Clean inside door panel.

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E93to

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Hello.

I would like to know how I can clean inside parts of door panels and rocker panels (the painted parts that are not exposed to outside).

Can I just use APC and cloth, and wiped it down? Or do I have to use degreaser only? I will also be applying wax or sealant on these parts as well.

Also, I learned I have to clean crevices between rubber sills and metal panels. Can I also use APC using Q-Tips? And then apply 303 Aerospace Protectant for protection?

Thanks in advance
 
E93to said:
Hello.

I would like to know how I can clean inside parts of door panels and rocker panels (the painted parts that are not exposed to outside).

Can I just use APC and cloth, and wiped it down? Or do I have to use degreaser only? I will also be applying wax or sealant on these parts as well.

Also, I learned I have to clean crevices between rubber sills and metal panels. Can I also use APC using Q-Tips? And then apply 303 Aerospace Protectant for protection?

Thanks in advance
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You can use APC for the 1st time or even diluted degreaser if it looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in forever.. From then on you can get away with using rinseless wash solution from a spray bottle or a bucket if you prefer it that way. A quik wipe down after a bucket wash brings it back to looking great.

You could even use a spray wax in place of the rinseless wash, but the 1st time use whatever you need to use to get the initial cleaning done. From there maintenance is easy as long as you stay on top of it.

And yea 303 Protectant should work well to maintain the weatherstripping looking, feeling, and performing like new for a very long time. I use Hyper Dressing.
 
For the doors and rocker panels/kick plates I simply spray a folded microfiber towel with either rinseless wash or spray wax and wipe down. Thats for vehicles that are well maintained.

If it’s a full on dirty vehicle I use APC for the wipedown and go from there.

As far as applying the protectant/dressing onto the weatherstripping, I use a round microfiber applicator and spray it a couple of times with product and just wipedown the rubber weatherstripping, making sure to not leave any excess. As far as the rubber hoses inside the door jambs, I use an aerosol spray dressing, Meguiars D4510 Plastic & Vinyl Coating for those hard to reach areas.
 
Thanks for your reply. Really informative and helpful.

I always wipe those parts with MF towels after car wash (hand-wash, of course). It is always wet there, so as I wipe those parts with wet MF towels, they are always clean.

I was just wondering how to better-protect my car as it is getting old now. I guess applying actual sealant or wax on those painted parts is an overkill? Would it suffice to just use spray wax like Armor All Ultimate Quik Wax?
 
Also, Gummi Pflege works well for rubber door seals.
 
E93to said:
I was just wondering how to better-protect my car as it is getting old now. I guess applying actual sealant or wax on those painted parts is an overkill? Would it suffice to just use spray wax like Armor All Ultimate Quik Wax?
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That’s where my supply of spray wax gets used the most. I use the equivalent to Ultimate Spray Wax that’s sold in gallon size - Megs D156 Synthetic Spray Wax.
It wipes away any remaining water spots and leaves a smooth shiny and protected door jamb.
 
303, Wurth, and Nextzett make protectants for rubber seals in a lipstick type applicator that make applying the protectant a breeze. Everyone should have this in their Detailing arsenal. Just makes life easier.
 
rlmccarty2000 said:
303, Wurth, and Nextzett make protectants for rubber seals in a lipstick type applicator that make applying the protectant a breeze. Everyone should have this in their Detailing arsenal. Just makes life easier.
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Exactly.
 
We typically use a terry towel and some APC to clean them if they're really grimy and on cars we regularly maintain or cars with clean jambs, like others have suggested, we use a clean microfiber "jamb" towel (CG Red Supra) and some spray wax to touch them up.
 
If they have never been cleaned before you will probably have to use an APC to remove the grime. After that I just use a detail spray made with Wolfgang Uber and a microfiber towel. I hit the seals with 303 but that lipstick type applicator sounds interesting. That might have to be next on the list.
 
Can I also use APC to clean interior (dashboard, rubber/plastic/vinyl parts, etc)? I think I read before that APC shouldn't be used to clean interior, but not sure...
 
mrq0604 said:
Can I also use APC to clean interior (dashboard, rubber/plastic/vinyl parts, etc)? I think I read before that APC shouldn't be used to clean interior, but not sure...
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APC can be used to clean the interior but make sure that you properly dilute the cleaner to a safe level. Most stains are acidic in nature and in turn most cleaners are alkaline. In concentrate, most cleaners have a pH level of 12 or 13. Diluted 10:1 or 20:1 usually makes the cleaners safer for delicate surfaces like leather or vinyl. It also depends on how bad the stain is. For just a light dusting/cleaning of the dash and console, a higher dilution will work fine.
Fabrics and carpets should only be treated with cleaners formulated for fabrics.
 
UncleDavy said:
APC can be used to clean the interior but make sure that you properly dilute the cleaner to a safe level. Most stains are acidic in nature and in turn most cleaners are alkaline. In concentrate, most cleaners have a pH level of 12 or 13. Diluted 10:1 or 20:1 usually makes the cleaners safer for delicate surfaces like leather or vinyl. It also depends on how bad the stain is. For just a light dusting/cleaning of the dash and console, a higher dilution will work fine.
Fabrics and carpets should only be treated with cleaners formulated for fabrics.
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Interior is super clean... It's just that 303 Protectant that I applied on the dash several months ago is still on it. I would like to remove it, and reapply it against properly so it's not shiny
 
mrq0604 said:
Interior is super clean... It's just that 303 Protectant that I applied on the dash several months ago is still on it. I would like to remove it, and reapply it against properly so it's not shiny
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In that case I would just use a weak APC or just plain water. Some guys get good results with a rinsless wash solution like ONR or Wolfgang Uber.
 
UncleDavy said:
In that case I would just use a weak APC or just plain water. Some guys get good results with a rinsless wash solution like ONR or Wolfgang Uber.
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Well, I clean the interior of my car weekly with damp cloth. And oftentimes I wipe down the entire interior with Lysol wipes. Last week I used up 8 bottles... 8 months later, 303 Protectant is still on the dash! I know this because I missed a spot in the corner when I applied 303 8 months ago.

I also tried Einszett Cockpit Premium but no luck.

At least my dash and other vinyl parts are protected from hot sun (my car is a convertible)
 
Final question before I detail my car tomorrow...

Here are the major things I will be doing in a nutshell:

Wash -> Iron X -> claybar -> IPA wipedown.

Do I have to clean the car (2-bucket with carwash soap) after IPA wipedown? Or can I just go ahead with sealant and wax?

Thanks in advance
 
mrq0604 said:
Final question before I detail my car tomorrow...

Here are the major things I will be doing in a nutshell:

Wash -> Iron X -> claybar -> IPA wipedown.

Do I have to clean the car (2-bucket with carwash soap) after IPA wipedown? Or can I just go ahead with sealant and wax?

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

If it was me I’d do the Iron X 1st on dry paint, followed by a rinse, then a bucket wash, then clay, skip the IPA.
 
mrq0604 said:
And oftentimes I wipe down the entire interior with Lysol wipes. Last week I used up 8 bottles... 8 months later, 303 Protectant is still on the dash!
Click to expand...

I don’t quite understand what you’re trying to say here.

And why do you use Lysol wipes on the car? I would think they’re better left for cleaning up the bathroom instead of your car.
 
Eldorado2k said:
If it was me I’d do the Iron X 1st on dry paint, followed by a rinse, then a bucket wash, then clay, skip the IPA.
Click to expand...

I would like to make sure I completely removed wax and sealant. Oftentimes clay doesn't completely remove wax...
 
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