“DREAM MACHINES AUSTRALIA”
CAR DETAILING TECHNICAL DOCUMENT
From the February KYMG meeting Matthew Gibb of “ DREAM MACHINES ” has submitted a series of articles on Car Care. Here is Part 3………. Parts 1 and 2 are below.
Interior cleaning and protection
With the winter season well and truly here, now is a good time to rejuvenate the interior of your pride and joy
Recommended products
Einszett Reiniger (cleaner) $20
Einszett Tiefenpledger (protectant) $26
Einszett cockpit premium $24.00
Prima Nero (non petroleum protectant)
Sonus Tire & Bumper gel $26.00
Autoglym bodyshop 07B N/A
Eurow tire dressing applicator TBC
Klasse All in One 1 litre $60.00
Einszett leathercare $30.00
Vinyl & Plastics
With spray cleaners, clean your door trims, dash and console by spraying it onto a quality cotton cloth and buff with medium pressure, a second application may be needed for stubborn grime
On vinyl seats, spray directly onto surface and buff with a cotton cloth, foam pad or tire dressing applicator
With gel type cleaners such as the autoglym, the use of a foam pad and cotton cloth is best, foam to scrub and cotton cloth to remove any excess and give uniform finish
Once the surfaces are clean, spray the protectant of your choice onto a cotton cloth or microfibre cloth (get it quite damp) and wipe until all areas are coated and use a separate cloth to finish off if necessary
Most people like a matte factory like finish or satin and all but one of the products listed will provide this.
If you are into high to extreme gloss, Sonus Tire & Bumper gel will provide this without any silicone, petroleum, and will not attract dust or leave oily feel or cause glare.
Apply with a soft foam pad, you can add another coat or two if you wish for even more gloss
Wood grain
To keep your wood grain steering wheel and dash/console pieces clean and protected, Klasse all in one chemical polish is the product of choice.
Simply pour a small amount onto a damp polishing foam pad and wipe with light pressure for up to 30 seconds.
Leave on for five minutes and then buff off with damp cloth.
This leaves a layer of acrylic sealant which should last for three months.
Cover surface with a thin coat and buff off two minutes later for more longevity
Leather
Cleaning your leather seats, wheel and door trims are as follows
Einszett leather care is a cleaner, conditioner and protectant for all types of leather including clear coated
For seats, put a six inch line of product onto a foam pad or tire dressing applicator and wipe on in horizontal or vertical pattern
Do not use much pressure.
Wheel – cotton cloth or round foam pad, in one big right to left or vice versa motion with some pressure to clean and add a dab more and
apply it with hardly any to put a protective coating on
Trims & dash
Foam pad or cotton cloth and plenty of pressure will do the trick to clean and again a tiny amount applied afterwards to protect
MAINTENANCE
Once every two months is the best timeframe for recleaning and protecting interior surfaces.
TIP – put front windows down by half an inch each time you use your car to allow the interior surfaces to breath and use cockpit premium spray to make the protectant last longer.
From the February KYMG meeting Matthew Gibb of “ DREAM MACHINES ” has submitted a series of articles on Car Care. Here is Part 2………. Part 1 is below.
