Share your cleaning/detailing tips!

M

mtbfx

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Location
monterey park
let me start with vinegar. i found this mentioned on the net mainly to neutralize smoke odors (i.e. from cigarettes) at home. tried a few sprays and neutralizers on a smoke "scented" loaner and finally succeeded with vinegar. i left a soup bowl with about a third of vinegar inside the car. after a few hours, the smoke odor is nearly gone. i let it sat overnight and somehow the interior turned odorless. you might smell the vinegar, but it fades fast.

i used cane vinegar (always have this since i am asian) and instead of using a bowl, i use ziplock plastic for sandwiches, a piece of table napkin, then a little vinegar enough to soak the napkin. i use a napkin only to hold the liquid inside and prevent splashing when placed in the vehicle. this way i can carry one and use it on my car when it get stuffy or kinda stinky. i simply open the ziplock and fold it outward and place it on the cup holder or any place where it wont spill.


my coworker tried it on a friend's (who smokes) car and it worked as well. now i use it at home too (when frying fish, burning food, etc.):rolleyes:.
 
I don't smoke (anymore that is) so no problems with smoke odor inside the FX, but using fabreeze seems to work well with any other types of odors that may linger inside the FX.
 
I like the coin wash, with a detailing spray and tire dressing for a nice clean finish. I have some 'Black' turtle wax that I'm going to try next time.
 
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I'm slow... so i take about half a day to do this stuff.

for paint.
1. Start off w/ a wash w/ dish detergent to take off old wax/polish.
2. claybar
3. wash w/mild soap (zaino)
4. dry
5. tape trim
6. use UDM w/ mild cutting pad w/menzerna IP
7. use UDM w/ polish pad w/menzerna FPII
8. use zaino sealant Z2 and Z5 pro (depending on color)
9. use zaino spray
 
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I used to keep a container of vinegar in the car, and whenever i would leave the car id open it and leave it where the center channel speaker was, god rid of the smoke smell pretty well since i hated that after smell.

i dont smoke in the car anymore (cutting back smoking! =] ) so i dont really worry about it now.

Also, if you find those scented pouches, if theyre not VERY strong and give a nice pleasant smell, you can throw them under your 2 front chairs and you will have a nice smelling car all the time. nothing too girlie smelling though haha
 
i use a Mothers Power Ball to clean inside the exhaust tips. i had an old one that i would trust on a set of rims, i figured it would fit nicely inside the exhaust.
 
I've tried several different plastic trim dressings like Mother's Back to Black and whatever Meguiar's one is... Plain ol' Armor-All works far better than either of them. It also works great on the front license plate bracket/frame. You wouldn't notice that it's sun-faded until you use this stuff on it.

For door jams... basically any paint that's not visible to the exterior of the car when doors/hatch are shut, some ammonia-free glass cleaner works great, and is safe (probably every automotive glass cleaner you see on the shelf is ammonia-free so that it's safe to use on aftermarket tints, but double check before using :rolleyes:).

I'll have to get back to you on what leather conditioner I use, but it's a red-bottle one, not sure if it's Meguiar's or Mother's... whichever one it is, I'll use it on a clean cloth, and cycle through cloth after cloth as they get dirty, then I'll keep the "dirty" ones in the rear foot-well for a few days to let the smell of them fill the car. After I do this I get compliments on the "new car smell" every time someone gets in.
 
i did a clean-up/detail for my interior today...i used Aerospace 303 for everything and i LOVE the way it came out. unlike some interior products this didn't leave an oilly/glossy look, it just made everything clean, i really liked it. im going to see how it works on my plastic trim at the bottom when i do an exterior detail.
 
brown_fv said:
i did a clean-up/detail for my interior today...i used Aerospace 303 for everything and i LOVE the way it came out. unlike some interior products this didn't leave an oilly/glossy look, it just made everything clean, i really liked it. im going to see how it works on my plastic trim at the bottom when i do an exterior detail.
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DO NOT use it on the plastic/rubber rear cargo mat. After using it, everything you own that's placed back there will slide around like it was ice-skating. It will also leave a funky smell in the interior after a hot day's bake (if you don't garage everywhere you go like work, malls, and home).

I do like the 303 Aerospace Protectant, never tried it on the exterior trims, but I do know that it is, in fact, slippery.
 
Cube said:
DO NOT use it on the plastic/rubber rear cargo mat. After using it, everything you own that's placed back there will slide around like it was ice-skating. It will also leave a funky smell in the interior after a hot day's bake (if you don't garage everywhere you go like work, malls, and home).

