Zinda

iTrader: (1)

Alright, it’s that time of year again when the weather improves and I can finally get out there and detail my car. I haven’t detailed my car personally in like 2 years so I might be a bit rusty and that is why I am posting this thread. I want to make sure I am using the right products and that I am doing everything properly
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Exterior Detailing Plans:

Step 1:
Preliminary Wash:
I am going to hit the wheels first since they are the dirtiest part of my car and I don’t want to get anything on my panels. I am going to use the foamer to soak the wheels with the gold class wash and let it soak for a few minutes. Hose it down and do it again this time using a brush to get the brake dust off. Then I am going to hose it down and hit it with my trusty steam cleaner to remove more stubborn dust. Then finally I am going to probably give up and hit it with SONAX Wheel Cleaner and hose it down and be done with it. My car is terrible with brake dust and I have never been able to get it all the dust off. I might need to have these wheels refinished eventually.

Then I am going to clean the car with Meguiars Gold Class Wash and Meguiar's Microfiber Wash Mitt using the 2 bucket system. I have a foamer that dilutes water with soap so I plan to let it soak for a minute or two just to get some of the dirt off before I even touch the paint surface with my wash mitt. After that I will clean everything properly with the mitt. And use my steam cleaner to clean the hard to reach areas.

Step 2:
Clean Engine Bay:
I have never in my life cleaned the engine bay of my car other than using the foamer and spray it down. So this is the first time I will be cleaning it properly and will need some guidance. The first thing I am going to do is clean the bottom of the hood and steam clean it. This way by the time I am done cleaning the engine bay the hood should be dry and I can close the hood to clean the rest of the car.

The first thing I am going to do is let the bay soak in water and Meguiars Super Degreaser. Let it sit for a few minutes and then hose it down to loosen up all the crap in there. Then I will hit it again with the same mix and use a clean brush I use to clean my tires get all the junk off. I will then hose everything down and pull out the steam cleaner to loosen anything that remains. Once I am done steam cleaning the engine I am going to hit it with the degreaser one last time and brush everything down again quickly. Then I am going to hose it back down and use a towel to try to dry the engine and components as much as possible. I am going to turn the car on and leave the hood open to let everything dry out before I put the engine covers back on.
While I am waiting for the bay to dry I am going to hit the covers with the degreasers and let it soak for a bit. Hose it back down and use the degreaser again and brush it all down. After that I will also hit them with the steam cleaner and one last time with the degreaser. Will dry them off and spray them with 303 Protectant.

Since I am just going to put my engine covers back on afterwards I am not going to apply any dressing to the engine.

Step 3:
Clay Barring
Since I have the car clean already I am going to clay bar the entire car with Blackfire Clay Bar and their associated lubricant. I am going to hit the windows with Griots Glass Cleaning Clay too unless you guys think I should just use the Blackfire clay for this as well.

Step 4:
Polishing the Glass:
Polish the glass with DRIVEN Extreme Duty Glass Cleaner using a glass polishing pad. I am going to tape up any trims so I don’t damage anything with the abrasives in the polish.

Step 5:
Polish the paint with Blackfire gloss enhancing polish. With a Meguiars soft buff polishing pad.

Step 6:
Washing Residue:
Wash the car again to remove all polish residue anything else before applying the wax.

Step 7:
Waxing and Sealants:
Hit the car with Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection with an orbital. Apply Meguiars NXT wax to the car and wipe down any leftover residue. Using a Griots Red Waxing pad for both.

Step 8:
Finishing touches
I am going to hit the tires with a couple of passes with the Meguiars tire shine. And apply Rain-X to the rear and front windshields.

Questions:
During engine bay cleaning is it okay to soak the engine in soap initially with the foamer with all plastic covers removed?
I am guessing alternator, battery, and fusebox?
What are some areas in my engine bay I should avoid with my steamer and water?
Is putting sealant on the rims worth it?

Interior Detailing Plans:

Step 1:
Remove Seats
I am going to remove both seats and apply leatherique to them(After a through vacuuming and wipe down) and toss em in my boiler room where they can get hit with some good heat. I will let them hang out for 24 hours or so I won’t put them back in until the next day. I will also apply leatherique to the seats in the rear and cover them up with a plastic bag.

Step 2:
Vacuum carpets

Step 3:
Windows
Clean all windows in the car with invisible glass.

Step 4:
Clean dash, door panels, and any other plastics or vinyl with my steam cleaner. Any stains or anything that doesn’t come off I can hit it with 303 Cleaner. Afterwards I will hit all these panels with 303 protectant.

Step 5:
Use my Bissell heated carpet cleaner and steamer to clean the interior carpets and mats thoroughly. I will use the 303 cleaner for any touch stains. Also after I am done I am going to use the 303 protectant and also spray the carpets with them. I also have scotchguard I wonder if that will be better for this than the 303 protectant.

Questions:
Should I apply leatherique to my steering wheel?
What should I clean my weathertech matts with?
Does anyone have a problem with the lip of the mats deforming?

Jetfire

iTrader: (3)

Just as a precaution, I like to cover the battery and alternator with plastic. Just avoid water on there as well. I just give them wipedown from dust. The rest of the engine bay is fine to hose and wash.

Putting sealant on wheels is worth it. Gives more shine, less crud getting stuck to them. Protects against elements. Same reasons you would use sealant on paint.

You should apply leatherique to your steering wheel as well.

A good APC like meg's APC in 10:1 dilution is good for cleaning the weathertech mats.

I'm guessing you have the Weathertech digital liners. The lips on mine curl inward. I just use a heatgun briefly to reshape them. Works fine for me.

PondScum

My guess is your paint polishing step will be insufficient. That Blackfire GEP is about a 1 on this chart: http://www.auto-geek.net/charts/wax-chart.pdf. Have you already had a good look at your paint and determined that this is what is needed? Even pros wait until the car is clean and clayed and do a test patch before deciding on what products are required.

Second, I don't know what you're trying to accomplish with the Tech Wax over the Blackfire sealant. If you like the looks of the NXT Tech Wax just use it by itself. My experience with that Blackfire sealant is that it has pretty short longevity, so you're not gaining anything by putting it underneath the Tech Wax. Just put on two layers of the Tech Wax if that is what you like.