the 'little tricks you've learned' thread

W

wizardofahs

New member
I've been wanting to post this thread for a long time... i know everyone has little tricks and things that they use when they are detailing... tricks that seem obvious, but might not be to everyone. for instance...



recently on my black car it's been hard to keep water spots off when i wash... so i put my wash mitt in one hand and the hose in the other... right after i rub over an area with the mitt i hose it off.. this way if water spots form they are just water.. and not soap.



Even better sometimes the hose gets out of controll doing this and rubs up against the paint :scared ... i found out if i hold the hose at the neck.. right where the water comes out.. i have better controll vs holding it 8 inches or so back like i used to



Parking you car on a slope is a great way to get the water to drip out of crevices (for all us w/o leaf blowers)



If you use an absorbent towel to dry, like the Big Blue, you can put the edge in those crevices to suck the water out... But do this last... it will put really damp spots on your towell and make it harder to get the rest of the body perfectly dry





Ok i know everyone has lots... and while i'm sure someone won't learn everything from this thread... hopefully everyone will learn something.
 
Hi Dr. Jones,



After a wash to get water out of the crevices, I get on the freeway hit about 65-70mph and cruise at that speed for about 2-3 minutes and all the water from the crevices is no more.



:xyxthumbs



Aloha,

Ranney
 
Here's my contribution...



Have you ever polished aluminum wheels and just could not get all the residue from the polish off. My suggestion, take a clean towel with a bit of cornstarch on it and wipe the wheel. All the residue will come right off and leave the wheel shiny.



Yeah, I have issues, at least that's what my frinds and co-workers tell me.
 
The two tricks I can think of right now (which I'm sure most Autopians already know) are as follows:



1. Dress your plastic trim with protectant right before waxing when using a wax that stains trim (i.e. Blitz, Meguiar's #26) and the hazed wax will wipe right off when buffing.



2. Washing your car contributes greatly to the degradation of your wax protectant (more so than every-day driving, IMO). To help counter this, mix a little bit of liquid wax into your shampoo (at a ratio of about 3 parts shampoo, 1 part liquid wax), shake vigorously in a small bottle similar to a ZFX bottle and pour into your bucket. This should only be done when your car isn't too dirty and doesn't have any embedded dust because the amount of suds you'll get will be severely reduced. Make sure you rinse your car very thoroughly afterwards.
 
when I'm using a wash mitt and not a foam dispenser, instead of using a second bucket I use the hose. I spray the mitt with full force in one direction so that all the fibers all lay one way and then rotate the mitt and spray in another way laying the fibers in a completely opposite direction, insuring there isn't anything "hiding" in the fibers. I'll remove the big MF with a mf and if I QD I'll use a second fresh towel to prevent streaks.
 
after i'm done with the last step on the car i'm doing i pull it outside for the final buff... the sunlight really shows areas that were missed.
 
lightly mist you cool/warm engine (not too much or with too much force or you can bust/losen a hose or have to wait for parts to dry.

a little simple green in the engine bay and let it sit

rinse off and wipe down

turn on car and drive around to get rid of the remaining water



repeat this 10 minutes process every day for a week and your engine will be much cleaner. Not so to the point of a full detail, but it'll make your mechanic happy
 
medic said:
lightly mist you cool/warm engine (not too much or with too much force or you can bust/losen a hose or have to wait for parts to dry.

a little simple green in the engine bay and let it sit

rinse off and wipe down

turn on car and drive around to get rid of the remaining water



repeat this 10 minutes process every day for a week and your engine will be much cleaner. Not so to the point of a full detail, but it'll make your mechanic happy
Click to expand...



Just a question... why would you do this every day for a week? All the engines I have done I have been able to get clean the first time.
 
To apply RainX without any haze or streaks then this is the tried and true method. I apply RainX at least 3 times a week to various cars and I do it this way every time. I've even gone back to people a week later to ask them how their windshields are doing and they have nothing but good things to say. No mention of streaks or haze at all.



1. Wash window with glass cleaner.

2. Apply a bucket of RainX to your glass. :D I like to load it on heavy but you can use however much you like to use.

3. Allow it to dry for a little while. Vacuum the car or something.

4. Wash car. While you are washing the car, hit the windshield with your brush or mitt or whatever you are using. Wash the glass just like you were washing any other part of your car. When you rinse the car there will be no trace of haze or streaks in your glass and the RainX will be left to do its work the next time it rains.



:xyxthumbs



If you were a RainX hater before reading this and haven't tried this method then bust out that RainX and give it one more chance doing it this way. Its way less work and it works soooooooooo well. If Auqapel isn't an option then this is a great way to get some beading action on your glass. =)
 
Probably know this but...

there are alot of post using simple greem or Hi-Intensity Cleaner or some other cleaners for wheels. I use them on "badly-rusted" wheels and they never take it all off....i follow with good old fashioned Brillo pads...and that finsihes them....I little elbow-grease never hurt....
 