I do like the 303 Aerospace Protectant, never tried it on the exterior trims, but I do know that it is, in fact, slippery.
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LOL thanks for the tip, but i dont have a rear cargo mat...dont think the Canadian FX's came with it.

i do garage, and i gave a generous spray down of fabreeze on the carpeting and under the seats so hopefully the 303 smell wont be very dominant...i also have one of those squash air fresheners.
 
i thought i posted this before, but here's how i keep my fx clean and shiny:

Exterior/Paint:

-when closing doors, push via the handle and not the painted areas.
-offer/insist on opening/closing the hatch yourself.
-when loading/unloading cargo use towel and cover the bumper.
-close hatch via the license plate instead of the other sections.
-keep a mf and qd all the time.
-when washing, clean the exhaust tips.
-dont park directly beneath trees and posts to avoid sap, bird boo, and other crap

Interior:

-avoid anything that hits/rubs the bottom portions of the dash that easily scratches
-use distilled water if wiping interior with damp cloth so no deposits or white stuff left when it dries especially on black interior

sorry if some are obvious, etc... but i communicate most of these with my family and now they understand with my 5 year old fx still looks new :tup:.
 
What do you guys use to clean the oily film/streak left by the wiper on the windshield? I always try to keep my windshields spotless more so for nightime driving glare. I can almost clean & scrub anything but the darn windshield! Tried alcohol, vinegar, combinatons. Help
 
on an 03 with a good amount of mileage & your windshield may be micro pitted all over & hard/impossible to keep spotless... a good smooth windshield with good blades will be easier to keep streak free...
 
mtbfx said:
i thought i posted this before, but here's how i keep my fx clean and shiny:

Exterior/Paint:

-when closing doors, push via the handle and not the painted areas.
-offer/insist on opening/closing the hatch yourself.
-when loading/unloading cargo use towel and cover the bumper.
-close hatch via the license plate instead of the other sections.
-keep a mf and qd all the time.
-when washing, clean the exhaust tips.
-dont park directly beneath trees and posts to avoid sap, bird boo, and other crap

Interior:

-avoid anything that hits/rubs the bottom portions of the dash that easily scratches
-use distilled water if wiping interior with damp cloth so no deposits or white stuff left when it dries especially on black interior

sorry if some are obvious, etc... but i communicate most of these with my family and now they understand with my 5 year old fx still looks new :tup:.
Click to expand...
Wow I could of written this post sounds just like what I tell the wife and kids
 
fxslk said:
What do you guys use to clean the oily film/streak left by the wiper on the windshield? I always try to keep my windshields spotless more so for nightime driving glare. I can almost clean & scrub anything but the darn windshield! Tried alcohol, vinegar, combinatons. Help
Click to expand...

Invisible Glass - best stuff on Earth! Nothing else works better on windshields. I also Clay windshield wipers every 2-3 months or so
 
turbocad6 said:
on an 03 with a good amount of mileage & your windshield may be micro pitted all over & hard/impossible to keep spotless... a good smooth windshield with good blades will be easier to keep streak free...
Click to expand...

Had that problem until recently. Switched to PPG aftermarket glass and PIAA Super Silicone wipers and no problems so far but time will tell. I had an OEM glass since I bought the car and lately couldn't see out in sunlight.

...still have to change my rear wiper though :)
 
For minor scratches or rock dings, you can get a crayon that color matches your paint and fill in the scratch by rubbing the crayon on the scratch. Then carefully wipe off the excess crayon with a micro fibre cloth, being careful to not wipe the crayon wax out of the scratch itself. Then a coat of wax on top of the crayon wax to seal it in and you'll hardly notice the scratch. This is only a temperary fix, the crayon wax will wash off after a car wash or two, but this will keep your car looking good until a permanent fix can be done.
 
My method of fixing paint chips:

1. get a bottle of your OEM touch-up paint
2. get a bottle of Langka polishing compound http://www.langka.com/
3. clean inside the chip's bare metal area with q-tip dipped in alcohol and dry the area
4. take a needle or a toothpick and get a tiny drop of well-shaken paint on it's tipe and fill in in the chipped area so the level of touch up paint in a filled area looks like a bump
5. be patient and wait for the paint to dry (on a hot day you can do your whole car at once)
6. once the paint is dry, take Langka polishining stuff and carefully massage the bump to make it flush with the rest rest of the paint.

This truly produces amazing results! I've been doing this for years on several of my cars. After you are done polishing, you won't be able to tell where the chip was.
 
OK, now the exterior black plastic trim...

about 6 months ago, I bought the Ultima Tire and trim Guard Plus http://www.autopia-carcare.com/ult-7012-120.html


...yeah yeah yeah, I know it's expensive, but you need just a little bit to cover the trim and tires (BTW, I like the fact it doesn't produce super shine on tires - just enough to make them look clean) and it actually penetrates and treats the plastic and rubber and doesn't wash off.

With this stuff, my trim always looks fantastic, no matter rain, snow or dirt!
 
Isn't it unbelievable how some people have no grasp of the concept of keeping your car clean? And if you try and tell them something they do wrong it's like YOU are being ridiculous!
 
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