CLAYING YOUR CAR
Since the early 1980’s clay has been used by many professional detailers and was only available to them until the 1990’s
What it does is pick up all the contaminants from the car’s surfaces and make them smooth
It will remove fallout (Iron filings) from factories, foundries, light paint overspray, rail rust and other airborne contaminants
Clay was originally used on paint, however my friends throughout the world and I clay exterior trim, glass, door skins, wheels, tail lights and plastic bumpers
HOW IT WORKS
The abrasiveness of the clay picks up the contaminants and the stickiness of it holds it there and is extremely affective
ABRASIVENESS
Each brand of clay has an elastic and a poly type clay
A Red clay magic bar is medium grade which is the most abrasive of any clay worldwide
It will cause some marring on paint on most occasions and therefore use no pressure and heaps of proper clay lubricant on black, red and blue cars
They are best used on white and other light colours
This type of clay should be used on a car with severe to heavy contaminant build up
It will remove all the fallout stains on a white car (RED DOTS)
A Blue clay magic bar is a fine grade and is perfect for use on any colour and will not leave marring
This will take out moderate overspray and is the most popular clay in the world
This clay is suited to moderate to medium contamination build up
A SONUS ultra fine bar is 29% finer than any other fine grade clay
Perfect for spot repairs on daily drivers that are clayed periodically and on well kept cars and cars with perfect paint
This is the only clay bar that will not strip wax or paint sealant
Absolutely no marring or dulling can occur
SOME MYTHS ABOUT CLAY
1. It removes paint and restores the shine
2. Scratches the paintwork
3. Can not remove all contamination
This is totally untrue, clay is not abrasive enough to remove paint, will not restore the shine like a polish or enhancement glaze and cannot scratch the paint
Make sure to knead the bar periodically and pull out any large pieces of contaminant
HOW TO USE IT
It does not matter what surface you use it on, there are only two ways to use it
1. Clay the paint during washing
This is a quicker way of doing it but is not as safe
Clay bars used during washing go mushy which leaves clay bits all over your hands and it is easier to drop
Never clay the car before washing
Rinse and wash the car as per usual and then soak a panel in shampoo solution, drop your clay into the shampoo bucket to make it easier to knead and use side to side motions with no pressure
You will hear the grit being picked up by the bar
If the surface is heavily soiled, turn the bar over and finish off
When you can no longer hear any sound from the surface, hose the shampoo off and do the same around the car
This will probably take you fifteen to twenty minutes
Quicker yes but not 100 % affective at all times
2 – Clay after drying
This method can take over an hour sometimes but is best
There are finishing, soft , medium and strong grade polishes
Then you have paint cleansers who do not remove any paint but remove minor swirls and scratches and restore clarity
It is always good practice to try the softest grade polish on your car’s precious finish before stepping up to medium and strong grades as the more clearcoat you have left, the more clarity you have and applying a wax or sealant will create even more depth
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Quality foam pads are the only way to go, it was common practice to roll a cotton cloth into a ball and apply with circular motions but this is no longer done or the best method, in fact you can create micro marring in the paint and cob web swirls with cotton
You want a thick, square or rectangular pad or a thick circle shaped pad
I prefer the Klasse ultra thick dual purpose pads which are thick, rectangular shape and have a polish side and compound side so you can use one side for medium to strong polishes and use the other for finishing polishes like Clearkote
Plus a few quality microfibre buffing cloths to remove the polish
APPLICATION TECHNIQUE
When hand polishing, apply the polish to the pad, not on the surface
A thin line of polish or two 1 cent piece drops of polish are sufficient for all panels except the bonnet.
I like to mimic machine buffing action with side to side and then up and down strokes
Using a little pressure, start with side to side and then the up and down motions
As the polish starts to break down, reduce pressure and increase your hand speed and then stop, remove the product with a microfibre buffing cloth and move to the next panel
Switch to a stronger polish if the one you used did not remove the scratches and marks on the car
Then go up a few notches to a stronger polish or even a 1500 grit cutting compound, now known as paint levelers, if it still isn’t restored to your liking
If you see or buy a product that is designed for use with a machine polisher, then I do not recommend you use it by hand as you cannot create enough heat by hand to allow it to break down properly and this can lead to surface marring
Sonus, Clearkote, Dinitrol and Four Star polishes are fine for either machine or hand polishing
Though there are some that say they polish and protect paint, it is my opinion that using separate polish and paint protection products achieves the best shine and protection
Make sure to keep an eye on your exterior trim when polishing by hand as you can easily burn through the black shiny coating and permanently damage it.
Do not over polish your paint, once you have done your car’s paint, from then on try a paint cleanser first on any new marks or swirls and only switch to a stronger polish if you absolutely have to
When I do hand polish, I always finish with either Sonus SFX 3 or one of the Clearkote paint enhancement glazes for that real wet shimmery mirror gloss.
