the 'little tricks you've learned' thread

I've learned a lot from this thread! :up



-- here are my additions --



~ Cut Swiffers into 2 or 4 pieces & keep in glove box for quick dash touch-ups



~ When doing a complete interior/exterior detail - do the interior first as you are usually too tired/hot/sweaty/dirty when you are finished with the exterior



~V4M~
 
To see how much product that has been used for each application I measure the overall hgt. of the bottle and divide it up by the number of ounces shown. A pencile mark at those increments will allow you to visualize usage.
 
Q-TIPS and TOOTH PICKS IN THE BACK POCKET for those hard to reach areas that wax gets stuck in. AFTER waxing go over the car with a very damp MF towel,gives you a better SHINE
 
When you are buffing your car, protect your clean wheel assemblies from any spatter by covering them with plastic trash bags..I take 4 large trash bags (the 33 gallon size) and put a slit up the middle on one side..I find this covers the wheels beautifully and keeps them clean and easier to do the final details on later!



I also mask off any trim with a good quality masking tape...5 to 10 minutes of taping saves hours of getting wax off of mouldings!



Got any large boxes? Cut them into panels..they are great for keeping clean if you have to get under the car for any reason.



I have four sections of flat cardboard that I drive onto when applying protectants to tires...it keeps the driveway clean (now if only my son would remember to use them :rolleyes: )



You can also make wheel masks...cut out a circle of the diameter of your wheels, and put two holes in the center of the disc to get a handhold. Cover both sides with duct tape to protect the cardboard. I use them when I apply protectants...it ensures that you don't get any product on the wheels. I have them made up in 14, 15 and 16 inch sizes.



When vacuuming carpets, play the "bongos" on them...beating on the carpets with your hands will bring up dirt and sand imbedded in the fibers...you would be amazed at what you can get out of a "freshly vaccumed carpet!"



I just got a new pressure washer, and the garden hose connection is underneath the unit. I took a short section (6 to 8 inches of garden hose with the proper adapters for each end) and attached it to the double female connection on the washer..it makes hooking it up a lot easier!.
 
My tip is either take the time and do it right, or don't do it at all!



Better leaving a car dirty then it is to do it half assed, such as washing it with a hose, then driving away. Or wiping the dirt off with no water or just water!



I know you all know this, but I can't tell you how many people in my neck of the woods do this! Only 1 person on my entire block besides myself washes his car. :shocked
 
Never detial in clothes that have hard buttons, snaps, rivits, etc. No belts just cotton tee shirt and shorts that have a draw string or elastic.
 
medic said:




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.
Click to expand...



Well lets look at it this way.



10mins a day for a week. Lets just cut it back to a 5 day week. That is 50mins of work.



In 50 minutes I would be able to spray the engine down, scrub everything lightly with a nylon brush, let soak for around 7mins, hose out throughly, dry with towel, dry some more by running engine, and then dress everything with a waterbased dressing.



Better to get it all out of the way at once than have to mess around with it every day.



Volvo4Me said:


~ When doing a complete interior/exterior detail - do the interior first as you are usually too tired/hot/sweaty/dirty when you are finished with the exterior
Click to expand...



Best tip I've seen so far. Took me four complete details to realize this! I also hate doing interiors so after doing my favorite part, buffing of the paint, I'm not really motivated to do the interior and have to force myself to pull out the vac.



James A said:
Never detial in clothes that have hard buttons, snaps, rivits, etc. No belts just cotton tee shirt and shorts that have a draw string or elastic.
Click to expand...



Also, if you are gonna be using a buffer, orbital or rotary, then wear old clothing. Even with an apron on I still seem to get buffing compound or wax on my shirt. GRRRRR
 
A quick disconnect coupling threaded on to the end of the hose makes it quick and easy to sheet the water over the car after washing. Applying AIO/SG on the wheels while they are off of the car allows you to clean them once they are back on using just your usual car shampoo instead of a wheel cleaner although this might depend on your wheel cleaning frequency as to how good it works. Using 5 gln bucket dollies makes it easier to move two buckets around during a wash.
 
Intel486 said:




Well lets look at it this way.



10mins a day for a week. Lets just cut it back to a 5 day week. That is 50mins of work.



In 50 minutes I would be able to spray the engine down, scrub everything lightly with a nylon brush, let soak for around 7mins, hose out throughly, dry with towel, dry some more by running engine, and then dress everything with a waterbased dressing.



Better to get it all out of the way at once than have to mess around with it every day.
Click to expand...



Agreed, if you've got the time. This was a tip to get the engine clean over a spread out time instead of all at once. You could even do this over weeks to get the same result since dirt and grime doesn't build up in an engine bay too quickly. Or, you can do this process while waiting 20 minutes for the SG to set before buffing off. You have to reapply the SG the next day anyway, so just think of it as a joint process.



