|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Automotive Detailing Tricks of the Trade
Car Care Tricks of the Trade
Below you will find secrets that have been held sacred by car detailers for years. Windshield Welding Systems has recently made these basic do it yourself tips available to you free of charge to assist you in keeping your vehicle in like new shape.
Washing your vehicle 101:
Unless you have been eating your carryout on your hood, do not use liquid dish washing soap. Dish soap will remove your wax and most of the time you will have a very dull finish. I have found that Meguiar’s in the purple plastic jug works great. This can be found at most department stores like Wal-Mart in the Automotive section. I know, we all like to see bubbles wafting all over the top of our buckets, but were are not looking to give the dog a bath. Add maybe a cap full or less of the car wash soap, just enough to break the surface tension of the water.
-Do not wash your vehicle in direct sunlight, I recommend early morning or in a shady area. Washing your vehicle in the direct sun will cause the soap to dry and when you rinse will leave water spots. “The sun and water spot acts like a magnifying glass. Liquid dries from the painted surface up.”
-Paint is cool, now take the nozzle of the hose, flow the water onto the paint, which in turn will remove the surface dirt/dust. If you have a lot of road salt or mud, use the nozzle then rinse without the nozzle to curb water spotting.
-I prefer to use a mop looking mitt for washing, others say a decent thick sponge, what ever you like, is the best.
-Start at the top. I know they say the bottom since it will not dry as fast, but starting at the bottom you can contaminate the wash water prematurely. I start with the roof, then do the windshield and side glass then rear glass. Rinse and then work the larger panels. Last is the lower panels, that way you will not be washing the worst dirt and grit off your paint then dunking the wash mitt into the water and so forth “cuts down on scratches”
RINSING 101
-Most important aspect is to not use the nozzle, let the water run off the paint which sheaths off the soap and will reduce water spotting drastically and also your paint will dry faster on its own.
Drying
-There are various drying things on the market from the most expensive Chamois to the old ragged t-shirts.
We use real chamois as well as the fake chamois available at Wal-Mart. Thick soft towels work well also, but most of the time leave lint.
Bottom line, dry the vehicle off.
After wash and shine boosting
Quick Detailing/dust removal/shine boosting :
1) Meguiar’s Final Inspection or Quick Detailing Spray. http://www.teammeguires.com/
2) Wax Shop Slick Stuff “ http://waxdepot.safeshopper.com/52/cat52.htm “
Secret driveway blow dry system!! Use your lawn and leaf blower to get the water out of the crevices and door handles and so on. Use one of the spray detailers to remove any minor streaks. Works great and less streaking later after driving away. J
Polishing your paint
Polishing your paint removes dirt and road grime your wash has missed also removes a minimum amount of dead paint. You will find that after polishing, your paint will feel smooth and have a deep wet look. Wax goes on easier and removes easier on clean paint.
Most vehicles today have a 2 stage paint, base coat clear coat. Your color is the base coat and the gloss is made from a clear paint. Clear coat is not a protection at all, just clear paint. Over time your clear paint will have been exposed to road dirt, grease, airborn contaminants and so on. Washing your cars finish at least once a week with a quality car wash is not enough. You have to use a polish to remove the surface contaminants. I DO NOT recommend cleaner waxes of any kind, you are either going to clean your paint or wax it, period. I am listing the products that we use on the professional level which are all user friendly and can be hand applied:
Polishes I use include:
1- Safe cut Polish http://waxdepot.safeshopper.com/35/cat35.htm
2- 3M Foam Pad Polishing Glaze Most auto body supply stores.
3- Meguiar’s has a full line of proven paint polishing products, you can also contact them directly about specific products found on their site.http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/ Have found that their products are a bit oily which can mean following up with a spritz of water or a quick detail spray and a dry towel. All in all, Meguiars does make a very good product.
When working with polishes and working without a buffer please do not do the wax on wax off like Karate Kid. It WILL cause swirls in the paint. Back and forth application with a very soft damp towel is best.
Work the polish in till you get the desired depth of shine then take off, not need to let it set up/haze. Work a 2x2 ft area at a time max.
