Doing a detailing job for pay, need advice

[Saturn_Fan]

Father-in-law wants me to wash, wax, and detail his 08' F150. It is red in color and looks showroom new. I think it has 15,000 miles on it. It does have leather seats

For the wax, he wants something long lasting and will sacrifice shine for durability, so carnauba based stuff is out.

I own Black Magic and NU Finish, so between those two which one would you go for to give him the beading effect for the longest time. I am a huge NU Finish fan, but reading the Consumer Reports results, this Black Magic stuff is looking good. I tried the B-Magic and thought it was very tough to remove though compared to NF.

Regarding leather seats, is there a specific product available at Wal Mart or the auto parts store that does a great job?

Any other tips would be appreciated.

 

[addyguy]

I'd use the NU Finish, that stuff works really, really well.

 

[stang5]

I'm in the same boat as you, I detail my families cars for money..

exterior I use Armor All car wash , Klasse AIO for the paint/ Armor All for the trims and tires. Tire foam for the wheel wells if it's black
Interior I use meguiars Quik interior detail spray for the dash and door panels and Meguiars leather cleaner and conditioner in one for the leather stuff .Blue Magic leather cleaner (only if needed) Armor All glass cleaner for int glass and Distilled white Vinegar for the Ext glass. All these stuff can be purchase at Walmart Except for the Klasse..

I wash the vehicle early in the morning before it gets too sunny and hot which will lead to water spots..Then Finish everything off inside the garage. No spefic order for me after washing the vehicle..
For my own personal vehicle I clay bar first then Klasse AIO and Klasse sealant glase...

 

[kkreit01]

Of the 2 you have (if you don't want to purchase a different/better sealant), use the easiest to apply/remove. Both will probably yield similar results. Try both on different panels, and pick which one you like best.

For the leather, you can use a dilution of Woolite/Water, if you have these on hand. Any OTC Leather cleaner/conditioner will also do. What do you plan to use on the rest of the interior? 303 (for example) can also be used on leather.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: stang5
I'm in the same boat as you, I detail my families cars for money..

exterior I use Armor All car wash , Klasse AIO for the paint/ Armor All for the trims and tires. Tire foam for the wheel wells if it's black
Interior I use meguiars Quik interior detail spray for the dash and door panels and Meguiars leather cleaner and conditioner in one for the leather stuff .Blue Magic leather cleaner (only if needed) Armor All glass cleaner for int glass and Distilled white Vinegar for the Ext glass. All these stuff can be purchase at Walmart Except for the Klasse..

I wash the vehicle early in the morning before it gets too sunny and hot which will lead to water spots..Then Finish everything off inside the garage. No spefic order for me after washing the vehicle..
For my own personal vehicle I clay bar first then Klasse AIO and Klasse sealant glase...




Great tips, thanks!

I am just going with what I have at my disposal.

I have the NF, Black Magic, NXT 2.0, Meguiar's #27, Dura Gloss 105 and its bonding agent, and that's all of them.

I was half tempted to do a NuFinish coat with a quick coat of the Dura Gloss to provide a nice seal.

Great tip on using the Meguiar's Quick detailing spray for the door panels, I'll have to try that.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: kkreit01
Of the 2 you have (if you don't want to purchase a different/better sealant), use the easiest to apply/remove. Both will probably yield similar results. Try both on different panels, and pick which one you like best.

For the leather, you can use a dilution of Woolite/Water, if you have these on hand. Any OTC Leather cleaner/conditioner will also do. What do you plan to use on the rest of the interior? 303 (for example) can also be used on leather.


I have a product I use on my leather couches called "Weiman's Leather Cleaner"

From the label it says: "6 natural oils to revitalize, Safely removes soils and residues, and has UVX-15 sunscreen to protect from fading and cracking".

I know the product works great on furniture, so I was hoping to try it on the leather in the truck.

For dash boards and what not, I am not sure what I will use. I only have Armor All and the shine from that product is annoying in the sunlight on the dash.

