DETAILING YOUR CAR
Mid-Illinois Corvette Club Program
March 8, 2010
EXTERIOR
GENERAL POINTS
1. Never touch your car's finish needlessly.
2. Never touch your car's finish in a circular motion, either to wash or wax.
3. Avoid mechanical carwashes -- they can scratch your finish and remove your wax.
- if you have to use a carwash, use a "touchless" carwash, but these can still remove wax due to detergents.
- best bet might be to use "hand wand" carwash, and use soap cycle sparingly.
4. Special caution -- don't power wash under your hood; you may live with adverse effects for a long time due to electrical and other problems.
5. Avoid dry wiping or spray detailing without washing first; this will put fine scratches in your finish.
6. If you must spray detail, blow off as much dust as possible before starting (more about a blower later).
7. Never use a "California duster"; they accumulate grit, which can scratch your finish.
8. Microfiber towels are great -- but cheap ones may have nylon stitching which can actually put fine scratches on your finish.
9. In any cleaning, from simple washing to serious clay bar work, you are trying to remove the "hills" on the finish, eliminate scratches, and take out swirls.
WASH and DRY
1. Always wash car before touching, if at all possible.
2. Always use car wash soap unless you want to strip wax for new polish; Dawn dish detergent will cut old wax best.
3. Flood/flush entire car with lots of water then use "firehose" approach and blast heck out of things before starting, including under wheel wells. (but not under your hood).
4. Start with wheels and tires;
- use car wash soap unless stripping wax from wheels.
- use scrub brush and wheel brush(es);
- use separate mitt or soft brush on wheels
- use separate bucket or flush very well after.
5. Next, do a pass wash on rocker panels, fender edges and under bumpers.
- use car wash soap unless stripping wax
- remember, these are painted areas
- use separate mitt or very soft brush
- flush bucket very well after.
6. Finally, wash car from top down with clean mitt;
- use car wash soap unless stripping wax.
- use reasonable amount of soap --
- too little will not clean well
- too much creates excess suds and you can't see where you have been already.
7. Always wash in straight lines, never in circular motion; (always wax in straight lines, too).
8. Use "Grit-Guard" in bottom of wash bucket;
- sits in bottom of 5-gallon bucket
- grit and dirt fall through the guard
- keeps mitt from picking up grit off bottom.
9. Use soft wash mitt -- chenille may be the best;
- lets grit stay back from surface with this mitt.
- microfiber mitts are good, but without nylon stitching.
- don't use sheepskin mitt -- holds dirt more easily;
- flush out mitt well and often
- rum mitt through clothes washer after use; air dry.
10. Use small blow dryer to keep from touching surface any more than absolutely necessary.
- lightweight, easy to use and inexpensive;
-- great for getting the water out of mirrors and behind trim.
- if you have a compressor, you may be tempted to use that, but compressed air blowing will apply a fine oil mist on the car due to oil from compressor vanes and bearings.
11. Blowing water off may leave some micro-water spots;
- takes a while to get the hang of using the blower
- follow with detailer and window cleaner for best results
11. Best alternative to blow dry is flexible soft California Water Blade;
- lightly and carefully use only for large areas and first pass,
- then lightly and carefully use soft cloth where necessary.
12. Wiping residual water may be done with absorbent cloths, but should be ones you can clean in clothes washing machine to be sure they stay free of residual debris and dirt.
13. Remember, use only car wash soap after waxing.
CLAY BAR TREATMENT
1. Do clay bar treatment once or twice a year, at most.
- only one clay manufacturer in US, so all products are the same.
2. Wash car well first with Dawn dish detergent before clay bar treatment.
2. No need to use expensive detailer or lubricant with the clay bar;
- use Dawn dish detergent with a little water;
- put solution in a small spray or spritzer bottle.
4. Use 1/2 clay bar, work wet in straight lines only -- no circles;
- stretch and fold clay material often to trap impurities.
5. Dry car well with blower and very soft cloth before any further treatment.
CLEANING TOOLS
1. Besides wash and dry tools --
- can slice small slivers off paint paddle
- great to clean around trim, etc.
- soft, flexible, harmless, cheap.
2. Tooth brushes -- soft ones best.
3. Q-tips are good, of course.
4. Paint brushes -- natural bristles for stain best
- put duct tape around any metal or plastic;
- perhaps better for interior spaces than exterior.
4. Microfiber and other cloths
- watch out for nylon stitching;
- fold cloth either two or three times to get multiple clean surfaces
with each cloth.
WAXING
1. Most waxes have some carnauba, which turns white on drying,
- gives you trouble around trim and edges and dark trim;
- many other products are petroleum based which attract and hold dust.
2. You can remove "white haze" from dark trim or mirrors with "Back to Black" from Mothers; then wash area thoroughly with detergent before waxing since it is a petroleum-based product before protectant treatment
3. Newest "wax" finish systems (like C*Magic) are "cross-linked"; parts A and B come together and bond to make a finish.
4. C*Magic products took 3 years to custom develop by DuPont to specs invented by Kermit Dye who owns C*Magic
5. C*Magic products are cross-linked; won't "white haze".
6. Apply C*Magic wax lightly, let dry; mist with detailer and then polish; you do not remove the wax first.!! Can do whole car first with "wax"
7. Should not need separate wax for wheels. Nothing really better than what you use for the body.
8. Microfiber applicators work great (beware of the nylon).
BUFFING
1. Never use rotary buffer -- can put in circle scratches
2. Use only orbital buffers (if any buffer at all) and then only with very clean "finesse-grade" buffer pads
3. Dual-head, counter-rotating orbital buffer is best; but very expensive ($250 - 350)
TIRES
1. Clean tires well with brush;
- can use detergent or car wash soap on tires.