If you have a multi-speed buffer and are good with it, use a foam pad to polish. Wool burns paint and makes swirlsL 3M has foam dimple pads which work great.J Use the black dimple pad for polishes, put the polish on with a damp o-cello sponge then work it wet with your pad, NOT A DRAG RACE, USE SLOW SPEAD 1000rpms.
Swirl marks
Okay so your paint is clean, shiny and has that rich deep lustre like you wanted it. You go to comb your hair in the mirror like finish when you are devistated to see the dreaded swirl marks. Do not fret, if they are minor enough you can repair/remove these nasty little marks with a little effort and the right products.
Here we go, first of all, you have a cup of coffee or soda or water right???? Thought so, you at this point deserve a union drink break.
Products and step by step:
-Safe Cut Polish and 3m Foam Pad Polishing Glaze
I use the Wax Shop Safe Cut Polish mixed equal parts with 3M foam pad polishing glaze.
By hand application, use a soft slightly damp 100% terry cloth “heck, get a good clean 100% cotton towel” apply the product to the towel not the paint. Work the product up and down and across the swirls, back and forth up and down, do not go in circles. This will remove the damges or at least reduce them. Work the product till you get the results you want. No need to use extra pressure, let the products do their job. By applying too much pressure all you are doing is forcing the polishing media into your cloth. Once the desired finish is achieved, buff off residue with a soft 100% cotton towel then move onto the next 2x2ft section. This will take about 4 cups of coffee or three 20 oz. sodas, but is well worth it.
Door paint marks and light scratches
Okay, we all have had that person that just could not control their car’s door from springing open and dinging our paint. Yep, they didnot do it, it was the car’s fault.
Well no fear. Try the Safe Cut Polish and 3m Foam pad glaze mix first. If that does not work I recommend 3m Perfect-it III Liquid compound or fine cut compound also the new Meguiar’s Scratch-X is decent but not as aggressive. Do not use the gritty rubbing compound unless you want to repaint your car afterward. Go across the damage letting the product do the work for you. If you still have the other cars paint or worse your garage wall jumped out and left latex paint on you finish, use 2000 grit wet/dry sand paper. Get a small bucket of water, add some car wash soap or Joy dish detergeant “a teaspoon amount is all you need” and let your paper soak and soften up at least 10 minutes. Lightly rub the damaged area with the wet paper keeping it wet by a soaking cloth drizzling water down. Work the paper across the damage or you will only open the scratches wider not close them up. When you see the paint damage gone, stop sanding. Also when you start to see a whitish powder film mixing with the water, stop, this means you are removing clear coat. Wipe dry and inspect the spot. If you are satisfied then proceed to the compound and then polish then wax.
3m teaches that if you can catch your fingernail in a scratch in paint you will not remove it completely, but you can make it less noticable by wet-sanding across the damage then compounding and polishing and then waxing.
Waxing 101
Okay, your paint is now washed and polished and ready to be protected from the elements and the fluids leaking from the other vehicles driving down the road. Yep, when it rains, the oils and you name it mixes with the rain and splashes onto your painted finish.
Some people enjoy the paint sealant idea, you know, pay the dealership $500.00-$700.00 for a teflon based paint sealant that will last 5 years or more. WRONG, you need to keep up with sealants. I prefer to wax my vehicles and also we use 100% carnuba waxes on our clients’ vehicles unless they have the paint sealant booster from the dealership.
We use the following:
- Super Glaze Liquid Wax http://waxdepot.safeshopper.com/35/165.htm?515
- Meguiar’s Gold Class Paste or Liquid wax.
Being that your paint is clean of contaminants there is no need to work the wax in as it is described. You are mearly applying a coat of wax to the already cleaned/polished surface. Use either a 100% cotton towel/cloth or a foam applicator pad, applying a light coat. If you want to work hard chipping the dried paste wax off put a heavy coating, I prefer to apply a thin film. If you use Super Glaze Liquid Carnuba Wax, apply a thin coat even overtop of stripes and graphics. Let the wax dry completely! “Another union coffee/soda break.”
Come back about 20 minutes later maybe longer depending on the humidity. Use a thick soft 100% cotton towel to remove the dried wax. Super glaze is nice since it produces very little dust/residue and dries to a neutral color. The Gold Class Wax is a good wax also, just make sure you let it dry completely or you will get smears.
