Detailing, wax, and super secret clean-up tips

[HenryJ]

Some of this may be more car show related , but we really don't have a good car care thread.

For really nice clear coat paint I use Wax Shop Super Glaze. It dries clear so the little nooks and crannies don't fill up with the white crusty stuff. It goes on easy and comes off easy. I have used this exclusively on the HenryJ for 14 years. Wax everything except the porous rubber like bumpers and tires. Windows, wheels , chrome, head and tail lamps, everything and sometimes two coats if it really needs it.

For a quick touch-up to clean those bugs off, I use Hi-Sheen glass cleaner. It doesn't harm the paint and leaves the wax better than some others. My local glass shop carries it.

For the dusting , nothing beats the Kozak Auto Dry Wash! It is a dusting cloth treated with something that smells a little like rootbeer. It not only gathers the dust great without leaving a residue, but actually repels the dust. Indoors under fluorescence is the worst for showing dust, and the Kozak Auto Dry Wash does the best job. I have one that is 13 years old now still use it for dusting furniture, which reminds me ...don't let the wife try your Auto Dry Wash...you'll have to buy yourself a new one

Tires, I like the No-Touch tire treatment. It is quick ,easy, and doesn't leave that greasy residue on the wheels.

Whenever I wash the truck, I open the hood and rinse down the engine. As well as all the undercarriage I don't use any chemicals, just hose it off.

For polishing aluminum, the Eagle 1 Nev-r-dull works great. It is a cotton wadding treated with chemical. You rub it on the aluminum and things get black as you rub. Just keep turning the wadding a little piece goes a long way. Buff it off with a terry cloth rag (not the wife's new towels ). It leaves a coating that helps prevent oxidation. With lots of elbow grease, you can polish raw aluminum to a near mirror finish.

For tar, glues , etc. I like using the Universal Adhesive Remover. I always keep a quart handy.

Carb cleaner and brake cleaner, I have had real good luck with the Master Mechanic brand. They seem to cut better than other brands and go much further.

Hinge lube, penetrating lubricant, hopefully nobody recommends WD-40 , it is good stuff, but evaporates. I like the Fluid Film that a local tractor dealership carries, but also really like the Miracle Lube that Jim recommended. I just need to find a website that carries it again.

[barch97]

I go to the local coin-op car wash once a month whether the truck needs it or not. $3.00 in the slot, pull forward 'til the light turns red, multi-nozzle hose water/soap/polish thing spins around 4 or 5 times and I'm good for another 30 days or so.

[Brad]

The Mr Clean car wash works well.

Brad

[Maximous]

for bugs use a bounce dryer sheet, just get it wet, then wash it off

[F9K9]

wax
Have learned from other sites and have to agree that the relatively new Turtle Wax Ultra is the best I have seen and impressed me just as long as you can apply it in shady conditions. I just believe it is the best hand applied non professional application.

Glass cleaner
I have mainly dealt with non factory tint and I had a real hassle with K-9 residue on the inside of SUVs and mild dish detergent broke through the difficult slobber, followed by a non ammonia based window cleaner. Aftermarket tint (without K-9 influence) I have been happy with the Armour All glass cleaner.

Wheel Cleaner I need to learn from the pros on this issue. I have found nothing that is spray, wait x amount of time and it comes clean.

Mr Clean "no dry"
Brad likes it, I do not. He has his reasons and I just prefer mine. I just like the finish after a couple of turkish towels but, am sure there are times Mr Clean comes in handy. I bought one tried it four times and never was happy. I am old school and this may work for many of our members.

Car squeegy
May work on a Honda Element but. I returned mine.

Tire "shine"
Am open for suggestions.

[Pauleo]

ALRIGHT!!!! Finally something I know a little about! I used to own my own detail shop about 10 years ago and have tried everything under the sun from K-mart crap to the pro stuff dealerships buy. After all these years I have come to find that there is no "one" company that makes a great line of products so you have to pick and choose. I'm tellin' ya if you want the best wax out there, you HAVE to buy Blitz Wax from www.onegrand.com

Here's the benefits. Easy on - easy off. If you are a neat freak like me, you wax your truck often. This stuff is the most purest form of carnauba wax you can find. You can layer it and it won't yellow over time. And after a few layers, LOOK OUT! You'll add depth & gloss that looks like you hade new clear sprayed on your truck! Now, this wax has no cleaners in it so you have to polish the truck spotless before you apply the wax.

For polishes and glazes, you really can't do much better than 3M products. You can find them at your local NAPA auto parts or the like. I recommend using 3M's Imperial Hand Glaze followed by the Blitz Wax. If you don't have or don't know how to run a buffer, using these products will get your vehicle looking it's best.

As for cleaners? I have paid out the wazzoo for all types of cleaners and and have found that Simple Green or Mean Green works very well. I use it to clean tires & rims, bugs and tar, degrease the engine, heck, it'll even work as a spot remover on your interior! Best of all, if you can find the Mean Green at a Dollar Store, it's only like 5 bucks a gallon!

Tire & interior dressing is a matter of taste. Some like the dark natural look and others the deep black, wet look that comes from silicone dressings. Just try a few out and see what suits you best. I use Armor All Extreme shine on my rubber and regular Armor All on the vinyl.

When you get towels and rags accumulated for cleaning, don't use fabric softener on them!!! The softeners stay in the towels and can create streaks when your wiping off your waxes and such. Especially your windows!

For windows, good luck!!!! I have heard that surgical towels do the best job but I ain't givin' 20 bucks for a stinking rag! I use a wet towel/dry towel method. Scrub the glass well with a wet towel and follow up immediately with a dry one. Pretty simple and water doesn't streak!

That's my 2 cents worth. Let me know if you have any specific questions regarding this topic. I'd be glad to help.

[F9K9]

Pauleo,

Thanks for all the tips!

I am pretty happy with "Mean Green" myself, Do you know if it will strip wax if used on wheels?

[Retep]

For wax, I have always been happy with Maguires products.

I hate tire dressings and I don't use any kind of treatment/protectant on the interior. The glare drive me nuts. I just use a damp cloth to remove any dust from the interior. I used to use Extang's Tonno Tonic on my tonno cover, but that would leave streaks down the side of the bed after a rain. Armor All had the same results. Now my tonno cover goes untreated.

For Windows, I have found
Invisible Glass from Stoner to work very well. I spray on and wipe off with either newspaper or coffee filters. It works great even on after market window tint.

For raised white letters or even white walls (do they still make them) on tires, nothing beats a plain old SOS pad.

Pete

[adrenalnjunky]

I agree with several of the products listed here, and have kinda been itching to try the Mr. Clean system as well-- I'm not usually looking for a car-show detail job, but do like my truck clean.

If I go to a pressure wash, it's to remove mud. The only thing that touches my paint is my long reach soft bristle brush, or a sponge.

I have been using Meguiar's products lately - especially their car wash liquid and their Liquid Gold wax. but my Blaze hasn't seen wax since Last October -- an extremely wet winter/spring, and busy life lately just has had other things made more important.

Lots of the local car club people have been using this Zaino stuff, and I'll have to say thier paint does look good -- it even hides the "orangepeel" on lots of factory paint jobs.

[Pauleo]

F9K9,

Yeah. Mean Green WILL strip wax of any kind. But to tell you the truth, waxing your wheels is sort of a waste of time. The wax will break down pretty fast with all the heat generated from the brakes. So there probably isn't much wax to speak of by the time your next cleaning rolls around. I would recommend a good polish instead.

[AZS10Crew]

I used to use Zaino on my Camaro. I was real happy with it. Haven't used it on the Crew yet though.

[F9K9]

Pauleo,

Polish clearcoat? Didn't realize you could do that but, is a moot point for me now. I now have black steel wheels, any suggestions for them?

[jeff024]

well let me throw in my 2 cent........I start with meguiars car wash . wax with Meguiars HI-TECH yellow wax #26. soak tires and wheels with Westleys Bleche white hit tires with a brush white letters will be as white as new hit rims with a wash mit. between waxes i use Meguiars quick wax or meguiars NXT Generation spray wax.i use meguiars Natural shine on my bed cover it wont leave run marks down the side of the truck.on the inside plastics black magic pro shine . and for any metals Mothers Billet metal polish.and lastly the tires to get a shine on them so u can see yourself on ur tires Meguiars HOT SHINE ......there is nothing better it will shine even after a wash or in the rain its in a spray can gos on clear and wont run or drip and no splatter ... nice to see what everyone uses to make the CC shine oh and for the MR>clean it works but after 2 washes i needed new filters for it at 9.99 so i threw it away . i think i just enjoy the 6-8 hours i spend cleanin my truck im not really in a hurry when i clean so i didnt need the no dry of the mr.clean

[F9K9]

i use meguiars Natural shine on my bed cover it wont leave run marks down the side of the truck.

That is a good tip, will certainly try it!

oh and for the MR>clean it works but after 2 washes i needed new filters for it at 9.99 so i threw it away . i think i just enjoy the 6-8 hours i spend cleanin my truck im not really in a hurry when i clean so i didnt need the no dry of the mr.clean

I totally concur on your thoughts there. It's all in personal priorities. I have taken a little more interest in my personal transportation after 25 years of cleaning and detailing my gov't truck on my own time and with my own supplies. I too, spent many quarters on my recently traded '97 ZR2 w/65,000 on the odometer. It had been waxed exactly 3x and it still looked good enough for the dealer's son to snatch it up before I had finished putting my "Xs" on the paper work. "Mr Clean" is loved and treasured by many but, I wouldn't endorse it for many reasons. We're diffrent and we all place priorities at diffrent levels.

It's time to be happy with my personal "rides"

[shrubs2000]

I use Wolfgang products on my CC and my Grand Prix GTP. I bought a kit a while back (http://www.autogeek.net/wg7001.html). So far it has done the car 3 times and the truck twice. Each time I use two coats of wax. I'm almost out of the wax though.

I don't have truck pics but the car is at http://members.cardomain.com/shrubs2000

[Yellow Hammer]

I can vouch for the Zaino Brothers car polish. So far, it's the best stuff I have ever used. I use it on my CC and my Packard. It's expensive because it's a show car polish but well worth it.

Wash it real good with something like Dawn dishwashing liquid to strip all the old wax off, use a clay bar over the entire vehicle, wash it again, put one coat of Z2 on the vehicle and let it sit for at least an hour (the longer it sits, the better it is), buff it off with a white 100% cotton towel made in the USA (100% cotton towels made outside the USA are not 100% cotton), apply another coat of Z2 as before, buff it off, then use the Z6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer and spray it on and wipe off with a clean 100% cotton towel 1 square foot at a time.

It's a lot of work but well worth it. I polish my vehicles about four to five times a year but only do the entire process above once a year. I don't put as much time and effort into it the other times out of the year and don't strip it with Dawn but still use the Z2 and Z6.

Another good thing about Zaino is that you can use it in the sun and use a back and forth motion when applying it rather than the standard Karate Kid motion.

[Yellow Hammer]

I go to the local coin-op car wash once a month whether the truck needs it or not. $3.00 in the slot, pull forward 'til the light turns red, multi-nozzle hose water/soap/polish thing spins around 4 or 5 times and I'm good for another 30 days or so.

I definately don't want to tell you guys how to take care of your vehicles but I wouldn't suggest taking them through the coin-op car washes. I've seen some pretty nasty things happen from using those things. My girlfriend use to use them quite frequently until I told her to stop. Her paint has brush marks all over it. I had a friend who went through one once and it took about a 3" diameter of paint off the passenger side door. Granted, it was a Ford Escort and the paint was probably crappy in the first place but it just shows how hard they are on paint. I also heard once, and don't know if it's true or not, that someone went through one and had their radio antenna get caught in one of the brushes and just pelted the vehicle with every revolution of the brush.

Anyway. just something to watch out for.

[AZS10Crew]

I can vouch for the Zaino Brothers car polish. So far, it's the best stuff I have ever used. I use it on my CC and my Packard. It's expensive because it's a show car polish but well worth it.

Wash it real good with something like Dawn dishwashing liquid to strip all the old wax off, use a clay bar over the entire vehicle, wash it again, put one coat of Z2 on the vehicle and let it sit for at least an hour (the longer it sits, the better it is), buff it off with a white 100% cotton towel made in the USA (100% cotton towels made outside the USA are not 100% cotton), apply another coat of Z2 as before, buff it off, then use the Z6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer and spray it on and wipe off with a clean 100% cotton towel 1 square foot at a time.

It's a lot of work but well worth it. I polish my vehicles about four to five times a year but only do the entire process above once a year. I don't put as much time and effort into it the other times out of the year and don't strip it with Dawn but still use the Z2 and Z6.

Another good thing about Zaino is that you can use it in the sun and use a back and forth motion when applying it rather than the standard Karate Kid motion.

I agree...Zaino is awesome stuff.

