Cleaning carpets is key because the floor is the interior surface that takes the biggest beating between washings. Scrub the carpets with a stiff-bristled brush and carpet/upholstery cleaner. (A household brand is OK.) If you're using a wet/dry vac, don't be afraid to wet the carpet with a little water to loosen tough deposits of salt and dirt before you scrub it. Then sweep up the water, loosened salt, oil, and debris.
Cleaning seats is simple because they usually need only a quick once-over. You have your choice of using upholstery cleaner and a soft-bristled brush, vinyl cleaner and a rag, or saddle soap and a dampened sponge. To remove pet hair from upholstery, wrap wide masking tape around your hand and wipe with the tape. for leather seats, make sure your rag or sponge is only damp, because too much water will damage them. After cleaning the leather, apply a thin, even coat of protective leather conditioner, such as
How to Get Away Clean
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There it is, in pale script on the dirt-encrusted door of your trunk: "Wash me." And you know it's time to obey. But before you grab the hose and begin, keep these rules in mind:
Lexol. Don't overcondition. Leather needs to be able to absorb moisture from the air.
Cleaning door panels is trickly because their surfaces have lots of crevices, and usually electrical switches. After first wiping the panel with a soapy rag, dampen (don't get it sopping wet) an old
toothbrush and a thin cloth and use the toothbrush to clean out crevices. Wrap the cloth around a plastic knife to clean the electrical switches, repositioning the cloth as needed to keep soft fabric
over the knife edge. The trick here: A damp cloth won't drip into switches and cause them to fail or short-circuit. (Use the same method for dials and switches on the dash.) Wipe dry.
Cleaning window interiors is important if you want to see out clearly--and you want to be sure other folks can clearly spot who's driving that shiny-clean car when you're done. Give the interior glass treatment with a solution of 1 part white vinegar to 8 parts water, mixed in a spray bottle. Or use a nonammonia glass cleaner. (Ammonia-based household glass cleaners and foam glass cleaners can dry out neighboring plastic, rubber, and vinyl.) You may hear hot water recommended for cleaning glass. One danger is, when the air temperature is low, the hot liquid could cause cracking.
Newspaper is an old favorite glass-cleaning wipe, reputed to have a polishing effect. It may not be as effective as it used to be, though, as formulations used in printing newspapers have changed. If you do use newspapers, be careful to not leave smudges on nonglass parts of the car. For no-streak drying, a better choice is a low-lint cloth. (Old pillowcases are a good choice.) Finally, roll door windows down and clean the tops, where dirt and film tend to be thickest.
Cleaning the dashboard, steering column, center console, and other vinyl and plastic surfaces is the finishing touch for the interior. If they are dusty, first wipe them down with a household dusting cloth. A convenient new alternative is nonwoven disposable dusting cloths, such as the Swiffer brand. Use a small, dry natural-bristle pastry brush to dust hard-to-reach areas such as vents and dashboard corners.
Mix 1 part all-purpose household cleaner, such as Simple Green, with 8 parts water in a spray bottle. Spray and wipe with a clean cloth. Use a damp cloth-covered plastic knife on dash dials and switches. (See Cleaning door panels, above.) If there are any scratches on the clear plastic lenses on your dash, mask them by rubbing on baby oil or a clear-plastic treatment such as Meguiar's cleaner and polish, available at auto supply stores.
Simple SOLUTIONS
Car Window Winter Wonder >
One of the things you hate most about winter is scraping that layer of ice off your windshield when you're late for work. To make up to a frost-free car windshield, coat it the might before with a solution consisting of 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water.
Dress the dash and other nonupholstered, nonglass surfaces to prevent cracking and fading. Use a UV-blocking interior protectant, preferably one that's silicon-free.
All dressed ? Now, that's gorgeous!
Start cleaning the car's exterior by checking the finish and trim for bugs and tar and apply bug and tar remover to loosen them, following the manufacturer's instructions. Washing will remove the oily residue that the petroleum-based bug and tar remover leaves behind.
