I am a fanatic about keeping my cars clean....
So, dont mind this crazy post.... some good tips though... mind you I used to detail exotics... so this may be overboard in some peoples eyes.

1st and most important....
Tools are just as important as the cleaning products you use.

I start with the following:
[*]2 buckets - one for wheels / tires, the other for the car nary shall the two mix (brake dust can eat away the delicate clearcoat finish of your vehicle).
[*]4 clean diaper type cloths (body, windows, leather, dash/vinyl/rubber)
[*]q-tips (to clean small hard to reach places)
[*]seperate rags for tires and wheels
[*]Simple Green
[*]Zymol Clear - "car shampoo" as I like to call it. (the real zymol not that blue bottle turtle wax stuff)
[*]303 Aerospace protectant (wheels, dash, rubber seals, etc) great stuff!
[*]Pinnacle Leather Conditioner/Cleaner
[*]Zymol Destiny wax (just a preference of mine, also expensive)
[*]Zymol HD Cleanse (to remove surface garbage, leaves car silky smooth )
[*]Zymol Detail (wax for plastic, mirror housing and such)
[*]A super awesome chamois I bought a couple years ago (I store it damp in airtight container in the refrigerator - a tip from a detailing mentor)
[*]Rainx cleans the buildup on windshields very well =)
[*]Detailers mit (soft lint free mit)

Side note on washing your rags and cloths - do not clean the tire rags with the diaper type cloths... Also NEVER USE fabric softener with cleaning cloths... the chemicals in them can cause damage to the clearcoat.

I always clean my car early in the morning. If I wax I do so RIGHT after car is dry, do not wait a couple hours, a day etc... as dirt etc can scratch the clearcoat finish.

I always start with the rims then tires, then from top down on the car.

1. With my tire bucket I mix a small amount of simple green (couple caps) with some fresh clean water... and a clean rag... Cleam rims with solution should come off really easy.... also I have a spayer filled with full str simple green for stubborn spots and hard to reach places...

2. Tires I just use water and some Zymol clear.

3. Rinse car, keep car wet and water moving as it will start to dry you will get waterspots and worse if you have hard water.

4. With my other bucket I use clear and water I do at least one water change during the wash process. Clean from top to bottom.... do not push or rub hard... if you have a hard to clean spot break out the HD Cleanse (just remember after you use HD Cleanse you have to wax the car or at least the area you cleaned with it as it removes wax.) Keep to small 3 foot sections and rince... etc...

5. After car is clean I walk the car... check for and areas that may need to be re washed.

6. Windows I actually like this product Armor All makes (the only armor all product I use) for glass Cleans it great! Tough jobs use rainx as a cleaner.

7. I actually apply rainx to my headlights and fogs as well.

8. I hand wax I should say Finger wax my car.... I use Destiny by Zymol... 2 foot section at a time top to bottom Apply wax with finger tips work in GENTLY. I then use a diaper to remove the wax and do a slight buff.

9. Drink a couple beers if you havent done so already....

10. I use Detail to wax any of the black plastic, and for bumpers, mirror housings, also looks great on wood accents.)

11. Pinnacle for the leather - buff out, dont use a lot, little goes a long way.

12. 303 Protectant on dash, plastic, vinyl, rubber inside and out as well as the wheels.) I just spray on wheels taking care not to spray on car.... on a windy morning I spray on clean cloth and rub onto wheels.

13. After that I go over the body of the car with a detailers mit and sometimes a spray bottle of cool water... helps wax set.

14. Keep california duster in car use on outside to remove dust...

Thats about it in nutshell, oh and kiss about 4 hours away.

 

Thanks for all the information. The dealer put on Permaplate wax and told me I didn't have to wax my Mini for the first year? Is that true? Also, I've read you should stick with one type of wax.....do you agree?

 

Two more questions: what type of rags do you use to wash the wheels and tires? And, what is Simple Green for?

 

Niiiiicccccccce!
I will take a few of your tips and thank you for sharing. Get your Mini! Get your Mini. I have never had so much fun and just plan WOW in a car before. Order your today!

