Detailing

[John RamirezModerator]

Ok, so this is often a debate or at least a hot topic online. I believe there are more YouTube videos about which product to use than there are products to choose from. Each with their own version of what’s best for them. Unfortunately, I can’t touch the paint and feel how it smooth it is or decide of the interior dressing is too glossy and slippery without seeing it in person. So my thought is this…share what I am using with everyone and let everyone tell me I am nuts. Then when I see you, I would hope you might actually let me take a look at the results you are getting on your car. I will be happy to do the same.

So a little history of my car: 718 Spyder RS – GT Silver with Xpel PPF and Xpel Ceramic Coating. I do not have a pressure washer and I do not have a hard water removal system. So here is my list of stuff:

Water Source: Garden hose – with garden nozzle.
Rims – before washing anything I start with the rims. I have steel rotors…enough said. I use two products: Adam’s Echo Friendly Wheel Cleaner (light cleaning) and Adam’s Wheel Cleaner (after longer trips).
Brushes – Adam’s Rubberized Trim and Lug Nut Brush, Adam’s Wheel Spoke Brush and AutoFiber Barrel Blade Lite Wheel Brush. (I still cant find something small enough to fit between the front calipers and barrel. If you know something let me know.
Tire / Rubber Cleaner: Adams wheel Cleaner and All Purpose Cleaner if there is some grease.

I wash my rims one at a time…then dry them off with the Leaf blower….to prevent water spots until I am done with all the rims. This takes about 30 minutes for all four wheels.

Next comes the exterior wash.
I start with foaming the entire car…including rims. I use the Adam’s iK E Foam Pro 2 Sprayer. Its not terrible…I just don’t have a pressure washer yet. On my list.
I then rinse it off, hopefully getting the large particles off the car. I avoid spraying the headlights and tail lights directly (dont want moisture to get in).
After this pre-rinse, I foam one quarter of the car. I start each section with a new Gray Microfiber Towel. I foam the towel then drape it over the quarter panels lighting surface (headlight or tail light) only letting the towels weight move over the lighting surface. I do not press or put my hand on these surfaces when washing. I then use this same towel and begin wiping from the top of the quarter of the car to the front or back (no swirls, our circular motions). Towels are folded in fours so I get about two wipes per quarter for a total of 16 wipes per cloth which is more than enough for the small car. I finish that quarter by running the towel on the bottom edges of the car before throwing the towel in the wash pile. I repeat this step for each quarter of the car. Once completed, I rinse off the car and dry with the leaf blower.

Because I have the steel rotors the next step is to take the car for quick spin and remove as much rust as possible from the rotors. The rust build up on the rotors is removed through mild braking over a few hundred yards. A quick trip and then into the garage. The next step for me is to unlatch the top and open the front and rear compartments doors and rear top storage area so I can access all the water that is trapped in those areas. I wipe dry these areas with additional Gray Microfiber towels. Once all the water has been removed, I break out the detail spray. This makes sure I have all water spots off. if any. plus adds a bit of hydrophobic properties that always a benefit.

Now depending on how I am feeling it’s typically time for a break at this point. The interior is still warm and the rotors still a bit hot from the braking and removing of rust. I typically let the car cool down for about 30 minutes before attacking the rims again. After the break, I start with All Purpose cleaner and wipe out the barrels of the rims. At this point they are dark brown from all the rest that was just flung on them during the quick run after the wash. Following removal of all the rust I decide if I am going to use a tire dressing or not. I know this is controversial but during non Concours time I will typically add some and then back off as Concours season approaches. After I apply tire dressing or if I skip it, the next step is to detail spray the rims. Well my rims are ceramic coated as well…so might as well enhance the hydrophobic properties making it easier to clean the next time and it really does make a difference.

Once I finish the rims (total time at this point is about 90 minutes)…the next attack is on the interior. I start with my weekly RaceTek / Alcatara brushing. The owners manual states brush it once a week and they aren’t kidding. I brush before I vacuum because dust and things are going to fly out as you brush. With a convertible…it gets dusty quick.

Special Note on clear plastics – I use a hand held blower to remove loose particles that are in the nooks and crannies blowing them into areas I can vacuum. Paying special attention to clear plastic making sure all large particles are removed before they get cleaned.

Next is vacumming. No kids or pets in the car so it stays pretty clean. Unless you hit a swarm of bugs while driving…ya…thats happened. I use a cordless Milwaukee M18 Chordless Vac. The tips and the hose are wrapped in Microfiber tubes by Kopek Design…have to avoid potential scratches.

I use distilled water to dampen a micofiber towel to remove any dust on the surfaces of the interior followed by another to immediately dry it for non clear plastic surfaces. I do my best not to touch clear plastic surfaces like the instrument cluster. I have a screen protector on the navigation…so I just use LCD cleaner on that. If I have to clean the instrument cluster I will dampen a glass specific microfiber towel with distilled water lightly blot the surfaces – no rubbing. I then go back with a clean gray microfiber towel and dry blotting…again no wiping. I do this two or three times. Lifting any debris before I clean with the Porsche Instrument panel cleaning fluid. This will leave an antistatic coating that repels most dust and only seems to be needed every 6 months or so.
For the rest of the interior…. About once every other month I will use Adams Leather and Interior Cleaner followed by Leather Conditioner on door sills and any surface that might need it. I try to go very sparingly on interior products.

Glass is the final thing that gets cleaned – I have tried so many things and am still looking for a good repeatable method to clean glass that doesn’t leave a residue or particulates. So far just using a mixture of alcohol and distilled water. That works – ok. Depending on how long the car sat in the sun since the last washing. After that…its just move the car to its side of the garage and cover and wait for the next drive weekend with great weather.

Exterior Shampoo: Adam’s Car Wash Shampoo – PH Neutral
Exterior Wash Towel/Mit: Adam’s Borderless Gray Microfiber Towels (one fore each quarter of the car)
Drying: I use a Milwaukee M18 cordless leaf blower – it’s old and discontinued but works really well, I follow up with a Milwaukee M18 Cordless Precision Blower to get all the tight spaces. If there is an occasional drip or spot I missed I will return to the Adam’s Borderless Gray Microfiber Towel.
Detail Spray: Xpel Detail Spray on Painted Surfaces.

I am not associated with Adam’s in any way…just what I started using which is why I am looking for the better solutions. Spefically if anyone has good suggestions for cleaning and conditioning the leather I would appreciate it.

• This topic was modified 2 weeks, 1 day ago by John Ramirez.

[John RamirezModerator]

Ok…so it’s been a few weeks and summer is here and my Adam’s iK E Foam Pro 2 Sprayer has bit the dust. So now what? Do I bit the bullet and get a pressure washer? If I do I would need a small one and if I do that I would probably want to get a hardware filtration system and of course a new foam cannon of some sort. Let me know what you are using. I am officially looking.

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