Detailing Questions: Interior/Exterior

[akatz]

Hey Guys,

Not a detailing god or anything but I like to keep my car looking nice and have some questions.

For wheel cleaning I use Sonax, then Armoral Ultra Shine on the tires.

For waxing, can I do the windows? Especialy the front windscreen I find stains and the windscreen wipers are not as good as they once were. Yes I know it's because they are getting older but will wax on the windscreen help?

Can I wax the matte part on the grill? I find water spots which show up easily on the black optics grill.

What do you guys use to clean the alcantara? I usually use a wet cloth... I use windex on the pleather and armorall leather cleaner on the leather.

It'd be great if I could get some further insight into detailing and what to do and use....

Thanks.

[audi49]

I wouldn't use wax on the windows. What worked well for me was... 1) clay bar, 2) megiuars ultimate compound, 3) glass cleaner.

[Guitarmageddon]

1. Stop using armorall on anything ever again
2. Especially dont use it on tires
3. Dont put wax on anything other than paint.
4. The wipers arent as good as they once were because the windshield builds up contaminants as easily as the paint does. You have to clay it off, and if needed, razor blade the windshield. You can also run clay over the windshield wiper rubber as well.
5. There are various mild interior cleaners you could use for alcantara, or some that are specifically made for it (http://www.detailersdomain.com/Leather-Master-Foam-Cleaner-for-Suede-and-Alcantara--CANT-BE-SHIPPED-VIA-AIR_p_213.html)
They key is to use a tiny amount of spray on a rag, then blot and twist.

[Okan509]

you can not wax plastic.. so don't do the grille.

[kdub]

I put wax* on everything - including the grill, rear valence, rims, and windows. Although for the windshield, I use Adam's Glass Sealant or Rain-X.

Wet cloth is fine for the alacantara, but Windex is not a good cleaner for anything except windows due to the ammonia. I'm not sure if parts of the seats are not real leather, but I use the leather cleaner/conditioner on anything that looks like leather without issue.

* Einszett Glaz Wax

[apexit1]

Clay the windows and use a glass sealant. Use back to black or something similar for your black trim peices. Look up one of phil@deatilersdomain's walk through. Very helpful

[dakine01]

Check out chemicalguys.com. The have some fantastic detailing products (most with videos on how to use them). I've tried many detailing products and so far have found theirs to be the best.

[S4morris]

1. Stop using armorall on anything ever again
2. Especially dont use it on tires
3. Dont put wax on anything other than paint.
4. The wipers arent as good as they once were because the windshield builds up contaminants as easily as the paint does. You have to clay it off, and if needed, razor blade the windshield. You can also run clay over the windshield wiper rubber as well.
5. There are various mild interior cleaners you could use for alcantara, or some that are specifically made for it (http://www.detailersdomain.com/Leather-Master-Foam-Cleaner-for-Suede-and-Alcantara--CANT-BE-SHIPPED-VIA-AIR_p_213.html)
They key is to use a tiny amount of spray on a rag, then blot and twist.

Kind of a blanket statement about armorall. Scientifically what is your rationale from this statement.....I'm not a huge armorall fan but assuming all their stuff is crap is unfair I think.

[NyRevenge]

I personally don't use armor for anything other than there wheel protectant. That is one beautiful product

[sliner32]

I personally don't use armor for anything other than there wheel protectant. That is one beautiful product

Invisible glass on windows. 303 aerospace protectant on all plastic parts. Pinnacle soveran wax or klausse all in one for sealant. Pinnacle leather cleaner and conditioner. I use the flex 3401 dual action buffer with lake country pads. Pinnacle swirl remover or more abrasive action is needed meguiars 105 and 205. These are my favorite products. Hope this helps

[shonseb]

This is what I've gathered from various sources, mops had a big role in educating me about detailing.

For wash: Always start with the wheels first. Sonax and a wheel brush is pretty good, though some people may find it a bit harsh. For the body, Adams car wash is awesome, leaves very little water spots. Soak the car first so the dirt/grime loosens up. Then you can use a foam gun to let it saturate the dirt with the shampoo. Think or when you wash dishes, if you let them soak it easier to wipe the grease off later. Use a hand mit thats very soft like wool or terry material. For the body always start at the top where there is the least amount of dirt/grime. this minimizes the chances of dirt staying on the wash mitt and potetally leaving fine scracthes in the paint. The lower portions of the car have the highest dirt and grit and should be done last. When washing, to minimize swirls do not use a circular motion, always wash in one direction. Always just do one panel at a time and in between panels use the 2 bucket method to rinse and soak the wash mit. When rinsing the shampoo off, 'sheet' the water over the panels to prevent water spots. Use a clean towel specifically made for drying and dry in one direction only not in a circular motion. You can apply some detail spray to the towel as well while drying. If you have a leaf blower (make sure it's completely clean and debris free) or air compressor, you can use that to get all the drippies.

