Cleaning your CCD

C

cerdas

New member
I've been trying to find some advice on cleaning my CCD with no luck so far. Of course, most people say" the dirtier it gets, the better it works", but in this case I accidentally got some bird poop on it. I tried to wipe most of it out with an old towel, but I don't like the thought of the remaining bits getting crusty and scratching my paint. I figured I would just dunk it in some hot soapy water and hope that it still works afterwards.



I guess my question is, has anyone cleaned theirs successfully, or should I just toss it and get a new one?
 
I've had my CCD for more than 10 years, and I've never cleaned it. Well, this weekend I decided to clean out my life by going after the 20+ years of clutter and crap in the garage. Long story short... I tossed the CCD in the washer. Other than the fact that my white shop towels are now red, it came clean and did not get all torn up in the wash. What I don't know is how well it is going to work now that it's clean. I suspect it will be fine. It's much softer now than it was. I have not decided what to spray it with to restore the wax they put in the fibers that attract the dust... maybe Plexus. I'll let you know.
 
One of my CCD's is about 12 to 14 years old and never been washed. Never been in bird crap though.

I seem to remember some mention of Woolite as a washing agent in the original instructions that came with it. You might want to contact California Car Cover Co. and ask them about both a cleaning product and if they have a product to treat it with after it has been washed.



Charles
 
Good advice guys, thanks!



I think I will contact the California Car Company before I try anything drastic. Why didn't I think of that before?
 
If the hardened bird poop is on just a few of the strands

I would just cut them off. Plenty left to do the job.
 
I have washed my CCD before with no problems. I just got a small utility pan etc and washed the strands with a capful and Woolite and water.



Shake to dry.. Good as new :D
 
From CCD's homepage:



"Because of a special permanently baked in paraffin treatment, The Original California Dusters are made to provide years of effective service without the need for cleaning. Simply shake them out before and after each use. The "dirtier" they get the better they work.



If you find it necessary to clean your Duster because it is too dirty or if the Duster stops lifting dust, it can be washed. You may hand wash your Duster in cold water with a mild detergent such as Woolite, then air dry. Do not use hot water to wash or hot air to dry, as heat or harsh detergent may remove the special paraffin treatment."



Now I really feel stupid for not looking there first. Well, can you blame me? I trust the opinions and the knowledge that I find here so much, that Autopia is always the first place I look for answers!
 
I purchased a new CCD with a wooden handle a few months ago and the first thing I did was to soak it for ten minutes in a bucket of tap-water and several caps of Z-7 & a light squirt of Dawn. After rinsing it and drying it out, the "stench" of parrafin wax was still there but not nearly as strong as it was before washing. When I tried it out, I was happy to see that it worked just as well as my old CCD (which I never washed), except this time it didn't leave any wax streaks. I think the key is to wash it without removing ALL the parrafin wax.



Charles 12-14 years, that's amazing!! :up
 
Just a follow-up, if anyone's interested.

I handwashed my CCD in a bucket of cold water and 1 capfull of woolite, and let it dry over the next couple of days. I've only had the CCD since the fall, but an amazing amout of crud came out of it. When it was dry, it still smelled like parrafin. I tried dusting my truck, which had been washed 2 days previously with Z7, and it worked, although I'm not sure it worked as well as it once did ,maybe it just needs more regular use. It seemed to leave behind small "fuzzies" from itself, and it didn't quite pick up everything without a few extra passes.



DavidB, I'm curious why you suggested Plexus for re-treating the CCD. Does it contain paraffin?
 
The very first California Dusters were made all with wooden handles and the "mop" head was much longer. The material was also a bit different. It looked more like shredded terry cloth but they soon changed that mop head to the more braided look and with shorter....um..."tassels" for lack of a better word.



Also itis best to lay them on newspaper for about 25 hours when brand new. The newspaper soaks up the extra parrafin wax and I then give my house and stuff a dusting tomake sure the excess wax is gone and to also get a little dust in the mop. Going straight from the newspaper to the lightly dusted car can leave streaks.



Most hobby shops sell parrafin wax in a variety of forms. You can buy it solid and I have also seen it in aerosol form. I have been told, never done it myself, but I have been told that you can spray the mop head with the parrafin wax and then place the mop head in the oven, door open, on a temperature of about 150 and let the wax bake in for about 15 to 20 minutes.



Now I stress that I have never tried this before myself. But heck it sure sounds like it might work. Anyone care to be the tester??





Anthony
 
I never used CCD before and have a question: they are selling both wooden and plastic handle CCDs, is anything wrong with the plastic one? I can get it locally instead of ordering wooden one.
 
F1,



No difference really, other than weight. I have found the heavier wooden handle to be a better performer but the weight can also be hard on the wrists of some folks. Usually those folks who also have a difficult time waxing their car by hand.....sissys :D



Anthony
 
F1Crazy said:
I never used CCD before and have a question: they are selling both wooden and plastic handle CCDs, is anything wrong with the plastic one? I can get it locally instead of ordering wooden one.
Click to expand...
F1, try searching for this thread a few months back. There was this guy who had a catalog or something for CCD products and I believe they still make and sell both wooden and plastic versions. The cheaper plastic ones for the Wal-Mart and Pepboys crowd, and the pricier wooden one for the mail order and "enthusiast" folks.



I have the wooden one and find the "ropes" the mop is made out of are much thicker, more numerous, and maybe longer than the plastic handled one. I believe people who have used both though, say the performance differences are minor.
 
Thanks guys, I'll look for more threads about it. I never considered buying one but seeing how many of you use it I'm going to give it a try.
 
F1Crazy said:
I never used CCD before and have a question: they are selling both wooden and plastic handle CCDs, is anything wrong with the plastic one? I can get it locally instead of ordering wooden one.
Click to expand...



Try a dealership. My local Honda and Toyota dealers have the wooden handle ones for about $22, a little more than some mail-orders but I don't have to pay for S/H. I'm using a plastic handle one and have had NO problems with it. When I get tired of the plastic handle one, I'll go buy the wooden handle one.
 
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