Guest

A question to everyone that takes great joy in cleaning/detailing their car... What Steps do you take in cleaning your car (interior and exterior)and what products do you use? Also what do you do to keep your car smelling good?

Viperdave

One trick I've found to make my vehicles always smell good is to pick up some of those small individual bags of coffee (like what you might find with your in room coffee maker in a hotel) poke or slice some holes in the bag and slide one under your drivers seat. Your interior will smell like Starbucks, provided you enjoy the smell of coffee.

Darla

There's a lot of information at the below site. Hope it's helpful.
http://carcareonline.com/howto_articles.html

Magomboman

An tech. I use is to put stick ups under my seats next too the vents, that really works. You can put whatever your scent-of-the-month in you baby.

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daverman

The number one rule to keeping your car smelling fresh is: NO EATING IN THE CAR! Nothing stinks faster than rotting crumbs of bread or bits of roast beef burger under your seat.

Also, after slogging in water or snow into your car (you DO have the all-weather mats, don't you?), be sure to crack the windows open slightly when you park the car for the night, so that the moisture and humidity can escape. This prevents "wet dog smell" in the morning.

Edub-TL

I haven't had the chance to clean my car in 3 weeks, i'm fiending for a chance to clean it.

But for the exterior, a good way to keep the car clean is to wash it, and dry it really good. Throw on a coat of quick detailer. This lasts for a long time, dust doesn't seem to stick to it. The only thing you really should be worried about its bird bombs and bug guts.

For the interior, dust is the only thing that gets my iterior dirty. No food allowed. Dust and vacuum once every 2 weeks.

Lexol for the seats once a month. Keeps the smell of a clean car(no odors at all). I don't want my car to smell like something else other than my car.

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June 10, 11AM - N. Cali / Bay Area Meet - Click Here!
<A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/phanthavong/mytl.html" TARGET=_blank>
</A>2001 SSM. 02 tails, 02 vent trim, burlwood knob.

Mods? What mods? I can't afford mods, I'm getting married!!
Vin says 2001, but it's really a 2000 with an upgraded cupholder!!

TLinKC

AMEN!!

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'00 Zainoed Firepepper Red TL
20% Tint
Removed 3.2TL

Xorg

Wash the car with a good off the shelf car wash concentrate and warm (not hot!) water. Dry it off with a chamois cloth (I have an artifical one that works great and lasts) - drying is the key to a great shine. I then use Girot's Garage spray on detailer - gives the finish a great shine and the slippery feel you want. For wheels, nothing beats diluted Simple Green - removes even the worst brake dust but won't harm the finish - and its CHEAP! For tires, nothing beats Welsey's Bleach White - cuts through the worst tire gunk. After that, I spray on Less Time More Shine by Stoner Products or Wesley's Tire Wet - both work great, Welsey's lasts a bit longer, but Stoner's goes on better. Interior is Lexol all around - stay far away from Armor-All. For windows, more Stoner - Invisible Glass cuts through all the window haze.

neojin

Im a big fan of those Japanese car scents, especially the fruit/lime smelling ones. I forget what they are called.... something like My Shaladan?

neojin

Guest

I use Zaino Bros wash, polish, etc. Lexol on the inside along with stiffer dust pads. The hardest thing I am fighting are the doggone wet spots. Very hard to keep off.

Guest

GREAT!! Thanks for all the great information guys..... If someone could just tell me step by step how they detail (what procedures they go through)their car and what products they use when, that would be awesome. I would like to compare nitpicks..... Thanks again fellas.

jhalderman

I don't use floor mats. I will wear out the carpet, then put the mats in. This makes cleaning a lot easier. This is an old used car trick.

DJ Iceman

Here's the process I follow, just about every week. It takes me roughly two hours. I use one of those "stick the quarters in and wash it with a wand" places.
1) Vacuum interior. I find that if I wash first then vacuum, that all the spray from other people washing gets all over the car.
2) Wash. I don't bother with the foam brush or their wax. Just a couple of minutes to coat everything with soap, then the rest of the time to rinse, pressure wash off the bugs, etc.
3) Dry. I just use a cotton towel.
4) Drive home for the rest of the ritual.
5) Spray tires with Armor All Extreme Tire Shine.
6) Detailed dry. Now I go over the whole car carefully, including in the door wells, around all the seams, under the hood, etc.
7) Second coat of Extreme Tire Shine.
8) Armor All the interior. I usually only do the front seat area; about once a month I do the back too. I carefully get every square millimeter of surface.
9) Polish the exhaust. I use MAAS or Simichrome on a cotton washcloth. Smear it on, buff it off, and the pipes look like new.
10) Clean the wheels. By now the tire shine has mostly dried and I use the same towel I dried the car with to take the reminaing dirt out of all the nooks and crannies on the wheels.
11) Wax. I use either Zymol Cleaner Wax or Turtle Wax Emerald Series. I've tried others (carnauba only) and sometimes try new ones. Mothers, Eagle One, AutoFom, etc. all seem to cause streaking or are really hard to buff off.
12) Buff. I just use another clean cotton towel and carefully do the entire car. I'm especially nit-picky around seams or embellishments (logos, door handles, etc.).
13) Clean the windows. I finally found a window cleaner that doesn't streak--Rain-X Window Cleaner. I don't like Rain-X, but their window cleaner is great.
14) Bask. Yes, Acuras ARE some of the best designed cars on the road, and they look damn good all detailed and shiny!

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Why doesn't everybody make cars as well as Acura?