My friends think I am crazy because I pop open the fuel door and detail around the fuel cap. I know other people get even more obscure places than that.

 

pointless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!

 

I HAVE WIPED AND WASHED, AND WAXED THAT AREA! THE PAINT WILL GET SCREWED UP FROM SPILLAGE AND CAN JUST LOOK NASTY! ALSO BUILDS UP DIRT FROM PUMPIMG FUEL! NOTHING LIKE THE NOOKS AND CRANNY'S!

 

I washed and waxed that under the fuel door recently too. It stays cleaner now.

 

I clean under the fuel door also... Gas does some nasty stuff to your paint....

 

In addition to that, I always open the trunk and and wipe down the underneath edges and the seal area dry.
Same with the doors and inside frames.
Always wipe down the weather seals too.

 

ditto!

 

exhaust pipe tipz...the black residue drives me insane !

 

i polish the mufflers with mothers (comptech exhaust)

 

Same here, gas cap, exhaust tips, trunk edges, I even open the hood and clean around the wiper area and take the dust off the engine bay.

 

Along with wiping down around the gas cap I'll get a handfull of paper towells while at the gas station (for windows) and put them under the pump nozzel when I'm filling up. No more splashes!

I too wipe down every bit of weather stripping I can reach. Cuts down on the doors freezing shut and (after applying silicone spray) makes last a hell of a lot longer.

 

i don't know, but i've cleaned the bottom of my tires cause i had ran over some of my dog's crap...just with a hose though

 

I use a pen and pick out all the tiny rocks that is stuck on the treads of my crappy stock Michelin tires...=D

 

 

I open up the moonroof and dry the surrounding area and wax it too. I also open the trunk and clean the side channels as well as the underside of the trunk lip. Same with the hood. I think it's OCD.

 

Yah I tend to do all of the above. I'm not sooo finicky about the fuel area though, but I will when I'm polishing the car take a dry chamois and pop the fuel door to remove all the water. I hate when the car looks perfect, but there's still water in between the car's body and the fuel door. I'm more nuts about the inside fenders. I find when those are dirty, it makes the whole car look like crap. I often will use some tire cleaner, and a terry cloth, and scrub that mofo back to black!!!

 

I hate it when I give it a good wash, then after I drive, the water comes out of all stupid places like the bottom of the mirror and the passenger side wipers, the corner of the hood lip and all the f****n door handles. Dunno about yours but my door handles are not flush, so looking at it from the side, looks third world.

 

yah I know what you mean. But I've learned from cleaning my TL-S so much which places to wipe before I go driving. One thing you can't forget is too open the trunk. Somehow so much f*cking water gets into that area. When I open the trunk I like get out of the way (now I'm exaggerating). But I hate when water drips down the sides of the car near the spoiler. My door handles also trap a lot of water, I just flick them opened and closed till all the water drips onto the chamois that I hold under.

 

gets all the water out of those wickwack places!

 

Don`t forget the engine compartment, Wipe down heater hoses and vacuum hoses with Mothers Back to Black. Take the battiery cover off and wipe that down. I am staying away from the belt!
It`s not good to wipe them down.

 

hehe - you asked for it -

on a full detail I do every painted part, most of the car I do with my trusty Porter Cable, but door jams, Innner trunk compartment I do by hand with a good sealant (like Poorboy's EX or UPP). I clean and dress the interior gas tank area and back side of the cover. All trim and molding gets treated with 303 areospace protectant, even the trunk's molding (stay away from silicone based dressings -- bad!). I wash the wheel wells and clean and dress the mud flaps with 303 again. I go so far as to use Klasse AIO on the front black grill part where the A is and the chrome piece that meets the hood lip. I use Klasse AIO on the headlight covers and taillight covers. For the wheels I use an wheel brush to get the backside of the rims clean and brake dust free (not the fronts as they nylon will scratch the clear coat). I clean and dress the trim around the sunroof (tilting it up for the back then half retracting it for the front part). BLING BLING is my life.

 

yah I would only do all that you have mentioned 1-2 times per year. Personally I can't wait until the snow is finally gone sometimes in april, so I can clean the car up and down, inside and out. I tend to spend way more time on the outside though. I did a full clean of the inside a couple days ago. With the high pressure wash of the rubber mats, it took me a total of 2 hours, and that's with the leather cleaner and conditioner. Cleaning the inside is easiest. Just vaccuum really well everything, including the seats. Clean the dash with some mother's vinyl and plastic cleaner, clean the leather on the doors with that too, condition the seats, do a full re-do of everything making sure you didn't miss anything, clean the floor mats, and you're done!!!

 

I clean the same area because after awhile it looks like black caked up dirt in there and I just have to clean it. It may be pointless to others but it's a must for me, I don't do it for others to see I do it for my self satisfaction.

 

Same here, I guess I'm not crazy after all!

 

Ditto!

 

How much money do you guys spend on cleaning materials?

 

$40 every 3-4 months I guess. Never really thought about it. I give it a good wash every 3-4 days.

 

Me too, except I use a hammer and 16-penny nail (just kidding)

...but I do pick out the bigger rocks

 

Door jambs

 

What he said

 

i do it 2, then i open everything up and dry it.