Deep clean your car - ChrisFix

[zeitgeist57]

This was a recommended video, but I have to say this guy makes cleaning a car seem simple.

 

 

I've seen pics of guys super-sudsing a car...never done that. I'm also not using microfiber towels in EVERY friggin step like this guy.

 

Nice tips...definitely some stuff I can do to improve my cleaning game.

[TTQ B4U]

His initial comment about a "touchless wash" is a bit unnecessary in his scenerio. IMO save your money and ditch the foam gun as the results are on-par if not the same as simply

He also doesn't need to worry too much about "scratching" the car with the dirt that's on it, not only because it's very very unlikely, but he's also going to be "correcting" the car thus any harm that's going to come is going to be easily removed. He's more likely going to mar the paint during his claying process. Dawn also doesn't remove any waxes nor will it strip anything. Stick to Meg's Gold Class or another quality product. I would ditch the second rinse bucket too. Just use your garden hose to rinse the MF Wash mitt after each panel. YMMV.

 

The next step that he didn't cover is chemical decontamination. There are a number of different products but CarPro Iron-X or a Tri-X are both really good. Both remove (iron-containing) particles but Tri-x adds a tar remover. If you don't use Tri-x you can simply wipe the lower rocker panels down with a MF Rag and mineral spirits, then simply wash and rinse. IMO this is an important step as if you don't remove those particles you'll be grinding them into the paint and your pads when you buff. Also if you don't remove or dissolve them they can lead to clear coat failure down the road as they corrode and destroy the clear.

 

In terms of clay, that's going by the way-side with the newer

They work better, are far safer, mar the paint little to not at all and can be rinsed off if/when dropped. They make them in sponge, towel and even DA Based options. IN the end you'll halve the time it takes too. If you want to know if your car needs clayed, grab a plastic sandwich bag from your pantry, put it on your hand and wipe a panel of your car while it's wet. You'll noticeably "feel" if it's gritty. I save time and money by using soapy water vs any type of lube spray. If you can't use soap for any reason, use a No-Rinse solution mixed up as a lube. Far better and cheaper. No need to wash/rinse after either.

 

When it comes to drying the car, it's best to just grab a leaf blower vs a towel. Drying is the #1 means people cause swirls and scratches. especially on a car that's not waxed / dirty. It will also blow all the water out of the cracks and seems which can be a real PIA when you hit them with a buffer while polishing. After you dry with a blower, use a detail spray or rinseless wash solution to dampen a single drying rag and wipe it down just to insure you remove all the remaining water drops and possible dirt that has been missed.

 

Correction wise, you don't have to wet sand unless the scratches are deep. Tape them off when sanding too otherwise you're pulling off clear in areas it's not necessary. Had to LOL at his white applicator pad comment. You'd have to be pretty strong to by-hand buff through the clear and if you did and saw red paint, you'd be calling Kevin Clifford.

 

Sealant wise please don't apply it as heavy as he did. Especially Meg's Ultimate Wax. Should be so thin you can barely see it.

 

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[POS VETT]

Also, don't put brake dust-laden apparatus back in the bucket ...

[BStowers023]

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I'm buying this product. Looks sweet.

 

I think overall the guy did a good job though. I think it was definitely geared towards your average guy that doesn't have a ton of detailing experience. Detailing is an art that not everyone can do, but this guy did a fairly good job at trying to make it as simple as possible for the average car guy cleaning his car in his driveway.

[ShowHBK]

[TTQ B4U]

I'm buying this product. Looks sweet.

 

they work great. I use them by hand vs with a DA as I like to 'feel' how bad things are. it's also not as messy

 

I think overall the guy did a good job though. I think it was definitely geared towards your average guy that doesn't have a ton of detailing experience.

 

agree.

[ImUrOBGYN]

I'm buying this product. Looks sweet.

 

I think overall the guy did a good job though. I think it was definitely geared towards your average guy that doesn't have a ton of detailing experience. Detailing is an art that not everyone can do, but this guy did a fairly good job at trying to make it as simple as possible for the average car guy cleaning his car in his driveway.

