What do you use to clean and detail cars?

[Shannonwilkerson]

Hey guys. Just purchased a new subaru crosstrek. This is my first new car and I would like to keep it decently clean.
What do you use for the interior, exterior, tires, and wheels?
Recommendation for a tire shine?
I usually hand wash with a bucket. I don't have access to a pressure washer

 

[Wrenchturner44]

Use a good quality car wash detergent from any of the brand name manufacturer's, Meguirs etc. I use Collinite 845 for wax as my personal preference.....easy to use, priced reasonably. Get some decent microfiber towels from the rag company that you can dedicate to drying, cleaning glass, and spot cleaning interior with......good quality and last a long time with proper care.

Personally I don't do tire shine. I also use some no-name Windex equivalent to clean my wheels after washing the car to get off the remaining brake dust residue. I use throwaway paper towels for this purpose. Stay away from any wheel cleaners that have harsh akalines or acids the bill themselves for this purpose. If you clean the wheels regularly, you wont need harsh cleaners.

Good Luck.

 

[paulri]

I second that. After getting advice on here to use regular car wax, after cleaning the wheels, I just use that and it makes wiping off brake dust a breeze whenever I wash the car. I apply a new coating every time I wax the car (paint) itself. If I had a new car, I don't think I'd ever try the wheel cleaners. They are very strong, and are designed to eat away at hard baked layers of grime.

Use a good quality car wash detergent from any of the brand name manufacturer's, Meguirs etc. I use Collinite 845 for wax as my personal preference.....easy to use, priced reasonably. Get some decent microfiber towels from the rag company that you can dedicate to drying, cleaning glass, and spot cleaning interior with......good quality and last a long time with proper care.

Personally I don't do tire shine. I also use some no-name Windex equivalent to clean my wheels after washing the car to get off the remaining brake dust residue. I use throwaway paper towels for this purpose. Stay away from any wheel cleaners that have harsh akalines or acids the bill themselves for this purpose. If you clean the wheels regularly, you wont need harsh cleaners.

Good Luck.

 

[LostInTransit]

➤ SoftSoap (non aloe) to hand wash / Soft Touch Car Wash
➤ Turtle Wax Bug & tar
➤ Turtle wax wheel & tire cleaner
➤ Untouchable Tire shine
➤ Dry van with large edgeless/tag less microfiber towel
➤ Chemical guys detailer
➤ Chemical guys spray wax
➤ Gunk Engine cleaner and protectant
➤ Keep and assortment of soft bushes to clean/wash the engine bay, soft brushes for the interior trim
➤ Rotate tires every 5k miles and while doing so, clean wheels and wheel wells.
➤ Repaint brake calipers Por-15 red Once a year
➤ Once a year (late spring) have the van professionally washed and cleaned after the rainy season.

 

[KrisZ]

Look into Optimum No Rinse aka ONR. It’s concentrated and depending on the concentration level it can be used for washing, as a quick detailer, clay bar lube or interior detailer.

 

[hrv]

I would clay your new car. You would be surprised the crud on your paint. Get a zip lock sandwitch bag and place your hand inside. Lightly run your hand in the bad over your paint. If you feel a rough feel you need to clay it... If you do a small section with clay and then do the bag check again it will feel smooth as a babies rear end...

 

[zfasts03]

Zaino products on my better cars, and Meguier's Ultimate products on the older run around cars.

Also use 303 aerospace on interior plastics.

 

[joekingcorvette]

Simple green is a great cleaner but don't forget to give the engine are some love. Otherwise I like Meguire's products. Use a high powered shop vac and use warm water and clothes washing soap and wet the carpets and seats if they are cloth. Vacuum it up and rinse and repeat to make it look like new. There are detail brushes you can buy on Amazon to put on an electric drill to work the shampoo into the carpet and seats too. I use a DeWalt cordless 20 volt power buffer to use on the paint and it works awesome. If you really want that paint to look nice buy a clay bar after cleaning with dawn soap. I could go on and on about detailing.

 

[b_b]

wash at least twice a month, wash top down, wash mit after washing vehicle, clay twice a year, apply a wax at least twice a year, remove love bugs immediately, apply meguiar's vlr once a month, and get some all weather mats for entire car. that's more a less the regiment i use and it basically keeps your vehicle looking brand new.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Mequiar's Wheel cleaner and/or Chemical Guys Wheel Cleaner
Mequiar's Gold Wash soap
Any Clay bar kit
I had been using Meq 105/205 polish, but I am switching to their updated polish and/or Chemical Guys polish
Chemical Guys Hybrid liquid wax (Tried the Mequair's hybrid liquid wax, it was useless)
Inside glass - I use Sprayaway and Rag Company diamond or waffle micorfiber towels; also spray 90% alcohol and wipe it down with the MF towels
Drying - I use a large Gaunlet Drying Towel from The Rag Company
Tires - I usually don't use anything but if I do it's the Griots Spray tire dressing, it has a tight pattern, easy to control and not get everywhere.

For cleaning inside, I dilute 409 or Mr. Clean, put it in a spray bottle and spray/wipe with generic microfiber towels. If I am picky and have time, I will spray with clean water and wipe to rinse any residue

There's a ton of small brushes/etc to help get into cracks and crevices

 

[Vil_Riker]

I don't have much time to clay, polish and wax a car so I use this car wash detergent with excellent results once a year or as needed.

for the interior I just use a damp towel to wipe away any dust after I vacuum the carpets.

 

[supton]

For most of my vehicles, for most of the years I own them, I would ask “what is this thing you say ‘clean’ that you speak of?”. It sounds like some four letter word, like “work”, that ought to be avoided…

Usually happy to just vac the interior once in a while, clean the glass when dirty, quick wash when necessary. I did try to keep up for a bit with the wife’s new car for a bit, but it’s impossible in winter: I took it out and power washed it last weekend, only to have it on Monday to be covered in mud again.

 

[Zee09]

Hey guys. Just purchased a new subaru crosstrek. This is my first new car and I would like to keep it decently clean.
What do you use for the interior, exterior, tires, and wheels?
Recommendation for a tire shine?
I usually hand wash with a bucket. I don't have access to a pressure washer

Congratulations

 

[wpod]

I use the car wash.

 

[Shannonwilkerson]

I use the car wash.

Congrats, captain obvious.

 

[North to Alaska]

For shampooing carpet and seats, just use laundry detergent. Works great. Get a cheap walmart brush to scrub it and vacuum out with shop vac. Then do a rinse by hosing it down with water and again vacuum up with shop vac. Let sit overnight or in the sun to dry.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Gasoline enough to get to one of the local car wash place three or four times a year.