Subaru Crew - Cleaning Interior & Exterior Surfaces

leo2633

It finally stopped raining! This past weekend, I washed my Forester and washed and waxed my wife's Outback. Got a nice sunburn, too.

Len

amsbear

A little $aving$ FYI.

Use the coupon code "detailcity" w/o the quotes to get 10% off your order from premiumautocare.com.

I ordered some Klasse AIO, and a Four Star Claying kit from them online yesterday and applied the code at checkout.

The next trick will be to actually find some time for some of this Subie TLC.

Alan
98 OBW Ltd

subearu

Thought I'd give the Mr. Clean Autodry thing a try today on my new F-XT. $5 coupon and Wal-Mart had it for $17.8x

Suds up nice, cleans well, and dries impressively. Strange to see no beading from my recent AIO application.

But....

the thing is attracting every spec of dust in the air, and it's not dusty, windy, etc. Something in the drying agent must be leaving a residue behind or has made the surface negatively charged or ???. You can wipe an area, only to introduce more dust. And I'm using fresh clean micro-fiber towels. The surface feels smooth and clean too.

It was even making my California Car Duster not work and pulling red lint from it. That same duster was then tried on our Mazda MPV (not washed with the Mr Clean thing) and left no lint or dust.
 
So, I'll be washing it again tomorrow with some regular ol' Meguiar's Gold Class to hopefully remove the whatever from it.

Anyone else try this stuff out? Better results?

-Brian

p0926

Chick magnet = Good
Dust magnet = Bad

-Frank P

subearu

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4286857491

I gave it a good rinsing with 'normal' tap water and then water-bladed it to dry it. Put another coat of AIO on it. Pics in that album above. Hood deflector is installed too.

-Brian

kens

Brian,

I've been using the Mr. Clean on my AIOed Forester and it seems to be fine. I don't see any more dust on it than usual -- and I have Java Black Pearl, too.

Ken

subearu

And I've read some positive results over at mpvclub as well. Not sure what went on with my 'trial', but I'm probably not going to use it again for a while. Maybe I'll test it on a quarter panel on our MPV. There's a little of the starter soap left.

Oh well, it needed the 2nd coat of AIO anyway! 8-)

-Brian

ateixeira

Good one, Frank.

I have a new threat - Cicadas! They're all over the place. I keep hitting them with my windshield, even. Ugh.

I did detail my engine bay, though. Use some cleaner/degreaser, sprayed on, then ran the hose inside my utility tub, connected to the hot water.

Wife thinks I'm crazy. She's probably right.

Any how, that hot water, in a fine mist, worked well to rinse off the degreaser, and the engine compartment looks pretty good now. Not yet OCD standard, but at least it got the bit of gear oil that I spilled on there.

Did the same with the undercarriage, and feel a lot better now.

Seems like a pretty good environmentally friendly way to clean her up.

-juice

jfl

Another good way is use a garden sprayer. But it would probably take a lot longer.

Jim

lucien2

I give up, Juice. I'm sending roughly a dozen a day to the great oak tree in the sky.

I like having them around though; they get such a bad rap. Why? They don't eat anything, they're completely defensless, they only get their groove on once every 17 years, and they make an eerie cool noise that humans only get to hear every 17 years. My unborn daughter will be graduating freakin HIGH SCHOOL the next time they show up. So I don't mind plucking a few from my intercooler.

kens

I can imagine the splats they would make against a moving vehicle. But hey, like Loosh said, they spend 17 years in the ground and come out for their first and last party. You've got to give them some sympathy.

Not too many Cicadas out here in the West Coast, but they're EVERYWHERE in Japan. Their symphony is the sound of summer.

Ken

rsholland

Oh well, it will be over soon.

Bob

subearu

and gave 'em the OCD wax treatment. Had to degrease them first, as the oil undercoating was a bear to get off. Lugs had a bit of it on them too.

Even polished up the wheel weights. 8-)

-Brian

leo2633

You are sick, Brian. SICK!!!

Len

rob_m

Where do you even find the time ???? Lately, I can barely get mine washed!

subearu

It did take a while too since I had to degrease 'em. DW thinks I'm nuts but approves of it, since she loves how the vehicles look after they've been OCD'd.