Woody

 

One thing......
Everything sounds good with one exception.......
The best thing to ever hit the Detailing market!!! Micro-Fiber Towels!
If you haven't tried them yet you should. They work wonders!

As a side note..... something that I do as well..... I use a second bucket as a rinse bucket. I find it really keeps the soap bucket in better condition (free of muck) longer.
By the way..... Welcome to the board!
Any solid MINI plans yet? Look forward to seeing some nice detailed pics of your ride! Sounds like it should be stunning.
Happy Motoring.
SW

 

u4ea! WOW! What a great primer on how to clean our MINIs! My husband & I were discussing it a lot...we bathed little MINIclo today and I felt like we needed some special products. Now we will be adding to the MINI stockpile of goodies!

Welcome to MCO! It's full of great enthusiasts! With your great attention to "detail" you'll fit in with the rest of us MINIacs!

 

>>Thanks for all the information. The dealer put on Permaplate wax and told me I didn't have to wax my Mini for the first year? Is that true? Also, I've read you should stick with one type of wax.....do you agree?


I never used Permaplate before so I am not sure as to how well it works... I however, am of the belief that you need to AT LEAST wax your car 2-3 times a year depending on your location, how well you keep your car clean, what / and how you clean your car with...

Example if I lived in a large city... chicago, miami, la, ny, etc... I would most likely wash my car every sat/sun morning weather permitting obviously. I would HD Clense my car at least twice, and wax probably once every 2 months.

I currently live in South Florida small town near west palm. I wash my GTI every week (just about) and wax 4 times a year (plus any special occasions)

I think its best for you to try a couple of waxes and find something you like and stick with it. Its best imho if you use the same products you like becuase you will be able to "fine tune" or know the products better and how to use them correctly

 

>>Two more questions: what type of rags do you use to wash the wheels and tires? And, what is Simple Green for?


Please note I am not associated with Griots Garage but I feel they are pretty much the nicest stuff for the least amount of money so I will include some product names, numbers and about what the products cost.
www.griotsgarage.com

The cloths I use for the car are diapers and micro Fiber:

14600 Ten 100% Cotton Polishing Cloths (diapers) $14.95
11001 Six Piece Micro Fiber Cloth Set $29.95

Please not if you keep your cloths seperate as I stated in 1st post, do water changes, clean them very well they will last you a very long time.


Rags for wheels and tires believe it or not I just buy from walmart as they are cheap to replace since they get nasty quick.


Simple Green:
simplegreen.com/products/consumer/household1info.html

Probably one of the best cleaners in the world... click the link above and it will show you what applications and dilution ratios...

Hope that helps =)

_________________
U4EA


1999.5 VW GTI GLX (thinking REALLY HARD about getting a Mini S)

 

>>One thing......
>>Everything sounds good with one exception.......
>>The best thing to ever hit the Detailing market!!! Micro-Fiber Towels!
>>If you haven't tried them yet you should. They work wonders!
>>
>>As a side note..... something that I do as well..... I use a second bucket as a rinse bucket. I find it really keeps the soap bucket in better condition (free of muck) longer.
>>By the way..... Welcome to the board!
>>Any solid MINI plans yet? Look forward to seeing some nice detailed pics of your ride! Sounds like it should be stunning.
>>Happy Motoring.
>>SW


Great idea about the 3rd bucket!

I just use a hose to rinse my car... but I do a water/soap change at least once to cut down on the grime.... thats another reason you do not want to apply to much pressure when you wash the car.