- I prefer a concave tire brush which "fits" the curve of the tire.
2. Treat tires after dry.
- Best product I have found is C*Magic tire treatment;
- natural look, no "kid shine", lasts and lasts
- non-petroleum; won't attract dust or "spin off".
3. Might try a product called "Tire Wipes" from Eagle One;
- foam with a good grip handle
- concave to form to the tire
- evenly spreads any product on tire.
UNDER HOOD
1. Remember warning about spraying under your hood.!!! $$$.
2. Carefully clean as you want but then apply good protectant that is petroleum free so as to not attract and hold dirt later.
3. If you need a stronger cleaner -- use GUNK Foamy Engine Bright; rinse well and wipe dry then apply petroleum-free protectant.
4. C*Magic has a special product for under hood -- Interior & Underhood for Vinyl & Plastics.
WHEELWELLS
1. Blast thoroughly with power washer or hose; then can wash using detergent and brush.
2. Spray with non-petroleum vinyl treatment product to avoid dust and dirt sticking.
CAR COVERS
1. Avoid covering a dusty car or a dirty car, it will put fine scratches in your finish. and maybe even into your clear top.
2. At least blow dust off first if you can't wash your car before covering.
3. Flannel-lined covers may trap contaminants and they are very cumbersome and expensive to wash.
4. Solid plastic or vinyl covers can trap moisture.
5. Best cover I have found is simple "Tyvek" like material.
- Breathable -- won't trap moisture.
- Weighs only a couple of pounds.
- Wal-Mart for about $30.
INTERIOR
FLOOR MATS or TRAYS
1. If you have mats or trays that are faded, - restore with SEM spray dye
2. Clean mats or trays first with Dawn dish soap, dry thoroughly; then spray with SEM dye and let dry well.
3. Can get SEM products on Internet or at Born Paint in Peoria. They may try to sell you a pre-cleaner, but I have found that a good cleaning with Dawn detergent and a good drying works as well for much less.
LEATHER
1. Real leather has pores just like your skin. Builds up sweat, food residue, etc. into leather.
2. Most people treat leather in the garage (often cold).
- This only treats the top surface.
- Doesn't deep clean the leather.
3. Put car in sun to get it nice and hot inside; pores in leather will open and expel impurities.
4. Once good and warm (30 minutes, at least) use a mild solution of Dawn and water with soft damp cloth to remove impurities and clean down to the base of the leather.
- Re-soak and wring out cloth often.
5. Apply conditioner liberally with soft cloth or use your fingers
- cut your nails first
- let sit to heat up again (30 minutes)
- I prefer C*Magic Leather Conditioner
6. If what you applied is absorbed (dry to touch), then treat with conditioner again.
- let sit and heat up again (30 minutes). Repeat if needed.
- Some areas may need more than other areas.
7. When the conditioner shows on whole surface (moist to touch) then buff clean with soft, soft cloth, turning frequently to new surface.
8. Some seat covers can actually "smother" the leather. Some let dirt through which then gets forced into the leather. Exception might be towel-type cover, washed often. These are great to carry to cover seats from the sun.
9. Avoid wearing jeans, especially on long trips; they are hell on leather.
Also, belts and clothing with ornamentation can give you a nasty surprise.
CARPETS
1. Clean very well with a strong vacuum first.
2. Most carpets and trays are washable; use mild soap (car wash?) to avoid discoloration; vacuum dry if you have a shop vac.
3. I prefer Blue Magic carpet cleaner for spots or soiled areas. Doesn't seem to affect color; haven't found anything it won't get out.
VINYL AND PLASTIC
1. Use only products that are petroleum free and dry without shine.
- Avoids glare and attracting and holding dirt and dust.
2. C*Magic Interior & Underhood product dries flat, clean and dry.
3. When applying product to dash use thin plastic kitchen cutting sheet to keep vinyl spray off glass.
WINDOWS
1. I prefer Invisible Glass products from Stoner; no streaks, no haze, seems to repel dust.
2. Another good product is Pro-Glass but it is much more expensive and only comes is aerosol which is hard to control.
3. You may prefer the GM product for the glass top.
4. I use one microfiber cloth for the cleaning pass then a different microfiber cloth for the dry polishing pass.
- start with edges and finish with center areas.
- always work in straight lines.
5. Use thin plastic kitchen cutting sheet to keep glass product off dash, just like when keeping dash treatment off the windshield.
6. Use soft plastic kitchen pancake turner with microfiber cloth and rubber band to get down to the bottom of windshield.
- There is a product advertised on TV which does about same.
HAPPY DETAILING
PRODUCTS AND TOOLS MENTIONED ABOVE
Absorber "drying skins" -- good general purpose drying
Wal-Mart $8; Auto Stores
Invisible Glass by Stoner -- www.invisibleglass.com
Wal-Mart, Auto Stores
California Water Blade
Auto Stores
Tire Wipes by Eagle One Industries
Auto Stores
Back-to-Black by Mothers -- www.mothers.com
Auto Stores
SEM Color Coat Flexible Coating Spray
SEM Products -- www.semproducts.com
Auto paint shops
Blue Magic Carpet Stain & Spot Lifter
Auto Stores www.bluemagicusa.com
Dawn dishwashing liquid
Concave tire brush with comfort grip
Wal-Mart or Auto Stores
Grit Guard -- fits in bucket bottom www.gritguard.com
C*Magic Performance Detailing Products
Wax, wash, leather, detail, tire finish, vinyl and plastic protectant;
microfiber pads and cloth products www.cmagicwax.com
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