Really, it's just personal preference:nixweiss
 
medic said:




Agreed, if you've got the time. This was a tip to get the engine clean over a spread out time instead of all at once. You could even do this over weeks to get the same result since dirt and grime doesn't build up in an engine bay too quickly. Or, you can do this process while waiting 20 minutes for the SG to set before buffing off. You have to reapply the SG the next day anyway, so just think of it as a joint process.



Really, it's just personal preference:nixweiss
Click to expand...



think I finally get your point now. Good tip :up
 
I do the interior first also, so that it can be drying before the customer picks it up, I try not to get it too wet anyways.



I use the air compressor first, to blow out all the vents, in between the seats, the seams in the seats, the rear tray around tthe third brake light etc.



Then, I take a bottle of water with a little multipurpose cleaner in it, and spray the vents, ashtrays, gauges, shifter boot, etc. and agitate with a round paint brush, and use the air to blow everything clean.



You can use the vehicles heater, to dry interior.



I take the nozzle off a wd 40 can, and the little red extension, and put it on cans of paint for the fenderwells, you can really shoot the paint where you want it with less overspray.



I cover engines electrical parts with foil, spray cleaner, start engine, and let it dwell for about 5 minutes, leave engine running, and pressure wash everything clean. Its easier to keep a engine running, than it is to start one that has gotten the electrical parts soaked!



These tricks work for me, and help speed up the detail.



Oh yeah, get a portable jumper, dead batteries are a pain, and if you dont have another vehicle to use to jump, your stuck.

:xyxthumbs
 
For rinsing, I use a shut-off valve and a short section of old hose.

The valve lets you control the flow for sheeting, and the cut off hose has no metal or hard plastic parts to damage anything.



A 4' piece of 3/4" pvc, a 90 degree street el with a cap you drill 3- 3/16" holes in, works great for spraying wheel wells, (instead of your face), and you can rinse lots of muck off the bottom of the car as well.



Charles
 
For cleaning the interior I have several different size chip brushes cut to varying lengths using serated utility scissors. The length controls the stiffness. I use them to clean all areas and scrub panels and seats without overspray in tight areas and flicking from larger brushes. Spray the cleaner directly on the brush and it will stay there until applied to the panel you are cleaning.
 
For those who have a relatively short distance from their

water spigot to their car you may like this.



I found going back and forth around my car was a royal

PIA so I decided to try dual hosing. One hose for each side

of my car. I just got a Y-coupler[splitter at water spiget]

and incorporated some quick disconnect couplers for speed.

Also, i'm sure some of you like myself have whipped the hose

into your paintwerk causing a Ohh-Nooo. It only takes a few

seconds for the extra hose. Well worth it.





I'll try a schematic.



------------------{}

/ hose # 1

/ ___________

/ | |

WS [ ] | CAR |

\ |___________|

\

\ hose # 2

------------------{}



Ah Shucks! The post broke it up. I hope you get the idea though.
 
rd_volvo said:
For those who have a relatively short distance from their

water spigot to their car you may like this.



I found going back and forth around my car was a royal

PIA so I decided to try dual hosing. One hose for each side

of my car. I just got a Y-coupler[splitter at water spiget]

and incorporated some quick disconnect couplers for speed.

Also, i'm sure some of you like myself have whipped the hose

into your paintwerk causing a Ohh-Nooo. It only takes a few

seconds for the extra hose. Well worth it.
Click to expand...



Hrmm... are we autopians getting lazy? J/k'ing good idea. Now since I've got two hoses I might have to do this.



Did you notice any decrease in water pressure having two hoses?
 
Mist the vehicle with distilled H2/0 and wipe with a MF after polish/waxing. It will help "set" the product. Oh yeah,....don't run out of beer before you reach this final step!:D
 
To check the paint while surface prepping, I like to pull a large sheet of plastic wrap and lay it on the paint. If you glide your fingers over it, it really magnifies the bumps...



And its useful to protect your windows, etc. from splatter (of polishes) too!
 
To know if a vehicle has clearcoat or not...........

Take a good paint cleaner and rub the body pannel. If the vehicles paint color comes off on your towell, then it is NOT clearcoated.:xyxthumbs
 
I buy gobs of those little 4 1/2 by 3 in sponges when they are on sale. I use them for application of wax, polish, vinylex, etc. Lots of times I just pitch after use. But if I want to reuse for the next time I just keep each one in a little zip lock bag so it stays moist. Sometimes I'll label the bag like Vinyles etc.



Great thread:xyxthumbs
 
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