Carpet Stains : You may want to use a cordless drill and a DrillBrush to agitate when treating carpet stains : Link to Stain Removal Chart : Assemble your own custom stain removal kit . Include chemicals specific to various types of stains as well as general-purpose stain removers . Before getting started, it is good to know a few basics : The sooner you attack the sby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Stay tuned . We should be moving on shortly to cover some topics involving the interior of the vehicle . I would like to mention some ways to keep a car looking its best . First off, consider a custom-fitted car cover from Weathershield . I had one . The breathable waterproof Nextec material kept the car dry . I had to use a long bungee cord from home depot to keep the cover oby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Special note : Recent Youtube videos contend that the Rupes brand DA polishers can do the job of a rotary with less chance of damage. I'm only going to touch briefly on the controvercial subject of rotary buffing . New advances such as the Rupes brand dual action polishers reduce the need for rotary buffing . Use only one product on each buffing pad . Store the pad in a Zip-Lby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
The paint surface will inevitably accumulate shallow scratches . These can be caused by commercial car washes, flying stones and dust on the road, snow brushes, hand washing and drying the car improperly & buffer swirl marks . These scratches can be removed by compounding or polishing the paint , removing enough paint to level it . Deeper scratches cannot be completely removed witby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Sometimes it is desirable to de-wax the paint . This is done for various reasons . It may be to prepare the paint for a fresh coat of wax, perhaps a different wax than is already on the car and might not be compatible . You might remove the wax to see the condition of the bare paint or to prepare it for touch-up painting . Stripping the paint bare prevents gumming up your buffing pads durby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
The only ecologically sound way to wash a car is in a facility that meets the standards of the Clean Water Act . That rules out driveway washing . Some mobile pro detailers use a Water Boom or other recovery system to trap the dirty water for proper disposal . I use Do-It-Yourself car washes but I modify the procedure : I keep a quart spray bottle of car wash soap and water solution oby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Don't use abrasive products on the paint unless it is necessary . Watch YouTube videos by AmmoNYC, Apex Detail, Chicago Auto Pros and ChrisFix for more information . Modern paints may be thin and soft and you might need to buy a paint depth gauge . Rubbing compound contains abrasives intended to remove a little paint . Compounds are used to level paint, remove oxidized paint froby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Plastic polishes are low in abrasive and are ideal for shining up parts such as tail light lenses and plastic side mirror housings . I've used Mother's Plastic Polish with good results but I prefer Zaino Plastic Polish . Plastic polish can be used as the final step in headlight restoration too .by Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
The area around the trunk is similar to a door jamb except that it is hard to pressure wash or hose it without getting water in the trunk, risking mold growth . First, lay a sheet of plastic in the trunk to catch water that gets accidentally sprayed in . brush soap or all purpose cleaner into the muck that has collected around the trunk . Let it dwell and rinse . Dry with a towel . Remby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
If you are preparing a car for resale, sticker removal is a standard step in the detailing procedure . Even if you are simply sprucing up your own car, you may have a sticker you no longer need . Here's how to get the stickers off without damaging the surface underneath : If the sticker is on glass, it is permissible to use a metal razor blade or scraper . Be careful to avoid scraby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Many fiberglass pickup caps have a Gel Coat finish . They tend to oxidize heavily , so you should use an aggressive cleaner wax or polish to restore the appearance . Beware that if too much material is buffed away, the Gel Coat may never shine well again . Frequent waxing will help retard the oxidation . In response to the troubles with Gel Coat, some fiberglass cap makers are nowby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Make sure all surfaces are clean and ready for dressing before application . Remove any wax stains with all purpose cleaner and a stiff brush . Vinyl and rubber dressings such as Adam's Polishes VRT or Zaino can be applied either by spraying or wiping them on . Spraying is fast and easy but can result in overspray and wasted product . Wiping is the usual method but can be time-by Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
After washing and bug / tar removal, and if needed, use fine detailing clay to remove contaminants that are above the surface . Such contaminants can include industrial fallout, rail dust, paint over-spray, tree sap and stubborn dirt bits . The clay will introduce some micro-scratches that will have to be polished out later. Some detailers use an iron removing product prior to claying tby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Wet sanding is used to remove scratches. smooth paint touch-ups, prepare paint for touching up, restore headlights and more . If you wet sand excessively, though, you can thin the paint too much, causing it to peel or fail later . A paint depth guage is a recommended tool . Buy good sandpaper such as Mirka or 3M Wet or Dry . Expect to use nothing coarser than 400 grit . You may needby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Every wax comes with its own set of application instructions . I recommend following them but I will provide some procedures that work with many different one-step cleaner-waxes . Important : It is advisable to remove any old waxes or sealants before starting the job . This can mean washing the car with a dish liquid such as Dawn . You can use a weak dilution of Simple Green all purposby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
