1CleanG35
04-06-2014, 02:25 PM
I'm looking to expand my arsenal, below I've listed most of the equipment, tools and products I have. I have exactly $100 to spend right now so I'm trying to find the tools and products that supplement the ones I already have the best.
This thread is long (as I also have questions about my process) so I don't expect one person to answer every question- I have lots of them to ask so pick a favorite and let me know how you feel.
My primary concern is
How to clean and Protect leather? - I've read a lot of threads and watched a few videos and it seems that there are a lot of different opinions on this subject. I just want an inexpensive but effective option to take care of the leather in my car. My brothers car (90s Lexus es300) has leather that is cracked all over-any way to fix that?
Equipment I have:
Ridgid 16 gallon 5.0 shop vac (with Ridgid auto detailing kit)
where can I find another claw tool that will fit my vac? The one that came with the auto detailing kit broke after a few uses.
Bissell SpotBot pet (was given to me for free). I pretreat stains with folex and use hot water + Meg's APC+ In the Bissell tank. Effective but slow.
2 5 gallon buckets + grit guards
~5 microfiber wash mitts
~5 microfiber glass cleaning towels
~10 interior microfiber cleaning cloths
~5 various brushes for interior
3 meguiars supreme shine mf cloths
Mothers wheel and tire brushes
Brake dust brush
A third/fourth bucket specifically for wheels
Wash- duragloss 902, Meg's deep crystal , ONR? (I use it as clay lube and to increase lubricity of my wash water- haven't tried waterless washing yet but it's on my to do list )
Waxes/sealants -
Meg's NXT gen tech wax 2.0,
Meg's ultimate paste wax,
Meg's cleaner wax,
collinite 845 (pops up all over AGO so I had to buy it-haven't used yet),
and NuFinish (given by a friend who wanted my "expert" opinion)
Spray wax - dg aquawax (I love it, but shoulder I consider Meg's UQW or Optimum quick wax?)
Quick detailer/clay lube - ONR (I can also use this with dg902/Meg's deep crystal for increased lubricity?) I was using Meg's quick detailer until I figured out how much money I could save with ONR
Glass - stoners invisible glass (I feel DG aquawax is amazing on a clean window- is that an acceptable use for that product?)
Wheels/tires -
eagle one nevr-dull (what's the best application for this, tried it on my wheels and didn't notice a big difference ?)
I'm using Meg's APC+ diluted 10-1 and also have Meg's hot rims all wheel and tire cleaner. Love the foaming action of Meg's hot rims all wheel and tire cleaner anything similar and cheaper out there? Is it available in gallon size (The foaming one)?
Tires - Armor all extreme tire shine gel , black magic tire wet gel . They get the job done but I'm open to new options
Meg's quick interior detailer cleaner
Meg's high gloss supreme shine
Folex
Stoners invisible glass
Assorted brushes (a couple toothbrushes, carpet brush, mothers wheel brush, mothers tire brush)
Things I Want to add to my arsenal:
DA Polisher- what about the GG6 makes it superior to the polishers that harbor freight offers, or the ones I can find at advance or walmart for $35?
Foam gun- heard this isn't really needed but I want one
Steamer or more powerful extractor:
I realize I'm talking about some big bucks for a good one here, so this may be quite a bit down the road
Trim restorer- best bang for buck to get faded areas black again?
Leather cleaner - looking for inexpensive but effective leather cleaner and conditioner? What's most effective the horse hair br
I want to be able to focus on interiors, I've had decent results with my Bissell SpotBot pet machine, APC+ 10-1 and Folex so far but it seems like I'm working at a slow pace to get good results.
I start by doing a thorough vacuuming of the vehicle from top to bottom. Dash, Upholstery, seats Carpet all . Moving the seats back and forth to get in the nooks and crannies and swapping my various attachments from the Ridgid kit as necessary to reach them.
The tools in the Ridgid auto detailing kit are all great except the claw... It broke after a few uses. I'm searching for a sturdy replacement claw that won't break, any recommendations?
Then I start spraying APC+ 10-1 directly into a folded mf cloth and wipe down all interior vinyl and trim with it. My g35 has aluminum on the door handles and around the dash/gearshift area is APC+ a suitable cleaner or is there something more effective I could be using? What about nevr-dull on the interior aluminum?
Then based on need I will extract the carpet and upholstery (if it's a friend or family member who has fabric seats in their car)
using the Bissell SpotBot pet machine (APC+ And hot water in the tank) I pretreat the stains with folex let it sit for a bit and attack with the Bissell sprayer and brush, then I extract the water usually the seats/carpet are still a bit damp so I might put a cotton towel over them and turn on the heat in the vehicle
For my g35, I'm still searching for the best way to clean and protect my Leather (coating). It is in good condition and id like to keep it that way, Any recommendations? I've read a couple of threads (one where a few leather experts debated, I think it was about whether APCs-OPC specifically I think-are safe to use for cleaning leather?) and watched a few videos
and I'm still confused about what the best way or product(s) to take care of my leather coating is/are. I'd prefer to have dedicated products for my leather and conditioner.
