Car cleaning Tips/Tricks/Products

I am particularly proud of my quick yet effective car cleaning, a few months ago I was frustrated with keeping dust off my dashboard, wet rag wouldn't doit, feather duster and anti-static cloth just stirred the dust around. Finally, I figured out the Swiffer was the best dust-killing device to use, it even getsthe a/c vents cleaner than my detail brush.


For those who don't know:



For shampoo I use TurtleWax Zipwax Car Wash (never dish soap). I use Black Magic Tire Wet with the built-in applicator (dark car needs dark wheels). NoArmor-All Products ever.



So I was wondering if anyone else has little tricks to make car cleaning easier/better. I'm in need of a new chamois, can anyone speak to the quality ofthe ShamWow or something similar?

I recently started using Armor All Extreme Tire Shine Gel, but before I used the Armor All Tire Foam. This new gel thing is working pretty well so far.

And I use Heathers Powermetal Aluminum Wheel Cleaner for my wheels.

Turtle Wax Spray to wax my truck after I wash it and dry it.

Armor All Window Cleaner for my windows and Armor All Protectant Wipes for my dashboard.

Man I REALLY hate it when I'm finally done cleaning my truck and the next day it has pollen all over it.

I do detailing on the side. This is what I do for a full detail

Here is what I do for a "Full" detail:

1.) Crawl under the vehicle, soap up the undercarriage and powerwash the undercarriage. (Yes, I said powerwash under the vehicle. )

2.) Jack up the vehicle and take the wheels off. Spray the inside of the wheels only with dilluted simple green. (Only the inside with Simple Green. If you getSimple Green on the chrome of the wheel, you are fawked.) Scrub the Simple Green and powerwash the inside of the Wheels. (For the wheels itself use any carwash soap with a Boars Hair brush.)

3.) While the wheels are off, spray the wheel wells with Simple Green, let it sit for 5 minutes, scrub the Simple Green and then powerwash it off.

4.) By this time the Engine should be cooled off. Cover up the PCM and CAI then Spray Simple Green all over the engine bay let it sit for 5 minutes and thenpower wash it off.

5.) Interior. The usual. Shop vac, I like to windex the interior plastic, lexol the seats. I dont like armor all in the interior. Just my personal preference.

6.) Wash the vehicle with Dawn soap. This step preps the paint. It strips all the old wax off.

7.) Clay bar the vehicle. Dont forget to clay bar the roof. Yes it is a ***** and you can fall. LOL. I fell when I was detailing my ex girl's Highlander.(After the claybar, hose down the vehicle again.)

8.) Time for the polisher (Cyclo or PC 7424). I like to use Gloss it extreme cut first.

9.) Regular Cut

10.) Polish

11.) Wax. I like Gloss It or Meguiars NXT Tech 2.0


After all these steps, you are left with a fully paint corrected vehicle. No swirls, RIDS, spiderwebs. Nice and clean. I dont like to do the quick methods forcar detailing. I am a OCD car detailing nut. LOL

Meguair's tire shine >

Originally Posted by Air Spider 777

I dont like to do the quick methods for car detailing. I am a OCD car detailing nut. LOL

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that beats me

Originally Posted by Air Spider 777

I do detailing on the side. This is what I do for a full detail

Here is what I do for a "Full" detail:

1.) Crawl under the vehicle, soap up the undercarriage and powerwash the undercarriage. (Yes, I said powerwash under the vehicle. )

2.) Jack up the vehicle and take the wheels off. Spray the inside of the wheels only with dilluted simple green. (Only the inside with Simple Green. If you get Simple Green on the chrome of the wheel, you are fawked.) Scrub the Simple Green and powerwash the inside of the Wheels. (For the wheels itself use any car wash soap with a Boars Hair brush.)

3.) While the wheels are off, spray the wheel wells with Simple Green, let it sit for 5 minutes, scrub the Simple Green and then powerwash it off.

4.) By this time the Engine should be cooled off. Cover up the PCM and CAI then Spray Simple Green all over the engine bay let it sit for 5 minutes and then power wash it off.

5.) Interior. The usual. Shop vac, I like to windex the interior plastic, lexol the seats. I dont like armor all in the interior. Just my personal preference.

