Cleaning honeycomb plastic grilles?

[evo77]

Both my Cruze and Grand Caravan have plastic honeycomb grilles. It's very tedious to clean in each hole. Both vehicles sit outside 24-7 so rain water will collect inside each hole and eventually leave water spots.

Since I only do rinseless washing it requires much effort to get my wash media into all the nooks and crannies.

I've used flagged wash brushes and an assortment of small soft tube/pipe nylon brushes to get in each hole but they just don't get them as clean as I'd like. Using a MF towel wrapped around my finger works best but takes forever!

How do you tackle these kind of grilles and what are the tools you use to make the job fast and easy?

I think a plastic coating should be next on my list to help them repel water spots and stay cleaner longer. I just haven't seen an aerosol product that gives a matte finish instead of a shiny one.

Thanks.

[LAD]

I have the same problem. I have a JGC and I have tried everything. The best solution is the old microfiber around a finger. And yes, it does take forever and I don't get the "perfect" look that I want.

[jms493]

Coat it and forget it!

[Joe@NextLevelDetail]

You get a brush and spray a foaming all purpose cleaner on the brush , and on the grille and you work the brush to loosen the dirt, then hose off

[LSNAutoDetailing]

Here is one option that will work well for plastic honeycomb grills. You can use a wheel cleaner (such as Griot's or Meg's Wheel Brightener), spray liberally, let it dwell, then agitate using a detailers brush and rinse.

Meguiars Wheel Brightener is a professional grade wheel cleaner for factory coated wheels! Meguiars wheel cleaner and brightener makes coated wheels
EZ Detail Brush Mini, Motorcycle Detailing Brush, Mini Wheel Brush
Wheel Woolies Boar’s Hair Detail Brush 1 inch


An air blower will help get all the water out and dry the surface. Then you can go through the meticulous process of a coating.

[Matt@Revive]

APC and a boar hair brush, or maybe the 1" wheel woolie. the wheel woolie will quite a bit of time to get in all of the openings. dry with either a blower or compressed air and dress it.

[Rsurfer]

Here is one option that will work well for plastic honeycomb grills. You can use a wheel cleaner (such as Griot's or Meg's Wheel Brightener), spray liberally, let it dwell, then agitate using a detailers brush and rinse.
Do you really want an acid wheel cleaner dripping on your bumper?
Meguiars Wheel Brightener is a professional grade wheel cleaner for factory coated wheels! Meguiars wheel cleaner and brightener makes coated wheels
EZ Detail Brush Mini, Motorcycle Detailing Brush, Mini Wheel Brush
Wheel Woolies Boar’s Hair Detail Brush 1 inch


An air blower will help get all the water out and dry the surface. Then you can go through the meticulous process of a coating.

[evo77]

I only do rinseless washes. No water hose.

I have the smallest wheel woolie and it's too big for the openings.

[Kyle_Elantra]

What was linked was the wheel woolie brush, not a wheel woolie.

[dcjredline]

Lake country detail stix. Bigger than a normal swab and made out of foam.