# Vehicle Cleaning



## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Just wondering what kinda tricks and tools you employ when cleaning your vehicles? I am pretty anal about keeping my vehicles clean, and can't stand even small imperfections; they eat at me! 

Has anyone ever used clay bars on their car? I picked up one of those Maguiar's kits tonight, and tried just a small section on my truck. It worked awesome! I was so surprised, but it really smoothed things out and got the gunk off my truck that didn't just wash off. 

What do you use as far as wax goes? How often do you wax your vehicles? What have you found to work best on swirl marks?


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## legacy (Sep 30, 2007)

Mothers & Meguiers both make good products. I really like what a clay bar can do as well. Just remember that when you use the clay bar, to re-apply wax right after you do it. 

If you're anal about your engine, wheel wells, etc... try using a degreaser to clean those areas. After it drys, apply a coat of Pledge. You can either wipe the pledge or just let it dry. It gives you a very nice shiney finish.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

So is it best to just wipe down the engine compartment, or can it be sprayed down without getting water into the electrical stuff?


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## legacy (Sep 30, 2007)

You just need to be careful when doing it. You can get water in some connections and it will give you fits. You can get an air hose and blow them out and you're usually okay. Just make sure you dry of your plug wires / ignition components. You dont really need to get your engine all that wet. Just use something that will clean a bit and more or less rinse it off. You just need to get the major grim and grit off. I actually spray mine off with a lot of water. Sometimes I have to do some drying out, but I've never had any major problems.


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

Every once in a while I take mine into Chris at Premier Polish (864-7536). He charges around $250-300 depending on the car, but he will make it look new. He buffs the paint to make it glossy beyond belief, paints any visible undercarriage, and goes through the interior more thoroughly than I could ever do. I don't recall what he does to the engine compartment. You can see what my '99 F250 looked like when he was through. I have nothing to gain by promoting his business but I have been really impressed with his work. 

Other than that, I just do what most people do. Rain-X on the windshield is nice, wet-n-black on the tires, some new car smell. A real chamois is nice instead of a drying cloth. For the engine I've never had any problems pressure washing while its running. Just do it when the engine is fairly cool. Degreaser like simple green works good also, just spray it on and let it soak for a while, then rinse off. Be careful with aluminum parts though, they can lose their shiny finish with that stuff. Armor-all diluted 50:50 with water is good to spray on the engine to make it look new.


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