6.) Wash the vehicle with Dawn soap. This step preps the paint. It strips all the old wax off.

7.) Clay bar the vehicle. Dont forget to clay bar the roof. Yes it is a ***** and you can fall. LOL. I fell when I was detailing my ex girl's Highlander. (After the claybar, winse the vehicle again.)

8.) Time for the polisher (Cyclo or PC 7424). I like to use Gloss it extreme cut first.

9.) Regular Cut

10.) Polish

11.) Wax. I like Gloss It or Meguiars NXT Tech 2.0


After all these steps, you are left with a fully paint corrected vehicle. No swirls, RIDS, spiderwebs. Nice and clean. I dont like to do the quick methods for car detailing. I am a OCD car detailing nut. LOL

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no shortcuts, the way it should be done! I can'ttrust any of these dealerships with my car...

You know what, I'm gonna contact one of my friends that does detailing on the side. I'm going to give him your routine, post up with a lawn chair anda newspaper and make sure he does everything

Pics of results from detailing my Jeep. (Some of you cats might know me.)

Originally Posted by memphisboi55

Meguair's tire shine >

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Meguair's endurance tire gel to be exact. It's about $11 for a bottle, but well worth it.

I usually wash/dry, clay bar, wash/dry again, polish, and wax. I don't take off my wheels everytime, maybe once every 2 months. All in all, it usuallytakes me about 4-6 hours for a nice detail. I enjoy every second of it too.

sexy

Originally Posted by memphisboi55

sexy

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Thank You Sir!

Originally Posted by MyJaysGetRocked

Originally Posted by memphisboi55

Meguair's tire shine >

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All in all, it usually takes me about 4-6 hours for a nice detail. I enjoy every second of it too.

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Me too. I find detailing relaxing. I just forget about the daily stresses and go to work.

Megs has pretty nice products for being available at Wal-Mart.
I do trust in them!
Their Gold Class car wash is awesome.
Hey Air Spider, have you heard of Meg's random orbital? It's supposed to be a bit more powerful than the 7424 like the UDM (Ultimate Detail Machine)was, since I've heard complaints of the PC bogging down.
I think I'll cop that after I get one of my stupid panels resprayed.

Yeah i love doing mines too, but when it rains the next day................ @##$ %%+%# !$#% $+@$+ %$@!!

Originally Posted by Broke on Nikes

Megs has pretty nice products for being available at Wal-Mart.
I do trust in them!
Their Gold Class car wash is awesome.
Hey Air Spider, have you heard of Meg's random orbital? It's supposed to be a bit more powerful than the 7424 like the UDM (Ultimate Detail Machine) was, since I've heard complaints of the PC bogging down.
I think I'll cop that after I get one of my stupid panels resprayed.

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I have never had a problem with my PC. The 7424 always did its job and never bogged down on me. If you dont want the PC, I recommend the Cyclopolisher. Its a great machine.

for being like 265+ its sure as hell expensive

but stick with UDM or makita, flex is alot too but good machine.

chemicalguys and poorboys are great products

i stay away from over the counter stuff. there are like a handful of good things to buy

Originally Posted by memphisboi55

Meguair's tire shine >

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That stuff lasts.

From a truck website I frequent:

Washing Products
Hose & nozzle. You want a hose long enough to reach all around the truck, and of good quality so it won't kinkor bind. An adjustable nozzle will give you varying levels of pressure for wheel wells, grille insert, etc. Home Depot is a great place for both items. I'musing a Goodyear nozzle that is very durable and offers a range from 'soak' to a very high pressure spray. A foamgun is a relatively new product that allows you to pre-soak your truck with a soapy solution. Personally, I'm still experimenting with these andhaven't found one I really like. Using it does involve turning off water to the hose and removing & replacing the nozzle. It does seem to be a veryeffective washing tool and one that aids in the prevention of swirl marks.

Wash buckets. That is plural - you'll want two five-gallon buckets, one for soapy water, and the second forrinsing. It may sound like overkill, but try it once...when you see how much dirt is in the rinse bucket, you'll be hooked.