After washing and drying a car's exterior, wipe off the door jambs and door edges with an old towel . If you are doing a thorough wash as part of a detailing job, wash the lower half of the door jambs once you've hosed down the car for pre-soaking . You may need to use a degreaser or All Purpose Cleaner to get the jambs clean . Pressure rinse the jambs while avoiding sprayinby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Let's start it off with a list of rules for working under the car's hood : 1) Don't wear jewelry. Jewelry can catch on a moving part and cause serious injury. If you accidentally ground a piece of metal jewelry between a hot terminal and ground metal, you can get an instant electrical burn ; in the case of a wedding ring shorting against a battery terminal, you can burn off a finby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
If the plastic lenses on the tail lights, marker lights etc. become hazy or scratched, restore them with plastic cleaner and / or plastic polish as indicated . Mild products such as Zaino Plastic Polish can be used every time you detail . Other remedies that may work include toothpaste , rubbing compounds and polishes used on paint . Used car prep men often compound badly scratched iby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Door and trunk weatherstrips seal out rain and reduce wind noise . These rubber strips can degrade over time and can be damaged by chemicals such as lithium grease . You can treat the weatherstrips with special silicone grease or simply dress them with a good water-based rubber and vinyl protectant such as Adams Polishes VRT or Zaino Z-16 . The treatment helps preserve the suppleness of tby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Door / Trunk Locks : During the wash phase, avoid blasting water directly at the lock cylinders on the doors and trunk . Water can get in and damage the lock mechanism . If you think you accidentally sprayed water into a lock, spray in some WD-40 later on . The WD-40 displaces water and is also great for thawing frozen locks in winter time . Some locksmiths recommend WD-40 for routineby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Mirrors : Some side and rear-view mirrors are coated and can be easily scratched . Wash them with normal soft materials and dry them with a microfiber or cotton towel . Don't wax a mirror because that may cause some visual distortion . Never scrape anything off of a mirror with a razor blade and use caution even with plastic tools . Avoid scraping dirt against the mirrored surfby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Choosing a car wax : There are many brands and chemical compositions of car wax available today . Within those broad categories, there are sprays, pastes, liquids and even car wash solutions containing wax . The subject gets even more complicated when you examine the cleaning and polishing ingredients mixed into many waxes . In fact, some waxes contain no cleaners at all, some containby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Dirt gets trapped under vinyl side moldings and it can take time to clean it out . While washing the car, be sure to direct the spray from the pressure wand so as to blast dirt from both the upper and lower edges of the moldings . You can use a detailing brush to get soapy water under the edges . Finish with a high pressure rinse . Remove wax residues from the vinyl with an all purpby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Here's the Glass Cleaning Compendium , reprinted for everyone's convenience : Here is a quote of Ron Ketcham from a past thread : " Dedicated surgical towels, washed seperately from all other towels. Never use fabric softeners. Two towels, folded into quarters. Mist the entire glass area, agitate with one folded towel, then wipe dry, going in the opposite direction with the seby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Before you decide what to use on a piece of chrome, make sure it really is chrome . These days, there are a lot of plastic parts that only look like chrome and these parts call for different products and procedures . Once you are sure you are dealing with real chrome, resist the urge to buy a can of 'Chrome Polish' or 'Chrome Cleaner' off the shelf of the local auto pby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Before starting, soak your sandpaper in soapy water and make sure you understand proper wet-sanding technique . Don't use too much hand pressure . To restore yellowed plastic headlights , Wet-sand in only a right-left direction using 600, 1000 and 2000 grit . Compound with Meguiar's Diamond Cut or Medium Cut Cleaner #3 and polish with Mother's plastic polish. There'by Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Profile : The fabric softener sheets shear off the bugs and tar without any apparent surface damage . I always use them with soapy water to minimize any chance of scratching . I've been using the " Bounce " brand lately . Try it and you'll see what I'm talking about . ****Beware that they leave a residue of fabric softener . ******Note: Larry Kosilla of AMMOby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Before removing bugs and tar, wash the vehicle. That way, you won't end up scraping dirt against the paint as you scrub the tar off . Spray the bug and tar prone areas with a citrus product such as Goo Gone or a product like Stoner's Tarminator. I've had little luck with turpentine . Mineral spirits can work but I find it so-so . You can even apply a strong dilution of carby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Everybody has seen a recently- washed car on which the rocker panels and other low paint never got cleaned . Usually, this happens because whoever washed the car never bent down to see the dirt . Sometimes it is because he felt it was too much trouble to wash the lower areas . We'll explore some easy and effective ways to tackle the crud at the bottom of a car in this tutorial .by Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
If the car has a chrome exhaust tip, clean it and polish it with the same products you use on the rest of the chrome . For a muffler that is painted black, see if it needs a touch-up . If so, spray it with special exhaust system paint and follow instructions : You may have to drive a number of miles to cure the exhaust system paint . Body shop supply stores are good sources for autoby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts