Share useful and weird tips

Zelfiris said:
3. Use a damp MF towel when drying, it absorbs water easier more than a dry MF towel. You can go over it with a dry towel after for buffing
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I like this one. I use a waterless wash spritz on the damp MF towel as a lubricant sometimes depending on the LSP. Just damp with water works too. When you use this method only one drying towel is needed and it comes out pristine ... no smudges of dirt. I use a lot of the other ideas here as well but this one is the least used tip from what I read and works great. I have to admit I picked it up from Larry at AMMO. Use a good MF towel at 530 gsm or higher.
 
beamerstrumpet said:
But you will spend 13 to 20 bucks on wax or compound and a bunch of Micro fibers??? They are not that expensive. You can use orange kitchen gloves and you can get many uses out of 1 pair.
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Thanks for not understanding my point, let me lay it out in simpler terms...

Why would I want to spend one cent more then I already have? You are right, $13 here, $20 there IS peanuts, but when you add sum of all parts, detail supplies add up quick. A fool and his money shall soon part.

My old 4' paint brush (that I HAD) works great. The brush applies clean and even and also get inside the ridge between the rim and tire. The block sponge applicator just does NOT, you have to press down to get in there.

Along with the country crock bucket with lid (that I HAD) there's almost NO wasted product. I pour about a quarter bottle in the bucket at a time my 32oz bottle is going on 8 months.

Now let's recap:
IMO the brush owns the block sponge applicator hands down on tires. Plus my fingers don't get dirty. Plus I don't need gloves or wasted time needed to put on said gloves. Plus it doesn't cost me ANYTHING.

If that's your method great, I'm not knocking you. Ive tried both and gave MY opinion. Maybe you should try a paint brush
 
Hazcat said:
I like this one. I use a waterless wash spritz on the damp MF towel as a lubricant sometimes depending on the LSP. Just damp with water works too. When you use this method only one drying towel is needed and it comes out pristine ... no smudges of dirt. I use a lot of the other ideas here as well but this one is the least used tip from what I read and works great. I have to admit I picked it up from Larry at AMMO. Use a good MF towel at 530 gsm or higher.
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Alternately, damp waffle weave towels + spray wax for drying also works really well. When I do a rinseless wash, I soak the towels in ONR solution, leave the towel damp and proceed to dry.
 
beamerstrumpet said:
But you will spend 13 to 20 bucks on wax or compound and a bunch of Micro fibers??? They are not that expensive. You can use orange kitchen gloves and you can get many uses out of 1 pair.
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and these can be washed and reused clean :xyxthumbs:
But I think you touched a nerve :/
 
KB in MD said:
and these can be washed and reused clean :xyxthumbs:
But I think you touched a nerve :/
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Im the MANIm the MANIm the MAN

Do you think so? I was not being but just a tad of a smart (I), and I made a very valid point. But Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite
jest, of most excellent fancy.

To each their own.
 
LRC3 said:
Thanks for not understanding my point, let me lay it out in simpler terms...

Why would I want to spend one cent more then I already have? You are right, $13 here, $20 there IS peanuts, but when you add sum of all parts, detail supplies add up quick. A fool and his money shall soon part.

My old 4' paint brush (that I HAD) works great. The brush applies clean and even and also get inside the ridge between the rim and tire. The block sponge applicator just does NOT, you have to press down to get in there.

Along with the country crock bucket with lid (that I HAD) there's almost NO wasted product. I pour about a quarter bottle in the bucket at a time my 32oz bottle is going on 8 months.

Now let's recap:
IMO the brush owns the block sponge applicator hands down on tires. Plus my fingers don't get dirty. Plus I don't need gloves or wasted time needed to put on said gloves. Plus it doesn't cost me ANYTHING.

If that's your method great, I'm not knocking you. Ive tried both and gave MY opinion. Maybe you should try a paint brush
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You should go into politics,, with everything you stated defending why you wont buy them, you forgot that you said “ trying those sponge applicators and they always get my fingers dirty”
And really wasted time putting on gloves? Ok if you say so.

I was just pointing out how you can keep your digits clean. Please lighten up and learn to laugh.
 
this is a really awesome thread for newbies like me. I'm learning so much from reading all of this.
 
I used the 2x4 trick this past weekend. Except I used some 2x6 I had plenty of. I am going to cut 45's on either side of my blocks so the car rolls up on them better and a bit longer, maybe put a stop on the end so it doesn't roll over, IDK, but it was a cool Idea!
 
"rust dust" is a pet peeve of mine. you know, when the rotors rust and then when the car eventually leaves, the dust flies all over the place leaves a light orange film on the wheels.

i have used a few techniques through the years to deal with this but the one i'm using now is the easiest. maybe not the healthiest, but it's effective.

i'll wash the vehicle as normal and when i pull it in for drying, i'll take an electric blower and blow off all of the excess water from the brakes/wheel barrels/faces/tires. i'll dry them really well. i'll dry the rest of the vehicle and do whatever i need to do (just dry, polish, coat, whatever). when it's ready to go out of the door, i'll apply moderate brake pressure and reverse so the wheels turn a couple times. then i'll go forward the same amount. back and forth, slowly, a few times and then pull it in. i'll take my compressed air nozzle and use like 50-60 psi to blow everything out, which forces the dust inward. as long as you do a good job drying everything in the first step, you will notice the rotors will be clean and no dust will be there to fly around

i vacuum the garage before i plan on drying a car again, to make sure all of the rusty dust is gone so i'm not blowing it around when i use the blower to dry the next set of wheels.
 
