What type do you use and why?

[wnyfrzr]

I am just currious. 
I have found many already opened cans and bottles of car care products in my dad's old stuff in the basement.  This includes Bleachwhite, ArmorAll, car waxes too numberous to mention, scratch removers, and chrome polishes.  I checked some of the products on-line and they say shelf life is 1 to 2 years for most products.  My dad has been gone for 5-1/2, and he bought this stuff years before then.  So I am tempted to toss the whole lot out and get all new but just what exactly do I need  - in the past, I just used what was on the shelf.

So I am wondering, what car care products do most of you use and why? Waxes, cleaners, white walls, chrome, carpets - anything is open for suggestion. 

[darrin502]

Car care products you use are dependent on the condition and kind of paint is on the car. Most all the products made today are good. It is the personal preference of the person using the products. Some people swear by one product and others swear by another product. The best thing to do is go into an auto parts store and read the products directions and what the product is designed to do. I personally would not use any of the old products. Be very careful with bleach white it is very caustic.
I personally do not like Armor all it seem to emit a chemical when applied to the dash  that fogs the windshield inside.
If the paint is very good I recommend using Claybar before polishing it takes off all kinds of contaminants.
Good luck

[Corsairdeluxe]

I use the blechwhite and like it a lot.
As to old products. I use one very old product.Johnsons paste wax. Same stuff we used on the floors in the old brown boot army.
I live in central coastal Floride gust south of Patrick Af Base. The Air Force rates Patrick as second behind Guam for the most corrosive atmosmhere of all their bases. I put a heavy coat of Johnsons paste wax on all my chrome. I have found nothing else has the staying power.As to very old polishes and waxes,be on the safe side and throw then away. It only takes one swipe of a grainy pad to ruin a nice paint job.

[BigDave LM6174]

I agree with Corsiardeluxe.  If it is over 4 years old, throw it away.  A old can of neverdull is good to have along with your favorite waxes, etc.  Of course, no garage is complete without a can of WD40 and a roll of duct tape. 

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

You can also throughly rinse out and wipe out old cans and put new product into it.  It gets a lot of attention to see someone using something out of a K-F branded tin to use on their cars today.

[Dragon]

I remember seeing KF cans a lot, but the last few years they have been very scarce and when they do show up the price is ridicules.

[Gordie]

There is a small can of household oil in a Kaiser Frazer container on eBay currently for an opening bid of $149.00.

[Aeroman]

I use Westley's Bleche-Wite for white walls, but it is now Black Magic instead of Westley's. Meguire's Cleaner Wax or, for really dull paint, TR3 Resin Polish if you can find it. TR3 is not a wax, only a polish, so you'll need to wax over that for protection. Dunno about shelf life, I occasionally use TR3 from a can that I bought when I still lived in California - left there 23 years ago.

[Dragon]

Speaking of cleaners, does anyone have a good solution for cleaning wire wheels?