Great thread with a ton of info

My question.....I have a "mark" on my windshield that follows the drivers side windshield wiper. No idea how it got there (previous owner) but it appears the wiper blade went bad or something along them lines. It's not deep at all and can't really be felt by hand but it will not come out with standard glass cleaner. I tried to get a pic but it did not show up at all, sorry.

Any recommendations??

 

I'm pretty sure you can polish your windshield with like M205 or something. But I am interested to hear as well.

After reading your review on the meguiars da microfiber polishing system...... of course..... I bought it.

Now to my questions:

1. Would I have any issues using this on a car that was painted within the last 2 months?

2. I am very nervous to use this (the whole change thing) is there anything I should be careful of on a metallic black car?

 

Would also like to know

 

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If this is affecting your ability to drive safely you may want to contact your insurance company, they may replace it with no deductible. If you want to try cleaning I'd suggest the Glass Science Glass Scrub. Glass is extremely hard so it's very difficult to polish but this product does a great job.

You could try a traditional polish like M205 but don't be surprised if it doesn't work. Again the glass is so hard glass specific polishes are required. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to help.

Greg @ DI

 

Glad to hear the Meguiar's DA Microfiber Correction System Starter Kit and Free Bonus has been working out for you. It's a very effective and easy to use kit that is becoming quite popular.

1. In general you don't want to seal or wax fresh paint within 30 - 90 days and you usually can polish it after about a week, but consult the shop that completed the work for specifics. So you should be able to use the Compound but the Finish Wax may need to wait depending on their advice.

2. In general I treat darker colors the same, just want to be sure you finish down well while polishing. This article (http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...iling-process/) does a good job explaining the differences. Let me know if you have any other specific questions.

Greg @ DI

 

Got a question about the microfiber cloths.

What is the best way to clean them? Washing machine then dryer? Machine then hang dry?

Also what about detergent? Or should we not use any detergent at all?

Apologies if this has been answered already.

 

I am not a professional but I do do it as a side business so let me answer this one for you. And it is my passion.

Buy some kind of microfiber wash. I have Chemical Guys Microfiber wash and I couldn't believe how much more clingy the microfiber is. I think I am going to try DI MF wash next.

Wash warm or cold water.

Preferably air dry either in the machine or hang out to dry. Hanging out to dry is the preferred method but not all of us have the time for that if I am in a rush I dry on low heat.

Never dry on high heat as you will start to burn the microfibers in the towel. And cause them to have rougher edges which could cause marring of your paint.

I did read somewhere that a fabric expert chimed in on this subject and said for a quality microfiber high heat is not an issue but I feel like my towels just feel easier to work with on low heat or air dry. One of my favorite towels 16x16 Plush

 

I think I'll let mine air dry from now on. I put them in the dryer and noticed they seemed a little...fringed I guess. They were sticking to themselves and all the other towels in the same bunch...not as soft as they were brand new.

I was reading on their site that you should use detergent with no scent and stuff either...which I did lol. Guess I should buy some new towels

 

I washed and dried (high heat) mine a few times when i first started but most of the top quality ones stayed the same. All the others I just use for general purpose towels.

Make sure to keep anything you use glass cleaner with as a glass cleaner towel. I mark the corners with a "G" to be sure.

 

Detailed Image... can you how you would clean an engine, bay, and the hood and what products you'd use?

Thanks!

 

I'm not detailed image but I think I can help with this one.

Check out this article

As far as cleaner. Most all purpose cleaners will work. And make sure you have a good brush to get in all the cracks and crevices. Nothing like a dirty corner of a tight spot on your nice shiny engine to ruin it.

I really like the Black 2 Black it's an aerosol and has no problem with the heat of the engine bay and lasts months.

Hope this helped.

 

Thanks, morphiusrt! Yep, helps a lot.

I must have read a couple hours' worth of how to detail our VQs last night, and when I came to this thread, I was happy that I found a professional. I went through the entire thing and was surprised there were no Qs on the engine bay (unless I missed it?). As you can imagine, the web is so conflicting. I've seen so many things from cold engine vs. hot, some say cover alternator while others say it doesn't matter, and so on. I just read that article that you posted with good info and great pix, but I want to know more specifically about our engine bay in the 350Z. What, exactly, should be avoided, covered, etc. For example, I read to remove the battery & brake fluid covers as well. Agree, or no?

Any extra thoughts on that morphiusrt & Detailed Image?

Thanks again!

 

What, exactly, should be avoided, covered?
- I don't cover anything in my engine bay. If you plan to use a pressure washer which I don't really recommend I would cover the alternator. But honestly a good apc like Optimum Power Clean will break down so much grime a pressure washer isn't necessary. I usually mist/light spray the engine bay with water then spray a good coat of apc and use various brushes/sponges to agitate the dirt. Then a quick rinse spray. All the engine components in the Z are built to withstand water to a certain degree. Almost every customer car I do I cover the alternator and air box hole/cone filter with a plastic bag and just throw a rubber band of painters tape around it, I only do this because I know when I do my car it will have plenty of time to dry but you never know what the customer is planning. I like to let it sit for at least and hour or 2 in the sun before I drive it.

I have read all different opinions on starting it to let it dry and all that stuff but that just seems like unnecessary risk to me.

I read to remove the battery & brake fluid covers as well. Agree, or no?
- I don't know about yours but under those covers mine is pretty flawless. Once and I while I will open them and wipe everything down with a rag just to get the dust off but I don't feel as though it needs to be sprayed with the hose per say.

Keep in mind too. After the first wash unless you have a vented hood you will not have to wash it again for a long time. Just grab a rag every couple weeks and wipe it down then throw some 303 or Black 2 Black and call it a day. I only washed mine once in the last year and just routinely wipe it down.

This is all my opinion.

 

Once again, more great information. Thank you very much!

Excited to clean my engine bay soon. Now begins the ordering process...

 

Looking for a "daily" leather cleaner to remove sunblock, lotion, etc. . .

 

Can't go wrong with Lexol or Meguiar's I prefer Lexol but never had any issues with Meg's either.

Leatherique is the best imo but not meant for daily use.

 

^Don't think you'd want to use those daily.

Maybe Aerospace 303 for everyday cleanup like removing sunscreen.

 

I don't understand why you wouldn't want to use a leather cleaner to clean stains and chemicals off your leather.

303 has no cleaning properties at all. Might as well rub water on it. It would be great after you clean the spot to protect from future stains but you would still want something to break down whatever is on the leather. Maybe a highly diluted APC.

 

Any suggestions with what to use and process of cleaning this off the wheel?

I've used a wheel cleaner like one from Black magic. The spray on let soak a couple minutes, whip dry. Did this 3 times and scrubed really good with a sponge.