Ty
10-23-2009, 11:07 AM
With harsh weather right around the corner it's time to prepare vehicles for the winter time. The following is a basic list of what I do to make sure mine and my customer cars can handle it.
Foam Lance -- Mixture of CG Citrus wash and clear soap and All-Purpose Cleaner to help strip any wax left. I let this dwell for about 10 minutes. After the wheels I grab a detail brush and get in the cracks and crevices and badges real quick.
Wheels and Tires -- Diablo Wheel cleaner for the wheels, Grime Reaper 3:1 for the tires. Let dwell a few minutes. Scrub really well (don't forget the wheel barrels and wheel wells!)
Rinse -- Now that the soap has dwelled and help strip the wax, it's time to rinse it all off. Wheels and Tires, too.
Wash -- Foam again if you want, otherwise 2 bucket method (WITH GRIT GUARDS) making sure to use lots of suds.
Claybar -- You don't have to dry the the 100% before claybarring. I use the sheeting method to mostly dry the vehicle. To use this method you take the sprayer off the hose and let the water "sheet" off the panel. It does work pretty well. Grab your favorite clay lube (Optimum No Rinse for me! VERY economical) and clay the whole car. This step should take no more than 30 minutes. I dry every panel after I've clayed it. I've been using Chemical Guys Grey clay a lot lately, but have started using Riccardo as well (Cannot buy it in the US due to patent laws, I have a line on it if you need a hookup)
With the vehicle totally dry you've got choices. If you know how to use a machine polisher, go for it. You'll get a better looking surface, and the sealants will adhere better to the surface. If not, skip polishing.
Door Jambs -- I generally let the paint dry a little more and wipe the door jambs down. I use Chemical Guys Blitz in them to offer protection as well. It makes cleaning them easier the next time!
Sealant -- For the winter, I'm not after mad shine factor with my cars. I want good, long lasting protection and I'm willing to sacrifice a little shine to get that. I use Duragloss 105. It says it's a polish as it has mild cleaning abilities, but it's a sealant and will last a long-ass time. Seriously. Two coats of this (follow the instructions, of course) and you're rock solid for the winter! Top with your favorite sealant topper if you want -- CG Blitz for me! ANY wheel sealant will work well on your wheels, as well. I'm experimenting with one called Nanolex out of Germany.
Plastic Trim -- I dress all of my exterior plastic trim with a UV protectant that also keeps it looking new and conditioned. You can also this on the wheel wells to help protect them as well. It will make them easier to clean next time.
Metal Trim/Exhaust -- I use Chemical Guys' Metal shine. Great metal polish with protection to boot! Wipe on, buff off with a MF towel. Easy stuff.
Glass -- Grab your favorite glass cleaner. I use either Sprayaway or Chemical Guys Glass Cleaner and a waffle weave glass towel. Make sure there's no streaks! I use a glass protectant as well, currently experimenting with products from a company called Nanolex out of Germany.
Now is a good time to move onto the interior. Start at the top and work your way down.
Headliner -- If you use ANY kind of cleaner/liquid on your headliner it is imperative that you use as little as possible. Use too much and it's only a matter of time before the adhesive holding it up fails. A light brush is fine to scrub out dirt. Vacuum as well.
Dashboard- I dust out my dashboard, vents, everything. Then I use an APC cleaner to make sure all the grime and everything is gone. Once it's 100% clean I'll dress it with a product called 303 Aerospace protectant. It's incredibly durable, dries matte, and repels dust like crazy. Great UV protection too!
Carpets -- Once you've knocked all the dirt and crap off the rest of the car onto the carpets. Vacuum! Vacuum very well and your life will be easier. Try to find a good vacuum with a water lift (the standard suction measurement of vacuum) of at least 75" and you'll be sitting pretty!
Carpets and carpet stains can be very tricky. There are thousands of different products to use to lift stains. Which are the best? It really depends on the stain itself.I believe posted an article (http://www.nwtuner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1794) which explains the differences. A good product that works on most stains is Zep High Traffic stain lifter. I believe Lowes/Home Depot carry it. Spray it on, brush it with a stiff carpet brush, dry the carpet well. Should lift most stains.
Once the stain is lifted, you need to think about how to protect the carpet. 303 makes a carpet and upholstery protectant that works wonders. It's great for defending against salt/dirt stains in the winter time. Spray on and let it cure overnight.