-Brian

kens

Brian,

You're out of your mind. ;-)
Did you clean the valve stem caps too? Can you come over and do my Forester?

Ken

subearu

hehe, lol

The valve stems and caps got cleaned too. I did not wax them though since they're rubber.

I probably spent 10 minutes on each wheel just degreasing the lugs. There was a coating over each that was hard to see at first.

-Brian

hondafriek

The OCD crown goes to---------------Brian!
 
Boy you need help, I thought I was bad, but compared to you I am normal:-) Whatever normal is these days.

  Cheers Pat.

brady_bunch

OK... I read the first 10 pages and the last 10 pages of this thread plus a few in between. LOTS of good info.

I plan on getting a pressure washer for my soon-to-have 2005 GT Limited (thanks, Juice!) along with a California water blade. I think I will skip the "car dusters" for now unless someone has a positive recommendation.

If I read correctly, there have been several recommendations to wait for a month or two before doing any serious waxing on the car. I am of the "twice-a-year" polishing persuasion so I will probably go with Nu-Finish. Which leads to my first question: Is Nu-Finish a dirt/swirl removing polish or a finishing wax?

I'm not big on a multi-step process unless it one I can do just twice a year (or less)... any suggestions? I have used TurtleWax on my previous cars and switched to Meguiars recently with some success.

Meguiars cleaners and conditioners for leather?

I've read about some issues with certain polishes/waxes in various humidity/temperature conditions. Anyone have experience with with waxes in south Texas?

Thanks in advance!

hondafriek

Have to tell you, as anyone on this board can attest, there are very few people more fussy with their car than I am. I swear by the California car duster.

 I have been using them for many years and have had nothing but a positive experience with them.When the car is just dusty a quick wipe over with the duster and you have a shiny clean car again, no scratchs guaranteed.

 Cheers Pat.

kens

I don't think there is any reason to wait before applying the first coat of wax to your vehicle. Normally, brand new paint requires about a month to cure. However, the paint on new cars probably have either had the time to cure or have been speed cured using UV. The best thing you can do to your brand new car is to put on a layer of paint protection.

If you want minimal waxing during the year, then going with a synthetic product like NuFinish is a good bet. Synthetics last a lot longer than traditional waxes and still do provide a good amount of shine. Typically, off-the-shelf one shot waxes are cleaner/waxes, meaning that they have a combination of paint cleaners (for mild oxidation removal) and wax. All waxes will fill in very fine swirls to make them less visible, but in order to remove them, you need a real polish.

Always try the least abrasive method first and see if it works for you. Your brand new car shouldn't really need any polishing unless the dealer screwed up the PDI detailing. When you use a polish, you're basically sanding down a very very thin layer of clearcoat.

I, like many other OCDers on this forum, have discovered a product called Klasse All-in-One. It's also a synthetic wax, but it goes on and off easily, provides a good shine and lasts very long. I find that when I use it with it's Sealant Glaze (another optional product), I can really go 6 months without a re-coat. Klasse can't be purchased at your local auto shop -- do a search online to find the many retailers.

Not quite sure about leather conditioners. I'll need to find out too since I have a Legacy GT Ltd on order too.

In hot Texan weather, you really will benefit from a synthetic wax. With traditional waxes, you can tell how much more quickly the wax layer wears off when washing in warm weather.

Just my two cents, but instead of buying a pressure washer, I'd invest in a good garden hose with multiple nozzles, a high-quality lambswool washing mit (for the paint), a cheapo synthetic washmitt for the wheels and lots of microfiber detailing cloths.

Ken

ateixeira

Loosh: it's hilarious, we're saving on dog food because Hadji finds the cicadas very tasty!

"polished up the wheel weights"

*sniff*, I'm so proud!

The paint is cured at the factory, I was told. Besides, check the build date on the door jamb and I bet it's already been more than the 6 weeks most paint shops recommend for re-paints.

-juice

goneskiian

I too will have a new GT soon. I've read some of this board and decided on the Klasse AIO. What's the best material for application? I see Ken recommends the microfiber cloths. I just bought a bunch of terry cloth rags at the local auto parts store, will those work OK?

-Ian

ateixeira

Ian falling off The Fence? It's getting lonely up here! Let us know when you get it!

