Super Secret Detailing Tools (shhh!)

[flyingsluzer]

Put away your microfiber, quick detailer, sealants, and wash mitts! Lets talk about the strange, uncommon, maybe even outlandish tools that you use to keep your MINI looking better than when it drove out of the showroom. You know what I mean, the stuff that makes people ask: "why do you have an xyz in your garage?"

For instance, I keep a box of Q-tips in my garage and am constantly finding uses for them. Somehow, I always get bugs stuck between my body panels or in the cells of the air intake under the wiper blades. The Q-tips are perfect for "precision de-bugging".

Come on, give up those secrets..

Discuss!

[rcoopers]

Originally Posted by flyingsluzer

Put away your microfiber, quick detailer, sealants, and wash mitts! Lets talk about the strange, uncommon, maybe even outlandish tools that you use to keep your MINI looking better than when it drove out of the showroom. You know what I mean, the stuff that makes people ask: "why do you have an xyz in your garage?"

For instance, I keep a box of Q-tips in my garage and am constantly finding uses for them. Somehow, I always get bugs stuck between my body panels or in the cells of the air intake under the wiper blades. The Q-tips are perfect for "precision de-bugging".

Come on, give up those secrets..

Discuss!

how about plastic putty knife i have three diff sizes for getting into different sized places or trying to pry something that i do not want any scratches...

[kbseto]

don't know if this is a secret or not but...for those difficult nooks and crannies in the wheels, i find that the old sponge is the most useful. using the very corner tip allows me clean the dirt and crud in the corners of the wheel spokes. areas where the brush just won't ever reach.

or if i really wanna clean it really spiffy, i'lll wrap a wash cloth around my finger and get into those corners.

btw, i have the asa lw5 in white, and i've found that those corners where the spokes meet up to a beveled lip are kinda a pain to clean. and i've used paint brushes, but they don't generate enuff friction force to clean off all the brake dust. good old fashioned hand power with soapy sponge or hand towel seems to work the best for me.

of course, for my paint i still use the dependable 'sheepskin' hand mitt.

[BostonMarkC]

I have a long brush that allows me to clean the inside of the rims easily :smile:

[agranger]

I just bought (Pep Boys) a long bristle detailing brush for the nooks and crannies of the interior (soft 1 inch bristles). The cool part of this is on the other end... a rubber version of an X-acto knife that is fairly firm. It is excellent for removing that last little bit of wax along exterior moulding.

[Bisch]

I cannot confirm, nor deny, that I may have something that may or may not be useful for detailing.

[BradB]

Originally Posted by flyingsluzer

The Q-tips are perfect for "precision de-bugging".

I can do you one better....I use medical swabs. They are like Q-tips on steroids! They have a larger cotton head and are on a 6" stick. I buy them by the box for a couple of bucks at the pharmacy.

Another great tool(s) is an assortment of tiny foam applicators. Get them at the hardware store. They are perfect for applying rubber dressing to window trim and small places without globbing it on the paint or glass.

I also use a foam ended bottle brush for cleaning the INSIDE of my wheels. I can reach inside and behind the rim and spokes easily and I can wipe down the calipers as well.

Oh, oh. I've told too much already.

[BuckeyeMCS]

I have a creamy peanut butter tooth brush

[indygomini]

Cheap foam "paintbrushes" work really well for removing wax and polish from cracks and crevices. The chisel edge on the foam gets in and grabs residue without scratching.

[CooperBeagle]

Ya know the little crack between the handle on the boot hatch door? The part that's chrome on the MINI's and body color on the MCS? Well I notice dust in there which I can get to with an edge of a manilla envelope. But maybe I'll try the tip of a sponge brush... Thanks for the idea.

Godspeed.

[flyingsluzer]

Say one were to have waxed one's MINI with a product that was hydroscopic (look at the things I've learned here ) and left a tiny white outline around the MINI symbol and "Cooper" lettering...

...And say one's "precision Q-tips" were a bit too imprecise for the job of removing said wax residue...

What might one use to scrape that crud off?

...just hypothetically

[agranger]

If it is on black plastic, try some creamy peanut butter on a soft toothbrush. Work it in... wait 5 min... work a bit more.... wash, dry, examine.

The toothbrush may also do a decent job of cleaning out excess wax on paint (as long as it isn't ancient, baked on wax), trapped just under and around applied logos, etc. (without the peanut butter...) Use VERY LITTLE FORCE. Do a bit... clear away the wax residue... examine... repeat if necessary. You don't really want to scrub the area, just use the bristles as tiny little scrapers moving ahead of the brush to clear the wax.

[10851CS]

My secret is a guy named Eric he comes and washes and details it out for me for $15.00 . What ever you do don't tell him I'm getting a good deal or he might up the price

Earl

[flyingsluzer]

Originally Posted by agranger

The toothbrush may also do a decent job of cleaning out excess wax on paint (as long as it isn't ancient, baked on wax), trapped just under and around applied logos, etc. (without the peanut butter...) Use VERY LITTLE FORCE. Do a bit... clear away the wax residue... examine... repeat if necessary. You don't really want to scrub the area, just use the bristles as tiny little scrapers moving ahead of the brush to clear the wax.

A toothbrush! Brilliant! I'm going to try that this weekend.

[BradB]

The best toothbrushes to get are the Colgate soft brushes that are "hinged" in the middle of the bristles. They are are great.

[Califzeph]

Toothbrushes are great for interior work as well, like getting dust out from between the blades in the AC vents.

[goldcountrymini]

great tip Califzeph. I was going to post on how to get the dust out from that spot, but you already solved it... Today is detail day... I am going to give my MINI a makeover... she needs to be washed, waxed, the works.!!!! I'll let you know of any interesting results!!!!

[ylwjkt]

Another great use for the toothbrush - removing bugs, etc from your radiator.

[goldcountrymini]

Well, after a long hard day of work my mini looks brand new again... Did the works to bring it back up to standard. I did not get the wax bits off the plastic.. it was getting too hot, so thats a project for tomorrow morning!!!

What is the best to use on the plastic bits to clean it, not the wax, but just road junk?!?!?

[BradB]

Originally Posted by goldcountrymini

Well, after a long hard day of work my mini looks brand new again... Did the works to bring it back up to standard. I did not get the wax bits off the plastic.. it was getting too hot, so thats a project for tomorrow morning!!!

What is the best to use on the plastic bits to clean it, not the wax, but just road junk?!?!?

I use Einszett Plastik-Reiniger. I was amazed at what this stuff cleaned off plastic surfaces I "thought" were clean or surfaces I had given up on! It's my "go to" cleaner now. I follow up with 303 Aerospace on the inside and my protectant du Jour on the outside.

[TruMini]

I swear by Denture toothbrushes. They have bristles on both sides. About 3 bucks at your local drugstore. Great for the honeycomb grill and for cleaning out my sons' sippy cup!

[MSFITOY]

I use a 150psi air compressor to blow the water off before drying. I use it again after every ride to blow off dust and bugs from every crack before using the CA duster.

[911Fan]

I'm looking for a tool/gadget/tip for cleaning the walls of those recessed pockets in an alloy wheel where the mounting bolts go (if that makes any sense!).

Any suggestions?

[BradB]

Sure, I know what you mean. I have them on my wheels. I have really tiny foam applicators (Q-tip size. sorry, no picture now) that work great for that. I insert in the slot between the head of the bolt and the outside of the hole and give a twist around the circle. Takes like two seconds a bolt. I do it once a month, maybe twice a month is all. I dip the applicator in shampoo water.

[911Fan]

Thanks! Where do you buy those "tiny foam applicators"? I don't remember seeing anything that small at Home Depot!