Small things you would t know to detail

[Hype1147]

I've been learning so much on here (thanks MOL!) I wanted to know some of everyone's secrets for things either interior/exterior related that most people wouldn't think of when detailing or cleaning. I'll start, for instance I just purchased nextzett Gummi Pflege Stift to properly take care of all the seals in my car.

I look forward to hearing what you guys have up your sleeves!

[Spazzz]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

I've been learning so much on here (thanks MOL!) I wanted to know some of everyone's secrets for things either interior/exterior related that most people wouldn't think of when detailing or cleaning. I'll start, for instance I just purchased nextzett Gummi Pflege Stift to properly take care of all the seals in my car.

I look forward to hearing what you guys have up your sleeves!

Hey welcome.
The einszett is some good stuff. I still have a lot left after 3 years.
Don't be surprised when the dabber pad falls off. Use a small wedged foam paint brush to apply it. It applies much easier this way.

[Nick Winn]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

Lets see...

• for interiors carpets, vacuum, dry brush, vacuum again
• when using a machine, keeping pad as clean as possible on the fly, with either compressed air, a microfiber towel, or a pad reconditioning brush
• for final rinse after washing, using a slow stream of water with no hose attachment to sheet off majority of water
• clean wheels before rinsing entire vehicle down for a wash
• typically will apply vinyl protectants or leather conditioners by spraying or dispensing directly onto a soft foam applicator pad like our X3070. Using a foam applicator provides a more even application by keeping the product on the surface of the applicator as opposed to a towel which typically will soak up the product.
• use compressed air or a air blower to assist in drying vehicle
• spray wax on door jams
• D4510 Plastic & Vinyl Coating is one of my go to products for really small, hard to get to exterior rubber trim pieces
• apply wax to any surface which is smooth & glossy on exterior of vehicle including headlights & tail lights

[Blueline]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

• clean wheels before rinsing entire vehicle down for a wash

I always wash my wheels last, mainly from habit. What is the advantage of cleaning them first?

[Hype1147]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

[*]apply wax to any surface which is smooth & glossy on exterior of vehicle including headlights & tail lights

Could you use ultimate paste or UQW on the head and taillights?

I would also like to know why wheels first since I traditionally do them last as well.

[The Guz]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

I always wash my wheels last, mainly from habit. What is the advantage of cleaning them first?

You don't reintroduce water back onto the paint you just dried. No need for an additional wipedown which could introduce some sort of marring.

Could you use ultimate paste or UQW on the head and taillights?

Sure you can

[Nick Winn]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

I always wash my wheels last, mainly from habit. What is the advantage of cleaning them first?

Could you use ultimate paste or UQW on the head and taillights?

I would also like to know why wheels first since I traditionally do them last as well.

I typically like to clean wheels first with a dedicated wheel cleaner before rinsing down the entire vehicle. Reason for this is once I rinse the paint with water, I am constantly rinsing throughout the washing process ensuring no water is drying on the surface, or in other words, keeping the vehicle wet. By cleaning the wheels first, the advantage is that you are not trying to keep the vehicle wet with water, throughout the entire time you are cleaning the wheels. In my opinion this is especially helpful if you are also going to clean tires, & wheel wells, which adds on more time.

[Blueline]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

I typically like to clean wheels first with a dedicated wheel cleaner before rinsing down the entire vehicle. Reason for this is once I rinse the paint with water, I am constantly rinsing throughout the washing process ensuring no water is drying on the surface, or in other words, keeping the vehicle wet. By cleaning the wheels first, the advantage is that you are not trying to keep the vehicle wet with water, throughout the entire time you are cleaning the wheels. In my opinion this is especially helpful if you are also going to clean tires, & wheel wells, which adds on more time.

