New, frustrated and determined (lots of questions)?

[TrustJesus]

Hey what is up Auto Geek forum, my name is Ismael live in San Antonio and want to learn to be a detailer. This thread is my introduction and getting to know all of you.

Right now I’m just a guy learning from scratch. If it’s ok with you and the forum admins I will post all my questions on this thread, that way I don’t make clutter after clutter. After watching YouTube detailers, I find myself frustrated a lot. So, how did you all learn how to detail correctly, efficiently, and happy clients? I tried to clean cars like the YouTube detailers with Super Clean with steam cleaner and I find that it leaves behind a white film that is hard to remove. So now I’m here to learn from the best.

So let’s start here, should I continue to use Super Clean or buy Meguiars All purpose cleaner? I want to use only products that will NOT damage any interior in anyway , shape or form. Nothing but the safest auto car products.

Thank you

[Buster906]

Hey what is up Auto Geek forum, my name is Ismael live in San Antonio and want to learn to be a detailer. This thread is my introduction and getting to know all of you.

Right now I’m just a guy learning from scratch. If it’s ok with you and the forum admins I will post all my questions on this thread, that way I don’t make clutter after clutter. After watching YouTube detailers, I find myself frustrated a lot. So, how did you all learn how to detail correctly, efficiently, and happy clients? I tried to clean cars like the YouTube detailers with Super Clean with steam cleaner and I find that it leaves behind a white film that is hard to remove. So now I’m here to learn from the best.

So let’s start here, should I continue to use Super Clean or buy Meguiars All purpose cleaner? I want to use only products that will NOT damage any interior in anyway , shape or form. Nothing but the safest auto car products.

Thank you

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[TrustJesus]

Hello, to be honest no I have not. I usually watch Sporties, Dallas paint correction, detail groove, Wilson auto detail to name a few. I’ll check out the detailer you mentioned.

I’ll check out detail image newsletter.

[Eldorado2k]

So let’s start here, should I continue to use Super Clean or buy Meguiars All purpose cleaner? I want to use only products that will NOT damage any interior in anyway , shape or form. Nothing but the safest auto car products.

Thank you

Hi Ismael, welcome to the forum. I think you’re on the right track in regards to picking up some Meguiars D101 All Purpose Cleaner Concentrate. That’s 1 of the 1st products I bought when I really decided step my game up and I’m still using it today. I’ve never had a problem with it constantly leaving streaks. I dilute it 10:1 for everything I use it for.

As far as working safer with things like a steam cleaner, I’ve found that when dealing with really dirty surfaces it’s sometimes it’s a better idea to knock it out in steps instead of taking the steamer straight to it.

If you start with the steamer you’ll mow through it faster than anything, yes.. But at the same time you might also have some areas where you actually cause the grime to penetrate even further into the leather or cause a stain to permanently set into fabric or carpet.

That’s why it’s sometimes best to start with a less aggressive method i.e. some Meguiars D101 APC @10:1 and gently scrub with a horsehair leather brush and wipe clean as the 1st step, followed by the steamer also paired with the same Megs APC. You’ll notice that the steaming step will go much quicker and therefore safer because you won’t have to leave the hot steam on the surface for nearly as long as you would thanks to the 1st step you did.






This is the kind of grime that benefits from a 2 step cleaning.



Meguiars D101 @10:1 has the power to clean it and do it safely.



As far as the streaking.. When using all purpose cleaners, especially on leather seats it’s usually recommended to avoid spraying the cleaner directly onto the surface and instead onto a towel or a brush because spraying directly onto the surface can sometimes cause streaking to occur. I know that sounds impossible to do if using a steam cleaner.. The good news is that it’s somewhat rare for that streaking to happen with my experience using Meguiars APC, but I have experienced it and I think the better way to describe it is almost like the chemical bleaches the surface, and once that happens it makes it very difficult to remove.

Another tip would be to use distilled water for diluting your chemicals. And also distilled water in your steamer.