Why wait till the car is all clean to do that? Why not do it first thing b4 pulling into the garage. that way any dust can be washed off b4 your drying and everything.
 
beamerstrumpet said:
Why wait till the car is all clean to do that? Why not do it first thing b4 pulling into the garage. that way any dust can be washed off b4 your drying and everything.
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the dust forms from rust. the rust forms from rinsing the car and rinsing/washing/rinsing the wheels/barrels/brakes/etc. unless you completely dry everything, if you try to get any rust off with water still anywhere in the wheel or on the brakes, it'll just form rusty water spots and such in the barrels.

with the way i described above, the blower gets all of the water out/off completely and since you are doing it inside the garage, you are not blowing stuff around from the ground and outside all over the freshly washed and still wet vehicle. after you blow all the water off inside and dry the rest of the car, when it comes time to clear the rust off the rotors by dragging the brakes, you just end up with some dry dust in there to disperse easily with the compressed air and none of it will stick to anything because everything is dry.

if you are doing everything outside because you don't have a garage, then just do the same thing to make sure everything (the wheels/barrels/brakes/tires/etc.) is dry, drag the brakes forward and reverse and then hit inner wheels and brakes with air nozzle blasts to get it out of there so it doesn't spread around during your maiden drive after the wash.
 
builthatch said:
"rust dust" is a pet peeve of mine. you know, when the rotors rust and then when the car eventually leaves, the dust flies all over the place leaves a light orange film on the wheels.
.
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I've used Hydes Serum Rust Stopper with great success in countering rust dust. You can find it here at AG. Great thread - Appreciate the tips!
 
1: There is a new product sold here, Hydes Serum Rust Stopper, as the gentleman stated above, to spray rotors so they won't flash rust after washing. Have not used it, but would like to. Auto Finesse Iorn-X gave me a horrible case of flash rust on the rotors.
2: I use a dedicated MF short-pile GLOVE (no lint) to finish taking away any streaks left by even high quality glass cleaners and towels. This one is huge. I covet my glove. Streaks on the windshield bother me a lot more than a dirty interior/exterior.
3: Do not dry car after wash before claying (saves from drying).
4: Keep dressing away from inside window trim to keep from streaking when window is rolled up and down.
5: Keep a can of commpressed air for out-of-reach dust.
6: That rubber dog/cat hair pick-up brush actually works!
7: Make any new purchase of MF towels color coordinated to specific use.
8: Don't fall for the overpriced options of brushes for wheels when they are priced at a third of the cost else wear.
 
i'm familiar with Hyde's but i can't see spending the money on it. per the manufacturer, one bottle should last several applications.

it's too expensive in its current form. if they sold a gallon of concentrate at a reasonable price, i'd think about it. but the way it is now, i'd be blowing through $13 bottles left and right.

if i were a pro and doing a couple $1000+ dollar details every week, that's a different story.
 
I clean the interior first so I'm not tracking water(from washing) into the vehicle as I clean.
Also, I use arm and hammer with oxi clean for carpet cleaning. I mix it in a spray bottle and apply it on the carpet, scrub with a brush, then use my extractor to put a little water down and pull out the soap. I was very impressed with the outcome.
 
I’ve got a few new ones from this weekends wash:

1. Clean your aged pressure washer tips with a wired brush. Thought my pressure wash had gone out when the water didn’t come out/came out very little and sporadic.
2. Use your wash bucket (I have the double buckets with the dolly) to place at the corner of the car/in front of the wheel and run your pressure wash hose on the outside of the bucket...keeps it from getting caught in tire and you don’t have to buy the wheel guard!
3. Buy a 50’ pressure hose so you can reach all around the car without moving the pressure washer. Don't save a few bucks and get a shorter one that will just be a hassle. I got a Simpson and love it.
 
My favorite thing after a long drive or just to prevent bugs etching into the paint if I cannot take the time to do a full wash:
I bought a Worx Hydroshot and source distilled water, then spray off bugs and gunk with no worries about water spotting. It’s battery powered, so I can even throw it in the trunk along with some distilled water for road trips.
I get some weird looks in hotel parking lots, but it’s worth it. Bonus... if your car gets sprayed by a water sprinkler over night, and you catch it in time, you can rinse off with distilled and again, no spotting.
 
Borrow The Kids’ Pool Noodles For Your Garage

Do you hit the garage wall every time you open your car door? Place a pool noodle along the side of the garage, and it will protect your car door from getting dinged on a daily basis.

Keep Your Cup Holders Clean With Cupcake Liners


Add some cupcake liners to your cup holders, and when they start to get dirty, remove and replace them! I recommend silicone ones, which means you can pop them into the dishwasher when they’re in need of a cleaning.
 
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