Best way to detail the roof???

[Custom Care]

I`ve been doing alot of reading and research in an attempt to broaden my knowledge and improve my detailing techniques. As of right now I know that both sides of the roof are weak points of mine.

1st question - What do you all do/use to get up and reach the outside roof of the vehicle when working on it?

2nd question - Is it safe to use a combination of Folex and an extractor on fabric headliners or would a dry foam method be better suited? I`ve never detailed a smokers vehicle before but was just thinking that their headliners would have some pretty harsh smells/stains/possibly even burn marks in them.

Any and all help/information is greatly appreciated.

[TroyScherer]

For exteriors I like to use a platform like the werner platform. They can be found at most home improvement stores and at time on sale for a great price.

Shop Werner Aluminum Work Platform at Lowes.com (http://www.lowes.com/pd_146404-287-AP-20-MP6_?productId=1017889&site=shopLocal)





I will let someone that is better with interiors help on this as it is not my favorite part of detailing or my specialty. I like to keep my own vehicles clean so I don`t have to do any roof cleaning....

[tropicsteve]

i`m with troy, i use the werner step platform and i have a decent werner 4ft step ladder also.

[Custom Care]

Thanks for the advice Troy I`ve been trying to use a small step ladder and it usually turns out to be more hassle than it`s worth. I just found these Gorilla Work platforms that look quite similar to the werner at less than half the price. Hopefully my local HD has them in stock so that I can grab a couple. 20 in. Aluminum Work Platform-WP-BF20 at The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-203467515/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=work+platform&storeId=10051)

[TroyScherer]

Thanks for the advice Troy I`ve been trying to use a small step ladder and it usually turns out to be more hassle than it`s worth. I just found these Gorilla Work platforms that look quite similar to the werner at less than half the price. Hopefully my local HD has them in stock so that I can grab a couple. 20 in. Aluminum Work Platform-WP-BF20 at The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-203467515/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=work+platform&storeId=10051)


That`s a great price for a platform. Actually that`s what I paid for mine on BlackFriday.

One note. You may want to look into wrapping the legs and platform edge in foam to make sure you don`t scratch anything if you bump it into a vehicle while your up on it.






I keep a small 3 step ladder around as well. Some times they can come in handy in smaller areas.

[Custom Care]

That`s a great price for a platform. Actually that`s what I paid for mine on BlackFriday.

One note. You may want to look into wrapping the legs and platform edge in foam to make sure you don`t scratch anything if you bump it into a vehicle while your up on it.






I keep a small 3 step ladder around as well. Some times they can come in handy in smaller areas.


After calling HD online and my local store I found out that it is a discontinued item. I did some research on the interwebs and found out that they were a BF special. I wish I would have picked a couple up back then :(

[tropicsteve]

Thanks for the advice Troy I`ve been trying to use a small step ladder and it usually turns out to be more hassle than it`s worth. I just found these Gorilla Work platforms that look quite similar to the werner at less than half the price. Hopefully my local HD has them in stock so that I can grab a couple. 20 in. Aluminum Work Platform-WP-BF20 at The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-203467515/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=work+platform&storeId=10051)

actually that is the exact platform i use. al (bunky) made a black friday posting about it and that`s when i picked up my platform and 4ft werner step ladder. both were $17.00 each. great deals at the time.

[Stokdgs]

Headliners are easy to clean with something like Meguiars APC+, dabbing the dirty area and not trying to rub the dirt deeper into the headliner.
I also like to use a triangular shaped brush wrapped with a clean, thicker, white towel on my Steamer and carefully run that across a Headliner that I have previously sprayed Meguiars APC+ on. This always removes much gunk out of Headliners and they always dry clean and smooth. Never had any of those "rings" others are speaking of..

For smoker cars, I have done more than I can count, and the 2nd worse area of smoke after the front seat, front headliner, everything in the front, is always going to be the back Headliner all the way to the place where it ends and the back glass begins. The Package Tray in back will also be dirty and smell bad since smoking in a car even with a window open, forces a lot of smoke straight back where it ends up against the back glass.

Also another really bad area that has to be dealt with is the Seat Belt/s that were worn by the smokers, and probably all the rest of them too. You should pull them all out, put a plastic clamp on the end of it, so it wont retract, and clean the belts really well, as they usually are stained, and smell bad.
Again, for me, I use Meguairs APC+, spray on, let it dwell, scrub with a small brush, then steam the belts using a towel over the brush, from one side, then the other side, then perhaps both sides again. I like to use white towels, so you can get a visual of how much gunk is coming out on the towel, and when it stops, you are pretty darn clean there.

In really badly smoked cars, all the glass will also have a layer of Nicotine that you need to remove as well.
When you get all that upper areas of the car done, we can talk about how to try to get the smell out of the rest of the car.. :)

Good luck with this !
Dan F

[Don]

Be very careful how much water/cleaner you introduce to the headliner as too much may cause the headliner to fall and then you have a real problem.

[Bunky]

One note. You may want to look into wrapping the legs and platform edge in foam to make sure you don`t scratch anything if you bump it into a vehicle while your up on it.


I wonder if some adhesive backed weather stripping type foam would work.

[PA DETAILER]

20 in. Aluminum Work Platform-WP-BF20 at The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-203467515/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=work+platform&storeId=10051)

found this at home depot. guess i should get one. the xterra roof is a PITA. i have been standing on a upside down car wash bucket to reach the roof. lol....