Am a noob and plan on getting an s2k when I am 17 in half a year (Parents want me to drive a safe car if they are paying for insurance and the firebird and all doesn't pass, s2k has 4 star front 5 star side )

Anyways this isn't really about an s2k, but heck I figure I might as well practice cleaning now so when I get a car I love (like the s2k) I know how these things work. Plus washing and waxing is pretty much the same for most cars, just changes with different materials like chrome and all.

So cleaning the carpets, Milk leaked in transport in my passenger side and I got it all out by using "Tuff Stuff Multi-Purpose Foam Cleaner (Fabric, Carpet, Vinyl)" and than half a week later it still smelled so I did a second cleaning of the floor mat and the smell is no longer there. Anyways, I was surprised to find using cotton wash cloths it took me about 3 to clean a single floor mat and was wondering if this was normal? Also, what would you recommend for washing the carpet inside? Tuff Stuff cleans the dirt and all up pretty good but was wondering if there was any products you guys loved . (Am going to wash my car this afternoon and gonna make a run to Pep Boys about noon probably to pick up some supplies)

Also, for the wheels I think I saw in the how-to cleaning thread stickied that the guy used a brush on his wheels in the video I think? Will that scratch them? Also, would you recommend starting off the wash by cleaning the wheels with a different mitt and continuing at the end of the wash to spray on something like brake dust remover? (You are supposed to spray on and wash off but I didn't realize you were supposed to wash it off the car with a mitt and all) Basically I was going through like 3 microfibers on the wheels getting all the brake dust off so gonna try washing it today.

Also, Tire Spray. I've tried tire spray, but is it worth it? I mean you can't really get the side of the tire facing under the car, and its hard to make sure you get the tire that is touching the ground while parked :S.

Tips and links to threads would be awesome. Thanks for the tips in advance!
(Yeah I am a noob which I have a year of driving a Rav 4 that leaves a real empty feeling after wasting 2 hours on cleaning, but hey its practice lol. Better to learn this stuff now than scratch up a car you really like . I feel like a noob because I just realized recently you also wash the windows with your mitt >.<)

 

No responses :\

What should I add to my supplies?

Got 1 Wool Mitt for washing, (Junky Microfiber Mitt in the garage, prob use for the wheels)
About 5 medium Micro Fiber cloths
1 large waffle weave
1 tire brush

Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner
Black Magic Wax
Invisible Glass
Wheel Cleaner (Running Low)
Tuff Stuff for carpets and all
A few misc. products

What else should I get? I am thinking another waffle weave and a wheel brush. What should I buy for the interior cleaning and all? Should I buy some stuff like Zaino?

 

am on the road and cant get a detail response-
but check out the how tos at the top of our board for some great info on general type questions...

 

Meg's car soap is good for the money. get yourself a sheepskin wah mitt. Get NXT 2.0 or meg's gold class liquid wax. invisible glass is what I use. plenty of microfiber towels to remove products. Waffle weaves are nice for drying. 1 big one should be enough to dry the S. Stoner's tire shine for the tires.

If you are willing to order online, order from Detailer's Domain. Lots of great stuff on there, and the service can't be beat. Wash items, waxes, etc have there own section, so it will help you decide on what to buy.

 

Invest in some sort of carpet extractor or shop-vac to really clean the carpets.

Being able to soak the floor mats with a good APC (All Purpose Cleaner) and then blast rinse it with the hose followed by extracting leaves them really clean and only slightly damp.

I like Megs GC soap a lot. It's inexpensive, easy to get local, and works very well.

More microfibers are always a good thing. You can never have too many. I think Detailers Domain is still having their 30% Uber sale until 7/26? Great way to stock up on their towels. I love the 16x16 reds. Every time I order from him I find myself adding 20-25 more MFs.

One tire product I've found to work pretty good is Meguiars Foaming Tire Shine. I don't quite follow the directions. I clean the tires using the left-over wash water, then I hit them with the foam and scrub them down with a cotton terry towel before the foam dissolves. It leaves a nice black finish without being too shiny. I've also come to find that after a week in the dusty climate here, I can just wet the tires, swipe them with a terry towel and they look *almost* as good as the first time. The stuff lasts for a decently long time.

That will also partially solve your problem of hitting the bottom of the tire that is against the ground. The foam will creep a little and coat it a tiny bit.

For the wheels I have the spoke brush from Detailers Domain and like it for getting the insides of the rim. For the face, I usually just use an old wash mitt since my wheels have never built up brake dust enough to need anything but a wipe-down.

 

Depends on the brush. Find one with a covered tip and make sure that it isn't possible for the wire of the brush to scratch.

I just wash my car often enough that the regular car wash soap mix easily removes the brake dust. With the AP2 brake pads the wheels need frequent cleaning (more often than the rest of the car).

Worth is always subjective. I just use the same car wash soap to clean and then 303. If you find it worthwhile then use it.


A lot of how each person handles washing, waxing etc is a matter of personal preference. You'll have to figure it out yourself on those matters.

 

Both excellent tips from Sabre. I've got mountains of MF but Phil's sale was too good - way too good - to turn away from. I was skeptical, but the "good stuff" really is better than the Costco stuff. Seriously.

I've got a several years old Ridgid 6.5HP shop vac, and in addition to being a great tool for detailing, it's wonderful all around the house and garage. If you, like me, get a lot of bugs and leaves in your garage in late summer and fall, just use the shop vac to clean the whole floor. Mine converts easily into a leaf blower too - good in the yard obviously, but also great for blowing dry all those little cracks and crevices in a freshly washed car.

Your neighbors will all think you're a nutjob.