-juice

kens

Ian,

I'd highly recommend using some form of micro-fiber. Terry cloth, no matter how soft, will create more fine swirls than microfiber. You can either get the fancy applicators (a foam core with microfiber outside) or get a stack of cloths from Target.

Ken

goneskiian

Thanks Ken. Guess I'll use the terry on my Honda before I sell it and then as bike rags.

-Ian

kens

Ian,

I used to use terry cloths on my black Forester, but I could see that the cloths themselves were putting some very fine marks on the waxjob. It's probably less of an issue with lighter colors. Also, damp terry cloth is less abrasive than dry.

Flannel detailing cloths are a good alternative too.

Ken

goneskiian

Thanks Ken. The new GT will be silver so maybe I won't worry too much.

-Ian

brady_bunch

Anyone have any experience with Clear Bra aka 3M's Scotchcal? Sounds like a good idea. Motortrend had a positive review of it this past January: http://www.motortrend.com/features/care/112_0401_cc/

deadeye5

Parked my near new XT (Gold) under a tree and had
buds,dropings etc that would NOT come off with soap & water or polish...A small squirt on a rag of Oven Cleaner---did the trick. Off in a flash..
  Give it a try.. Deadeye

rob_m

I think I would have gone with a clay bar or cleaner/prep wax ... not too sure what oven cleaner would do to the clear coat.

vetmats

For Sap Stains, I have used a Turtle Wax Bug/Tar/Tree Sap remover. It works great, and is safe for clear coats. I have used it to remove tree sap, and the stuff removes it in seconds.

p0926

I got it applied to my Forester back in Jan. IMO it's already paid for itself by preventing multiple paint chips. Bug guts are also easier to clean off now. It's almost invisible as you have to be within a couple of feet of the car to see the edge of the film on the hood. I also had very thin strips applied to the doors and thus far they've done an excellent job of preventing door-edge dings.

-Frank P

ateixeira

If you use bug/tar removers or anything potentially harsh (like oven cleaner, though I wouldn't), just be sure to wash the area throroughly afterwards. You don't want any chemical residue laying on that paint for long.

-juice

barbsee

So in love with my "new" car; however when I complained to the dealer it had a little funky odor he said to let them "bomb" it with something that would "eat" the smell. NOW I know that whatever that bomb is, that was the problem! It's an attempt at new-car-smell but it reminds me of old grannie perfume layered on top my beautiful full leather interior. I'm not without hope--it's slowly getting better. On a hot day, if I drive around with the sun roof open & all the windows down it seems to be disapating. Any suggestions? I think that the chemical is lying on top my leather, coating my vinyl, obscuring my glass and creeping into my lungs! Any way to speed up the process?

[Deleted User]

Congrats on the new car, barbsee!

The first thing I would do is get the chemical film off the leather. There are a number of leather treatment products out there you can buy; focus on ones that have seperate cleaners and conditioners. Lexol is one brand with a good reputation, and they have a seperate leather wash and leather conditioner. Treating your leather every 6 months is the best thing you can do for it to prevent cracking and keep it looking new.

Next I would clean up the carpets. Professional upholstery steam cleaners can be rented from a number of places. Be sure to do this on a warm day and keep the windows down until the carpets completely dry. The last thing you want is a case of mildew in your new car. Personally, I own a home Bissel cleaner that doubles as an upholstery steam cleaner (we own two golden retrievers and clean our carpets frequently).

Then I would tackle the windows and clear plastic with an ordinary glass cleaner. Be sure to use a soft rag on clear plastic, and on the windows if they have tinting, to prevent any fine scratches.

The last item is the vinyl. Start with a bucket of clean water and a rag, and scrub every piece of vinyl in the car, from the dash to the doors to the scuff guards. If there's still film left on the vinyl, try cleaning with a product called Vinylex, which is both a cleaner and conditioner. Vinylex will leave things a bit shiny and has a nice UV protectant built in. If the vinyl is clean after the water wash, use a UV protectant called 303 Aerospace, which has the highest UV inhibitors on the market right now. The UV inhibitors will prevent your vinyl from fading and deteriorating due to sun exposure.

You're done! The car should feel, smell, and look new. Enjoy!

