So I've been pondering this for a few weeks now...

I'm going to detail my grandfather's '94 Contour this month (or next thanks to the weather) and its in rough shape. there is everything from bugs to tar and pine sap stuck to the exterior. I think i will replace my standard dawn bath with a simple green wash first and then a dawn bath. then hit it with all of the Prima care i can throw at it.

there will be a full polish after so i'm not worried too much for any ill effects?
what's the popular opinion on this idea though?


I know lotsie will agree haha

 

After I returned to LA from Colorado over Christmas, my MINI was covered in all sorts of nastiness from snow melt and road salts. I tried my regular wash routine but found a majority of "scuzz" left behind so I pulled out the Simple Green. Took care of all the mountain mess. Then I washed again with my usual Zaino and a wax job to follow. No ill results.

 

well that's good to hear. i think i will make it a 1 to 5 mix at first. thats what i use for my wheels so it should handle a good bit. dawn. clay and polish.

 

Yeah it's not something I would do with any regularity...but with it well-diluted and rinsed right away, and just for the one time, I don't see why not. It's basically just degreaser, right? Which is the same as P21S total wash and a few other things that we use to strip wax before a full detail.

I mean initally it sounds like a bad idea, but when i think about it rationally, I can't see why not...

 

It'll be fine. Simple Green is safe and won't eat your paint. I've done it before on my old car, and the paint was fine.

 

Like others have said, probably not something you would want to do on a regular basis, but should not hurt anything if done occasionally. I have been using Simple Green on my white wheels and engine bay for years, with no ill effects.

Mark

 

I agree with the others that your paint will be fine in this extreme scenario (just don't make a habit of it! ).

My main concern here would be with any plastic trim and rubber seals. Try not to get it on the rubber seals at all. For any plastic trim bits, if you can wipe them down to remove loose dirt/grime FIRST and then apply a protectant (ie, Nero, Black Wow, 303 AP, etc) then that would be best- as a barrier to the Simple Green. And whether you prep first or not, also apply a coat of a protectant after the Simple Green too. This will prevent the SG from overdrying these areas. SG can eat these bits up if you're not careful.

Then, of course, get some durable synthetic wax on the paint (ie, Epic, Zaino) so you can prevent this next time. Then you won't have to take such harsh measures to cleanup. It's easier to prevent than to fix, IMO!

-Heather

 

When I clean my white wheels with SG, it does "dull" down the finish. But they are ready for wheel wax, and then they shine like new sort of

 

Thanks Heather. that was sort of my concern. like i said this isn't my car. we have a family motto when we help do work for one another "Looks good from my house!". but this will be different. i take alot of pride in the detailing. the car will get all the prima fixins'. this car has been so badly ignored i'm just gonna have to get crazy to make this happen.

 

I recently did the engine wash with Simple Green and a bug sprayer as I've seen a few others post about.

I will totally vouch for this... at least for the engine.

Simple and saved some green.

 

OK, so I just used SG to clean my engine bay this evening and it totally started taking paint off. Not sure what I did wrong, but maybe someone could tell me. Hosed down the engine bay with the car running and let it run a bit to heat it up. Turned off engine and sprayed SG all around. Started wiping down everything and the paint on the shock towers just started wiping away. I stopped wiping and hosed it all off. Then where ever I did not wipe you can see it streaking the paint.
I'll snap some pics in the morning. Any idea what went wrong?

 

Holy crap... something is wrong with your paint job, because I just obliterated my engine with the worst possible thing... undiluted simple green.... and it did not do that. Everything is fine, just cleaner and waxier.

 

Because the paint under the hood isn't clearcoated like the paint on the rest of the car, I've found that some chemicals that are usually safe on painted surfaces don't work well under the hood (like 3M adhesive remover, as an example).

I don't know if some of the factory colors are more resistant to damage than others - that may be why others haven't had the same problem when using SG in the engine bay.

 

Hi,
I've found that the paint in our engine compartments is VERY vulnerable to streaking, running, and lifting when using Simple Green. I have to use great care when detailing under-bonnet on Emily ('02 MCS, Chili Red w/ a Black hat).
As has been mentioned, there is no clear coat on the paint in the engine bay. Very careful spraying and light scrubbing is in order, followed by thorough rinsing and drying.

 

It might just be MINI paint. I have smashed the garage door on my wife's 1996 Mercedes Benz numerous times, with no scratches or chips at all. Yet, it seems if I bump into the MINI at all with groceries, chips come out of nowhere... I just don't understand.

I'll be more careful in the engine bay from now on... I do use Simple Green, but I'll try something a little less... potent... from now on!