BEGINNERS WASHING & DRYING KIT
1.89 Litre Four Star Ultimate Auto Shampoo Conditioner
Sonus Der Wunder ultra microfibre wash mitt
Pakshak Large waffle weave drying towel
RRP $99, CLUB SPECIAL $88
AUTOPIAN WASHING & DRYING KIT #1
1.89 Litre Four Star Ultimate Auto Shampoo
Sonus Der Wunder ultra microfibre wash mitt x 2
Pakshak Large waffle weave drying towel
Pakshak Ultra soft drying towel
RRP $137, CLUB SPECIAL $123
AUTOPIAN WASHING & DRYING KIT #2
473ml Einszett (1Z) Perls or Exclusive Glanz Shampoo & Conditioner
Sonus Der Wunder ultra microfibre wash mitt x 2
Pakshak Large waffle weave drying towel
Pakshak Ultra soft drying towel
RRP $108, CLUB SPECIAL $99
BEGINNERS CLAYING KIT
Sonus Ultra Fine Clay Bar (2 individually wrapped bars)
Clearkote Quik Shine 500ml
Pakshak Ultra soft drying towel
RRP $71, CLUB SPECIAL $66
AUTOPIAN CLAYING KIT
Sonus Ultra Fine Clay Bar
Clearkote Quik Shine 1 Litre
Pakshak Ultra Soft drying towel
Detailers Paradise Monster Fluffy towel
RRP $104.50, CLUB SPECIAL $96
NEW PRODUCTS COMING VERY SOON – PRIMA & WERKSTATT
Matthew Gibb can be contacted at DREAM MACHINES
Mob 0439 840 637
From the February KYMG meeting Matthew Gibb of “ DREAM MACHINES ” has submitted a series of articles on Car Care. Here is Part 1……….
Washing & Drying
Make sure your car is in the shade, carport or garage.
Washing in the sun causes water spots, shampoo streaks because the paint gets warm and make the whole process frustrating.
Once every few months, spray some degreaser or undiluted shampoo into the door jambs and use medium pressure water to blast out the suds, dirt, grease and grime. This helps prevent the build up of grease and cobwebs in those areas which is unsightly.
Make sure you wash the wheels and arches first.
Spray the pressure gun from five feet away at the wheels and tyres and then quickly in the wheel arches, do not wet the body at all at this stage, this will cause water spots.
Mix 40 to 50ml of shampoo into a five to ten litre bucket with warm tap water and then fill a second bucket with warm water. If you do not have a pressure washer, use your hose with a trigger gun or adjustable nozzle.
The best tools for washing wheels are :
Meguiars Gold Class,
Oxo or other branded wheel brushes (must have protective tip to prevent scuffing/scratching)
Sheepskin or microfibre wash mitts
Natural sea sponges
Have a sponge and a brush – use the brush on wheels and sponge for arches
Make sure you dunk the wash tools twice in the warm water bucket with each wheel to reduce scratching and marring.
It is best to hose the shampoo off of each wheel before moving to the next one.
Once you are all finished with the wheels, do the exhaust tips if they are chrome or stainless steel.
Thoroughly clean the buckets if you plan on using those to wash the body,
For best results, fill two buckets with 25 to 30 ml of shampoo and add two to four litres of purified water to the buckets.
Top with warm tap water and fill one with warm water only.
Put them near the car and put pressure gun to almost full pressure and from side on, rinse the car with the water coming out of the gun, in a vertical pattern over the windscreens, bonnet, roof and the boot and spoiler if it has one. On the doors and bumpers, use a horizontal pattern. When doing doors, stand alongside the rear quarter panel and front guard.
What this does is slide the dirt, dust, mud and other grime across the paint onto the ground thus preventing impact scratches from shooting the water straight at the paint and pushing the grime into the paint.
This should be quicker and easier than aiming at the paint and use less water.
The water that runs over the roof will go down the rear windscreen and slide over the boot and onto the rear bumper.
The best tools for hand washing are, in no order – depending on personal opinion
Microfibre Wash Mitt
Sheepskin Wash Mitt
The best shampoo products for hand washing are:
Daily driven vehicles,
Clearkote Car Wash
Well cared for cars including garaged
Four Star Ultimate Auto Shampoo,
Jeff’s Werkstatt Auto Body
Show cars and those with superb paint.
Einszett Perls or Exclusive Glanz
At no point should you use foam sponges or brushes to wash.
With the rinsing finished, get your first shampoo
bucket and the water bucket and dunk your mitt into the shampoo bucket with the cuff open.
Opening the cuff will allow more water to get in and provides a barrier over the paint which reduces or prevents swirls and marring.