 

[brandini]

Lookup Adam's Polishes. I bought one of their kits a while back and my car doesn't have leather so I left a friend use it on his white leather couch, it was phenomenal. He also used the leather conditioner afterward and it's one of the nicest feeling leather couches now.

 

[JBM]

If the truck is in showroom condition use Duragloss 105. Its really nice and will last a long time. Of the others you mentioned NXT would be my other pick, the rest throw in the trash.

Secondly, use 2 buckets when you wash, a high quality lambswool wash mit, and dry it with a microfiber waffleweave towel. To reduce marring when you dry, you could use a quick detailer as you dry.

The turtle wax leather cleaner/ conditioner is actually not bad. Also if you can find it the duragloss leather vinyl dressing is top notch stuff, but smells kinda like cologne, doesnt linger too long though.

Use a seperate wash mitt for the tires, also using 2 buckets.

Clay is a must if it has never been done.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Can't believe I'm saying this, but if you're only sticking with what you have then use the Nu-Finish to clean the paint and then layer NXT 2.0 over it.

For the leather, if it is coated then just wipe it down with a weak solution of Woolite and water. Then go over it with Aerospace 303 protectant. If it is uncoated then use Lexol.

 

[ionbeam22]

Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan
Father-in-law wants me to wash, wax, and detail his 08' F150. It is red in color and looks showroom new. I think it has 15,000 miles on it. It does have leather seats

For the wax, he wants something long lasting and will sacrifice shine for durability, so carnauba based stuff is out.

I own Black Magic and NU Finish, so between those two which one would you go for to give him the beading effect for the longest time. I am a huge NU Finish fan, but reading the Consumer Reports results, this Black Magic stuff is looking good. I tried the B-Magic and thought it was very tough to remove though compared to NF.

Regarding leather seats, is there a specific product available at Wal Mart or the auto parts store that does a great job?

Any other tips would be appreciated.


Nufinish, and then top it with the NuFinish Cling QD.

For cleaning the inside of the car, a damp microfiber and some Pledge Multi-surface cleaner is your best bet.

Leather seats are almost always vinyl infused leather. Treat them like a very delicate vinyl surface. Wipe with a damp microfiber and then apply some protectant spray (I like TW F21 Super-protectant) to it. Usually you will get the best results if you apply the protectant to a damp MF and then spread it evenly.

I think "Mr Leather" cleaner, which you can find at many hardware stores is pretty nice. http://www.mr-leather.com/

Automotive leather care is one area of car detailing that is filled with "woo", if you want to see what real leather chemist thinks:

http://www.leatherchemists.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?PN=25&TID=477

 

[bretfraz]

The leather interior in the truck is more like vinyl than your couch. The dye is sprayed on like paint, then clearcoated to improve durability and reduce fading. You don't have to treat it excessively gentle.

Any dressing you apply to it will just sit on top of the leather and be picked up by the passenger's clothes. Whatever you apply, make sure to do a wipe down with a dry towel to remove any residue. Otherwise you will have Armor All'd jeans and sweaters.

On the paint, use whatever you have on hand. The NuFinish has good cleaning ability and will last awhile. Consider topping it with the Meguiars wax for a little more shine and durability. The NF/Duragloss combo you mention would probably work fine, too. I think the DG 105 is probably the longest-lasting product you have.

Since you are in WI, make sure to get a coat of NF or Duragloss on the wheels, chrome trim, bumpers, etc., so they have some protection during the winter months.

Lastly, have fun!!

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: bretfraz
The leather interior in the truck is more like vinyl than your couch. The dye is sprayed on like paint, then clearcoated to improve durability and reduce fading. You don't have to treat it excessively gentle.

Any dressing you apply to it will just sit on top of the leather and be picked up by the passenger's clothes. Whatever you apply, make sure to do a wipe down with a dry towel to remove any residue. Otherwise you will have Armor All'd jeans and sweaters.

On the paint, use whatever you have on hand. The NuFinish has good cleaning ability and will last awhile. Consider topping it with the Meguiars wax for a little more shine and durability. The NF/Duragloss combo you mention would probably work fine, too. I think the DG 105 is probably the longest-lasting product you have.