Washing wheels and tires is one activity where it's OK to blast with water, since it takes force to dislodge stubborn road grime and send it packing. Use a pressure nozzle to hose out inside the wheel wells and give the tires a cleaning blast. Mix nondetergent car cleaner with water in a bucket according to the package directions. Then scrub the wheels with the solution, using a stiff-bristled brush or a rag. A soft-bristled toothbrush will let you get at places where the brush won't fit.
A cardinal rule: Once you've used rags, brushes, and car-wash solution on the wheels and tires, don't reuse these same dirty materials anywhere else on the car.
Washing the car body starts with using a hose to spray the car--working from the roof downward. (Dirt, as they say, flows down-hill) With the first rinse, water will flow through those newly unplugged drain holes and wash away any residue from inside the doors and body.
Mix nondetergent car cleaner with water in a bucket. Apply the solution with a car cleaner with water in a bucket. Apply the solution with a car-wash mitt or a soft rag. Go for a mitt that's all wool or a wool-polyester blend. One hundred percent polyester is just too rough on your paint.
Never suds up the entire car and then rinse, because that gives the cleaner time to air-dry and leave a film. Work your way around, soaping, rinsing, and drying the metal and trim in sections no larger than what you can reach without moving your feet (about 3 feet by 2 feet). Work from the roof down,
making sure your rag stays free of stones, tar, and debris. Never continue to use a mitt or rag that's fallen on the ground.
Try this old detailer's trick: Have two buckets of car cleaner solution, which can be used one of two ways. Either designate one for "rough" or especially dirt-prone surfaces and the other for "smooth," less debris-laden ones, or use one bucket for your first soap pass (the "dirty" bucket). Segregate your rags accordingly.
Wash and dry-painted metal gently. There's no sense in thinning its protective wax layer or making it uneven by rubbing too
expert advice
Radio Host Shows True Grit >
Sam Memmolo has finally figured out a way to keep his wash mitt or rag out of the grit at the bottom of his wash bucket when he's washing the car. A master mechanic and host of the radio show Sam's Garage and cohost of the Speed Channel Tv shown Two Guys Garage, Memmolo places an old aluminum vegetable steamer in the bottom of his bucket. The mitt rests on the streamer, and the grit settles to the bottom. A colander will do the same job.
simple SOLUTIONS
The Poop on Polish > When birds foul your car, you can't await around till next Saturday's washing to deal with the problem. It'll only get worse, and the splat may etch into the paint finish. Mist-and-wipe detailing products, available at automotive stores, make the job easy. Spray the mist on the car and wipe it off with a clean cloth--before it has time to bond to the finish. An added benefit: you won't have to wax as often. Disposable, pretreated wipes that store easily in the glove compartment are also available in automotive shops and many discount retailers.
hard. A detailer's secret for gentle drying: Hold a towel at both ends and drape it over the wet surface. Drag it across the surface toward you. That way you don't apply any potentially wax-stripping pressure,as you might when rubbing with the rag in your hand. Consider doing two rounds of drying as well, to make sure you've done a thorough job.
Cleaning the trim is the next step. Spray vinyl and plastic parts with an all-purpose household cleaner solution (See Cleaning the dashboard, page 116) or use a nonsilicone vinyl cleaner (matte finish) according to label directions. Clean chrome with chrome cleaner according to label instructions. Use fresh water to rinse completely under any moldings--debris and dirt can collects there, creating a layer that can trap condensation. Trapped moisture eventually spells rust. Reverse the air direction on your vacuum and use it to blow-dry door handles, mirror cavities, and window moldings. Otherwise, when you drive they'll splash water that will be memorialized as water spots on your finish.
Cleaning window exteriors is no different from cleaning their interiors. Just spirtz and wipe the glass with a vinegar solution or nonammonia cleaner. (See Cleaning window interiors, previous) Use low-lint cloths for drying.
