Cleaning agents

[ejin4499]

So I've been working on the interior of my blue bomber and have been blown away at how effective (and cheap) simple ammonia and a wet vac is at getting stains and crap out of the upholstery and the carpet.

I was wondering what everyone else uses on the inside and outside of your trucks.

I figure its gotta be everything from whatever scrapes of a tree or rock or some pretty cool products.

[Cuong Nguyen]

Lots of hot water and towels.

 

I soak the towel in hot water, damp the seats, and it lifts off many years of dirt caked into the fabric. Rinse and repeat until the towel doesn't pick up anymore. Armor All the dash.

 

The exterior is a lost cause for me but I use to wash and wax her religiously. With 3M and Meguiars cleaning products and cheat tire shine with UV protectant.

[rydsno]

I used to do quite a bit of detailing, and i definitely agree with 3M and Meguiars cleaning products. One thing i'd never recommend though, is armor all for anything. Especially your dash. Armor all is known for cracking dashes, attracting a crap load of dust, and drying things out. Also, unless you enjoy staring at the reflection of your dash in your windshield while you're driving, don't shine your dash, period. Dashes are meant to be flat finish, for that reason. Most people don't know that. Go to your local autobody supply and pick up some satin finish interior dressing.

 

As far as cleaners go, simple green is your friend. Wheels, engine, interior, exterior, smell remover, everything. Biodegradable too. Methyl Hydrate (aka, gas line antifreeze) is the best tree sap remover around, won't harm your paint and way cheaper than buying crappy products for lots of money that claim to do the same thing.

Use a light solvent/paint prep for tar removal, and the good old 3M clay bar for everything else.

 

[NextToAlaska]

Its been raining here everyday for about a month and a half so i havnt cleaned my truck in a long time =( I wash my truck pretty religiously when its going to be nice out, Turtle Wash Zip Wax is probably some of the best car wash ive ever used in my life and its on the cheaper end of the price tag.(also gives a nice shine, Coupled with the Mothers clay bar and it looks quite sexy) I started using a walmart brand trim shine and love the wet look it gives my Plastic trim. Tire Shine i always go for the turtle wax spray foam and wipe it off imediataly then re-apply.

 

Interior i spend a very long time on. My front seats come out and I vac every nook and cranny I can. Then Windex auto everything to get the dust and grime off.

 

Final Touches are Meguires spray and wipe interior shine and a Vanilla Air freshener =D.

 

The problem with a Tan interior is that you notice the grime and dust so fast =(

[94 Pathy]

I 2nd Simple Green. I had the engine & engine compartment looking like it rolled off the assembly line. I wish I would've taken before & after pics for proof.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Zombie thread!

But yeah, I don't always wash my truck, but when I do, Simple Green and a rag does the job. Gotta find something better for pitch, though.

[nunya]

Why must people emphasize an old thread, it just means either someone was searching around and found something they would like to add to or caught an intriguing thread in the "related" results that show up at the bottom sometimes (on mobile so I don't see them right now). Remember, we are FOR searching around here!

[Alkorahil]

I second Simple Green and Meguires

[Nefarious]

I used to do quite a bit of detailing, and i definitely agree with 3M and Meguiars cleaning products. One thing i'd never recommend though, is armor all for anything. Especially your dash. Armor all is known for cracking dashes, attracting a crap load of dust, and drying things out. Also, unless you enjoy staring at the reflection of your dash in your windshield while you're driving, don't shine your dash, period. Dashes are meant to be flat finish, for that reason. Most people don't know that. Go to your local autobody supply and pick up some satin finish interior dressing.

 

As far as cleaners go, simple green is your friend. Wheels, engine, interior, exterior, smell remover, everything. Biodegradable too. Methyl Hydrate (aka, gas line antifreeze) is the best tree sap remover around, won't harm your paint and way cheaper than buying crappy products for lots of money that claim to do the same thing.

Use a light solvent/paint prep for tar removal, and the good old 3M clay bar for everything else.

 

http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/smile.gif

I was just going to say simple green or methyl hydrate depending what you are cleaning. I use simple green for grease and oil in engine bays and for cleaning carpetd in the interior and use methyl hydrate for cleaning off things like dried on tree sap and the likes on the exterior paint and plastic. They work fantastic.

 

for car shampoo and polish/wax I use mothers or Meguiars.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Nefarious

[CDN_S4]

For the interior I use Turtle carpet cleaner as well as Resolve for the carpets. Just because it isn't marketed as a car product, it still works just as good in cars as in houses. I use a hollow plastic pipe to get it foaming and agitate to lift the deep down dirt. Works extremely well. For the dash I simply use Tub O Towels to wipe everything down with, followed by a micro fiber cloth to get rid of streaks and gloss and vacuum vacuum vacuum.

 

The exterior: Pressure washer followed by foam gun, followed by pressure washer. Then 2 bucket wash with wash mitts, sometimes with Meguiars, sometimes other soaps. I also use chemical guys products and auto finesses, which are higher end products but work extremely well. I have all these for my other cars, so I tend to use the cheaper soaps and products for the pathfinder as it will be getting dirty again. The pressure wash again, then dry off with a leaf blower. Then comes the wax or NuFinish, which works really well to restore shine and protect the finish. The wax or Nufinish is not going on every time though, just when the water no longer beads. RainX for the windows all the way, I love that stuff.

 

And since every thread is better with pics:

 

 

 

[Terranovation]

I always rinse first to remove as much road grime as possible, then 2nd spray on car wash solution with slight rubbing with a car sponge. The sponge must be clean with no sand in it so you don't get scratches. An old tootbrush and spray with degreaser works wonders on the mag wheels. Chamois the paintwork dry but leave the windows wet. An old beach towel is perfect for drying the glass. For polishing I have been using this awesome BMW 3M polish. It has an orange peel scent to it and it lightly blends in minor scratches and leaves a wet look shine. Water beads on the surface like tiny balls of water, but after a drive they blow straight off without leaving water spots, it's amazing stuff. If you apply polish with a slightly damp cloth, it goes on smoother. Buff with a clean old tshirt or terry towelling shirt. Remove the buttons to avoid scratches!

On my dash I just fill an old ice cream container with warm water, soak the chamois in it then wring out. Wipe the dash and all I'm doing is wiping the dust off. For the clear plastic on the speedo, you want to just dab the plastic screen, don't wipe it. By dabbing, you are absorbing the dust off, without wiping and possibly scratching it up.

[Terranovation]

Oh and if you use aluminum foil dipped in water, rub the foil on your chrome bars and be amazed at how well it cleans up!