Since you are in WI, make sure to get a coat of NF or Duragloss on the wheels, chrome trim, bumpers, etc., so they have some protection during the winter months.

Lastly, have fun!!


Thanks for the tips. Too funny about the "armor all jeans". I didn't realize auto leather was that much different than couch leather. Good to know.

Sounds like a combo of NF and DG105 sounds like a winner. The only day I have to do it will be this Saturday with temps at 46F with sun forecast.

I dearly hope that waxing in sub-50F temps ends up turning this into a huge smearing wax episode. I find that the colder it is, I run into all kinds of problems with smearing wax and it is extremely difficult to remove coatings. We'll see!

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: ionbeam22
Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan
Father-in-law wants me to wash, wax, and detail his 08' F150. It is red in color and looks showroom new. I think it has 15,000 miles on it. It does have leather seats

For the wax, he wants something long lasting and will sacrifice shine for durability, so carnauba based stuff is out.

I own Black Magic and NU Finish, so between those two which one would you go for to give him the beading effect for the longest time. I am a huge NU Finish fan, but reading the Consumer Reports results, this Black Magic stuff is looking good. I tried the B-Magic and thought it was very tough to remove though compared to NF.

Regarding leather seats, is there a specific product available at Wal Mart or the auto parts store that does a great job?

Any other tips would be appreciated.


Nufinish, and then top it with the NuFinish Cling QD.

For cleaning the inside of the car, a damp microfiber and some Pledge Multi-surface cleaner is your best bet.

Leather seats are almost always vinyl infused leather. Treat them like a very delicate vinyl surface. Wipe with a damp microfiber and then apply some protectant spray (I like TW F21 Super-protectant) to it. Usually you will get the best results if you apply the protectant to a damp MF and then spread it evenly.

I think "Mr Leather" cleaner, which you can find at many hardware stores is pretty nice. http://www.mr-leather.com/

Automotive leather care is one area of car detailing that is filled with "woo", if you want to see what real leather chemist thinks:

http://www.leatherchemists.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?PN=25&TID=477




I think you are right. I will use a micro fiber that is damp to avoid any undesirable slickness when he comes back to sit in the vehicle. I think that TW f21 stuff is carried at Wal Mart IIRC.

Thanks!

 

[kkreit01]

Out of your list, DG 105 hands downs for durability.

 

[Jim 5]

Nu Finish is really hard to get off of black plastic trim. If you're going to use it, be really careful. In fact, if you're getting paid for this, you probably should tape off any plastic trim that could get near the nu-finish.

If you do make a mistake, Mr. Clean Magic eraser will remove NuFinish from plastic trim. This thing's abrasive though, so don't get it near any paint.

 

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: Jim 5
Nu Finish is really hard to get off of black plastic trim. If you're going to use it, be really careful. In fact, if you're getting paid for this, you probably should tape off any plastic trim that could get near the nu-finish.

If you do make a mistake, Mr. Clean Magic eraser will remove NuFinish from plastic trim. This thing's abrasive though, so don't get it near any paint.


Thank you.. I was going to try some paint thinner if it doesn't work I'll try the eraser. And yes don't get it on plastic.

 

[MKZman]

You can consider pretreating plastic trim with a protectant to make accidental contact easier to remove when using the cleaner waxes and polishes that can stain plastic easily.

 

[ionbeam22]

Originally Posted By: Jim 5
Nu Finish is really hard to get off of black plastic trim. If you're going to use it, be really careful. In fact, if you're getting paid for this, you probably should tape off any plastic trim that could get near the nu-finish.

If you do make a mistake, Mr. Clean Magic eraser will remove NuFinish from plastic trim. This thing's abrasive though, so don't get it near any paint.


This is why I like Turtle wax Ice so much. No worries about getting it on plastic trim.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Quote:
I think that TW f21 stuff is carried at Wal Mart IIRC.


You might want to check to see if that stuff is still sillicone based or not. If it still is then it may not be a good idea to use it on leather or plastics. If they changed it to a water based formula then it will be okay.

 

[02zx9r]

Probably already done with the detail but I would go with Duragloss hands down, just like you used on your corolla