Follow these steps and your car should be ready for the winter! As usual, if you have questions don't be afraid to ask. You can also pay your favorite detailer to do these things for you ;)
Foam Lance -- Mixture of CG Citrus wash and clear soap and All-Purpose Cleaner to help strip any wax left. I let this dwell for about 10 minutes. After the wheels I grab a detail brush and get in the cracks and crevices and badges real quick.
Wheels and Tires -- Diablo Wheel cleaner for the wheels, Grime Reaper 3:1 for the tires. Let dwell a few minutes. Scrub really well (don't forget the wheel barrels and wheel wells!)
Rinse -- Now that the soap has dwelled and help strip the wax, it's time to rinse it all off. Wheels and Tires, too.
Wash -- Foam again if you want, otherwise 2 bucket method (WITH GRIT GUARDS) making sure to use lots of suds.
Claybar -- You don't have to dry the the 100% before claybarring. I use the sheeting method to mostly dry the vehicle. To use this method you take the sprayer off the hose and let the water "sheet" off the panel. It does work pretty well. Grab your favorite clay lube (Optimum No Rinse for me! VERY economical) and clay the whole car. This step should take no more than 30 minutes. I dry every panel after I've clayed it. I've been using Chemical Guys Grey clay a lot lately, but have started using Riccardo as well (Cannot buy it in the US due to patent laws, I have a line on it if you need a hookup)
With the vehicle totally dry you've got choices. If you know how to use a machine polisher, go for it. You'll get a better looking surface, and the sealants will adhere better to the surface. If not, skip polishing.
Door Jambs -- I generally let the paint dry a little more and wipe the door jambs down. I use Chemical Guys Blitz in them to offer protection as well. It makes cleaning them easier the next time!
Sealant -- For the winter, I'm not after mad shine factor with my cars. I want good, long lasting protection and I'm willing to sacrifice a little shine to get that. I use Duragloss 105. It says it's a polish as it has mild cleaning abilities, but it's a sealant and will last a long-ass time. Seriously. Two coats of this (follow the instructions, of course) and you're rock solid for the winter! Top with your favorite sealant topper if you want -- CG Blitz for me! ANY wheel sealant will work well on your wheels, as well. I'm experimenting with one called Nanolex out of Germany.
Plastic Trim -- I dress all of my exterior plastic trim with a UV protectant that also keeps it looking new and conditioned. You can also this on the wheel wells to help protect them as well. It will make them easier to clean next time.
Metal Trim/Exhaust -- I use Chemical Guys' Metal shine. Great metal polish with protection to boot! Wipe on, buff off with a MF towel. Easy stuff.
Glass -- Grab your favorite glass cleaner. I use either Sprayaway or Chemical Guys Glass Cleaner and a waffle weave glass towel. Make sure there's no streaks! I use a glass protectant as well, currently experimenting with products from a company called Nanolex out of Germany.
Now is a good time to move onto the interior. Start at the top and work your way down.
Headliner -- If you use ANY kind of cleaner/liquid on your headliner it is imperative that you use as little as possible. Use too much and it's only a matter of time before the adhesive holding it up fails. A light brush is fine to scrub out dirt. Vacuum as well.
Dashboard- I dust out my dashboard, vents, everything. Then I use an APC cleaner to make sure all the grime and everything is gone. Once it's 100% clean I'll dress it with a product called 303 Aerospace protectant. It's incredibly durable, dries matte, and repels dust like crazy. Great UV protection too!
Carpets -- Once you've knocked all the dirt and crap off the rest of the car onto the carpets. Vacuum! Vacuum very well and your life will be easier. Try to find a good vacuum with a water lift (the standard suction measurement of vacuum) of at least 75" and you'll be sitting pretty!
Carpets and carpet stains can be very tricky. There are thousands of different products to use to lift stains. Which are the best? It really depends on the stain itself.I believe posted an article (http://www.nwtuner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1794) which explains the differences. A good product that works on most stains is Zep High Traffic stain lifter. I believe Lowes/Home Depot carry it. Spray it on, brush it with a stiff carpet brush, dry the carpet well. Should lift most stains.
Once the stain is lifted, you need to think about how to protect the carpet. 303 makes a carpet and upholstery protectant that works wonders. It's great for defending against salt/dirt stains in the winter time. Spray on and let it cure overnight.
Follow these steps and your car should be ready for the winter! As usual, if you have questions don't be afraid to ask. You can also pay your favorite detailer to do these things for you ;)