As far as the mini I am going to post a topic in a couple of minutes... any input you all could give would be appreciated.
_________________
U4EA


1999.5 VW GTI GLX (thinking REALLY HARD about getting a Mini S)

 

>>
>>
>>u4ea! WOW! What a great primer on how to clean our MINIs! My husband & I were discussing it a lot...we bathed little MINIclo today and I felt like we needed some special products. Now we will be adding to the MINI stockpile of goodies!
>>
>>Welcome to MCO! It's full of great enthusiasts! With your great attention to "detail" you'll fit in with the rest of us MINIacs!
>>


As stated above most of the stuff I use is expensive when I say expensive the wax I use is $400.00 a pop


Heres the info on the wax...

zymöl Estate Glazes: Destiny™

Destiny Glaze is based on a formula first used on the 1930 Duesenberg "J" Murphy Convertible Sedan owned by Bruce Meyer and shown at the renowned Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Destiny contains almond, coconut, banana and sunflower oils, as well as 51 percent Brazilian No. 1 White Carnauba by volume.

Put a very small amount of the glaze to the palm of your hand. Use the warmth of your hands to melt the Carnauba. With your hand, gently apply the glaze in a light, even pattern over no more than three or four square feet of painted surface.

Let Destiny stand for up to five minutes.

Using moderate to heavy pressure, wipe very slowly with a Micro-Wipe™ (folded once) to a brilliant luster before wax is totally dry.

Wait three to four hours, then lightly buff the paint again to perfect the shine.


Caution: Do not allow any zymöl wax to entirely dry before wiping.

Contains White Carnauba Wax, Montan Oil, Coconut Oil, Banana Oil, Almond Oil, Sunflower Oil, Propolis (derived from Bees), Cetyl Esters, Cetyl Cocoamide (derived from coconut oil).


zymöl Detail ™
Aerodynamic Wax

Aerodynamic body components such as bumpers, air dams and wings are made of fiberglass, PVC, polypropylene, polyurethane and ABS. The painting process on these parts requires a paint with a vinyl base for flexibility (a "flex agent&quot. Solvent and alcohol-based treatments cause the paint to lose this flex agent and become brittle. zymöl Detail is an oil-rich feeding product that restores original moisture and seals the paint with a hard-cured finish.

Remove all dirt and old wax from the aerodynamic parts using zymöl HD-Cleanse™.

Apply zymöl Detail evenly with a dry, clean zymöl applicator or cloth in small amounts. For interior application, or for applications in tight spaces, warm a small amount of Detail in your hand to melt the Carnauba and apply by hand.

Rub the aerodynamic parts with firm, even pressure.

Let stand for 30 seconds.

Buff gently with a Micro-Wipe™ to a dry, brilliant shine.
Note: zymöl Detail can also be applied to polyester-coated wood and wood treatments.

Contains Montan Oil, Banana Oil, Carnauba Wax, (38% by volume), Propolis (derived from Bees), Glycerol Stearate (derived from Glycerin), Cetyl Esters, Cetyl Cocoamide (derived from coconut oil) and FD&C Yellow #5.

zymöl Clear™
Auto Bathe

Clear is a unique combination of pure tallow, pure coconut essence oil conditioners and lemon extracts to gently clean and care for
your car.

Contains Spun Tallow Soaps, Safflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Cetyl Esters, Cetyl Cocoamide (derived from coconut oil), Lemon Peel, Pure Lemon Extract, Titanium Dioxide (opacifier).

zymöl HD-Cleanse™
Paintwork Cleaner

HD-Cleanse™ removes light oxidization, moderate scratches, accumulated road film, tar and acid rain deposits, renewing your original paint lustre.

Using a clean HD-Cleanse applicator or a small terrycloth towel, apply HD-Cleanse evenly but liberally onto a three or four square foot section with a straight-line, side-to-side movement.
NOTE: Do not use a circular motion when spreading
HD-Cleanse.
Work HD-Cleanse into the finish with a medium to heavy pressure until the surface becomes tacky.
Gently buff with a clean Zymöl Micro-Wipe™ to reveal the true clean finish of your car. When the paint feels silky smooth, it is clean.


Please note ZYMOL stuff is very expensive and probably way overboard for most everyone here. The 2-3 products I would recomend trying are the

Clear about $20.00 a bottle
HD Cleanse $30.00 a bottle (lasts a year)
Detail $12.00 or so bucks lasts a long time.