This^ But I'd like to add:

Great added advice, Tim. I've seen a few ChrisFix vids. The guy's pretty good at what he does as he's won a few awards regarding the subject matter.

 

As far as the nanoskin goes, how does it not scratch up the car? With the clay bar, the contaminants at least get sucked up into the clay. Granted, in my mind, I'm looking at the nanoskin thing and imagining me going out there and rubbing my car down with a piece of rubber. Not a good visual. lol

 

Tim, if you get bored, throw me down some steps to clay, clean and wax a car that would be the easiest for a person with a super shitty back. My cars need it so bad, but I currently could not get one done in a single day if I needed to. I have a feeling step one will have to be, "1. Take to someone who won't be crippled detailing your car." :doh:

[mrs.cos]

Nathan Clays' the cars once a year when he does the whole Zaino process, and while i'd love to get him the Nanoskin, he'd never use an orbital on the cars..

[TTQ B4U]

As far as the nanoskin goes, how does it not scratch up the car? With the clay bar, the contaminants at least get sucked up into the clay. Granted, in my mind, I'm looking at the nanoskin thing and imagining me going out there and rubbing my car down with a piece of rubber. Not a good visual. lol

 

haha! both can cause marring of the paint. Nano pads pull and remove the contaminants and when used properly (plenty of soapy water or lube) those contaminants are flushed away/off. Contrast that with clay whereby you're just simply folding all that dirt into the clay only to then reuse/rub it against the paint further down the road.

 

Thus could you and will you cause some marring with Nano, yes. However it's limited and if done correctly, not much if any. They key to limiting any marring is plenty of lube but also to use Iron X / Chemically decontaminate the paint before you clay. This way the particles are washed away vs simply pulled out and rubbed around.

 

Tim, if you get bored, throw me down some steps to clay, clean and wax a car that would be the easiest for a person with a super shitty back. My cars need it so bad, but I currently could not get one done in a single day if I needed to. I have a feeling step one will have to be, "1. Take to someone who won't be crippled detailing your car." :doh:

Sorry to hear about the back dude. Honestly, the best advice would be to just do the vehicle 1 or 2 panels at a time. No need to rush and try and tackle it in one day. Last year when we decided to keep our minivan for a couple more years I put it through a full correction but took 1-2 weeks to do it as I did 1-2 panels per day. Once that initial fix is done you can knock out any follow up pretty quickly.

 

I'll PM you some more details vs cloud this thread.

 

 

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Edited December 17, 2016 by TTQ B4U

[RS69]

Yes, it is that easy and only takes 20 minutes.

 

Overall, pretty good video on the steps.

[Mitch]

Nathan Clays' the cars once a year when he does the whole Zaino process, and while i'd love to get him the Nanoskin, he'd never use an orbital on the cars..

Trish, you can get the nanoskin mitt, you don't need the orbital. It's so much faster than clay, especially if you're on a car that gets regular care and isn't neglected. I just wash, then spray lube and run the mitt over the panel. It feels similar to clay going over the paint, you feel it go from gritty to smooth and then move on. The only thing I've run into is the nanoskins don't like tar. I used to spend hours claying to get it perfect, if the nanoskins takes 30 minutes I'd be surprised.

[TTQ B4U]

The only thing I've run into is the nanoskins don't like tar. .

 

Always chemically decontaminate before claying/nano'ing. CarPro Trix will take care of Iron and Tar. I usually use it on the lower rocker panels and where needed wipe them with mineral spirits on a MF Rag.

[zeitgeist57]

Anyone have some recommendations on electric pressure washers? I've got a couple of Amazon GC's from Christmas and been looking at something from there, or the HF:

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/1650-psi-125-gpm-electric-pressure-washer-69488.html

 

I like the idea of the foamy spray, mixing soap with the pressure washer, but I can certainly apply soap normally and use the pressure washer to just rinse.

[coltboostin]

Great video!