Thanks for the reply, but I like my way better. Washing the car first, I am using clean water (more or less) on the paint, rather than having wheel contaminated water to wash my paint., even though I do use two buckets. I have a dedicated wheel/tire mitt and do not use it on the paint. Also, I don't really mind keeping the car wet, while I do the wheels, since I wash in the shade, it doesn't dry fast. Then I run the entire car over with a trickle from the hose without the nozzle, and move it into the garage for a blow dry what little water is left, and then towel blot. It works for me, yours works for you.

[Nick Winn]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

I typically like to clean wheels first with a dedicated wheel cleaner before rinsing down the entire vehicle.

Thanks for the reply, but I like my way better. Washing the car first, I am using clean water (more or less) on the paint, rather than having wheel contaminated water to wash my paint., even though I do use two buckets.

Agreed it is preference, but to clarify, I use a dedicated wheel cleaner as stated above which does not involve a bucket.

[Blueline]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

Agreed it is preference, but to clarify, I use a dedicated wheel cleaner as stated above which does not involve a bucket.

Thanks for the clarification. If only I had learned to read better in kindergarten, it would not have been necessary. (smile) The dedicated wheel cleaner makes sense, and I may try it your way.

[DasBurninator]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

For maintenance washes between full bucket washes, learn to be efficient with rinseless products like D114. I can have a well maintained car done in about 15 minutes using rinseless.

As mentioned above, wheels first, then rest of car. Never have issues with cross contaminating due to rinsing my wheel tools after each wheel/tire.
Use two wash mitts. One for the the top 3/4 of the car and one for the dirtiest sections down low.
Nick already mentioned sheet rinsing method to make drying quicker.

Having hose related tools on quick disconnects with a shutoff valve on the end of the hose makes things quick for setup and tear down.
Along with that you can make up a small section of host that is cut at an angle on one end and has a quick disconnect on the other for easy sheet rinsing.

Compressed air is a life saver. Not only for blowing out pads, but also on really dirty carpet I use compressed air to help bring the fibers up and bring the dirt out. Works wonders along with a dry carpet brush.

Cleaning windows:
On the interior make horizontal passes, and on the exterior use vertical, this will allow you to see which side of the glass something is smudged on easily.
For cleaning the windshield, sit in the passenger seat, couple sprays of glass cleaner directly onto a glass towel, and then rotate your right hand so your palm is against the window with the towel. You can get the entire windshield from one side without fighting the steering wheel.

Steamers can save time with interior cleanup if used correctly. Nasty gunk in center consoles, etc. Steam will loosen it up easily. Also great for making quick work of heater vents.

D156 as a drying aid will let you top the car with a wax with minimal effort.

Lots of towels... Nothing worse than trying to stretch a towel too far for a job and working against yourself. Same applies for Polishing pads.

Work clean. And what I mean by this is cleanup as you go. Done with wheel tools? Clean them and put them away or set them to dry while you finish cleaning the rest of the car. Done with a towel? Put it in your towel hamper (I have a few since I sort my towels based on usage).

Have everything you think you'll need ready to go before you start. This includes having full bottles of product readily diluted, tools laid out, etc.

For really dirty leather I have a very very soft leather brush that is designed for use on a DA. I can knock out a set of leather seats in no time. Steaming the seats before hand can help open the pores of the leather and make dirt removal easier too.

And my final piece of advice: Have the right tools for the job if possible. Sometimes the right tool will make a job go smoother and faster for you.

[Top Gear]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

Like Nicholas, I also do the wheels and tires first, with an old MF mitt - as well as some of his other tips. Sometimes, I hit the wheels with a wheel cleaner before that, but I've found it's usually not necessary. Using an old mitt helps because I don't have to care how dirty it gets, as I'm not using it on the paint anything else. With the hard part over, using a fresh mitt on the paint is like a payoff, especially with a mix of UWW and GC Shampoo. After that, rinse and either blow dry or squeegee and move on to whatever else I'm doing, either GCQW or a correction process...