The rest is my preference however again you can achieve very nice quality from griots products

If you feel you need to try some of the high end Zymol products buy a Kit
You get 5 ounces HD-Cleanse™,5 ounces Clear™, 4 ounces each of Carbon™(wax),
Concours™(wax), and Destiny™(wax - my favorite), Micro-Wipe™, detail brush, and Owner's Manual. for about $100-120 if you do some searching... The waxes will last you at very long time...

 

"I always clean my car early in the morning."

"9. Drink a couple beers if you havent done so already.... :smile:

 

>>"I always clean my car early in the morning."
>>
>>"9. Drink a couple beers if you havent done so already.... :smile:

 

>>I am a fanatic about keeping my cars clean....
>>So, dont mind this crazy post.... some good tips though... mind you I used to detail exotics... so this may be overboard in some peoples eyes.
>>
>>1st and most important....
>>Tools are just as important as the cleaning products you use.
>>
>>I start with the following:
>>
>>[*]2 buckets - one for wheels / tires, the other for the car nary shall the two mix (brake dust can eat away the delicate clearcoat finish of your vehicle).
>>
>>[*]4 clean diaper type cloths (body, windows, leather, dash/vinyl/rubber)
>>
>>[*]q-tips (to clean small hard to reach places)
>>
>>[*]seperate rags for tires and wheels
>>
>>[*]Simple Green
>>
>>[*]Zymol Clear - "car shampoo" as I like to call it. (the real zymol not that blue bottle turtle wax stuff)
>>
>>[*]303 Aerospace protectant (wheels, dash, rubber seals, etc) great stuff!
>>
>>[*]Pinnacle Leather Conditioner/Cleaner
>>
>>[*]Zymol Destiny wax (just a preference of mine, also expensive)
>>
>>[*]Zymol HD Cleanse (to remove surface garbage, leaves car silky smooth )
>>
>>[*]Zymol Detail (wax for plastic, mirror housing and such)
>>
>>[*]A super awesome chamois I bought a couple years ago (I store it damp in airtight container in the refrigerator - a tip from a detailing mentor)
>>
>>[*]Rainx cleans the buildup on windshields very well =)
>>
>>[*]Detailers mit (soft lint free mit)
>>
>>Side note on washing your rags and cloths - do not clean the tire rags with the diaper type cloths... Also NEVER USE fabric softener with cleaning cloths... the chemicals in them can cause damage to the clearcoat.
>>
>>I always clean my car early in the morning. If I wax I do so RIGHT after car is dry, do not wait a couple hours, a day etc... as dirt etc can scratch the clearcoat finish.
>>
>>I always start with the rims then tires, then from top down on the car.
>>
>>1. With my tire bucket I mix a small amount of simple green (couple caps) with some fresh clean water... and a clean rag... Cleam rims with solution should come off really easy.... also I have a spayer filled with full str simple green for stubborn spots and hard to reach places...
>>
>>2. Tires I just use water and some Zymol clear.
>>
>>3. Rinse car, keep car wet and water moving as it will start to dry you will get waterspots and worse if you have hard water.
>>
>>4. With my other bucket I use clear and water I do at least one water change during the wash process. Clean from top to bottom.... do not push or rub hard... if you have a hard to clean spot break out the HD Cleanse (just remember after you use HD Cleanse you have to wax the car or at least the area you cleaned with it as it removes wax.) Keep to small 3 foot sections and rince... etc...
>>
>>5. After car is clean I walk the car... check for and areas that may need to be re washed.
>>
>>6. Windows I actually like this product Armor All makes (the only armor all product I use) for glass Cleans it great! Tough jobs use rainx as a cleaner.
>>
>>7. I actually apply rainx to my headlights and fogs as well.
>>
>>8. I hand wax I should say Finger wax my car.... I use Destiny by Zymol... 2 foot section at a time top to bottom Apply wax with finger tips work in GENTLY. I then use a diaper to remove the wax and do a slight buff.
>>
>>9. Drink a couple beers if you havent done so already....
>>
>>10. I use Detail to wax any of the black plastic, and for bumpers, mirror housings, also looks great on wood accents.)
>>
>>11. Pinnacle for the leather - buff out, dont use a lot, little goes a long way.
>>
>>12. 303 Protectant on dash, plastic, vinyl, rubber inside and out as well as the wheels.) I just spray on wheels taking care not to spray on car.... on a windy morning I spray on clean cloth and rub onto wheels.
>>
>>13. After that I go over the body of the car with a detailers mit and sometimes a spray bottle of cool water... helps wax set.
>>
>>14. Keep california duster in car use on outside to remove dust...
>>
>>Thats about it in nutshell, oh and kiss about 4 hours away.
>>
>>
>>
>>