I said it once (or twice) vinyl rubber eraser to remove wax stains on trim......



Another tip use lots of ice and beer in the ice chest and layer before going to a Mardi Gras parade....also get one with wheels so you do not have to carry it.....:xyxthumbs
 
Get some fairly good micro fiber towels, wash them before first use, let them dry, take a laundry marker and mark a corner with a "G" for glass. Never, ever use them for anything but windows and never use any chemicals other than Stoner's or Sprayway or water/alcohol mix on the windows. Always wash the glass MF's by themselves. Once a wax or polish gets in the towels, it will never all wash out and they will never get your windows clean. After making sure the windows are clean the first time, you usually only have to mist a little water on them and use your "G" micro fiber towels to maintain a perfectly clean window. Also, as a beginner step, using a clay bar on your glass will get it as smooth as....well......glass!
 
When I'm washing the car with a wash mitt, I'll submerge the mitt in the wash bucket, open the cuff of the mitt, then raise it up out of the water. The water will flow from the inside of the mitt out and backflush any grit that's in the fibers out. I do this about three or four times while washing the car.



When I'm done washing the car, I'll stick the hose in the wash mitt and allow the water to run out to clean it.



It works for me and gives me more peace of mind about dragging grit across the surface of my car.
 
Another tip for you carnuba users...



After you're done waxing the car, get a spray bottle with some clear water in it. Spritz the paint very lightly with the water and then buff with some soft, all cotton flannel. (My wife got me some white baby diaper flannel at the yardage store that's 100% Made in USA cotton... you can also use a piece of an old flannel bedsheet.) The water will add some extra gloss to your finish... like when you have a pair of shoes spit shined!
 
Smak your Cali duster into your opposite hand about

every panels use.



A lot of stuff flies out - especially during pollen season.
 
let's see......



<ul>

[*]When you are going to use your orbital, and the pad you're about to use is dry, mist on a little detail spray - regardless of what compound you're going to apply. This will reduce friction, scratching and pad wear before the material distributes itself around the pad.

[*]When you use leather creme, apply it with your bare hands. You can better work it into the seams and crevices, and your hands will feel great afterwards!

[*]When you clean your glass, use horizontal strokes on the outside, and vertical ones on the inside. Later, when you 're suddenly in the right light and notice any streaks, you'll know which side they're on. (Can't take credit for this - learned it from a fellow autopian.)

[*]When you use swirl mark removers or FI-II, or for that matter any product that is likely to include diminishing abrasives, work it and work it and work it! In my experience, it takes the PC on 6, plus pressure (reduce over time) plus time - more than you think. The difference is very noticeable - especially on black.

[*]Keep a cheap 2" paint brush in your car - does a great job of getting dust out of hard-to-reach corners.

[*]Keep a MF towel and a little bottle of detail spray in the car too. If you ever come back to find bird poop on the car, get it off immediately.

[*]Before you use ANY new product, ask about it HERE!

[*]Towels, Water Blades, Dusters do not scratch paint.<font color=red> Dirt you move with them does.!</font> Your goal should always be "maximum benefit with minimal wiping", whether it is washing, drying or buffing. However you must know that the "boundary layer" phenomenon means you can not get all the dirt off in the first place without rubbing with something. A pressure wash only leaves a thinner layer of dirt - it doesn't remove it completely.

[/list]
 
One of the best things I have learned is............





Not to tell everyone my little tricks..............:nono





Bwahahahhahahaa:)
 
A good boom box in the grage will seem to reduce detailing time by hours.



A small stool on wheels prevents backache.



I put a red "*" on the cuff of the wash mit used for top panels.



I use B lue MF for B uffing

G reen MF for G lass

W hite MF for drying after W ash.







:cool:
 
Intel486 said:




Just a question... why would you do this every day for a week? All the engines I have done I have been able to get clean the first time.
Click to expand...



depending on how dirty the engine bay is, you may not get it clean the first time without scrubbing. by doing this over the course of a week, you can get the same results, but not have to put in as much labor into it.



after the first pass on my engine that wasn't cleaned for several college years, it was about 75% cleaner. over the course of the week is was about 90-95% clean. as I sprayed with water, clumps of the grease and drit that were on the engine just washed off. It was pretty nasty to see but satisfying.
 
my tip is not what to do on a car, but prep for the car.

Be sure you have all your supplies ready, spray bottels filled up and ready to go. Stay organized and know where everything is. Know the car you are doing and products that will be needed.

dont rush the job or your work will reflect it. Take your time and inspect every panel once you complete it. Keep the radio on for background music, this will keep you moving, I know jason dances to "it's raining men" every time he details.:D

be sure to take a break, dont kill your self, take your time on the car and you will see results that will amaze you & the customer.

that is my tip that i think will help everyone
 
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