom of is do the sealants help mechanically protect the paintwork from small abrasions? I have used all sorts of wax, including pure caranuba, and they can make for magnificent finishes and easier cleaning, but at the end of the day, they are at best soft in hot weather and and always suffer through the carwash, plus they need quite a bit of attention to keep looking their best. The longest lasting wax I have used is the Wonder Wheels glide on glaze, which keeps the water beading up for over a year. Car washes remove it pretty quickly though.

As the skoda paintwork is regarded as soft, I am wondering if the sealant would help to protect it. Which sealant did you try and what was it about the sealant you did not rate? I know Skoda do Silver Shield, and Ford do Diamondbrite. I have had no experience of either myself. The one that caught my eye is the Permagard system which alledgedly bonds to the paint and requires just a wash in clean water (no detergent) to claen the car. The guys at Permagard say they dont recommend car washes, however, the coating seems to survive it OK. You can see why for practical purposes, the sealant may be preferable to wax in my case.

Chris

I used diamondbrite - did feel nice when appiled but soon lost it's ability to bead water off and didn't seen any different to SWMBO's without it on.

I've also had Supagard on my Scooby which gave me much the same results.

M brother is a car salesman and it seems quite widely accepted that these sealants are a great money maker.

Its all about time, quite a few people on a dedicated car forum like this take time out of busy schedules to clean the car. Maybe some do go a little far with the cleaning, the lad over the road polishes every week!

I clean my car but i dont go crazy, you need to take a couple of hours out every couple of months and polish the car, if you cant do this then i suggest you take it through the carwash and scratch it to buggery as nothing comes for free i'm afraid. I made the mistake of going to a hand carwash total cost for the wash was 5 quid

total cost to remove the scratches will be more like 105 quid, i wont be doing it again, rather dirty than scratched.

Now your two month polish is out of the way you should really be attempting to clean the car at minimum every month, a good clean though! with winter here even more often as the salt will do damage.

If as you say you need to clean the car in between a jet wash wont do you any damage and as the car has been polished the dirt will run off easy, i sometimes take the sponge and go a little further while at the jetwash but never ever ever use the brush!!!!

Its all about time' date=' quite a few people on a dedicated car forum like this take time out of busy schedules to clean the car. Maybe some do go a little far with the cleaning, the lad over the road polishes every week!

I clean my car but i dont go crazy, you need to take a couple of hours out every couple of months and polish the car, if you cant do this then i suggest you take it through the carwash and scratch it to buggery as nothing comes for free i'm afraid. I made the mistake of going to a hand carwash total cost for the wash was 5 quid

total cost to remove the scratches will be more like 105 quid, i wont be doing it again, rather dirty than scratched.

Now your two month polish is out of the way you should really be attempting to clean the car at minimum every month, a good clean though! with winter here even more often as the salt will do damage.

If as you say you need to clean the car in between a jet wash wont do you any damage and as the car has been polished the dirt will run off easy, i sometimes take the sponge and go a little further while at the jetwash but never ever ever use the brush!!!! [/quote']

Hi Mike

I have been putting the Fiesta I have had from new through a carwash at least twice a week for the last 15 months and there is not a scratch or swirl mark on it! It has only ever been washed this way. Sponges and brushes do more harm as far as I can see. The water still beads up just fine as well, so I wonder if this car was diamondbrited or similar before I got it (school bought it, not me).

Chris

I put the AutoGlym Lifeshine sealant on my girlfriends new Mini, and it does work like a good wax should. Too early to say how long it will last, but a few thoughts here on the product -

One dealer made extravagant claims about how good the treatment was, it would reduce stone chips, last 10 years, keep its shine, add to the resale value. Bottom line, he wanted