I like the DG stuff I have purchased so I was looking at their 441 Leather Shampoo ($7.29) and 221 leather conditioner ($9.79) both are available locally to me. I also was wondering about Mothers LeatherTech foaming wash cleaner ($7.97) and their LeatherTech moisture infusion gel cream conditioner ($12.97) as well which is also available to me locally for me too. Which set is better? I'd prefer matching brands but I'll mix and match if the experts here think that's ok.
Or should I try something like Lexol or Pinnacle cleaner and conditioner ?
Previously I used Meg's gold class rich leather cleaner+conditioner lotion but I'm with the logic that two products are better than one and I didn't really like the way it cleaned my seats , so I think I'll roll with separate products from here on out.
After finishing up with seats and upholstery I'll use a folded mf cloth with either Meg's quick interior cleaner or Meg's supreme shine high gloss protectant to wipe down the surfaces again. I'm thinking about switching to 303 for these purposes though based on things I've read here
Usually I start my 2B wash with 5oz of DG 902 + a big squirt of ONR . Grit guards in each bucket.
I use rain x bug&tar pre wash gel as needed, rinsing and applying where I see fit.
I rinse my entire car including the wheels and tires, if the wheels and tires are really dirty I spray them with either Meg's hot rims all wheel cleaner or APC+ 10-1 individually
then I wash it a section at a time starting with each wheel individually and then work my way from the top to the bottom on each panel I usually don't dry the car because I clay it right after I finish washing it- is this ok?
After claying and buffing my ONR clay lube off I lay down a layer of either Meg's ultimate paste or NXT gen tech wax 2.0 (I've also heard that both of those "waxes" I use are actually sealants-interesting)
should I also be waxing my grille/wheels/windows/headlights/taillightsetc or should I only do the paint? What's the best wheel wax under $20?
After allowing it to haze I remove the wax and immediately top it with duragloss aquawax. Usually use the aquawax in the door jambs etc as well
I haven't gotten into polishing yet, but I feel I am about ready to. I wonder if polishing will fix these strange looking areas on my hood? What type of defect would you all say this is? http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/07/y4azesan.jpg
If you look at the front of the hood you'll notice the color is a little off, there are spots like that all over the hood. Is this something polishing will fix?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This thread is long (as I also have questions about my process) so I don't expect one person to answer every question- I have lots of them to ask so pick a favorite and let me know how you feel.
My primary concern is
How to clean and Protect leather? - I've read a lot of threads and watched a few videos and it seems that there are a lot of different opinions on this subject. I just want an inexpensive but effective option to take care of the leather in my car. My brothers car (90s Lexus es300) has leather that is cracked all over-any way to fix that?
Equipment I have:
Ridgid 16 gallon 5.0 shop vac (with Ridgid auto detailing kit)
where can I find another claw tool that will fit my vac? The one that came with the auto detailing kit broke after a few uses.
Bissell SpotBot pet (was given to me for free). I pretreat stains with folex and use hot water + Meg's APC+ In the Bissell tank. Effective but slow.
2 5 gallon buckets + grit guards
~5 microfiber wash mitts
~5 microfiber glass cleaning towels
~10 interior microfiber cleaning cloths
~5 various brushes for interior
3 meguiars supreme shine mf cloths
Mothers wheel and tire brushes
Brake dust brush
A third/fourth bucket specifically for wheels
Wash- duragloss 902, Meg's deep crystal , ONR? (I use it as clay lube and to increase lubricity of my wash water- haven't tried waterless washing yet but it's on my to do list )
Waxes/sealants -
Meg's NXT gen tech wax 2.0,
Meg's ultimate paste wax,
Meg's cleaner wax,
collinite 845 (pops up all over AGO so I had to buy it-haven't used yet),
and NuFinish (given by a friend who wanted my "expert" opinion)
Spray wax - dg aquawax (I love it, but shoulder I consider Meg's UQW or Optimum quick wax?)
Quick detailer/clay lube - ONR (I can also use this with dg902/Meg's deep crystal for increased lubricity?) I was using Meg's quick detailer until I figured out how much money I could save with ONR
Glass - stoners invisible glass (I feel DG aquawax is amazing on a clean window- is that an acceptable use for that product?)
Wheels/tires -
eagle one nevr-dull (what's the best application for this, tried it on my wheels and didn't notice a big difference ?)
I'm using Meg's APC+ diluted 10-1 and also have Meg's hot rims all wheel and tire cleaner. Love the foaming action of Meg's hot rims all wheel and tire cleaner anything similar and cheaper out there? Is it available in gallon size (The foaming one)?