Just a little overboard...but you'll probably recover!

 

Thanks for the helpful post. I just bought my mini yesterday from a local private owner. Ipick it up tomorrow.

I have a couple questions: where do I get 303 Aerospace cleaner?
I don't have a garage - what are your suggestions for :???: frequency of waxing etc. given that?

Do you like those california duster thingees?

thanks in advance

 

>>Thanks for the helpful post. I just bought my mini yesterday from a local private owner. Ipick it up tomorrow.
>>
>>I have a couple questions: where do I get 303 Aerospace cleaner?
>>I don't have a garage - what are your suggestions for

 

Zaino has to be hands down the best, and easiest, stuff on the market.

Not knocking Zymol, or anything else that was mentioned, but nothing holds a candle to Zaino as far as shine and ease of use goes.

Corvette owners have sung the praises of Zaino for years, and I have been using it for over 2 years.

It is kind of pricey, but it really lasts for a long time. The initial buy in is what gets you, after that, it is normal as far as how often you have to buy items.

_________________
'02 Mini Cooper S
'91 Galant VR4 1955/2000

 

For the last time! Eagle One Wax as U Dry.

 

Sorry for my ignorance. Ihave a chili red mini s. Is this a clear-coat or not? I want to buy wax and was assuming it was a clear coat but don't know for certain.
Thanks

 

nashrunner,
Yes there is a clear coat on your car.
Happy Motoring,
SW

 

Thanks for clarifying the clear coat question. Now another one for the unitiated - I bought Zymol detail per this post recommendation. Now what in the H..L do I do with it!!???

Thanks

MCS- chilired/white roof/stripes
Nashville :smile:

 

u4ea...

I feel the same way you do. I'm currently detailing a 1914 Pugeout that we restored a good 17 years ago, receiving many awards. However, in years past the owner hasn't been able to take as good of care of it as it needs (its now a touring car, gets a lot of tough miles... but its like an ox, it'll outlast most modern cars).

Anyways, this thing came to our shop a few weeks ago (its owned by one of our former customers, now my father's best friend. If you know anything about profiessional auto restoration, you probably know of my dad, Dale Adams. But anyways...) When you look at it, then at the pictures of how it looked when it was first restored, you just want to cry. I've been working on it for a bout 5 hours a day for about a week now, and have barely made a dent in the work. So far I've pulled off all the tiny brass bits and ran them down to buff on our power buffer (ever buffed 200 screws with one of those? Your neck gets so sore...). I've also masked off all of the paint around the brass bits still on the car (trim, hinges, floor panels, running boards, radiator, windscreen, etc.), and put it up on stilts to use Gunk degreaser on it (that stuff works wonders too... but be careful with it around modern paint jobs, they're not always of the best quality, and could potentially be harmed by the stuff. Simple Green is a GREAT solution.)

