I learned about the trick of using painter tape to mask off the black plastic trim pieces to prevent wax from getting on them from this forum. I just wax yesterday and it worked like a charm. No more having to scrub with a toothbrush to get the wax off the plastic.

Do the detailing Gods have any other detailing tip/tricks for us novices?

Craig
03 F150 4.6L XLT 4X4
Line-X
Fold-a-cover

 

Not sure we have any gods but... here's a tip...

Utilize a two-bucket method to wash your truck and other vehicles. This will effectively reduce your chance of the introduction of swirls and scratches to your paint caused by your mitt/sponge because of it being dirty.

To do this, fill one bucket with clean/fresh water and the other with your car shampoo/water solution. Wash, starting at the top of the vehicle and working downward, each body panel individually. Between panels, move the sponge/mitt to the fresh water bucket and rinse it well. This will remove alot of the grit and grime that you've picked up off of the panel you just washed.

Once the mitt looks good (visually inspect your mitt frequently during a wash), move back to your wash solution and repeat.

Remember, let the mitt do the work. Downward force with a mitt shouldn't be necessary and will raise your chances of the introduction of swirls and scratches.

Replace your fresh water (or solution or both) often if they look dingy. The grime that is in the water can be picked back up by the sponge so, naturally, you don't want to defeat the purpose of the two bucket method by not doing something as simple as tipping over your bucket, cleaning it, and refilling it.

Another product that is ultra helpful is called the GRIT GUARD. This is a product that fits in the bottom of a standard 5-gal bucket and prevents your sponges from going to the bottom of the bucket where the grit collects. I use one in BOTH of my two buckets with this system.

Use dedicated sponges for ultra-grimy areas like fenders, behind your wheels, and the front end (bugs). Don't allow these sponges to be used ANYWHERE other than those dirty areas and don't allow those sponges to mix with your main mitts/sponges used for the main body panels...

RP

 

I consider Rockpick and Boss 429 to be detailing Gods.

 

Nice information.


Thanks

 

RP just gave you some great tips for washing your vehicle to keep swirls/spider web marks to a minimum. Here's a little something to help with the drying...

After you are done washing, take the nozzle off the hose and "flood rinse" the vehicle. This will minimize the the beads of water on the paint.

Now, get a bottle of QD or better yet; a 50/50 mix of QD and Poorboy's Spray & Wipe.

Get two high quality waffle weave towels.

Very, very, very lightly mist the QD or QD mix on a small section (1/2 a panel or so) of the paint. Then, take one WW towel and again... very, very lightly wipe the area. It might be a little "streaky" and that's OK. Now take the other WW and very LIGHTLY and SLOWLY go over that area to remove the remaining water/streaking.

The added lubricants of the QD (an light cleaners & lubricants in the case of S & W) will also help minimize the swirls/spider web marks even further.

 

RP and Boss mentioned probably two of the MOST crucial steps in caring for your paint. Washing and drying is pretty much where the majority of swirls are introduced.

I would have to agree with RP and the Grit Guard. This is a must have!

Also, as Boss mentioned...MF Waffle Weave towels are the best for drying.

-slippy