Tires - Armor all extreme tire shine gel , black magic tire wet gel . They get the job done but I'm open to new options
Meg's quick interior detailer cleaner
Meg's high gloss supreme shine
Folex
Stoners invisible glass
Assorted brushes (a couple toothbrushes, carpet brush, mothers wheel brush, mothers tire brush)
Things I Want to add to my arsenal:
DA Polisher- what about the GG6 makes it superior to the polishers that harbor freight offers, or the ones I can find at advance or walmart for $35?
Foam gun- heard this isn't really needed but I want one
Steamer or more powerful extractor:
I realize I'm talking about some big bucks for a good one here, so this may be quite a bit down the road
Trim restorer- best bang for buck to get faded areas black again?
Leather cleaner - looking for inexpensive but effective leather cleaner and conditioner? What's most effective the horse hair br
I want to be able to focus on interiors, I've had decent results with my Bissell SpotBot pet machine, APC+ 10-1 and Folex so far but it seems like I'm working at a slow pace to get good results.
I start by doing a thorough vacuuming of the vehicle from top to bottom. Dash, Upholstery, seats Carpet all . Moving the seats back and forth to get in the nooks and crannies and swapping my various attachments from the Ridgid kit as necessary to reach them.
The tools in the Ridgid auto detailing kit are all great except the claw... It broke after a few uses. I'm searching for a sturdy replacement claw that won't break, any recommendations?
Then I start spraying APC+ 10-1 directly into a folded mf cloth and wipe down all interior vinyl and trim with it. My g35 has aluminum on the door handles and around the dash/gearshift area is APC+ a suitable cleaner or is there something more effective I could be using? What about nevr-dull on the interior aluminum?
Then based on need I will extract the carpet and upholstery (if it's a friend or family member who has fabric seats in their car)
using the Bissell SpotBot pet machine (APC+ And hot water in the tank) I pretreat the stains with folex let it sit for a bit and attack with the Bissell sprayer and brush, then I extract the water usually the seats/carpet are still a bit damp so I might put a cotton towel over them and turn on the heat in the vehicle
For my g35, I'm still searching for the best way to clean and protect my Leather (coating). It is in good condition and id like to keep it that way, Any recommendations? I've read a couple of threads (one where a few leather experts debated, I think it was about whether APCs-OPC specifically I think-are safe to use for cleaning leather?) and watched a few videos
and I'm still confused about what the best way or product(s) to take care of my leather coating is/are. I'd prefer to have dedicated products for my leather and conditioner.
I like the DG stuff I have purchased so I was looking at their 441 Leather Shampoo ($7.29) and 221 leather conditioner ($9.79) both are available locally to me. I also was wondering about Mothers LeatherTech foaming wash cleaner ($7.97) and their LeatherTech moisture infusion gel cream conditioner ($12.97) as well which is also available to me locally for me too. Which set is better? I'd prefer matching brands but I'll mix and match if the experts here think that's ok.
Or should I try something like Lexol or Pinnacle cleaner and conditioner ?
Previously I used Meg's gold class rich leather cleaner+conditioner lotion but I'm with the logic that two products are better than one and I didn't really like the way it cleaned my seats , so I think I'll roll with separate products from here on out.
After finishing up with seats and upholstery I'll use a folded mf cloth with either Meg's quick interior cleaner or Meg's supreme shine high gloss protectant to wipe down the surfaces again. I'm thinking about switching to 303 for these purposes though based on things I've read here
Usually I start my 2B wash with 5oz of DG 902 + a big squirt of ONR . Grit guards in each bucket.
I use rain x bug&tar pre wash gel as needed, rinsing and applying where I see fit.
I rinse my entire car including the wheels and tires, if the wheels and tires are really dirty I spray them with either Meg's hot rims all wheel cleaner or APC+ 10-1 individually
then I wash it a section at a time starting with each wheel individually and then work my way from the top to the bottom on each panel I usually don't dry the car because I clay it right after I finish washing it- is this ok?
After claying and buffing my ONR clay lube off I lay down a layer of either Meg's ultimate paste or NXT gen tech wax 2.0 (I've also heard that both of those "waxes" I use are actually sealants-interesting)
should I also be waxing my grille/wheels/windows/headlights/taillightsetc or should I only do the paint? What's the best wheel wax under $20?
After allowing it to haze I remove the wax and immediately top it with duragloss aquawax. Usually use the aquawax in the door jambs etc as well
I haven't gotten into polishing yet, but I feel I am about ready to. I wonder if polishing will fix these strange looking areas on my hood? What type of defect would you all say this is? http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/07/y4azesan.jpg
If you look at the front of the hood you'll notice the color is a little off, there are spots like that all over the hood. Is this something polishing will fix?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk