By mechanical car washes, do you mean ones with brushes? If so, you will not get those scratches out without a machine polisher. FYI, polish comes before any wax or sealant. A true polish is abrasive, and will remove any wax or sealant that is on the car. Contrary to popular belief, polish and wax are not the same thing. A polish is a product meant for correction, while a wax or sealant is meant for protection of that surface,
in the condition that it's already in. That means a wax will not make a car look great again. Most OTC waxes do have paint cleaners in them, so they can certainly improve the gloss of a car's paint, but neglected paint requires polishing or dedicated paint cleaners to restore the paint.
If you want to make the car look great, do these steps (by hand or machine):
Clay
Polish (more applicable if used with a polisher)
Paint cleaner
Sealant and/or wax. (if both, use the sealant first, then wax, 24hrs apart).
Start off with learning how to properly wash a car. Get a
pair of sheepskin washmitts, a 5gal bucket, some quality car wash soap that will provide enough lubricity to remove dirt and crap without scratching the paint as it's washed off, a GritGuard (not required, but recommended), and a waffle-weave microfiber drying towel for the paint and glass. Do not ever use the same mitt or drying towel for the wheels or tires that you use on the paint. You need a separate towel for that. Take a look at this site for most of the supplies:
http://www.exceldetail.com
Patrick is a great guy. He charges exact shipping rates, so you don't have to worry about paying a huge amount for shipping that will turn into nothing but profit for the retailer. He'll even throw in a delicious mint for you.
