*Official* Ask A Detailer Thread

I have a question. I have done a search and read pages but don't seem to have an answer. I apologize in advance if this has been addressed before. Is there any special way to clean the soft cloth that is on the doors/armrest. It doesnt seem to be as tough as the seats, so I am unsure what to attempt to clean it with. Im afraid that using the worung cleaner will make it worse than it is now. Any help is appreciated from anyone. Thanks.

 

degreaser and water. scrub away then with a dry cloth whipe it off. ive done it. works perfect. u can use a brush or a microfiber cloth to scrub it

 

yup, or any other all purpose cleaner really. i personally use a mixture of woolite/water for interior fabric cleaning

 

Anybody know how to get scratches out of the plastic interior?

 

for the DIY'er, i wouldnt bother and im not sure its even something worth paying someone to do.
what panel is it... may be easier to just replace it.

 

have you ever used one of those silicone squeegees to dry your vehicle after you wash it?

 

Depending on big/deep the scratch is, you can use a lighter to dap the section. DO NOT hold the flame. After a few daps, press with your thumb and squish around. This is a delicate process and I hold no responsibility if something gets messed up. But, if done right it will minimize the scratch. Basically, you are melting the texture and squishing it around kinda makes the texture comeback.

If you do not feel comfortable with this, don't do it.

 

california water blades are great i think, they remove 90% of the water, then follow up after with a chamois to finish it off.

 

ah man thats lazy! get a good microfiber, use one towel to knock the heavy water off and a second or third to get it dry

 

i dunno about lazy but its damn sure more efficient. work smarter, not harder

 

I agree work smarter, washing and waxing can be a time consuming job and if I can do the job quicker without ill effects I'll do it.

 

Thanks for all the great info everyone! I now feel like a dumbass for washing/waxing/detailing my vehicles with inferior products and techniques!

What do you recommend for a soft vinyl tonneau cover for cleaning and protecting?

 

haha i wash cars all the time so drying with microfiber towels isnt hard! idk maybe the squeegee is easier i just hate having to use a bunch of stuff to get a truck dry, squeegee then a chamois, blah!

 

same here, i wash my cars religously and have been detailing for a little over 12 years now. ive learned this way cuts down drying time immensely.
you fling all the water off with the blade then get all the small spots left behind with 1 towel w/out having to wring it and your done. i think just seeing the amounts of water youre throwing off the car shows how effective it is vs having to wring the towel over and over.
how many MF towels do you go thru drying a car? i notice at least with my towels anyways, once they get a little wet theyre not very effect and just spread the water therefore taking quite bit of them to get the car dry.
give it a shot different strokes for different folks i guess but never hurts to try something new here n there.

 

true true on my truck i use 3 towels maybe 4

 

gonna be cleaning my engine for the first time. any pointers, suggestions, or ways to do it? what stuff should i use

 

engine degreaser, doesnt matter what brand really they all work the same pretty mcuh i usually just go with whats on sale. follow the directions on the can, IMO theres nothing you need to cover up on the tacomas.

if you want to "dress it", just spray tire shine over all the plastic parts.

 

Depending on how dirt it is, you might be better off using a degreaser mixed with distilled water 50/50 and some shop rags. When you take the engine cover off, wipe it down with a soft microfiber towel. That plastic can pick up some scratches easy.

Go slow and do little sections. Spray some cleaner, wipe it down. Spraying water into your engine bay is never a good idea. I do it after I give the bay a wipe down. And I give just a quick sermi-moderate spray over everything. I do however use a plastic bag over the battery and the fuse box. This quick shot of water will rinse all the leftover cleaner off and get some of the nooks and crannys clean.
Dry the engine off as best you can. Don't go with too much shine in the engine bay. Kinda lame looking. Chemical Guys makes a product called Fade2Black. It is aresol. Stuff is awesome. A cheap fix is some armorall and distilled water 50/50. Matte finish. You will have to wipedown, but it will look nice.

 

mShu7,
I've started using the RainX Glass Cleaner. Since my Taco doesn't have intermediate speed wipers it seems to help. Any down sides to using it?

 

hello. i was wondering if i wanted to take off the pinstriping, will it leave marks on my truck? i ask because my mom had them put a clearcoat on the truck from the dealer. also do the absorber towels work well to dry the truck instead of a micorfiber?