[WillSports3]

+1 on using distilled water. Also, I don't use Meguiars APC (Harder to find in Canada for some reason) but same idea with any APC. Test spot first, I doubt you'll find something that's safe across every kind of manufacturer's materials. Spray a little bit of the diluted mixture into a spot where you won't really see it unless you look for it and see if it has any ill effects.
I think what Guz is describing is uneven dwell time at a higher concentration. Basically if you spray it onto the seats and then go get your brush and start brushing, the chemical has already had time to sit on the seat in a higher quantity than if you were to say spray a towel and wipe it over the seat and then brush as needed. My general rule for APC is that unless it's directly onto the tire, I'll keep a towel that I call the applicator tower and spray whatever chemicals onto it so I can evenly wipe an amount onto a seat, a stain, etc.

[Mike Hoekstra]

Watch as many of Mike Phillips' tutorials and videos as you can on YouTube and not the Autogeek Facebook page, and here. Watch Larry on the AMMO NYC detail channel. Sign up and take a hands-on detailing class taught by Mike Phillips or certified professional.

[acuRAS82]

@Eldorado2k, insane leather results you posted above.

To OP, I to use D101 for dirty jobs. Solid stuff, great price. And it’s not just death chemicals in a bottle like some cheaper stuff you find OTC.

[Mike Phillips]

Hey what is up Auto Geek forum, my name is Ismael live in San Antonio and want to learn to be a detailer.

You missed a great 100% hands-on class last summer.


10 cars detailed in 2 days! Texas Roadshow Detailing Class!

I tried to clean cars like the YouTube detailers with Super Clean with steam cleaner and I find that it leaves behind a white film that is hard to remove.

So now I’m here to learn from the best.

I've seen this white-film too only I'm not so sure it's a film? It could be the material, whatever it is - has been physically altered and then the only way to fix it is to mask it.

So let’s start here, should I continue to use Super Clean or buy Meguiar's All purpose cleaner?

I want to use only products that will NOT damage any interior in anyway , shape or form. Nothing but the safest auto car products.

I've never used Super Clean so I can't comment on it, but lots of pro detailers and enthusiast detailers alike use and trust Meguair's All-Purpose-Cleaner.

The real key to using any all-purpose-cleaner is to learn how to properly dilute it and purchase the correct OSHA approved labeled bottles to use with the product. In the case of the Meguiar's OSHA approved bottles, they also come with the dilution level marks on the side of the bottle to make it easy to mix correctly and this keeps you safe.

I'm not sure that Super Clean does this?


AND - if you're going to be a professional detailer, you really need to have all your concentrate products poured-off into OSHA approved secondary containers to avoid a fine from the OSHA inspectors.


I wrote this back in 2008, as I type today that's 12 years ago.

Here's an article I wrote on this on MOL back in 2008...


How to properly dilute Meguiar's Detailer Line products


This how to article will show you how to properly dilute a dilutable product using Meguiar's OSHA Approved Secondary Bottles. For this how-to article we will use D10101 All Purpose Cleaner but the methods shown are the same for all Meguiar's dilutable products.




















I think it's still accurate. I would have to go get a fresh Meguiar's secondary APC bottle and look at it.

[Mike Phillips]

More important than finding a product and learning to properly dilute it is to learn how to diagnose interiors and determine what can and what can be fixed and then share this with your customer.


Also - don't take every job. I'm not a huge fan of interior detailing to start with but one thing I've learned over the years, if someone contacts me and says to me,

My interior NEEDS to be cleaned.


When I hear the word needs - a red flag goes up.

Might not be anything, might be something that no one or no chemical can fix. Learn the art of turning work down like I share in all my car and boat detailing classes as well as Renny Doyle's book.


Read this,

The learned skill of turning detailing work down by Mike Phillips

[TrustJesus]

Ok guys, thanks for responding and helping me. I am about to order Meguiars apc /with bottle label.

Here are my next questions, what brush do you recommend for cleaning door panels both plastic and leather? that won’t damage or scratch it?

Also, I have a primo purified water filter, can I use that or I need distilled water?

Last question what final wipe down towel do you recommend for wiping off wax after you wash it? I need help on this topic too.