Once the car is clean, unless it's brand-new or you're sure the wax layer is holding up (See use a bead test, Previous), you may need to polish, wax, and buff it.
The big payoff is in sight, and it's shine, shine, shine.
Polishing removes surface paint that has oxidized, Use a car polish if your paint finish appears bright, not hazy, and follow label instructions. A visible haze on the paint indicates more oxidation damage than a polish can mend and means your baby needs a little professional help. Take the car to a detailer for the machine buffing and hand-rubbing, cleaning, and polishing it will take to remove that level of oxidation. When you wash and wax regularly, you minimize the need to polish--or eliminate it.
Waxing can be done with either a liquid or paste wax. Follow the label instructions to the letter. As noted earlier, it's easy to pick up grit with paste wax, so be careful how you handle that applicator. A favored method for applying and removing wax is to use long, straight strokes that follow the same pattern that air takes as it moves around the automobile. The reason? Straight stokes don't leave behind the swirls in the finish that circular motions can. And if, by chance, you scratch the car, straight scratches are easier to remove. However, always read and follow label instructions for applying the product you're using. Again, work in sections. When your applicator or rag starts to drag as you pull it, flip it over or use a clean section. If the product instructions say to wait until the wax
dries to a haze, do it--this gives the wax time to work and makes it easier to remove.
keep wax away from plastic moldings and rubber seals and trim pieces, from which it'll be next to impossible to remove wax once it dries.
There's no need to scrub as you apply or buff wax. The idea is to leave a good coat of wax behind. It takes only 3 to 4 foot pounds of pressure to be effective--that's about the weight of your hand and arm.
For buffing, use your softest rags. Do it in the same straight motions you used to wax. When your rag moves smoothly across the surface and the residue is gone--voila!--you're done.
Cleaning seats is simple because they usually need only a quick once-over. You have your choice of using upholstery cleaner and a soft-bristled brush, vinyl cleaner and a rag, or saddle soap and a dampened sponge. To remove pet hair from upholstery, wrap wide masking tape around your hand and wipe with the tape. for leather seats, make sure your rag or sponge is only damp, because too much water will damage them. After cleaning the leather, apply a thin, even coat of protective leather conditioner, such as
How to Get Away Clean
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There it is, in pale script on the dirt-encrusted door of your trunk: "Wash me." And you know it's time to obey. But before you grab the hose and begin, keep these rules in mind:
- Make it shady. During cleaning, the sun is not your car's friend. Park in shade--but not under a tree.
- Round up your supplies before you begin. You don't want to have to drive a soapy car to the auto supply store because you forgot something.
- Know your suds. Dishwashing soap is for dishes. Buy a non-detergent car cleaner.
- Bag a good rag. With cotton rags, make it soft, 100 percent cotton, clean and free of fabric softener or sizing. Old bath towels are a favorite.
- Rinse right. Resist the impulse to blast away dirt and grime. Hosing with a moderate stream and constant flow of water creates a sheeting action that gently washes away debris and cleanser without scratching.
- Don't be a drip. Letting your car drip dry leads to water spotting and soap film. Work in sections, washing, rinsing, and drying as you go.
Lexol. Don't overcondition. Leather needs to be able to absorb moisture from the air.
Cleaning door panels is trickly because their surfaces have lots of crevices, and usually electrical switches. After first wiping the panel with a soapy rag, dampen (don't get it sopping wet) an old
toothbrush and a thin cloth and use the toothbrush to clean out crevices. Wrap the cloth around a plastic knife to clean the electrical switches, repositioning the cloth as needed to keep soft fabric
over the knife edge. The trick here: A damp cloth won't drip into switches and cause them to fail or short-circuit. (Use the same method for dials and switches on the dash.) Wipe dry.
Cleaning window interiors is important if you want to see out clearly--and you want to be sure other folks can clearly spot who's driving that shiny-clean car when you're done. Give the interior glass treatment with a solution of 1 part white vinegar to 8 parts water, mixed in a spray bottle. Or use a nonammonia glass cleaner. (Ammonia-based household glass cleaners and foam glass cleaners can dry out neighboring plastic, rubber, and vinyl.) You may hear hot water recommended for cleaning glass. One danger is, when the air temperature is low, the hot liquid could cause cracking.
Newspaper is an old favorite glass-cleaning wipe, reputed to have a polishing effect. It may not be as effective as it used to be, though, as formulations used in printing newspapers have changed. If you do use newspapers, be careful to not leave smudges on nonglass parts of the car. For no-streak drying, a better choice is a low-lint cloth. (Old pillowcases are a good choice.) Finally, roll door windows down and clean the tops, where dirt and film tend to be thickest.
Cleaning the dashboard, steering column, center console, and other vinyl and plastic surfaces is the finishing touch for the interior. If they are dusty, first wipe them down with a household dusting cloth. A convenient new alternative is nonwoven disposable dusting cloths, such as the Swiffer brand. Use a small, dry natural-bristle pastry brush to dust hard-to-reach areas such as vents and dashboard corners.
Mix 1 part all-purpose household cleaner, such as Simple Green, with 8 parts water in a spray bottle. Spray and wipe with a clean cloth. Use a damp cloth-covered plastic knife on dash dials and switches. (See Cleaning door panels, above.) If there are any scratches on the clear plastic lenses on your dash, mask them by rubbing on baby oil or a clear-plastic treatment such as Meguiar's cleaner and polish, available at auto supply stores.
Simple SOLUTIONS
Car Window Winter Wonder >
One of the things you hate most about winter is scraping that layer of ice off your windshield when you're late for work. To make up to a frost-free car windshield, coat it the might before with a solution consisting of 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water.
Dress the dash and other nonupholstered, nonglass surfaces to prevent cracking and fading. Use a UV-blocking interior protectant, preferably one that's silicon-free.
All dressed ? Now, that's gorgeous!
Start cleaning the car's exterior by checking the finish and trim for bugs and tar and apply bug and tar remover to loosen them, following the manufacturer's instructions. Washing will remove the oily residue that the petroleum-based bug and tar remover leaves behind.
Washing wheels and tires is one activity where it's OK to blast with water, since it takes force to dislodge stubborn road grime and send it packing. Use a pressure nozzle to hose out inside the wheel wells and give the tires a cleaning blast. Mix nondetergent car cleaner with water in a bucket according to the package directions. Then scrub the wheels with the solution, using a stiff-bristled brush or a rag. A soft-bristled toothbrush will let you get at places where the brush won't fit.
A cardinal rule: Once you've used rags, brushes, and car-wash solution on the wheels and tires, don't reuse these same dirty materials anywhere else on the car.
Washing the car body starts with using a hose to spray the car--working from the roof downward. (Dirt, as they say, flows down-hill) With the first rinse, water will flow through those newly unplugged drain holes and wash away any residue from inside the doors and body.
Mix nondetergent car cleaner with water in a bucket. Apply the solution with a car cleaner with water in a bucket. Apply the solution with a car-wash mitt or a soft rag. Go for a mitt that's all wool or a wool-polyester blend. One hundred percent polyester is just too rough on your paint.
Never suds up the entire car and then rinse, because that gives the cleaner time to air-dry and leave a film. Work your way around, soaping, rinsing, and drying the metal and trim in sections no larger than what you can reach without moving your feet (about 3 feet by 2 feet). Work from the roof down,
making sure your rag stays free of stones, tar, and debris. Never continue to use a mitt or rag that's fallen on the ground.
Try this old detailer's trick: Have two buckets of car cleaner solution, which can be used one of two ways. Either designate one for "rough" or especially dirt-prone surfaces and the other for "smooth," less debris-laden ones, or use one bucket for your first soap pass (the "dirty" bucket). Segregate your rags accordingly.