Uhohh, not dried wax in the emblems and door jambs. L Use a soft baby tooth brush and also a damp towel to remove the residue. Should you get wax dried onto the textured black plastic, use the toothbrush and hot water.
Tires
We use Total Look, made by Night Marketing “the Spray Nine people” Available at most auto parts stores.
Wheels
Most newer cars and trucks have a clear coated alloy wheel. Treat these as you do your paint and will not have problems with the clearcoat yellowing or peeling. Keep away from acid wheel cleaners unless you are looking to strip the paint to repaint or if you have polished aluminum wheels that need to be stripped.
Should you notice any yellowing on your wheels, try the polishes listed above.
Interior cleaning and protecting
Leather is to be treated just like your skin, remember it is skin. Leather needs to be cleaned and conditioned or it will dry out and get brittle and crack.
There are the products we use professionally and how you use them. They can be found at auto parts stores such as Pep Boys, Total Auto Parts located in Woodbridge, Va. on Jefferson Davis Hwy. across the street for the blue self serve car wash building.
Lexol leather care: Test the product in an area that is out of sight, have to say that to protect myself from lawsuits. Have never had a problem with using Lexol on leather of any color, but never know.
Use a damp sponge or cloth to apply the cleaner. Wash the leather as you would your hands. Have a bucket of clean water to wipe off the excess cleaner once you are done. Do not drown your seats, a damp wipe down then rinse and wipe is best.
Wipe the surface dry with a soft towel.
Next use the conditioner, your leather is like your skin, apply the conditioner to a soft cloth and work a small amount into your leather as you were putting lotion on your hands.
By the time you have treated all the seats, it is time to remove any excess, use a soft towel and buff any excess.
Vinyl care cleaning: We use the Vinylex Product from the maker of Lexol. Simply apply to a clean soft cloth and work the product into the surface. Give about 10 minutes for the carrier to evaporate then buff excess off with a clean soft towel. It not only cleans but protects and makes your vinyl look dripping wet and gives it a deep color.
I do a test for people, I find black plastic or vinyl in their interior and treat one side with Vinylex and the other with some other product. They see the difference.
http://www.lexol.com/newauto.html
Glass cleaning:
Glass must be cool, hot glass streaks. Many people like Windex, some like vinegar and water and newspapers, others like high priced name brand cleaners. Well, can only say, use what you have best results with. At Windshield Welding Systems we cannot use ammonia based cleaners do to incompatibility with our glass repair resins, I have been having good luck with Gunk Window cleaner. If you like windex then check your local Wal-Mart for the new spray can of Windex Foaming cleaner. Interior side of the glass, I use newspaper and vinegar and water or gunk glass cleaner.
Carpet and Velour Care:
-Stains can make a good looking interior look nasty. I have found that Folex http://www.folex.net/ works great for most all stains. In the event you cannot remove it with Folex, I recommend Spot Shot which is available at most department and grocery stores. When removing stains, do not soak the spot, apply product then work in a circle motion from outside the stain inward. Then blot the area to remove the stain.
Velour is best vacuumed when accompanied with a soft nail brush. Brush the fiber lightly with the vac. Nozzle in front of the brush removing the dust and dirt. Do this all four directions and then without the vac. Brush whichever shade you like by going that direction.
General cleaning is best done with a quailty foaming cleaner. Wal-Mart and most other department stores carry a full line of quailty cleaners. I prefer the Turtle Wax Velour Upholstery Cleaner and also Tough Stuff Cleaner are great products.
I hope that these tips will be of help to you in keeping your investment in like new condition. Should you have any trouble using or finding any of these products let me know.
DISCLAIMER
Notice: The above mentioned information, products and techniques are presented for you by our clients and in no way is meant to be looked upon as the only way and also not say one product is better than the other. Windshield Welding Systems and their employees have used the above mentioned products and techniques with great results. We do not accept any responsibility for any failure of product, or damage resulting from using these tips. We are not distributors for any of the above mentioned companies nor affiliated in any way other than using their products. The results achieved will vary case by case since all persons and automobiles are different. We do not offer any kind of guarantee or warranty implied or written.
Take care,
John W. Moore
Owner Windshield Welding Systems