For claying, use a detail spray and a quality clay bar doing one panel at a time and always in one direction again. always remember to fold the dirty area of clay in when after it's picked up a good amount of contaminants. Do the windows AFTER you have cleaned them with an ammonia free window cleaner.

After the clay you have 2 options. If you have a lot of spiderwebs and fine scratches in the paint, you can go with polishing. A lot of people confuse this with waxing, which is different. With polishing, you 'cut' and smooth out the paint (removing the scratches). Think of people who polish stone, they use sand paper to 'cut' into and scratch the stone till into smooth. Pretty much the same concept. This really only needs to be done once or twice a year (more or less) and you'll need a Rotary or DA for this. You'll need specific pads and compound that 'cut' into the clear coat and the fine scratches and literally polishes them away. I suggest you see it done before you attempt it yourself. If you do polish, remember to wash the car lightly again to get all the residual polish off. Then use a sealant to seal to paint in and allow 12-24 hours before that cure, before touching the paint again.

The other option if you don't need a polish is to go to waxing . Now waxing can also hide the fine scratches, but this is only temporary. It will basically fill in the scratches and hide them, but once the wax washes off, the scratches will return. The wax's most important role is to really create a barrier between the outside elements and your cars paint. It repels water and dirt and can make washing or even just using detail spray much easier in between. It always will leave your car feeling silky smooth. I love using Adams buttery wax, always leaves my paint feeling smooth as butter.

If you're serious about car care, don't use any off the shelf products. Things can seem a bit expensive at first, but just buy small things here and there. 2 buckets with grit guards, a wash mitt and some drying towels and terry towels are a great place to just start. Get a quality car wash. Next time get a quality clay system with detail spray, maybe pick up a foam gun along the way, some other cleaning products and then finally the biggest purchase you'll make is a DA which runs 350+ for well reviewed ones. I've recently started buying adams products and have been pretty happy with every product I've purchased from their company. You can also use the code Mops10 when ordering from them to get 10% off your order. If you PM Mops, he can give you a code that's a little better.

Anyway, you'll find people who will always give you advise and you should always do it 'their way'. This is just my way (courtesy of Mops and a few other sources)

[S4 00 2.7]

you can not wax plastic.. so don't do the grille.

+1

[Chris4Reef]

I'm not a spokes person for this company but I use all AmmoNYC products on my S4. Check him out on YouTube as he makes a lot of great detailing videos. His products are more expensive than traditional products but honestly if I paid a lot of money for a car like this, the money is well worth it to keep my car looking nice.

Check him out at www.ammonyc.com

[MaX PL]

lol you should check out the ammonyc video on glass cleaning/polishing on the drive channel.

dude spends like 20 minutes cleaning half the windshield and goes through like a third of the bottle of window cleaner.

[Mops@Nemesis]

Hey Guys,

Not a detailing god or anything but I like to keep my car looking nice and have some questions.

For wheel cleaning I use Sonax, then Armoral Ultra Shine on the tires.

For waxing, can I do the windows? Especialy the front windscreen I find stains and the windscreen wipers are not as good as they once were. Yes I know it's because they are getting older but will wax on the windscreen help?

Can I wax the matte part on the grill? I find water spots which show up easily on the black optics grill.

What do you guys use to clean the alcantara? I usually use a wet cloth... I use windex on the pleather and armorall leather cleaner on the leather.

It'd be great if I could get some further insight into detailing and what to do and use....

Thanks.

Feel free to PM me. I do not mind to answer any questions you may have [up]

Sonax is harsh. I do not care for wheel cleaners in general but Adams has a couple formulas that are less aggressive, the green wheel cleaner and deep wheel cleaner. I use soap and water. I keep sealant on my wheels and prefer not to beat on it/strip it. I use Adams VRT on the tires. Best dressing I have used and the bottle lasts a loooong time.

Seal on the windows as mentioned.

You can actually seal the grille with Adams quick sealant. This stuff is clear and 100% safe for ANY exterior surface. Not a must have, but so handy. Great for wheels, plastics, paint, even glass. I have a buddy that sealed his front end recently before going from NJ to FL. He said hardly any bugs stuck, and the ones that did, came off super easy. You can also use Adams In & Out to dress your grille and any other plastic surface that needs a bit of sheen. I use it on my grille, fog surrounds, splitter and rear valence. Spray, wait 15 or so seconds, and wipe off overpsray with no effort. Its a very popular product. I would also recommend hitting the grille with a safe APC every now and then to clean it. Some let the grille/fog areas get really nasty over time and its look pretty bad.

