Dreaded area to clean?

[lokerola]

What area of the detail do you dread the most, or leave until last?

As a non-pro I've found I'm so physically wiped after a day or day and a half of exterior work on the family daily drivers that I'm skipping most of the interior. Or I'm wiping down the door jambs and calling it day.

Of course the next day I'm looking at the interior thinking to myself "I could have gotten up 30 minutes earlier to clean this."

And the area that drives me the most nuts is the hinge area of the door jamb. It's so hard to get it totally clean. What do you pros use to clean that area, a steamer? I can't get a rag or MF into all those little nooks and crannies.

All the work you pros do here is amazing!

[weavers]

Dreaded area, inside the windshield, front and back. Windows are the bain of my exsitance. Windows should be the shining star, but i can rarely perfect them. Getting inside windows is such a pain. Even with those window tools its still a pain



For door jams, I just use a rag and apc 1:14 or purple power 1:4. If its really dirty, as in will turn a white rag black with grease then use purple power and wheel sponge and a bucket with dawn dish soap. For daily driver I am charge by the hour. if they want a "perfect detail" then you gotta pay me for +20 hours. typical I get 4 hours on a daily driver to clean everything up and "make it look shinny." daily drivers are never perfect, do your best and if they complain tell it would just take longer.

edit, try an assorment of brushes. many detailers use this:


you could also try a spoke wheel brush too like

[Kristopher1129]

I don't get crazy with the hinges on the door jambs. They are usually covered in grease anyways. But, I do have certain packages that are very intricate. During those packages, I brush the jamns with degreaser, and the boars hair brush shown above. Also use a steam cleaner if necessary. Same goes for all the other hinges.

The thing I dread most? Windows, hands down. I get them done nicely...but, I still hate doing them. Well, not ALL windows. But certain vehicles just make no sense, ha.

[MirandaAutoSpa]

Does anyone know how to clean that little area on the rear glass between the brake light and the glass. You know what I mean right? I don't think we can clean it unless the glass is removed, right?
Any ideas?

[shoeless89]

I HATE cleaning the windows! I swear the space between the windshield and the dash just keeps getting tighter and tighter.

I do what I can on the door jambs. If I get them 90% clean most people are ecstatic. I mainly focus and the more open area of the door jamb because thats what people see. I get the hinge area the best I can but who really looks at that besides us and car enthusiasts?

[lokerola]

I don't get crazy with the hinges on the door jambs. They are usually covered in grease anyways. But, I do have certain packages that are very intricate. During those packages, I brush the jamns with degreaser, and the boars hair brush shown above. Also use a steam cleaner if necessary. Same goes for all the other hinges.

The thing I dread most? Windows, hands down. I get them done nicely...but, I still hate doing them. Well, not ALL windows. But certain vehicles just make no sense, ha.

I have seen pics here of people using that boars hair brush. I might have to get one of those. I do have a small steam cleaner that I might break out and test on the hinges. Thanks.

Dreaded area, inside the windshield, front and back. Windows are the bain of my exsitance. Windows should be the shining star, but i can rarely perfect them. Getting inside windows is such a pain. Even with those window tools its still a pain



For door jams, I just use a rag and apc 1:14 or purple power 1:4. If its really dirty, as in will turn a white rag black with grease then use purple power and wheel sponge and a bucket with dawn dish soap. For daily driver I am charge by the hour. if they want a "perfect detail" then you gotta pay me for +20 hours. typical I get 4 hours on a daily driver to clean everything up and "make it look shinny." daily drivers are never perfect, do your best and if they complain tell it would just take longer.

edit, try an assorment of brushes. many detailers use this:


you could also try a spoke wheel brush too like

OK, so to do a "perfect" detail it should take a long time, as in 20 hours. That sort of makes sense. I know I'm a n00b to detailing, but I work hard and it takes a long time to properly wash, clay,wash, polish, seal, clean the wheels, tidy up the faded trim, and hit the windows. I keep thinking I'm doing something wrong by not having enough time to get to the interior, under the hood, and inside the trunk. Turns out I'm just a perfectionist who thinks a 20 hour detail should be done on 10 hours. Oh well. Now that I'm about done getting the daily drivers paint corrected, future work should be at bit less involved. And yes, window cleaning is a pain!

Does anyone know how to clean that little area on the rear glass between the brake light and the glass. You know what I mean right? I don't think we can clean it unless the glass is removed, right?
Any ideas?

No ideas from me. I'll be interested to hear what the pros have to say.

I HATE cleaning the windows! I swear the space between the windshield and the dash just keeps getting tighter and tighter.

I do what I can on the door jambs. If I get them 90% clean most people are ecstatic. I mainly focus and the more open area of the door jamb because thats what people see. I get the hinge area the best I can but who really looks at that besides us and car enthusiasts?

Heh. I know what you mean about the windows. I had an 07 FJ Cruiser and the windows were so easy to clean. The were almost verticle. But my new 2011 Dodge Charger has extreme angles on the glass, espec. the rear window. Without the triangle doo-hickey cleaner tool I would never get the windows clean.

OK, so it sounds like windows are the most dreaded so far. I admit that I clean and clean and somehow end up with a few missed spots or streaks. Darn windows!

The other areas for me that are a pain are the bottom of the rocker panels. It seems as though they pick up huge amounts of tar and caked on gunk. I've been washing the rocker panels at the same time I wash the rest of the side panels, but I'm thinking of hitting the rockers first with a tar remover, then scrubbing them with one of thse bug brushes that have a bit of texture to them to help scrub the tar and gunk off. The nice fiber wash mitt I have doesn't seem to have the texture to really pull that gunky stuff off. I might try tar x next month and see what happens.

Thanks everybody - good luck with those windows!

[pickles]

The wheel wells go unnoticed and are the dirtiest.

[lokerola]

The wheel wells go unnoticed and are the dirtiest.

Agreed. And it's funny you mention that as I was just reading the description for the Griots Garage undercarriage cleaner. The ad talks about using it specifically for darkening up the wheel well after a wash.

[Bates Detailing]

My guys know and understand fully that I NEVER do inside windows lol - NEVER. Ive done enough of them in the past and pay my guys enough to let them enjoy the "streak free windows"

[opie_7afe]

inside cup holders of nasty soccer mom mobiles,and all places the sun dont shine in those same type of cars. man some awful stuff is found in those spots.worst for me was maggots.yes maggots luckily i had gloves and a dust mask..i don't like sticky stuff or dirt on my hands...funny thing is i love working on cars...windows don't bother me unless they streak...oh and for your issue for the jambs and stuff i use normal 1/2"-1.5" paint brushes. some i cut bristles down on, some i don't..good luck with finding a easy way to make the most dreaded spot not so dreaded!