Wash mitts/I prefer sheepskin and microfiber. Don't use sponges. You'll want at least two mitts. I generallybuy a few at a time, dedicating at least one to paint. Once it picks up grease or grime, I dedicate it to wheel wells, tires. etc.

Car wash shampoo. This is easily overlooked, with many folks buying whatever they see first or cheapest. A goodshampoo is your best defense against swirl marks. It'll have excellent cleaning agents and lots of lubricants. The suds will also have plenty of stayingpower. I prefer 'boutique' brands like Four Star Ultimate and Poorboy's, but Meguiars Gold Class and NXT are good baselines.

Degreaser/All Purpose Cleaner (APC). Use this for wheel wells, tires, wheels, etc. These products are generally veryconcentrated and can be diluted 4:1 or even 5:1. I don't recommend Simple Green - it's such a 'general' product that it doesn't seem to doanything really well, plus it has a ton of ingredients that leave behind a difficult-to-rinse residue. I really like 303 Aerospace cleaner, Poorboy'sbiodegradable APC, and Four Star's White Lightning. FYI these also make excellent household cleaners and stain removers.

Tire brush. After soaking with APC, a quick brushing will leave the sidewalls nice and clean. Depending on the size ofthe brush, this is also great for wheel wells and other surfaces where you'd hesitate to use a wash mitt.

Wheel cleaner...optional. Be very careful if you choose to use one of these products. Many of them do much more harmthan good. Read the ingredients and avoid ones that use acid. Phosphoric acid is a common component and it does not play nicely with bare aluminum and mostclear coats. I have Four Star's Ultimate wheel cleaner gel and it's the best I've ever used. Gentle yet effective. That said, I rarely need it.Between car wash shampoo and occasional APC use, wheels will easily clean up without harsher products. Same applies to exhaust tips, by the way. The rightproduct will work great...the wrong one will put you in the market for a replacement tip.

Drying towels. I recommend microfiber waffle weave towels. These are very gentle on paint, preventing swirl marks, andby nature do not leave behind any lint. The best drying tool is a 'soak' final rinse - using the hose without a nozzle, or setting the nozzle to'soak' so the water just runs off the finish. You can then follow with the towel to complete the job. Water blades are very nice for drying too....justbe careful. Make sure the blade is very clean, and use gentle one-way strokes.

Step stool. Unless your day gig involves posting up Shaq, you'll want one. Make sure it works for you...gets youclose enough to the truck without touching the finish. Yes, the roof must be washed...and dried...and waxed.

Window cleaner. The bane of my existance....cleaning windows without streaking them. Stoner's Invisible Glass isthe best product I've found, but it can still be tempermental. I use two different towels when cleaning windows to prevent streaks.

Vacuum Cleaner. A shop vac type works perfectly. You want plenty of suction to remove imbedded dirt, and a number ofattachments to reach all the nooks and crannies.

Tire dressing. Hundreds of products out there. I prefer water-based products, applied with an applicator, over anyother type...particularly spray-on products. I lean toward Poorboy's Bold & Bright, but this is subjective. Experiment and use what works for you.

Quick Detail (QD) spray. Hard to go wrong with Meguiar's, but I also recommend Poorboy's Spray & Wipe.Perfect stuff for just about anything on the truck - paint, windows, dash, wheels, etc. I also spray a little on the carpeting when I'm done, just to keepthe interior smelling fresh for a bit.

Leather care. Tons of products out there. I really like Zymol - it's effective, smells nice, and can be found atTarget. Remember that cleaner and conditioner are two different things. After conditioning you'll want to buff twice to remove any residue.

Towels. In a nutshell, you can't have too many. I prefer microfiber, but terry towels have their place too.They're generally more absorbant, which is nice when doing windows, for example. They also leave behind lint, and are more abrasive. My one basic rule -never use terry towels on paint. Costco's MF towels are very inexpensive and are great for all-purpose use.

Clay bar
This is a vital tool for any detailer. It's the first thing you'll use in making your truck look great. There are many myths about the clay bar.

What a clay bar does: It removes surface contaminants from exterior finishes. Acid rain residue, baked in bits ofgravel, paint transfer, etc. It is effective on your paint, glass, bumpers, and wheels.

