How to properly clean your truck

I used Zaino polish for years on my Thunderbird Super Coupes, loved it, dust won't even settle on it, great show polish with it, but these are trucks right..

RJ

 

Ceramic pro 9h. It was done professionally. I got a hook up at only 50 a wheel.

 

False. That is a false statement.

You called out @oscolivar1 for assuming everyone should treat their vehicles the same but then turn around and make a sweeping generalization that is incorrect.

Paint needs to be maintained in order for it to maintain its protective properties against rust and corrosion.
You let your paint get eaten by bug guts, droppings, berries, etc it will degrade the finish and lead to rusting.

You mention excessive washing... us avid detailers do not do that. Excessive washing scratches paint and reduces the life of protective products.
Quality protective products reduce how much we have to wash our trucks.

@oscolivar1 was just saying take care of what you have.

You are making the assumption detailing is all about obsessive car cleaning. Its not.
My goal is to wash my truck as little as possible. Especially in the winter.


https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dispensable

 

I use the most basic Dawn and do a full detail once a year and never had any problems, the rubbers and plastics are exposed to more harmful things on a day to day basis. I would never use it for my regular washes, only time is just prior to the full detail.

 

Feel free to keep using it if you like it.

Its just not the best soap to be using on your vehicle. It does not sufficently strip protective products pre-detail.
Its a myth it strips everything off right away. It more just reduces the life of products so over the course of multiple washings everything is gone.

 

I've had last 3 trucks coated with ceramic pro, my 16 Sr5 had same matte wheels as yours and kept its matte finish along with all the benefits of a nano coating.

 

Glad to hear. Thanks!

 

I don’t wash my truck at all in the winter lmao. Usually just go to a coin shop and just powerwash (just water) what I can. This year might be different. Might just do a rinseless wash for the first time for winter.

 

Yeah I will stop by a quarter wash and douse with hot water to get the salt off but thats about it.

Rinseless sounds like too much time in the cold haha

 

X2 it lives up to its Cult like following

 

Same here, I try to go to the coin washes and spray off as much salt as i can without wetting the door handles much.

 

Luckily I have not yet frozen my doors shut *fingers crossed*

 

P0*.

smh... Again, go to a junk yard and look at a fender from a 90's vehicle that has been out in the sun for 20 years. I have... many times.

 

Frame still looks clean tho.

#worktrucksmatter

 

Let me know how waxing the underside of the truck, especially in the blind pockets you cannot reach, works out for you.

 

Actually, Sir, you are wrong. There were very few poor answers given here (besides yours) & the advice you gave had already been given - several times. Thanks for the imput, but could have done without this post.

 

Do not go to carwashes. I have worked at them and they are not really friendly to cars surprisingly.

 

NOTHING will EVER beat a hand wash done CORRECTLY. A powerwash has limited capabilities...it sure can take off a majority of dirt but it won’t take everything off and that’s a FACT! No way around that!!!

I understand that every time you touch your paint you scratch it in some way....microscopic or large it’s your job to buff once a year and hand wash correctly to minimize scratches. If your saying a power washer is the answer to all, I’ll respectfully disagree with that....bud

Never used a powerwasher just a hand pump soap foamer, regular 2 Bucket wash with 2 wash mitts one for the top half and bottom half, 1 bucket just for wheels, nanoskin clay bar mitt and 1step paint correction with my maxshine 15mm DA polisher. Far from perfect paint but if anyone knows audi paint is extremely hard to correct not only cuz it’s black, but because their paint is known to be “soft”

But again...just my 2cents on the matter from a Home hobby detailer.

 

I go to the spray washes but bring my own sponges and suds, and will only use the RINSE cycle with the wand. usually these places will recycle the used water again and again to save themselves money, ive only found one place that actually has warm/hot water for the winter washes, most use cold dirty recycled water, only other option is to leave the truck dirty in the winter or use a waterless wash product.

 

Damn...I thought I was a clean freak when it came to my stuff. I use a bucket of tap water with some Meguiar's Gold Class car wash, and an old fashion chamois to dry it. I bought a little electric leaf blower for my bike that I use on parts of my cars. My 2014 bike is vivid black and doesn't have a mark on it... can't be doing too bad.

I had a white Dakota when I lived across the street from the beach. I'd honestly drive on the beach everyday, if it was cold or raining I'd still drive down to chill a bit on my way to work. Lived there a few years, and when I sold that truck, the undercarriage was as white as the body. I did make and use my custom undercarriage washer a lot thou. Looks rough. but still works well. Some PVC pipe and a couple hose adapters.