Dreaming of spring....

[MiVor]

As cold and snowy as it`s been here in Central New York it almost seems foolish to be thinking spring and detailing. Never the less, having recently bought the new (to me) truck (2013 Chevy Silverado 1500 LT), I just can`t help it. I`m slowing `gearing up` by buying a few products each week so the total expense is spread out over time.
The plan:

- Clean and dress the interior. This will include a good vacuuming, carpet and upholstery shampoo and extraction. I will clean dash and door panels with a simple green solution and treat with a protectant (perhaps Megs Ultimate Protectant or 303 Aerospace Protectant). The glass will be cleaned with Stoner`s Invisible Glass. Door jams/edges and rocker will be cleaned at this time.

- Power wash rinse the entire exterior.
- Spray tires/wheels with (simple green) APC and let dwell, then brush and power rinse.
- Foam and let dwell.
- Two bucket wash and power rinse.
- Dry with leaf blower.
- Clay using Megs clay kit.
- Inspect for any paint damage. Swirls, mars, scratches, etc.
- Optionally compound / polish with my PC 7424 DA polisher
- `Wax` with Megs Ultimate Wax.
- Treat black plastic trim with Megs Black Restorer.
- Treat head/tail light lenses with Megs Protectant.

At some point I need to pop the hood and do some detailing under there - a little reluctant to hose. I`ll prolly just do an APC and wipe and treat with a spray like Stoner`s trim shine or the like.

Thoughts?

[wdmaccord]

Pass on the Simple Green and get yourself a gallon of Megs D101. Use it neat on the tires to remove all the old dressings and tire browning (works as good as Tuff Shine). Dilute 1:4 for other exterior cleaning and 1:10 for interior cleaning. I also use it neat for my pad cleaner.

You can get 2 gallons and a sprayer for $24 right now. Meguiars D101 2 Gallon w/ Sprayer Kit

[Ronkh]

Yep

Simple advice on the simple green is don`t use it for automotive use

It can pit/stain aluminum.

[MiVor]

Thanks - shipping is a killer on gallons and I think two gallons would last me for years. I`ll see if I can get it locally.

[ccarney]

Thanks - shipping is a killer on gallons and I think two gallons would last me for years. I`ll see if I can get it locally.

Free shipping and 20% off a 50 dollar purchase - 20% Off and Free Shipping over $50

[JSFM35X]

We regret to info you that Spring and part of summer have been canceled due to the polar vortex. Everyone but the Subaru drivers and Skiers are up in arms.

So much for global warming.

[Setec Astronomy]

We regret to info you that Spring and part of summer have been canceled due to the polar vortex. Everyone but the Subaru drivers and Skiers are up I arms.

Actually according to the NWS the highs Sun-Mon-Tues-Weds will all be above freezing, so we are getting somewhere.

So much for global warming.

Well, if you believe scientists (and what do they know!?!?), the extreme weather is a side effect.

[JSFM35X]

I don`t care what anyone but my thermometer outside my Carage says-and its cold!

Actually according to the NWS the highs Sun-Mon-Tues-Weds will all be above freezing, so we are getting somewhere.



Well, if you believe scientists (and what do they know!?!?), the extreme weather is a side effect.

[silverfox]

I don`t know what everybody is complaining about. There will be a lot of cars needing TLC come spring. There`s a silver lining in every cloud.

[tropicsteve]

PA DETAILER insert ground hog picture here >

[WaxAddict]

Yep

Simple advice on the simple green is don`t use it for automotive use

It can pit/stain aluminum.

+1. I gave up Simple Green based on advice from this forum, and have never looked back. Used neat, SG is sticky and smells horrid. I like Poorboy`s APC for just about anything, and to save a buck, I`ve been using LA Totally Awesome on tires. $1 at the dollar store get`s you the product, which is concentrated, and a half decent bottle/sprayer!

[MiVor]

+1. I gave up Simple Green based on advice from this forum, and have never looked back. Used neat, SG is sticky and smells horrid. I like Poorboy`s APC for just about anything, and to save a buck, I`ve been using LA Totally Awesome on tires. $1 at the dollar store get`s you the product, which is concentrated, and a half decent bottle/sprayer!

After thinking about it some, I`m not sure I can agree. I think Simple Green is a very good APC that`s non toxic, bio-degradable and made in the USA. I don`t see how it can be tougher on aluminum than any other cleaner, especially if/when diluted appropriately.

[Accumulator]

MiVor- Yeah, sounds odd, but there`s a lot of data to back it up. People in the aerospace field make a huge deal out of not using it on aluminum, I gather it can be an actual safey issue and that there`s info on the subject that somebody could probably find with some research.

IIRC, Simple Green does make a version that`s supposed to be OK on aluminum but I`d sure check into it lest you trash the wheels the way a guy here did on his VW (he used it for a while, no problems...then one day it was "hey, what`s up with my wheels?!? Oh [crap]!".

And who was it here who experimented on something aluminum from his engine compartment? Eh, I just can`t remember...but the Simple Green etched it rather severely. That`s two people here that I can specifically remember having proved it to themselves the hard way, and I`d sure hate for you to be the third, that could be an expensive lesson.

Just one of those things that doesn`t seem worth the risk what with all the (known to be) safe alternatives.

[wdmaccord]

Thanks - shipping is a killer on gallons and I think two gallons would last me for years. I`ll see if I can get it locally.

You`d be surprised how quickly you will go through a gallon when you can use for so many purposes. Neat, 1:4 or 1:10. I use it every detail in some form

[MiVor]

MiVor- Yeah, sounds odd, but there`s a lot of data to back it up. People in the aerospace field make a huge deal out of not using it on aluminum, I gather it can be an actual safey issue and that there`s info on the subject that somebody could probably find with some research....

Well I`ve been using it diluted mostly on the plastic interior and the tires - aluminum is not an issue.

Edit:

From Simple Green’s FAQ-

Simple Green products have been successfully and safely used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: Aluminium is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green or Crystal Simple Green can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times of All-Purpose Simple Green and Crystal Simple Green with unprotected or unpainted aluminium surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green/Crystal Simple Green residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminium cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.