What a clay bar doesn't do: It will not remove scratches in your finish, pits in your windshield, oxidation, etc.

Run your fingertips over your truck's finish. Then use a clay bar and repeat. You will be amazed. Also, look at the clay bar after using it on, say, a2'x2' section of your hood. The clay bar removes a lot of nasty stuff that you likely have no idea is on your truck. It prepares your paint for theproducts that will make it shine and will allow it to be protected for months at a time.

Lubricant is important and necessary. Water is decent, but I'd recommend either a specific clay lubricant, a QD spray, or even a mild solution of car washshampoo & water.

Paint Care Products

Here's where the main confusion lies. Polishes, glazes, waxes, sealants - what are they and what do they do? More importantly, what do I need?

Polish. This is an abrasive product used to remove scratches, swirl marks, and etchings (i.e. from bird poop). Similarto sanding in woodworking, a polish actually removes a small amount of your clear coat to level the finish. There are many different polishes on the market,and varying degrees of harshness. I often use Poorboy's products as examples. Their SSR (Super Swirl Remover) line is perfect for this. SSR 1 is very mild.SSR 3 is very harsh. 3M, Meguiar's, Menzerna, P21S...and dozens more...offer great polishes. Harshness can also be controlled by the choice of pad whenusing a buffer. Speaking of buffers...

Porter Cable (PC) 7424 or 7336 buffer. This is an amazing tool. Yes, you can polish by hand. You can also build a shipby hand. Or, you can use the PC. With the right pad(s) and a little patience, you can make your finish look brand new. In less than a day. I HIGHLYrecommend this product for anyone who is serious about maintaining the finish of her/his truck.

Cleanser. Paint cleansers are generally very mild polishes that use chemicals instead of abrasives to perform theirwork. These are great step-down products if you used a harsh polish to remove imperfections, and need a mild product to remove hazing and make the finishcompletely smooth. Sometimes they also contain oils and other products that nourish the paint. Four Star Ultimate Paint Cleanser (UPC) and Poorboy'sProfessional Polish are two examples of paint cleansers.

Glaze. A glaze is sort of like a cheater product. It generally uses oils and fillers to make swirl marks and otherimperfections disappear. Clearkote Red Machine Glaze (RMG) is a fine example - this product offers stunning results, particularly on dark colors. Durability isa key problem here. A glaze just doesn't last long. I generally don't recommend this product. Exceptions would be if you're taking your truck to ashow and you want it to look amazing, or if you're about to sell your truck. You would use it after polishing/cleansing and before applying a topcoat.

Sealant. A sealant is a topcoat - wax being another. It is at least partially synthetic, using polymers and othercompounds. Sealants offer great durability, which is their key selling point. Now, don't buy into the hype. Some vendors claim far-fetched and ridiculousresults from their sealants. Generally, you can expect a sealant to be twice as durable as a wax. My estimation? If you park in a garage, a sealant will giveyou four-six months of protection. Outside...maybe two-three months.

In terms of appearance, sealants work best on light colors and finishes with a lot of metallic or pearl content. They really make the finish "pop"and metallic flakes appear to fly off the finish. Speaking specifically to our Denalis, pewter looks incredible with a sealant, as does white. You can use asealant on any color, though, and I'd certainly recommend it in harsh climates on any color. Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection (UPP), Menzerna Full MetalJacket (FMJ), and Poorboy's EX-P are examples of sealants.

Wax. Waxes usually consist of carnauba or other waxes, along with oils and occasionally fillers to protect your finishand make it shine nicely. Pure carnauba will yield the best aesthetic results, but will offer the least durability. This is even more true in harsh climates,including very hot temperatures. P21S, Poorboy's Natty's (And Natty's Blue), and Mequiar's yellow wax and Mother's carnuba are all examplesof fine waxes. If you're feeling extravagant, Pinnacle Souveran will knock your socks off.

Looks - waxes are fine on all colors, but are particularly effective on dark colors or those without a lot of metallic content, where they add wetness andreflectiveness to the finish. On our trucks, everything from silver birch to black looks great with a nice wax. White too...

