The Official "Ask a Detailer Thread"!

[CarDriver]

Originally Posted by urville

You were saying to him, good luck removing the #7. So i was asking, are you supposed to remove what you last put on before you go to wash/clay/polish/seal/wax again?

Ah, what I meant was "good luck removing the #7 (because #7 can be quite stubborn to remove)".

#7 is a pre-wax nutrient-oil that supposedly enriches older (and some say darker-colored, too) clearcoats with special nutrient oils. You apply it then immediately wipe it off. Wiping off is the tough part .

[civicsi626]

i have water spots on my nbp fa5 tried claybar but still there any thing i can do?

[CarDriver]

Originally Posted by civicsi626

i have water spots on my nbp fa5 tried claybar but still there any thing i can do?

Wash car, dry car. Look @ the paint in direct sunlight and evaluate if your car has swirling and watermarking, or just watermarking by itself.

Pick up a bottle of SwirlX and a couple foam or MF Applicator Pads.
Work the SwirlX into the paint in a small 1sq foot test spot; wipe clean w/ MF, evaluate.

Did it remove watermarks? Did it remove swirls? Were there even swirls to begin with? If no swirls to begin with, did it actually put swirls into your paint? Etc.
Hope that helps.

[skinsfn36]

Is it necessary to clean and condition the pads between each use, even if you are only using one product on the pad?

[CarDriver]

Originally Posted by skinsfn36

Is it necessary to clean and condition the pads between each use, even if you are only using one product on the pad?

To answer this question:
Yes, you always need to rinse and wash your pads after you are done using them that day, or else the chemicals dry up and become embedded into the pad, which negatively affects the pad's and chemical's ability to do its job the next time around...because you have old, stained-in chemical in the pad.

Also, you can do minor physical damage to your working surface when old, dry chemicals are rubbed against the surface...mainly talking about our soft Clearcoat here.

[jsnymeyer]

Perhaps I should throw away the ones I used then - they haven't been washed for awhile, and have just been sitting around in my dirty pile.

[CarDriver]

Originally Posted by jsnymeyer

Perhaps I should throw away the ones I used then - they haven't been washed for awhile, and have just been sitting around in my dirty pile.

First, soak them in the washer with some detergent using the "Soak" feature for maybe 30minutes, then run them through a normal wash.
See how they turn out! Some stains come out, and others are stubborn.

Also, what specific materials are you working with here? MFs? Foam? Terrycloth?

Half the time, I save my permanently-stained/old materials for dirty jobs, like cleaning the engine bay and such. I just don't use them for paint and glasswork .

Also, I never run any foam anything, through the Dryer. My dryer eats them up. I air dry my foam, which is easy and fast IMO.

Oh, and any stained DA machine pads are probably best thrown away .
Might be a lot to remember, but you'll pick up the rules of thumb along the way in no time .

[skinsfn36]

What about that like "pad shampoo and conditioner" spray is that necessary?

[CarDriver]

I myself have wanted to try it, but haven't tried it yet because normal laundry detergent does a reasonable job.

I do plan on ordering some "pad powder" off ADS when I make my next large order. It's like $1.25/packet or $1.25 per load basically.

I also considered the version offered from ChemicalGuys Micro Rejuvenator Microfiber Detergent Concentrate, and $25 seems like a reasonable price, but again, I would only order it if I was already making a large order from ChemicalGuys. You know...shipping is a killer especially when you order just one item .

As for the pad spray...I've heard of it and don't know where to get it. If I saw it in stores (which it isn't, I think), I might grab it and try.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you tried out your normal detergent? How does that work for ya?

[skinsfn36]

Idk, I just ordered my kit and was trying to figure out the best way to clean them after each use.

[CarDriver]

Gotcha. Well, after you're done using them in that session, just soak them in a bucket of detergent & water for a bit, then put them in the washer and see how they come out. That's been working for me .

Some people soak in Dawn instead, because of its ability to dissolve chemicals and such, but whatever works for you.

[jsnymeyer]

Who here uses a water filtration system (specifically, the Autogeek Clean Water Filter Kit)?

[dotkong]

what do you guys do for correcting clear bras?

[Rev. Nathan]

How do I keep my wheels clean? It seems after a couple of days break dust and grime builds up anyways. Is there a coating or something to differ it?


Also, what's the word on tire black? Is the foam stuff the best, or perhaps there's another way?

[CarDriver]

Originally Posted by Rev. Nathan

How do I keep my wheels clean?

After a routine wash, I use a "maintenance spray wax" or hydrophobic spray detailer (Ultimate Quik Detailer) on my paint.

I use that same stuff on my wheels and it keeps them looking great for 2-3 weeks. Just a simple mist or 5 onto a MF cloth and I work it in.

Aside from that, whenever I detail (few times/year), I apply my normal wax (NXT liquid)...to my wheels. Keeps them cleaner, longer.

[JLui83]

Originally Posted by Rev. Nathan

How do I keep my wheels clean? It seems after a couple of days break dust and grime builds up anyways. Is there a coating or something to differ it?


Also, what's the word on tire black? Is the foam stuff the best, or perhaps there's another way?

For me... adding some regular car wax onto the wheels help "coat" them...
And for the Tire dressing, I'm using Meguiars Tire foam.. but after I finish it up.. I'm going to go for the type that you wipe on... Foam is good and its been lasting pretty long too.. but Sometimes can get messy.. (gets on the wheels, a little on the car.. etc..)

[RaskyR1]

Wow! I go on vacation for a week and this thread explodes! Looks like CarDriver answered most questions and I don't have time right now to go back thru them all. I'll try and keep up to date from here on out though.

[tmrC1V1C]

so I went on a long road trip and have bug splatter ALL over the front end of my NHBP... what's the best product to get it off?? I have 3M bug, tar and adhesive remover, is that any good??

[RaskyR1]

Originally Posted by tmrC1V1C

so I went on a long road trip and have bug splatter ALL over the front end of my NHBP... what's the best product to get it off?? I have 3M bug, tar and adhesive remover, is that any good??

I'd try just normal washing before using any type of strong cleaner like that as they will remove wax as well.

[CarDriver]

Welcome back . Did you do any fishing?