Door Handle and Tire Cleaning

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FinraExam

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I was wondering how you guys clean your door handles, and the keyholes. I have an older tl that I love the body of compared to the newer ones, and all the door handles have something like a chrome finish (pic below) though I'm not sure what's underneath it. The handle itself has some swirls so I was wondering if I should use some optimum metal polish since its BOGO to remove the swirls by hand since using a 3401 would seem unreasonable, and the keyholes are just nasty looking. I was wondering how you guys keep them clean or restore them. I can't wait till spring arrives so that I can work on the car, so this is how I keep myself busy. :hungry:

As for tires, I was wondering what you guys would recommend for a degreaser that would be safe if splattered on chrome rims, which are already sealed with fk1000p. I just learned that its best to degrease the tires and then add dressing so that the dressing is absorbed more by the rubber.:doh: At least I'm learning.....
0172-045-door-handle-480.jpg
 
I'm not quite sure what you mean by door handles, but, if you're talking about the chrome on the handle and the paint underneath, I would just wash it with your wash shampoo at the same time you clean the door.

For the tires I use Meguiar's APC (green stuff because it foams better) at 7:1. It is good for wheel wells and tires and even the wheels themself if you don't want to use a wheel cleaner and the shampoo won't clean them easily enough.

I also use an OXO-Good Grips tire scrub brush to scrub the tires. Unfortunately they don't make this brush anymore :(
 
Oh what I meant by whats underneath it was what's underneath the chrome finish, like a cars paint with clear coat, paint, primer, etc. It has swirl marks on it that I want to remove, but don't know if I can use something like m105/205, ultimate compound or the metal polish to remove them.
 
M105 on a hand polishing pad should make quick work of it. You can follow it up with m205 on another pad with no cut.
 
This is the applicator I use with Scratch X, Megs Diamond cut,or Megs 105 and then finish it with Megs 205. It has a cutting side and a polishing side.


 
Thanks for the recommendations! I'll try those hand polish applicators with some 105/205, the double sided one's do look cool though. I'll post pics if i remember later on
 
If your keyhole looks something like. How would you clean that....use a tire brush that goes in the tight areas and just go at it with a degreaser or APC? Then polish it with some metal polish?
1689869884_6ef45cdad1.jpg
 
Re: door locks - get a good round boar's hair brush like the one linked below. There are different sets out there if you want numerous brushes for different applications. I use a large diameter brush for wheels, a slightly smaller brush for the grills on my cars and around nooks, door jambs and emblems, and several smaller brushes for the interior.

Just spray a little APC in the key hole (just the outside face, not into the mechanism) the gently scrub away. You can also dip the brush into your car wash bucket and use that if the grime isn't too severe.

1" Round Detail Brush
 
For very small and hard to reach areas of the metal parts of the doorhandle, here is my procedure.

Klasse AIO and a Q-tip ! that product is an effective chemical cleaner/polish/protection. But more-so, is a powerful cleaner. AG has a great price on the small 300ml bottle !

Klasse AIO, klasse all in one 10 ounce, klasse all in one polish, klasse acrylic polish

This bottle will last a LONG time if you are using it for spot cleaning.

Also, here is a set of VERY effective detailing sticks

Cotton Detailing Sticks


For TIRES, nothing is better than this, IMO :

Even works VERY well diluted 3:1.

Optimum Power Clean™ All Purpose Cleaner 128 oz. Refill

Optimum Power Clean All Purpose Cleaner 17 oz.
 
I like using a tire and rim cleaner myself . I have clearcoated rims on my F-150 and have found that BF rim and tire cleaner works great as well as SSG beyond steel wheel cleaner. They both have not harmed my clearcoat and require very little agitation to clean dirty rims and tires.
 
For the keyholes, patience. Use a very small brush. Large brushes will end up hitting paint and they will scratch it. Q-tips might also be necesary. Pressure washer halps sometimes, but patience is the key.

If you search for our Oldsmobile 442 thread you can see how we took care of some nasty keyholes. I think the 135i thread might have a good sequence of pics as well, and I'm sure many others. Marc is to keyholes what I am to door jambs, and he spends mucho time on them. Sorry for saying to search, posting from the mobile devices, so I can't link to such pics :(
 
I just use a little bit of tape for the keyholes. It saves me a lot of time in the long run.
 
Thanks for the advice! I found a few oldsmobile threads but one of them was done by mike, and the other one the pics aren't showing up. I'll try the brush and Q-tip first.
 
I haven't tried this but it seems to me that an electric tooth brush with the round heads would be perfect for the key hole area. Probably some other areas as well
 
APC 10:1 and a toothbrush. Make sure the surrounding paint is happy with APC on it.
 
Just ordered Megs APC D103 along with some other BOGO items so i'll try it out soon!
 
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