Combinations. There are products out there that combine a wax and a sealant. Poorboy's EX (sealant w/ carnuba) andMeguiar's NXT are two that come to mind. Many folks also layer products, starting with a sealant and topping with a wax. Personally, I think my old blackpickup looked its best when I layered coats of Four Star UPP and Poorboy's Natty's Blue. I've found Poorboy's EX to be very effective on silverbirch, offering the combination of pop and wetness to make the finish look great.

There are also combo products out there that combine cleansers/polishes with waxes. Meguiar's Cleaner Wax and Klasse All In One (AIO) are two examples.These products are good, but as with any type of one-step product, they perform moderately well at all tasks, but not great at either one. If you equatedetailing your truck to going to the dentist and want to finish as quickly as possible, by all means use one of these products. They're better than thealternative of not caring for your paint. Otherwise, I think you'll find the results lacking.

Application tools. For polishing, I definitely recommend a PC. Many vendors offer kits that include pads. Personally,I tend to only use a light-cut pad, which makes things even easier. If I'm detailing a vehicle with paint in horrible condition, I'll go with amedium-cut pad and an aggressive product, but that's the exception. For nasty scratches, a light-cut pad with a harsh product might require two passes, butthere aren't any concerns about damaging the paint or creating too much effort with a mild product to remove hazing. We could devote pages to using a PC,so if you're interested feel free to hit me offline, or check out the detailing forums.

For cleansers (and hand-polishing) I use a microfiber applicator and a little elbow grease to work in the product. For waxes & sealants I use a foam padand only enough effort to apply a very light, even coat. Remember that there is no real work involved when waxing - you're just laying down product andallowing it to bond to the finish. Apply in straight motions - front to back on horizontal surfaces and up and down on vertical ones.

3M masking tape is an excellent product for protecting plastic trim - mirror bases, bed caps, cowl covers, etc. Most polishes and waxes will leave a whiteresidue on these pieces, and the buffer, particularly at high speeds, may actually damage them.

Removal tools. Simple - microfiber towels, and lots of 'em. QD spray is also a great tool here. A light mist willmake polish residue come off very easily.

Metal polish I use this on chrome and bare aluminum and stainless steel. Clearkote metal polish has become myfavorite, but Master Formula and Mothers are both great as well. Metal polish is also effective on fogged/hazed plastic lenses. On clearcoated wheels, Iactually recommend a mild paint polish instead.

Carpet Extractor. For removing stubborn stains from carpet and floor mats, or just for deep cleaning, a carpetextractor is a great investment. I have a Bissell 'little green' and it's paid for itself many times over compared to going to a car wash or othershop.

Trim & dash. I primarily use these types of products for U/V protection, but many do offer a nice look as well. Iprefer Poorboy's products - Trim Restorer and Natural Look - but 303's Aerospace Protectant is excellent as well.

Underhood. Really subjective here. I use a degreaser/APC on stubborn stuff, and QD spray with an old towel for dustingand light dirt removal. Some folks prefer to dress the plastic - tire dressing or dash/trim dressing is good for this.

Techniques:

* Washing. Believe it or not, this process can introduce more swirl marks if not done "correctly." The right products are important, of course, butso is using them well.

- Start with the interior. This way you're not dragging a dirty shop-vac around a clean truck. Do the interior windows as well. This way you can see anystreaks as you're washing the exterior.

- Wash your wheel wells, tires, and wheels first. Pre-soak with APC, and be liberal with the soap. When complete, rinse both buckets and refill.

- Wash the truck top-down. Start with the roof, then windows & hood, working down to the bottom. Rinse your mitt(s) well, and work in straightmotions...back & front on horizontal surfaces and up & down on vertical ones. Do the 'soak' method for the final rinse so the water will sheetoff, leaving very little to dry.

If you're claying, don't bother drying the truck....just move on.

* Drying - use as few motions as possible, with the blade and towels. Drive around the block or use a compressor for the mirrors, door handles, and other spotsthat tend to leak.

* Claying. Some ground rules up front. Break/cut the clay bar in half and store the piece you're not using. Fold the clay often to always present a cleansurface to your truck. If you drop it...throw it away. Period. Don't be tempted to fold and re-use. It will have picked up so many specks of dirt that yourisk scratching your truck. Scold yourself, and go get the other half of the bar. Lubrication is key. QD, dedicated lubricant, or shampoo/water...haveplenty in a spray bottle.

