Subaru Crew - Cleaning Interior & Exterior Surfaces

speterson1

I use Klasse AIO for our Forester and love it. However, I no longer put it on the windshield. It certainly will help water beading on the glass surface; after you put it on, if you are driving in rain at speeds > 45 mph you probably won't even need to use your wipers! I never had any kind of visibility issue. The reason I quit putting it on the windshield was because I would notice my wipers making a rubbing noise while in operation that I think is due to the thin layer of Klasse. The wipers still work fine, it's just that the noise bugs me.

This may happen because of my wiper blades too - I don't have OEM blades, I prefer Bosch Micro Edge blades, so I would recommend going ahead and putting Klasse on your windshield and seeing how you like the results. Your wipers may work fine and not make any noise at all with the Klasse. I put Klasse on all my windows except the windshield. Good luck!

ateixeira

That's cool that it works on the windows.

I've used Rain X and the same thing happens with the wipers.

-juice

jfl

To the northern Calif crew:

I detailed my Subie this weekend...be prepared for variable weather.

Jim

kens

Jim,

It has been pretty foggy this morning. I was wondering who washed their vehicle. :-)

Ken

hammerhead

Weather so-called experts this AM actually discouraged car washing - said wait 'til tomorrow when the weather's not so unsettled.

Wonder if I'm boing hoodwinked

Cheers!
Paul

rob_m

OK, ok. I will admit to washing the GT and Outback yesterday, along with attacking the OB with a clay bar last night. Sorry! Rob M.

ebony5

Yesterday I noticed a tar spot about the size of a quarter above a front tire well-part on the white body paint and part on the gray cladding -It is fairly thick- recommendations on how to remove it would be appreciated-Thanks

ateixeira

I've used WD40 for stuff like that, but I'll probably be one-upped by OCD club members with better ideas.

Just make sure you wash the area thoroughly afterwards. I'd wax it too, odds are you'll strip any wax that was left on there.

-juice

hypov

If it's thick enough for the finger/fingernail to peel, chill it and peel off.

or

cloth over the tar and apply heat; let the cloth soak up the excess tar. It's easier to clean off a thinner layer of tar than taking on a glob.

I usually just use Dawn dishwasing liquid. Finish 2000 polish does the trick too.

-Dave

vetmats

Or, you could use some Turtle Wax Bug/Tar Remover. It is a milky paste that you rub over the tar to remove it. This stuff also works great on removing tree sap. I've used it to remove both with great results. It will remove tar and tree sap in seconds.

-vetmats

hondafriek

The best and easiest method that I have found is plain old paint thinner. it will remove wax but will not harm paint I have used this method for years with no problem.

 Just do not confuse laquer thinner with Paint thinner.

 Cheers Pat.

luck11

"Just do not confuse laquer thinner with Paint thinner."

LOL! What a nice orange peel effect that would create!

Agree with you Pat. I too have used Paint thinner for those hard to remove contaminants...works like a charm, but need to wash afterwards (paint thinner leaves oily residue) then reapply your polish/wax of choice.

Jay

ateixeira

My dad's Outback was vandalized (spray paint) and his wife used nail polish remover to clean it off. I thought she was nuts at the time, but it worked. She did wash it later.

I'd try a milder solution first, and work up progressively until it worked.

-juice

hondafriek

Would be on a par with laquer thinner:-)

 Actually if your car is vandalised with spray paint it will usually be laquer, if you know what you are doing laquer thinner will remove it.

  Cheers Pat.

ateixeira

No side effects about a year later, so I guess it worked. I made sure she had washed it afterwards, though.

-juice

lark6

I'm curious as to what second-generation (SG) Forester owners are doing to keep their dashes and upper door panels clean. Just as I imagined when I first set eyes on one, the golf ball-dimpled panels seem to be dust magnets.

Right now all I'm doing is going over the surfaces lightly with a tack rag. I don't intend to use any sort of protectant as I've never run across one - even those that claim to be "low gloss" - that doesn't make the plastics ridiculously shiny. It's apparent that Subaru made the effort to make these new dashes give off less glare, and I want to keep it that way.

TIA,
Ed

kens

Ed,

Although I haven't any experience cleaning the interior of SG Foresters, I typically find a lightly moistened microfiber towel to work very well in all interiors. Compared to standard terry cloth, the very fine fibers are not only gentle but they do a much better job of trapping dirt. They also work very well in removing any degassing film on the inside of your windows without any chemical cleaners.

The key is to find good quality microfiber cloths that don't shed their fibers. As they have become readily available, the range of quality has grown as well.

Ken

ateixeira

Does a swiffer cloth work for those dimples? Maybe try that for light/occasional cleaning.

-juice

lark6

Ken: by "microfiber towel" do you mean something like The Absorber? If so, I'm in luck as I just bought a new one to use on the XT's exterior.

Ed

subearu

http://store.auto-geek.net/mitoco.html - an example of MF towels

They will be softer than a terry towel. My MIL picked up a bunch of them from the hospital. They are blue, probably 12" square. I use these exclusively for applying AIO and/or Mequiar's QD spray. They do dry dust well too, including the dash and inside of the windows.

-Brian

ateixeira

Must be a trend, I have some microfiber pants that are extremely comfortable. ;-)

-juice

kens

Ed,

I'm not sure what "The Absorber" is but it may be MF. MF cloths are fairly commonplace now and Bob showed a good example of some. Here's more info on them:
http://www.fibersource.com/f-tutor/micro.htm
http://www.properautocare.com/micwhatbigde.html

Like I wrote earlier, there are varying degrees of quality in MF. The inexpensive kind (even Target sells them for like $5 for a pack of 5) shed their fibers so it can be annyoing on dark interiors. The good stuff keeps it intact.