Squeeze all of the water out of the mitt over the first panel you do, I like to do the left side of the bonnet first, then do the front guard and doors, left side of roof, rear quarter panel and then go around the right side.
Re dunk the mitt and for microfibre mitt users, add a five inch thin line of shampoo to the mitt
Start shampooing using side to side motions, turn over the mitt after doing one side of the bonnet and do the front guard
Then dunk your mitt into the water bucket and give it a good cleaning.
Soak in shampoo again and continue to do this until you reach the rear door.
At this point hang that mitt up and grab another one and continue shampooing.
Using two or more mitts will seriously reduce the amount of wash induced micro marring and swirls that you get
Go around the rest of the vehicle using as many mitts as you wish and a good thing to do is to pick up and use the second bucket of shampoo when you finish one side of the car.
You may need to wet the car with a mist of water from the pressure gun on low.
Once completed, turn off the water tap, unplug the hose from the pressure gun and turn the tap back on and remove the attachment.
Use enough water pressure that you can rinse the car using the hose the same way as the gun (side on) and you cannot hear the metal body panels at all.
With the hose being used in this way, you are sheeting the water off of the body, cutting down the amount of water beads on the car.
When rinsing is completed, move to garage or carport (if washing outside) and get your drying cloth.
The best tools for this are, in order
Waffle weave Microfibre Drying Towel
Conventional Microfibre Drying Towel,
Microfibre Chamois
Leather Chamois,
Synthetic Chamois
Other methods of drying, including leaf blowers are harmful most leaf blowers are blowing unfiltered dusty air at the car which will cause scratches or minor marks.
Drying your vehicle by driving it around the block is in my eyes a no no.
In winter your car will collect grime and because you are not hand drying, the water in the door jambs and engine bay dry up causing water spots and can lead to rust forming in those areas.
Always dry the underside of bonnet, boot, engine bay and door jambs.
To use a waffle weave drying towel, fold it in half twice or three times, hold one corner and glide it across the panels from top to bottom in one direction, not back and forth.
You can also blot each panel which is even safer but this takes longer and today’s drying towels have lower surface friction than chamois and will not scratch.
If a section of your towel goes black, turn the towel over to a clean and dry section.
Always keep wash mitts and drying cloths flat on surface and drying cloths folded twice or more times, scrunched up cloths and mitts will cause marring.
LATEST DRYING TECHNIQUES
Spray a couple mist of your quick detail spray onto the first panel you do and then dry that panel.
Do the same over the whole car, with some sprays you will cut your drying time, add a layer of protection and restore slickness and effectively save the quick detailing step that you normally do after washing.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SHAMPOO
The ultimate shampoo should also be a conditioner and contain some or little polymer sealant and be PH 7 exactly.
To find out, apply some shampoo to your fingertips and rub it all over your palms
Once dried, if your skin feels tacky or dry then the shampoo is not PH 7, more likely to be 8 or 9 and is not suitable on your car’s precious finish.
If it is smooth and feels nice then it’s fine.
Today’s top shampoo’s contain a fine amount of conditioner to restore slickness and micro fine layer of polymer protectant to top up the sealants or waxes already on the paint.
The shampoo must have a large amount of protective lubricants to prevent swirls and marring and to make it easier to glide the mitt over the car.
Also they must be free rinsing, that is after rinsing to not leave behind a sticky film.
Contrary to popular belief, high suds do not mean high lubrication or better cleaning.
I prefer low to medium suds which einszett products are.
Cheap shampoo’s have inferior surfactants (surface active agents) and may be very high sudsing but do not contain the lubricants that make washing easier and prevent swirls.
Any shampoo that contains sodium lauryl ether, alkaline salts, phosphate’s or lye’s must not be used on paint but is acceptable on wheels.
You can smell the sodium in them (strong salty smell).
Remember, do not shampoo the car like you want to take the paint off, use the lightest pressure or none at all and allow the wash solution to do the work.
Glide the mitt over the surface, do not buff or scrub.
For those who have wax, polymer or acrylic paint sealants on their car, do not use wash and wax products or truck wash as these can dull your finish and remove the protective coatings.
Matthew Gibb can be contacted at
Email: dreammc@tpg.com.au
Mobile : 0439 840 637