Steam on the paint

[frankprozzoly]

I watched a guy clean a car with his steamer. The video was from a jay lenos garage episode. What do you guys think of that method

[LSNAutoDetailing]

I'll preface with stating I've never done it. And if I did, it would be under very special circumstances. I quoted a guy with a 1969 Camaro SS which he had since 1972, he purchased it from his neighbor, who bought it new in 69. The car was repainted once in 1975 and he has done nothing with the car as far as cleaning or detailing since.

When I met him he was wiping it down with paper towels. The age of the paint and condition of the weather seals were as such that I would use steam to clean the car, as not to disturb the deteriorated, cracking, dry weather stripping. Had anyone decided to hose the car down, they would be simultaneously cleaning the interior as well, unintentionally.

Since the owner wanted to keep the integrity of the car (original, with original wear and tear quality), after the steam clean, I would then follow Mike Phillips path of a #7 rub followed by some Pinnacle Paste Sourveran or Megs #26.

It's a good approach under certain circumstances. It is a lengthy approach because you have to work in small sections. Generally used for a barn find of an all original, classic with single stage paint where the paint is deteriorated, the rubber window seals and gaskets are dry, cracked and could easily fall apart and the emblems are no longer sharply fastened to the body panels.

It's a slow as it goes, gingerly approach. You'll go through a lot of MF towels, or 100% high grade terry towels as you'll want to wrap those around the steam head nozzle.

On a modern car with clear-coat and good weather seals, I would not find it necessary. In other words... it's a project.

[medicscott]

Works great if you have a commercial steamer with high psi and you need to do it indoors. Takes me about 30 min to do a normal sized car. I only do this in the winter. Use plenty of fresh towels for each panel and go slow. Works awesome for rims also. If you have a $300 steamer don't even try. Need a big boy.

[vanev]

Steam clean is a great way to go.

You by no means need an expensive heavy duty steamer.
Unless you use a steam clean approach for every vehicle you clean, and clean hundreds of vehicles a year, you will be just fine with a budget steamer.
Even a hand held steamer can do a fantastic job.

Steam clean is not a magic answer.
It just offers an approach that other tools and methods cannot.
Like anything else, there is a few minutes of set up time and take down time, but nothing that is really noticeable.

Also:
I watched that same video you referenced in your OP.
The technique and towel method displayed in the video is all wrong.
You cannot implement a wipe all over approach with towels to a dirty panel no matter how wet or saturated with lubricant the panel is.

You have to implement single passes, constantly flipping the towel to a clean side, starting at the top of the panel and working your way down.
This can take one to two towels per panel to completely remove the dirt.
Once the panel is free of dirt, then a wipe all over approach is fine for whatever your follow up applications are.

[Mike Phillips]

While I haven't tried to use either our Dupray or our new MyTee Steam Cleaners to clean the outside of a car my first thought is simply under normal circumstances, that is if you have running water like a water hose, or if you have access to a rinseless wash or waterless wash, then any of these 3 alternatives will work as well and probably better than trying to clean scratch-sensitive clearcoats with steam.

Part of what keeps the paint from getting scratches is the lubrication from water, wash soap, rinseless wash or waterless wash. Lubricity is provided by the liquid.

With steam you're lacking in lubricity. You have HOT steam and hot steam is great for loosening dirt but that's different than providing lubrication.






You have to implement single passes, constantly flipping the towel to a clean side, starting at the top of the panel and working your way down.



The same idea with using a rinseless wash or a waterless wash. That is you need to use a LOT of towels to avoid scratching the paint.

One thing for sure... a good test of how well a steam cleaner cleans a clearcoated car would be for someone to take their dirty, but perfectly polished black car and then use a steam cleaner to wipe her clean and then inspect the paint.


It's a good idea to always be open to new products and techniques. Steam cleaning the paint on a car might just be the best thing next to sliced bread.


:)

[FUNX650]

Before I comment on the veracity
of this detailing process:

I'd first like to check and see how many vehicles
from his vast collection that Mr. Leno has allowed
to be detailed using the "steam cleaning method".


Bob

[Ricorocks]

When you guys talk steam is it straight steam, or steam & water. I remember in an old steam plant, we had a steam Lantz, which used live steam & water (injector). Straight steam did not clean well, until you got the flow. Just curious!

[frankprozzoly]

You'll have to check out the video. It didn't look very safe to me. Like mike mentioned there was no lubrication used . Another guy mentioned how you'd have to be careful about the cleanliness of the towel

[vanev]

To be clear, I almost never use only the steam to clean, when using a steam cleaner.
I am always using some form of lubrication, or cleaner in tandem with some form of lubrication.
Should also be noted to never apply a dry towel to the paint / or clear coat in the washing process.
Saturating the towel in a clean bucket of water or rinseless washing solution is recommended.

[CarolinasFinestDetailing]

When I lived in Upstate NY, I used steam to break up nasty salted areas when it was too cold to even pre rinse vehicle outside. I would follow up with MF towels soaked in ONR rinseless water.

[215Detailing]

ok so lubricity how about a ONR or UBER RINSELESS technique as in spray a panel let it soak, the hit with steamer with water injection mode like as in a waterless technique

[GSKR]

Works great if you have a commercial steamer with high psi and you need to do it indoors. Takes me about 30 min to do a normal sized car. I only do this in the winter. Use plenty of fresh towels for each panel and go slow. Works awesome for rims also. If you have a $300 steamer don't even try. Need a big boy.

I looked at one 4 years ago I think it was 5k.