So what do you guys use to clean the gaps between panels? I seem to be building up a little dust and dirt in spots that are tight to reach such as around the headlights.

Does anyone have a brush or other tool that would get to these spots but wouldn't scratch the surrounding paint?

I've seen some detail brushes for sale online but its really hard to tell from the pictures what they would be like.

 

i've taken a paper towel dampened with detailer spray and kind of
flossed it through the parting line. worked for me...

 

Lots of choices. I use a combination of soft detailing brushes and medical swabs (Q-Tips on steroids) to solve all these challenges. Get the swabs online or at a local pharmacy.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I ordered a couple of detailing brushes to try out. The swabs sound like a good idea too, I hadn't thought of that.

 

Nothing is as soft and gentle on the paint than the human tongue.

If you are going to touch your car with a q-tip, you might as well use a belt sander!

But seriously, if I cared about these dusty gaps, I'd use q-tips or the corner of a wet microfiber stuffed in the crack. .

 

but i have a tongue ring on my tongue... jk

 

Haha! my detailing spray does smell like bubble gum and the top of the bottle was sealed with a cap that said "sealed for your protection." I'm pretty sure that means I was suppose to lick it off.

I was actually hoping someone made a full body microfiber outfit so I can just rub my entire body over the car. I'll need to figure out how to suspend myself from the roof of the garage though...

 

A good boars hair paint brush works well. Also Griots Garage has some swabs that work especially well when wetted with their detailer.........................(MTR ON)....................................mgg

 

This, then dry, then wax (just let it build up on the edge of the panels, then another dry microfiber. Worked for me so far.

 

For areas around the lights, I'll spray it with a Quik Detailer, then wrap a MF towel around one of these brushes.

http://www.meguiars.com/?car-interio...y-Detail-Brush



You can also use the brush alone without a MF towel. I do like to lubricate the surface first.

 

That's one of the detailing brushes I ordered. I tried just cotton q-tips last night and even they would not fit in some of the gaps such as the ones around the headlights.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

 

Here's an update:

I got 2 of the smaller Meguiar's detail brushes today from here:
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/brushes.html

The smaller brush has very stiff plastic bristles and I would not want it coming near my paint. Not exactly like a metal wire bristle but pretty close. I think I would be okay using this on the engine or carpet but no where else. The bristles are small enough to get to the tight spots but just too stiff.


The larger one has much, much softer bristles. This one will get loose dust but it too soft to get of any stuck on dirt or wax. I think this will be a great all purpose detailing brush.


Q-tips with QD are working better for stuck on dirt except for the really tight spots like around the lights. Folded paper towel with QD is working well enough for now. I'll keep looking for things to try

 

plastic putty knives they come in different widths...i put a small towel on the blade end and clean works pretty good ....got them at sears...........

 

That's an awsome idea... thanks! Damn, sears is now closed. I guess I can wait until tomorrow.

 

re: Smaller Brush Bristles
That's exactly how I felt when I first got the brush. But if you work on other cars besides the MINI, like Mercedes that have trim strips inset with chrome, that little bristle brush is great for removing wax from the crevices. In fact, anytime you need to remove wax from chrome, or trim pieces, it works great. Again, back to the Mercedes example where the windows are sealed by rubber, you can use that brush there as well.

Richard

 

I use the cheap foam paint brushes. They cost less than $2 for 3. They are also good for applying colored wax on the roof trim and trim detailer on the black fender trim

 

I use the cheap foam paint brushes. They cost less than $2 for 3. They are also good for applying colored wax on the roof trim and trim detailer on the black fender trim. The also work great for cleaning around the door hinges and getting the hard to reach places near the rear of the quarter panels....lots of uses!