Ken

kens

While we're on the topic of micro-whatevers, I recently bought and tried the following:

http://www.properautocare.com/migrpad.html

It worked extremely well. Polishing with Klasse was a breeze.

Ken

lark6

The Absorber is basically a big synthetic chamois. It's good for drying but not like what you describe here. I'll have to look for those, hopefully at a better price but also at a quality better than the Target variety (since I now have a car with a dark interior).

Ed

luck11

Geez, always thought nylon was a no-no on a paint finish. I wonder if application of the polish hides the microscopic scratches those nylon bristles of the MICROFINGER might (only guessing here) leaving on your finish. I'm still old school....USA made 100% terry cotton towels and applicator pads. Still have not moved to/tested with microfiber.

ateixeira

I think you can get natural micro-fiber materials. I believe that just refers to a high thread count.

-juice

kens

Interesting point about nylon, but every detailing specialty website I've visited touts the virtues of microfiber. The microfinger pad I use is simply microfiber that has all the fibers oriented perpendicular to the pad surface. It's extremely soft.

Ken

hondafriek

You are gonna laugh here, this is low tech but I have used it for years with no problem.

 For the top of the dash and door panels I get one of those sponge things made by Tana for cleaning shoes, the top of the dash and door panels in the GT is black.

 I have never found this to be glossy and it seems to keep the dust at a minimum.

  I am sure some will say I am nuts but whatever works EH!

  Cheers Pat.

lark6

My tack rag is pretty low tech and I'm always happy to use it. It's good on dust but not so good on scuffs, smudges or ground-in stuff.

The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (novel product) is very good on textured plastics; we use them on our dishwasher, microwave oven and fridge handles. I discovered today it also works well on getting dirt out of the textured plastic handle on the Forester's cargo bay cover.

Ed

luck11

Ed, great idea. I have to try that on my tan door panels of my OB. I have to put a ton of elbow grease to get out scuffs from shoes etc. Never thought to try the Mr. Clean Eraser. thx.

Microfiber...is nylon as well?? (sorry, excuse my ignorance here). I thought it was natural product, considering its used in clothing. On the subject of clothing, my brother-in-law came over with some laundry. He picked up a microfiber top at the GAP for $10. Can't understand why he was not impressed by my suggestion to test it out by waxing my car. Hmmmm.....

rob_m

Can't understand why he was not impressed by my suggestion to test it out by waxing my car. Hmmmm.....

Maybe because weren't going to let him take his shirt off first! LOL

luck11

LOL! That could have been the problem!! We car cleanliness fanatics can get a little out of hand sometimes.

ateixeira

I believe microfiber is basically very thin thread, or a very high thread count. But it can be any type of thread.

I have some polyester pants that are microfiber.

And before you laugh and have a 70s flashback, they are velvety smooth and extremely comfortable, my favorite actually.

-juice

njswamplands

juice = juice grunting travolta

kens

Oh man, strange image in my head now.

Ken

ateixeira

Didn't Disco make a come back recently? ;-)

-juice

luck11

Maybe so, but.......

ateixeira

I think I'll stick with my Samba. ;-)

-juice

goneskiian

"Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,
I'm a woman's man: no time to talk.
Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around
since I was born.

And now it's all right. It's OK.
And you may look the other way.
We can try to understand
the New York Times' effect on man.

Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother,
you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin',
and we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive."

At least that's the first verse. ;-)

-Ian

rob_m

I hate when a song gets stuck in my brain ....

lilbluewgn02

Looks like you can use your feet also!
(images of Hendrix playing his fender with various body parts.......:)

luck11

Why am I suddenly tempted to go to the basement and start opening some boxes of old clothes?

ateixeira

That was cruel Ian. Now I'm humming it!

-juice

luck11

worse...I started singing it out loud in the office while reading the lyrics, high pitch tone and everything! Took a few seconds to realize what I was doing....but too late. Now I'm the office freak!

Jay.

goneskiian

Glad I could put some smiles on some faces! Even if it was your co-workers faces. ;-)

Just happens to be one of my favorites!

Wait, why are you blaming me! Swampy started it! ;-)

-Ian

frog

Just got finished putting a coat of AIO on the 04 Leg wagon, after washing (thoroughly) and drying. I have had it for three months or so now and thought I had better start looking after the paint. The car is now silky smoothe, and looks better than new. The maintenance guy at the car wash stalls said it was the cleanest looking white car he had seen in months. No bugs. I am going for another coat of AIO in the morning if my back can handle it, and then a coat of sealant glaze, before she goes into her new home in the garage. I have discovered the AIO is a superior wheel cleaner as well as it eradicated some nasty grease stains left on by the factory.

kens

Yes, AIO does remove cosmoline pretty well. I just use a dab to get rid of the cosmoline ooze that comes from the wheel bolts.

Ken

bob6779

You seem quite knowledgeable. What would you recommend to clean some chewing gum stuck to my black carpeted floor mat?

Thanks,
Bob

fibber2

Sure, now it is microfiber towels. Never heard of them before, and could probably have lived a long and happy life without them, but today I had to buy them when I saw a package at Sam's Club. And it is all YOUR (you collectively) fault.

Steve

subearu