-Ty

ateixeira

All of the above, plus sprinkle in some baking soda and vacuum it out the next day. You could even keep some in the car, tied in a decorative bag. Hide it under the seat if it embarasses you.

Don't laugh, but we OCD Club members have been known to run a de-humidifier inside ours cars to kill a musty/moldy odor.

-juice

goneskiian

Just thought I'd chime in on what wonders these did for the finish of my old Honda. I haven't yet made the time to do the new GT yet though.

Anyway, the finish on my Honda had been neglected for at least a year and a half. That's the last time I paid someone to detail it. Before that I hadn't waxed it in at least a couple years.

Anyway, last week I took a Mother's clay bar system to it (minus the carnuba wax) after giving it a thorough wash. Then I put a coat of Klasse All-In-One on it. WOW! I don't know if it was the combination or just the Klasse but it sure looks great. I really should have taken before and after pictures of it. Before it was quite dull in a few places (the hood being the worst) and after it's much more shiny. Great stuff!

Also, I've got something that came up off the road on the underside of the rear quarter panel that I can't get off. It's yellowish and looks to have been quite thick. It's actually been on there quite a long time as I've tried scrubbing when I wash and I've tried the Turtle wax bug, tar, and sap remover. It's still not coming off. Any ideas?

Cheers,
-Ian

goneskiian

brady,
I don't have any experience although I was seriously considering having Stongard do my new wagon. They use a 3M film.

I think I may pass for now though. I'm thinking that with a silver paint job small rock chips and such just won't be as visible as with a darker finish.

Feel free to talk me back into it though! ;-) LOL!

-Ian

kens

Ian,

Did you try using warm water to wash off that yellow gunk? Or how about rubbing alcohol? Try mild measures first, then ratchet it up.

Yep, silver should better hide those inevitable chips.

Ken

subearu

maybe try a clay bar over that area?

-Brian

hypov

Ian-
But it'll look pitted, especially the bumper when specks of the black plastic showing.
  
Now get back on the Clear Bra Wagon!!!

-Dave

goneskiian

Yup, used warm water and then the clay bar. Still stuck like you know what.

As for the clear bra situation. I've read some things that made me leary of doing business with a certain vendor at this time. So, I've decided to do a bit more research before making a final decision.

-Ian

hypov

Ian-
How about looking into Rockblocker.com?
I have their product applied to my car.

They're in Redmond, WA about 9 miles from where you're at, and I sure you'll get the work done by the owner himself

-Dave

p0926

I got a clear bra applied to my silver Forester and I'm quite satisfied. After six months there's nary a chip nor scratch on the hood. I opted not to do the front bumper and it already has several chips in it from road debris.

-Frank

barbsee

Thank you so much for this thorough response. I appreciate it very much. Sounds like enjoyable exercise, and confirms my reaction to the dealer's advice of another "treatment". I knew it was not the way to go. We're driving to the Oregon Coast with the sun roof wide open this weekend, and it would be fun to do some of this in the fresh sea air, before Mo's Clam Chowder. All the best~

[Deleted User]

No problem. Happy to help, barbsee. It's great to see another Subaru owner passionate about their vehicle.

FYI: The Lexol leather products and Vinylex can be found at Pep Boys auto parts stores. 303 Aerospace Protectant is a little trickier to find, but it's worth it. There's nothing better for vinyl and rubber treatment from my personal experience. Go to http://www.303products.com/main.php?infopage=retailersearch to find a local retailer. If you have problems finding quality auto care products around you locally, I've found http://www.properautocare.com to be an awesome resource if you don't mind having things shipped.

Have fun on the coastal ride!

-Ty

ateixeira

This is funny, it went to a store called Roses yesterday and sure enough, found a container they sell that has an odor absorber inside (it contains baking soda) and an air freshener.

So they do sell the stuff ready made.

-juice

frog

Just got my order of Klasse AIO. read that u can use it on plastics and glass surfaces. Put it on windows to help water sheeting. I was wondering if anyone has tried using it on their glass, specifically the front windshield. I am worried the wipers could scratch the Klasse finish and blur visability. Conversely I was hoping it could help with water sheeting, and possibly protect the glass a little from debris....?????