I say for the average schmuck who wants to get their MINI looking gorgeous, they'll need the following items:

1. NEW Sponge. Not a mitt, use a sponge, it can be cleaned easier.
2. A good bucket. I only always use one, but this multiple bucket idea mentioned in earlier posts is a good idea.
3. A soft spoke brush. Not sure where to find these, but the ones I have are almost like giant cotton swabs with terrycloth acting as the cotton.
4. Big ol' bottle of Armor All and a shop rag. Use these for the black plastic fender flares, as well as your tires.
5. Glass Wax. Comes in a pink tin can, probably easily found at a NAPA or something. For the glass, obviously. Watch out though, the stuff makes powdery flakes which get EVERYWHERE in your interior. The best cloth to apply it with are simply paper towels.
6. Car wash. Try to find the stuff that comes in a big bottle, its red and gooey (kind of like shampoo) and smells like cherries. This stuff rocks. Suds well, rinses well, cleans well, and makes your paint smell like cherries! Fun!
7. A battalion of terrycloth towels. Run to walmart and buy a bunch. Washcloths and small bath towels. Be sure to yank off all the tags.
8. Spray bottle of Simple Green for any nasty grease deposits you may find.
9. Meguire's brand polishes. Numbers: 6,7 and 9. 6 is a great cleaner-wax, good for scrubbing free stubborn bug guts and restoring the luster to your paint, as well as removing scratches from your clear coat. Next use #9, this stuff is swirl remover. Use it to remove the swirls you made from scrubbing with 6. If you are careful with #6 you won't need to use #9. Finally is #7. This stuff is a pain in the @$$. If you want my advice, NEVER apply this on a warm, humid day, and especially not in direct sunlight. This stuff is a "show car shine". It goes on hard, leaving a nasty residue (this is good though), and comes off even harder. Just remember to get all the polish out of all the cracks while its still easy to. Use cotton swabs if need be.
10. Caranuba wax. Any brand'll do. You don't need this every time, I usually only use it 3 times a year. Before winter, after winter and mid-summer.
11. ""GUNK" Foaming Engine Brite". Use this if your engine is all grodey. Follow the directions. Cover up air intakes, electrical components, etc. And don't drink it.
12. Masking tape - use this to cover up places that you don't want polish residue to get (trust me, the Pugeout I'm working on has residue so nasty in the cracks that I've been using a Dremel rotary tool with a tiny brush wheel to scrape it out. Not fun, and NOT good for the surrounding paint if my hand shakes a bit.)
13. For leather interiors, use Lexol or some sort of conditioner. Vinyl - some sort of vinyl conditioner, I'm sure Meguire's or Lexol makes some as well. For cloth, go rent a steam cleaner. Carpet cleaners and powder cloth cleaners don't work (trust me, I've tried, its usually just makes stains and stuff worse.) Use a vacuum for the carpets. Wet a towel with lemon pledge and wipe down the dash. door panels, etc., to get rid of dust and add a lemony fresh smell! Lemon Pledge has many good uses, if you have a Jeep, try using it on your rear window sometime, it works REALLY well as a plastic polish, and is dirt cheap.
14. Finally, don't forget Rain-X. Use paper towels to apply it, follow the directions. Make sure NO residue is left, as it makes night driving annoying when you can see all the smears.

So, it looks like there's a lot of cleaning-fanatics here. All I can say is that I'm looking forward to moving away from cleaning and starting to restore our Packards!

 

nash-

A surefire way of telling if your car has a clearcoat or not without even touching it is to see if its metallic or not. All metallic paints are clearcoated, most non-metallics aren't. To see if a non-metallic is or not, just scrub on it with some polish. If the rag turns the color of the paint, then there is no clear.

 

>>For the last time! Eagle One Wax as U Dry.

Sirron,

Do you use this stuff every time you wash,or is it used with a frequency akin to regular wax?

 

What is the consensus on cleaning and protecting the textured plastic around our wheel wells. I read the thread that seemed to conclude that peanut butter will remove the white marks (next time I will mask first!). Can you use Detail on the TEXTURED plastic, or just on smooth stuff? I have tried armor all on a previous car's plastic trim and it seemed to last about 2 days - would like something that lasts longer.

 

I am noticing that most of you folks use Zymol products which are very good, yet also very expensive. May I suggest some products made by DuraGloss, a small car care company out of Burlington, NC? They have excellent products and I have been using them for years.

https://www.duragloss.com/new/index2.html