05LLY2500HD
11-09-2006, 03:39 PM
As everyone knows black is a PITA to keep clean.
Just figured I'd share what I use and how i do it to keep it looking good.
I use 2 different buckets to wash, one for trim,tires,wheel liners,bumpers,etc. and one for the body(painted areas) and glass.
I also use 2 different wash mitts of course, microfiber for painted, and terry cloth for trim.
I use Meguiar's NXT exclusively.
Meguiar's car wash soap
clay bar
Tech Wax
Spray wax
Insane shine for tires
Speed Detailer
Hot rims chrome
Leather wipes
I even use Meguiar's microfiber wash mitts/drying towels. Only thing I don't use Meguiar's is Turtle Wax chrome polish for the rims.
I rinse it off good first and always wash the lower part first, the dirtier parts such as:
trim, wheel well liners,rims,tires,bumpers,nerf bars and mirrors all with the terry mitt.
I leave it wet and wash the the rest of the truck and dry from top to bottom with two different microfiber drying towels, one for painted and one for trim,etc.
I can then wax or spray wax, and have found that I get the best results if I use the speed detailer right after i finish waxing. The more layers of wax and the more wiping I do, the better the finish looks.
After tires and rims are dry I use Insane shine on tires AND the plastic trim, bumpers and mirrors and even the wheel well liners, it works great! But beware it IS slippery. Leave it on.
The peanut butter trick works well for removing dried wax on those stubborn plastic pieces. But they tend to look faded, so I use the tire shine and it shines!
I keep a towel or two in the truck in case I find some water spots later. Water tends to leak from the accordion part of the mirrors, around the bumpers,door handles and from under the bed rail caps.
This seems to work great for me, although I can't get these "water spots" off my windows for anything, I've tried all the products made for windows and tried the detailer and the vinegar...with and without water.
As far as under the hood, It's gotta be cool, not even remotley close to warm. Simple green concentrated sprayed on and brushed in heavy deposit areas, let it soak a few minutes and spray more in heavy deposit areas, rinse and dry.
Inside, Meguiar's leather wipes and Armorall CLEANER, NOT protectant. The protect seems to have faintly changed the color of my interior and leaves a dust collecting residue.
Hope this helps.
Just figured I'd share what I use and how i do it to keep it looking good.
I use 2 different buckets to wash, one for trim,tires,wheel liners,bumpers,etc. and one for the body(painted areas) and glass.
I also use 2 different wash mitts of course, microfiber for painted, and terry cloth for trim.
I use Meguiar's NXT exclusively.
Meguiar's car wash soap
clay bar
Tech Wax
Spray wax
Insane shine for tires
Speed Detailer
Hot rims chrome
Leather wipes
I even use Meguiar's microfiber wash mitts/drying towels. Only thing I don't use Meguiar's is Turtle Wax chrome polish for the rims.
I rinse it off good first and always wash the lower part first, the dirtier parts such as:
trim, wheel well liners,rims,tires,bumpers,nerf bars and mirrors all with the terry mitt.
I leave it wet and wash the the rest of the truck and dry from top to bottom with two different microfiber drying towels, one for painted and one for trim,etc.
I can then wax or spray wax, and have found that I get the best results if I use the speed detailer right after i finish waxing. The more layers of wax and the more wiping I do, the better the finish looks.
After tires and rims are dry I use Insane shine on tires AND the plastic trim, bumpers and mirrors and even the wheel well liners, it works great! But beware it IS slippery. Leave it on.
The peanut butter trick works well for removing dried wax on those stubborn plastic pieces. But they tend to look faded, so I use the tire shine and it shines!
I keep a towel or two in the truck in case I find some water spots later. Water tends to leak from the accordion part of the mirrors, around the bumpers,door handles and from under the bed rail caps.
This seems to work great for me, although I can't get these "water spots" off my windows for anything, I've tried all the products made for windows and tried the detailer and the vinegar...with and without water.
As far as under the hood, It's gotta be cool, not even remotley close to warm. Simple green concentrated sprayed on and brushed in heavy deposit areas, let it soak a few minutes and spray more in heavy deposit areas, rinse and dry.
Inside, Meguiar's leather wipes and Armorall CLEANER, NOT protectant. The protect seems to have faintly changed the color of my interior and leaves a dust collecting residue.
Hope this helps.