Wash and dry-painted metal gently. There's no sense in thinning its protective wax layer or making it uneven by rubbing too
expert advice
Radio Host Shows True Grit >
Sam Memmolo has finally figured out a way to keep his wash mitt or rag out of the grit at the bottom of his wash bucket when he's washing the car. A master mechanic and host of the radio show Sam's Garage and cohost of the Speed Channel Tv shown Two Guys Garage, Memmolo places an old aluminum vegetable steamer in the bottom of his bucket. The mitt rests on the streamer, and the grit settles to the bottom. A colander will do the same job.
simple SOLUTIONS
The Poop on Polish > When birds foul your car, you can't await around till next Saturday's washing to deal with the problem. It'll only get worse, and the splat may etch into the paint finish. Mist-and-wipe detailing products, available at automotive stores, make the job easy. Spray the mist on the car and wipe it off with a clean cloth--before it has time to bond to the finish. An added benefit: you won't have to wax as often. Disposable, pretreated wipes that store easily in the glove compartment are also available in automotive shops and many discount retailers.
hard. A detailer's secret for gentle drying: Hold a towel at both ends and drape it over the wet surface. Drag it across the surface toward you. That way you don't apply any potentially wax-stripping pressure,as you might when rubbing with the rag in your hand. Consider doing two rounds of drying as well, to make sure you've done a thorough job.
Cleaning the trim is the next step. Spray vinyl and plastic parts with an all-purpose household cleaner solution (See Cleaning the dashboard, page 116) or use a nonsilicone vinyl cleaner (matte finish) according to label directions. Clean chrome with chrome cleaner according to label instructions. Use fresh water to rinse completely under any moldings--debris and dirt can collects there, creating a layer that can trap condensation. Trapped moisture eventually spells rust. Reverse the air direction on your vacuum and use it to blow-dry door handles, mirror cavities, and window moldings. Otherwise, when you drive they'll splash water that will be memorialized as water spots on your finish.
Cleaning window exteriors is no different from cleaning their interiors. Just spirtz and wipe the glass with a vinegar solution or nonammonia cleaner. (See Cleaning window interiors, previous) Use low-lint cloths for drying.
Once the car is clean, unless it's brand-new or you're sure the wax layer is holding up (See use a bead test, Previous), you may need to polish, wax, and buff it.
The big payoff is in sight, and it's shine, shine, shine.
Polishing removes surface paint that has oxidized, Use a car polish if your paint finish appears bright, not hazy, and follow label instructions. A visible haze on the paint indicates more oxidation damage than a polish can mend and means your baby needs a little professional help. Take the car to a detailer for the machine buffing and hand-rubbing, cleaning, and polishing it will take to remove that level of oxidation. When you wash and wax regularly, you minimize the need to polish--or eliminate it.
Waxing can be done with either a liquid or paste wax. Follow the label instructions to the letter. As noted earlier, it's easy to pick up grit with paste wax, so be careful how you handle that applicator. A favored method for applying and removing wax is to use long, straight strokes that follow the same pattern that air takes as it moves around the automobile. The reason? Straight stokes don't leave behind the swirls in the finish that circular motions can. And if, by chance, you scratch the car, straight scratches are easier to remove. However, always read and follow label instructions for applying the product you're using. Again, work in sections. When your applicator or rag starts to drag as you pull it, flip it over or use a clean section. If the product instructions say to wait until the wax
dries to a haze, do it--this gives the wax time to work and makes it easier to remove.
keep wax away from plastic moldings and rubber seals and trim pieces, from which it'll be next to impossible to remove wax once it dries.
There's no need to scrub as you apply or buff wax. The idea is to leave a good coat of wax behind. It takes only 3 to 4 foot pounds of pressure to be effective--that's about the weight of your hand and arm.
For buffing, use your softest rags. Do it in the same straight motions you used to wax. When your rag moves smoothly across the surface and the residue is gone--voila!--you're done.
No comments:
Post a Comment