The Detailing Thread

[Morris Minor]

Seeing pics on Reddit of hand sanitizer damage to steering wheels & interior surfaces. Stay away from that stuff.

[giant_mtb]

Hand sanitizer, sunscreen, bug spray, some lotions...all potentially bad for interior surfaces.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Fast fact: I use WD-40 to clean shit, including my hands. Safe for most surfaces? I dunno. I like the smell.

[FoMoJo]

Hand sanitizer, sunscreen, bug spray, some lotions...all potentially bad for interior surfaces.

Patina. 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Patina.

I get into way too many interiors with "patina". I mean, I'm not a neat freak, but some peoples' cars are just disgusting.

[giant_mtb]

I get into way too many interiors with "patina". I mean, I'm not a neat freak, but some peoples' cars are just disgusting.

Can confirm.

[Soup DeVille]

Hand sanitizer, sunscreen, bug spray, some lotions...all potentially bad for interior surfaces.

The hi-DEET bug juice I use camping literally melted the color off the interior pieces on the Land Cruiser.

[giant_mtb]

The hi-DEET bug juice I use camping literally melted the color off the interior pieces on the Land Cruiser.

Yeeeep. DEET loves to destroy plastics. That's why people use bug spray as a "hack" to clean up clouded plastic headlights. Just eats it away.

I wish DEET worked better. Backwoods mosquitoes give zero fucks about it. Even the crazy 98% DEET stuff. No worky.

[giant_mtb]

Patina.

I can tell when people (usually women) wear lots of lotion or makeup. Gets caked all over the spots that are frequently touched.  Gearshift, arm rest, blinker/wiper stalks, the volume knob on the radio, their favorite resting position on the steering wheel, etc.  Usually doesn't leave any damage, but man is that stuff a PITA to clean off completely after months/years of buildup.

You can learn a lot about people from detailing their cars. lol

[Eye of the Tiger]

I can tell when people (usually women) wear lots of lotion or makeup. Gets caked all over the spots that are frequently touched.  Gearshift, arm rest, blinker/wiper stalks, the volume knob on the radio, their favorite resting position on the steering wheel, etc.  Usually doesn't leave any damage, but man is that stuff a PITA to clean off completely after months/years of buildup.

You can learn a lot about people from detailing their cars. lol

Yeah, people are gross

[Morris Minor]

Yeeeep. DEET loves to destroy plastics. That's why people use bug spray as a "hack" to clean up clouded plastic headlights. Just eats it away.

I wish DEET worked better. Backwoods mosquitoes give zero fucks about it. Even the crazy 98% DEET stuff. No worky.

I've not tried it, but someone on the trails maintenance team here gave me a bottle of this: https://www.sawyer.com/products/picaridin-insect-repellent

More: https://www.outdoors.org/resources/amc-outdoors/health-and-safety/picaridin-vs-deet-which-is-the-best-insect-repellent

[Soup DeVille]

I've not tried it, but someone on the trails maintenance team here gave me a bottle of this: https://www.sawyer.com/products/picaridin-insect-repellent

More: https://www.outdoors.org/resources/amc-outdoors/health-and-safety/picaridin-vs-deet-which-is-the-best-insect-repellent

insect repellants that work elsewhere don't seem to faze the kinds of bugs they get in the UP.

[giant_mtb]

insect repellants that work elsewhere don't seem to faze the kinds of bugs they get in the UP.

They work well enough around town where the skeeters are smaller and far fewer in numbers. But way out in the woods...pants and long sleeves are better protection than bug spray, though still not perfect when you're constantly swarmed by like 50 of the little monsters buzzing around all over you taking stabs to find any spot of clothing that's tight against your skin.

[Morris Minor]

I react really badly to chigger bites. They come out in June here (GA,) work their way up your legs to the crotch & inner thigh and burrow in. It's awful. The best defense is to stay out of the brush during their season.

[CaminoRacer]

They work well enough around town where the skeeters are smaller and far fewer in numbers. But way out in the woods...pants and long sleeves are better protection than bug spray, though still not perfect when you're constantly swarmed by like 50 of the little monsters buzzing around all over you taking stabs to find any spot of clothing that's tight against your skin.

When I went canoeing in the boundary waters, the mosquitoes could bite through any thick clothing except my heavy rain gear that was literally 1/8" plastic. Thick wool socks, pants, etc were no match for those crazy long mouth beaks.

[MrH]

When I went canoeing in the boundary waters, the mosquitoes could bite through any thick clothing except my heavy rain gear that was literally 1/8" plastic. Thick wool socks, pants, etc were no match for those crazy long mouth beaks.

Yep.  I had the best luck with an Army gore tex jacket.  That was about the only thing I found that could keep them off during long portages. 

[giant_mtb]

I wonder if a beekeeper suit would be effective.

[FoMoJo]

I wonder if a beekeeper suit would be effective.

Or a hazmat suit.

[Morris Minor]

I claybarred the Mazda the other day. Its reputation for thin & easily-chipped paint is well earned. Fantastic color, but c'mon guys.
Also there's a barely visible mark left on the hood from bird shit - whatever's in their digestive system is bad news for paint finishes.

[giant_mtb]

Bug guts and bird poop are acidic, so it etches into paint/clearcoat. Can try some rubbing compound on it if it isn't too bad. But if it's barely visible...meh.

[giant_mtb]

This stuff is awesome.  Works great on those road line paint oopsies, too (my main use for it).  I imagine it's some sort of mineral spirits or acetone-like stuff, but in a convenient aerosol that's safe for the average user.

[CaminoRacer]

Does it strip the wax? I assume yes.

[giant_mtb]

Does it strip the wax? I assume yes.

Oh absolutely it does.

[giant_mtb]

Also, they finally started making my favorite off-the-shelf tire shine in aerosol form.  Meguiar's Endurance.  Previously only available in gel form, which is fine for everyday road tires, but a total PITA for knobbier SUV/truck tires (as any gel is).  This shit rocks.  The instructions say to let it dry 15-20 minutes, but you're better off with an hour or two so it can soak and dry off to a finish like this.

[giant_mtb]

Only downside to aerosol dressings is overspray, but it cleans off easy enough. I'm probably gonna make some cardboard cutouts of 17, 18, and 19 inch circles to hold on a wheel while applying spray tire dressings to save me the hassle.

Also, Meguiar's D16101 Silicone-free Dressing........avoid. It does not last at all on tires.

[Morris Minor]

Only downside to aerosol dressings is overspray, but it cleans off easy enough. I'm probably gonna make some cardboard cutouts of 17, 18, and 19 inch circles to hold on a wheel while applying spray tire dressings to save me the hassle.

Also, Meguiar's D16101 Silicone-free Dressing........avoid. It does not last at all on tires.

Wheel Shields™

[giant_mtb]

Wheel Shields™

Not paying $30 apiece for a plastic circle with a handle on it.

If I want to get fancy, I could buy a couple sheets of lexan or something, cut circles, and mount cheap cabinet/drawer handles to them.

[giant_mtb]

Buff and wax on dis guy today.

[Morris Minor]

Not paying $30 apiece for a plastic circle with a handle on it.

If I want to get fancy, I could buy a couple sheets of lexan or something, cut circles, and mount cheap cabinet/drawer handles to them.

Could be a money maker: WheelShields™ brought to you by CarSPIN. Get a TV pitchman.

[giant_mtb]

Was looking at the contents of some tire shine I bought the other day (some Chemical Guys aerosol stuff, I like trying anything and everything), and it appears the main shine content comes from plain old mineral oil.

Hmmmmm.