[Top Gear]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

Sorry, I forgot to mention the main reason I do the wheels first: Water spots. If I do the wheels last, that's a good amount of time, and hard water spots will form all over the paint and glass, and spraying every minute or so doesn't really work, not to mention being silly. Doing the paint last instead is so much easier, as after that final rinse I move immediately to drying, without the added work of cleaning up all the spots.

[The Guz]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

Thanks for the reply, but I like my way better. Washing the car first, I am using clean water (more or less) on the paint, rather than having wheel contaminated water to wash my paint., even though I do use two buckets. I have a dedicated wheel/tire mitt and do not use it on the paint. Also, I don't really mind keeping the car wet, while I do the wheels, since I wash in the shade, it doesn't dry fast. Then I run the entire car over with a trickle from the hose without the nozzle, and move it into the garage for a blow dry what little water is left, and then towel blot. It works for me, yours works for you.

I know you are not going to like this lol. But I have 4 buckets. One is dedicated for wheels which houses all my wheel brushes and tire brushes. Two buckets for washing and the final bucket has D114 rinseless wash with a gamma seal lid.

I actually only use a one bucket wash with a grit guard and grit guard washboard. The bucket has soap and water in it. The reason for this is I use my foam gun of course after I rinse the dirt off. It does not induce swirls or scratches.

For maintenance washes between full bucket washes, learn to be efficient with rinseless products like D114. I can have a well maintained car done in about 15 minutes using rinseless.

As mentioned above, wheels first, then rest of car. Never have issues with cross contaminating due to rinsing my wheel tools after each wheel/tire.
Use two wash mitts. One for the the top 3/4 of the car and one for the dirtiest sections down low.
Nick already mentioned sheet rinsing method to make drying quicker.

Having hose related tools on quick disconnects with a shutoff valve on the end of the hose makes things quick for setup and tear down.
Along with that you can make up a small section of host that is cut at an angle on one end and has a quick disconnect on the other for easy sheet rinsing.

Compressed air is a life saver. Not only for blowing out pads, but also on really dirty carpet I use compressed air to help bring the fibers up and bring the dirt out. Works wonders along with a dry carpet brush.

Cleaning windows:
On the interior make horizontal passes, and on the exterior use vertical, this will allow you to see which side of the glass something is smudged on easily.
For cleaning the windshield, sit in the passenger seat, couple sprays of glass cleaner directly onto a glass towel, and then rotate your right hand so your palm is against the window with the towel. You can get the entire windshield from one side without fighting the steering wheel.

Steamers can save time with interior cleanup if used correctly. Nasty gunk in center consoles, etc. Steam will loosen it up easily. Also great for making quick work of heater vents.

D156 as a drying aid will let you top the car with a wax with minimal effort.

Lots of towels... Nothing worse than trying to stretch a towel too far for a job and working against yourself. Same applies for Polishing pads.

Work clean. And what I mean by this is cleanup as you go. Done with wheel tools? Clean them and put them away or set them to dry while you finish cleaning the rest of the car. Done with a towel? Put it in your towel hamper (I have a few since I sort my towels based on usage).

Have everything you think you'll need ready to go before you start. This includes having full bottles of product readily diluted, tools laid out, etc.

For really dirty leather I have a very very soft leather brush that is designed for use on a DA. I can knock out a set of leather seats in no time. Steaming the seats before hand can help open the pores of the leather and make dirt removal easier too.

And my final piece of advice: Have the right tools for the job if possible. Sometimes the right tool will make a job go smoother and faster for you.

Good tips.

[Hype1147]

Re: Small things you would t know to detail

Cleaning windows:
On the interior make horizontal passes, and on the exterior use vertical, this will allow you to see which side of the glass something is smudged on easily.
For cleaning the windshield, sit in the passenger seat, couple sprays of glass cleaner directly onto a glass towel, and then rotate your right hand so your palm is against the window with the towel. You can get the entire windshield from one side without fighting the steering wheel.

Oh this is good stuff, thank you! Windows are always my enemy.