In & Out...

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/04/e4u3y2y3.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/04/ysa9ysar.jpg

You must be very careful with Alcantara. There is a site (alcantara.com) that explains the cleaning process. Also, sonax is putting out a product to clean alcantara in the near future. IIRC, you simply brush it weekly, wet clean with a damp WHITE cloth montly and twice a year use something very mild to deep clean. I use Adams Leather Conditioner on my seats and even dash/door panels.

As mentioned, I have a bit better code as well if anyone is interested.

[integroid]

I have been using a wax/cleaner on all of my exterior glass for the past 20+ years. I also know a lot detailers in my area that do the same. Why would you think it is bad for the glass?

[ALWAYS4UDI]

^lol i was about the post the same thing

[The_Transporter]

Zaino. And it can get on ANY surface of your car and protect it. Even glass.

[Mops@Nemesis]

I have been using a wax/cleaner on all of my exterior glass for the past 20+ years. I also know a lot detailers in my area that do the same. Why would you think it is bad for the glass?

Not sure who said it was bad for glass, but its not. Certainly not optimal, but does the job. I wipe my windows down with the detail spray mf when done with the paint. They bead well. Also hit then will quick seal now and then.

[S4_Phantom]

1. Stop using armorall on anything ever again
2. Especially dont use it on tires
3. Dont put wax on anything other than paint.
4. The wipers arent as good as they once were because the windshield builds up contaminants as easily as the paint does. You have to clay it off, and if needed, razor blade the windshield. You can also run clay over the windshield wiper rubber as well.
5. There are various mild interior cleaners you could use for alcantara, or some that are specifically made for it (http://www.detailersdomain.com/Leather-Master-Foam-Cleaner-for-Suede-and-Alcantara--CANT-BE-SHIPPED-VIA-AIR_p_213.html)
They key is to use a tiny amount of spray on a rag, then blot and twist.

Thank you for posting the link to the Alcantara cleaner. I have black leather with silver alcantara and am very worried about it getting dirty over time. I'm anal about the interior of my car being clean. I'm gonna order this stuff and use it.

[scrofas5]

Follow all the suggestions these guys are giving you, it's really useful! Makes you think that everytime you used to wash your car your actually causing scratches. And that was what I had been doing for the longest time before I started getting into detailing. My suggestions of products that are worth the money to me.

Wash- u need a soap that foams,lathers and emulsify's very easy- go with ammo foam or chemical guys wash and gloss.
Clay- use a lubricant or use the wash soap. Clay the rear and front bumper more often then the rest of the car, that's where all the road debris hits. I clay the whole car once a year.

Sealant- if you drive your car everyday, a sealant is the way to go!! anmo skin is my favorite and imho the best and fastest way to seal the car and with two coatings on it so far, it repels everything much easier and washes even easier. Leaves a great shine to the car as well. Pricey but really worth it.
Wax- I prefer sealants over wax anyday of the week, but I like chemical guys 50/50. Only thing is you have to apply sparingly and it is a bitch to wipe off. I only use it after a sealant if I have the time.
Tire dressing- ammo mud is very very good, if highly invest in that. Last on my rubber for 2 weeks, almost 3 with double coating. It's in gel form so you get no tire sling aswell.
Wheel tools- must need- soft bristle brush, seperate wash mitt, wheel woollies, racoon or ferrat brush for getting grime off the inner barrel. And a wheel cleaner. I'm using chemical guys signature wheel cleaner right now, but try sonax its good and make sure to do one wheel at a time and wash it off before moving on to the next one. Also making sure the wheel is isn't blazing hot.

Towels - high quality microfibre towels and a lot of them!

And whenever you go through the drive through car wash, do not dry your car after with a towel. The car will never be 100% clean after the drive through touch less wash, you can cause scratches like that very easy.

[akatz]

Thanks guys this is all great information. I usually am always strapped on time, which is party why I cant do all of these steps... But I think Ill definitly try out some sealant, because I drive so much and from what I heard it sounds like it creates a nice barrier. I just ordered a clay bar, doing that this weekend. Maybe some new tire sealant too, because armorall only lasts for like 1.5 days...

[isles1]

Thank you for posting the link to the Alcantara cleaner. I have black leather with silver alcantara and am very worried about it getting dirty over time. I'm anal about the interior of my car being clean. I'm gonna order this stuff and use it.+1