Pictures from the Auburn, Indiana Roadshow Car Detailing Class
From this point forward, I will share pictures, in order they were taken, from this class. This shows the order of the topics we cover and thus the order of the tools, products and techniques shared in a normal 2-day class.
First - I take pride in starting a class on time. There is a TON of work that goes into a REAL hands-on car detailing class that no one sees. It starts back at Autogeek's headquarters and culminates at the location where if everything goes right, the class starts on Saturday morning and starts on time.
This includes the efforts by a lot of other people have done their part, including all my co-workers here at Autogeek our host, his staff and students who show up the day before class and then myself, un-packing the pallet of totes and setting all the tools, pads, products and supplies out on tables for use. THEN after all this takes place, early Saturday morning someone has to get the donuts and do any final prep work and then.... the class starts!
Now this is what ON TIME looks like. Today will be 6:30am to 6:30pm with about 15 to 20 minutes for a lunch break and that's all the break time there will be. And the reason for this is due to the ENOURMOUS volume of tools and topics you get to learn and gets hands-on time with at our classes. There's simply no way to get through everything with an 8 hour class or even 10 hour class the first day. And certainly no way to get through everything if you're sitting in a chair looking at a screen with a power point presentation.
The first thing I do is the basics, introduce myself, introduce our host, point out where the donuts are and also point out where the restrooms are.
I ask our host, in this class it's Mike Liebing, owner of PRAXIS Detailing, to share his story, how he started out and how he got to where he's at plus anything else he would like to share.
NEXT - as a group, we walk through all the tools and supplies and I share the order in which we'll be working through the tools and various products. I also do things like explain all the different microfiber towels and when and why you will be using one towel over the other. Same thing for the buffing pads. Both these things are important because while we ship a LOT of stuff, we still have to be attentive as we work through all the tools and techniques that the proper commodity products are used in a responsible manner so we don't run out of anything.
Extreme Prep Washing
I don't really like using the word extreme to describe washing a car but in our classes it's SO MUCH MORE than simply washing a car. Most people can wash car, that's not what we're teaching, we're teaching dozens of areas on multiple cars and the correct way to address each area and the correct tools and products to use.
For Saturday - we obtained 3 cars we'll be using in the class to use for extreme prep washing techniques.
Canvas Convertible Tops
I do my best to get a cloth top convertible to each class so I can showcase RaggTopp products and tools and the correct way to carefully wash, clean and dry a cloth top.
This car belongs to the owner of KRUSE Museum and the top is due for a thorough cleaning and re-application of a product that will restore water-proofing, UV protection as well as actually make the top LOOK GOOD again.
Vinyl Restoration
I also try to have a car at each class that has a vinyl convertible top or just a vinyl top or even vinyl tonneau cover so I can showcase 303 Protectant products for properly and correctly washing, cleaning and then protecting vinyl tops. This 1960s era Lincoln Continental has a vinyl top and it was dirty, dull and lifeless looking. This class is going to fix that. Also - the entire paint job on this car was filled with HOLOGRAMS.
EXTREME show car makeover
This 1940 Buick is part of a car collection that has been stored for 25+ years. The entire collection will be auctioned off. Mike Liebing obtained permission from the owner to allow our class to bring this car back to life.
From storage for so many years, all the cars in this barn-find collection were extremely dirty and while I don't normally wash classics with running water this car was so dirty, especially in the wheel-wells for the front side mounted spare tires, plus just dirty and contaminated overall, I chose to wash this car to showcase multiple tools and products for getting a really dirty car clean before machine polishing.
Lead by example
I never ask my class to do anything I would not personally do. As I told the class,
I wash a LOT of cars an that includes getting on my butt to thoroughly wash wheels and tires. This also gives me the opportunity to show the correct technique to use the following tools to really get wheels and tires clean,
- Speed Master Wheel Brush
- Wheel Woolies Wheel Brushes
- SONAX Wheel Cleaner
- Tuff Shine Tire Cleaner
- Mighty Mini to machine scrub tires
- FLEX Cordless PE14 Rotary Buffer to machine scrub tires
So here's me, doing what I do best - clean someone else's dirty wheels and tires.
After demonstrating all the different tools and products of course I turn the class loose to knock out the rest of the wheels and tires. This is a hands-on class for THEIR hands.
Wheels and tires first and then start at the top and work your way down
I always teach people to knock out the wheels and tires first so you don't have water drying on body panels and also so you don't have to waste time repeating steps. Anyone that's attended any of my classes, read my books, watched Autogeek YouTube videos or read any of my articles or replies to questions on the Autogeek forum, (this thing your on right now), knows the reasoning behind this practice.
Washing a cloth top
Before starting we go over the dos and don't for washing a cloth top and then use RaggTopp Fabric and Vinyl Cleaner to clean the cloth top.
After spraying the cloth top down with the RaggTopp cleaner, the class then uses the RaggTopp and Haartz Convertible top brushes to safely scrub the cloth fibers that make-up the top.
RaggTopp Fabric/Vinyl Cleaner: Endorsed by the world's largest manufacturer of convertible tops. car top care, auto convertible top cleaner, ragg
After thoroughly rinsing, the blotting technique is shared and the reason WHY to use the blotting technique and then the class uses Guzzler HD drying chamois to safely dry the water off and out of the top via capillary action.
Next car....
Back to wheels and tires first
This car has full cover hubcaps and whitewall tires, so we go over tools, products and techniques for these types of wheels and tires.
NOTE: Class - as you read this - remember what we learned about breaking off rubber valve stems and how to avoid this issue.
Properly cleaning a vinyl top
303 Multi-Surface Cleaner is a personal favorite cleaner of mine. I shared the story about my vibrant white tennis shoes and how I stained them before driving to work at Barrett-Jackson this year for Detail Fest and how after trying 2 to 3 other name brand cleaners, that didn't work, I used the 303 Multi-Surface Cleaner and it absolutely removed the orange color from the tongue of my brand new tennis shoes.
In the same way, it SUPRE cleans this dirty, extremely neglected vinyl top.
303 Patio Furniture Cleaner, Multi-Surface Cleaner
When was the last time you washed a 1940 Buick?
After the Lincoln Continental we tackled the barn-find 1940 Buick with the very rare dual front side mounts and fender skirts. Cool.
For this the class again had a chance to use a lot of different tool and products.
- Speed Master Wheel Brush
- Wheel Woolies Wheel Brushes
- SONAX Wheel Cleaner
- Tuff Shine Tire Cleaner
- Mighty Mini to machine scrub tires
- FLEX Cordless PE14 Rotary Buffer to machine scrub tires
Here's Mike using both SONAX and Tuff Shine to spray down the wheels and tires....
The rest of the class is spraying down the entire exterior with the SONAX Fallout Remover
Here's Mike, (I think we had 4 Mikes in the class including myself and our host Mike Liebing), using the FLEX Cordless PE14 to machine scrub these very old and oxidized tires.
We had the privilege of having Chris Metcalf from FLEX on hand to help out and answer any questions about FLEX tools!
If you want to get your tires clean and I mean REALLY CLEAN - you simply cannot beat machine cleaning.
Here's the link to just one of my articles on machine cleaning tires....
How to machine scrub tires using the Cordless FLEX PE14
Chemical Decontamination
Most people think of an Iron Remover when talking about chemical decontamination and iron removers are chemical decontaminants. I show SONAX Fallout Remover, it's more of a wide-spectrum chemical fallout remover PLUS it will remove iron contamination.
Here's Ronnie, who flew all the way out from California to take this class, using the Mighty Mini with a Cyclo Aqua brush attached to machine scrub the tires and even the hubcap.
Mighty Mini Cordless Polisher
Here's Justin spraying down the 1940 Buick....
Yep - that's exactly what it looks like - barn find bird poop being dissolved off the car - if you look carefully you can see portions of it must contain iron and portions of it are turning red.
Foam Gun Washing
While I live the foam cannon because it creates thicker foam that clings and dwells longer, when I have 15 to 25 people in a class I don't like the trip hazard and clumsiness of having a Pressure Washer in the wash bay, thus I tend to show the foam gun instead.
Foam gun - use with a garden hose
Foam Cannon - use with a pressure washer
Plus from a marketing point of view, more people own a garden hose than own a pressure washer. Get the type that you want here,
Foam Guns
Foam Cannons
Also note the Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitts - my favorite for Prep Washing
On Autogeek.com
RaggTopp Fabric/Vinyl Cleaner
RaggTopp Premium Convertible Top Brush
303 Multi-Surface Cleaner 16 oz
303 Multi-Surface Cleaner 32 oz
Heavy-Duty DA Carpet Brush – Long Bristles
Heavy-Duty DA Carpet Brush – Short Bristles
Wheel Woolies Boar’s Hair Wheel Brush
TUF SHINE Tire Cleaner 22 ounce
SONAX Wheel Cleaner Full Effect
FLEX PE-150 Cordless Rotary Polisher
Mighty Mini Cordless Polisher
2 Pack Cyclo Polisher Grey Ultra Soft Upholstery Brush
Cobra Guzzler HD Waffle Weave Drying Towel - 16 x 24 inches
3 Pack The Supreme Guzzler Waffle Weave Towels - 20 x 40 inches
Autogeek Half Gallon Foam Gun
Not shown but used extensively in the class
Nanoskin Towels
Nanoskin Wash Mitts
Micro-Chenille Wash Mitt 4-Pack
icture: 
3000W Peak 2000Watt Continuous