Start with the roof and hood. Go in 2'x'2 sections. You don't need extensive elbow grease, and it'll be intuitive when you're done. Thefinish will feel very smooth. Move on to the front clip, and then the side panels and tailgate. Then the glass, and if you're so inclined, the wheels andrear bumper. You'll find that the surfaces that face the elements the most will also benefit most from the clay.

If you spot-rinse after each area of the truck, there should be no need to re-wash. A final rinse and dry should do the trick.

* Polishing. Charles' site (especially the vids) are better than anything I could compose. Just be conservative. It's always better to make a secondpass than it is to be too aggresssive with the first one and regret it. This is a bit of an art in that you need to learn when the product breaks down.Spending too little time on a panel is just as bad as spending too much time on it. However, the learning curve is pretty short and you'll be effective inless than 20 minutes. If you have a halogen work light, this is a great tool. It will expose every imperfection in the paint, and will let you judge theresults of each pass.

* Applying topcoats. Shake shake shake for any liquid product. This goes double for sealants. Apply a very thin coat. Any more is a waste and will be difficultto remove. Use a foam pad, and mist it with QD spray first to get you off to a good start. Apply in straight motions, just like washing. Follow the directions,but generally the more time you can allow for setup, the better. Along those lines, two terms that are confused:

Setup time. This is the time needed between applying a product and when it can be removed. This varies from "lessthan a minute" for some products applied in direct sunlight, to "hours" for certain sealants applied indoors or in complete shade.

Curing time. This is the time between removing a topcoat and when you can apply an additional coat. Ideally, this is24 hours. You can get away with less, primarily with waxes. Durability is the only thing that suffers if you do apply in less than the ideal time.

In optimum conditions, I'll apply product to the whole truck. After that I'll work on small stuff - polishing wheels, conditioning leather, cleaningup...yada yada. After killing 45-60 minutes, I'll remove the product.

* Removing topcoats. Use only MF towels. Feel free to mist with QD spray to get rid of that scratchy feeling against your fingertips. Fold the towel often. Igenerally switch to a new towel about halfway through, but use your judgment. If the towel isn't loaded with product, it's still perfectly fine foruse.

air spider you detail on the side? i use to detail full time at a dealership, all the used cars came thru us, i use to wash/prep then hand it to my homie whodid a full interior detail job, then he would spray the engine i cleaned along with all the plastic bits on the exterior and interior with silicone, when i wasdone washin my cars for the day (7-10 on any given day) i would pull out my buffer and run around the cars a couple times, then finish em off with a 2 steporbit buff, i use to hate using the clay bar and hated wet sanding + buffing x1000, but they came out lookin sexy, i never took the wheels off at thedealership, but i have done it for private clients who paid big bucks for details, i used purple power instead of simple green tho.

my buddies who owns autobody shops uses this car shampoo to wash there customer cars when they get done painting them ...i forgot the name of the shampoo butit works better then any of those over the counter stuff and when u wipe down ur rims ...it takes away the gunk and brake dust w/o any scrubbing ...

GREAT THREAD REALLY IT IS. AND YOUR JEEP IS BETTER THAN SHOW ROOM SHINE

Thank You!

first that jeep is the cleanest stock car ive ever seen in my life

second

whats the BEST chrome rim cleaner out there?

Originally Posted by GUTTA SAUCE

Originally Posted by memphisboi55

Meguair's tire shine >

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That stuff lasts.

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Word. My tires are shiny when the rest of the vehicle looks like +*@% after bad weather.

Originally Posted by IMASOLEMAN18

first that jeep is the cleanest stock car ive ever seen in my life

second

whats the BEST chrome rim cleaner out there?

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Thanks bro.

Best wheel cleaner out there. I JUST tried some of this stuff is the Gloss-It PS1 Wheel Gel. Hands down it is the best wheel cleaner. After you clean the rims,I like to wax them by hand.

I got lil itty-bitty paint chippage from rocks on my bumper...any suggestions?....Oh! and I got them Swirls too! how do I get rid of them things?....they lookhorrid in the sun after a washing