[n0m4d]

I’ve gotten a rep for being #### with cleaning my truck, but it looks like I’m in good company.

I have been using some sort of pure carnauba wax that my dad gets me. He works at a power plant and they use it to wax electrical insulators (don’t ask for detail, I have no clue). They decided to use it on one of the fleet trucks one and everyone loved it so much that they have a side deal going on with the reseller. It’s in a plain tub that says “100% Carnauba Wax” on the top. Anyway, I’ve been prepping with the step one and step two Maguires and then the wax.

I used to Brillo the white letters until I found Westley’s Beache-Wite. Way easier and looks better.

I’ve had the same prob w/ my bed cover. Streaks down the side. I’ll try some on the Natural Shine stuff on it.

On the inside I’ve been using Ammonia Free Windex and cheap paper towels on pretty much everything. Maybe that’s bad, I don’t know, but I hate glossy interiors.

After four hard winters and summers and a thousand washes and dozen waxes, my paint is shot. The black is covered with microscopic scratches, door dings, and a few big scratches (and a run from the factory). Even after waxing it looks crappy after a month or so. I was actually thinking about looking into a new paint job.

[Pauleo]

Another good thing about Zaino is that you can use it in the sun and use a back and forth motion when applying it rather than the standard Karate Kid motion.

I have heard a lot of people swear by the Zaino stuff. I am tempted to at least try it. I don't see how in the world you could apply it in the sun though. ANY kind of polish or wax, even the quickie spray on stuff would bake on there in the sun.

As for going in back & forth motions, I agree. One should use this technique with ANY polish or wax. The idea of going in circles is supposed to insure that you have even, overlapping coverage. That can be done just as well (or better in my opinion) with the straight lines. Front to back, then side to side.

[Yellow Hammer]

I don't see how in the world you could apply it in the sun though.

I'm not sure if I would either. I never have. I was just stating what they say on their web site. I do know that it is wax free.

I used to Brillo the white letters until I found Westley’s Beache-Wite. Way easier and looks better.

I use Bleach-Wite also. It's really good stuff. I don't have the white lettering facing out like you do but, it still works great for just cleaning your tires and getting them nice and black. I don't like them glossy because I think it's kind of "pimp" looking so this stuff works great.

[jeff024]

I like them to shine

[F9K9]

I like them to shine...

Not detailing related unless you consider a Coleman cooler as a CC option but, Bleach-white makes coolers look like new and I used it on my "Water hole" when working K-9s







BTW...... I highly recommend water holes when traveling with a pet. I can attest to their usefulness at 100 MPH entering a curve and off-road ]

[Pauleo]

If you've ever waxed your truck & got some wax aroung the black door handles or in the narrow gap between the bed and the rear wheel flares, then you should try a horse hair dtailing brush. Mine looks just like "N" pictured below. It will get in those cracks & crevaces & will not scratch the paint.



Using a combination of "N" & "U" brushes for the interior works well for me.

[HenryJ]

Groit's Garage

Detailers handbook PDF

[killian96ss]

I would like to add a product to this list that works wonders on exterior plastic trim like the mirrors, bumpers, side molding, etc. It is made by Mothers and is called Back To Black. You can get a bottle at most auto parts stores or Summit Racing for $5.95. This stuff is awesome! It will make faded plastic look better than new, and one application will last several months. I have been extremely impressed with this product and I highly recommend it for all CC owners .



Steve

[ludwis]

I would like to add a product to this list that works wonders on exterior plastic trim like the mirrors, bumpers, side molding, etc. It is made by Mothers and is called Back To Black. You can get a bottle at most auto parts stores or Summit Racing for $5.95. This stuff is awesome! It will make faded plastic look better than new, and one application will last several months. I have been extremely impressed with this product and I highly recommend it for all CC owners .

image

Steve

I've been looking for something to put on the mirrors and the trim around the windows / doors. This sounds like just the ticket!

[S10CREW01]

Great INFO

[SomeCrew]

Well I have absolutely no idea about the wax, never done it, never want to... However with the tire shine. I have been through MANY different tire shine products, and the best that I have EVER found is Advanced Auto's own brand. As cheap an cheasy as this might sound, this stuf works like magic!. The shine is the best I've seen, and it stays on the longest of all the others Ive tried, even stays on through the rain!

[killian96ss]

After I washed the CC today I decided to post a picture to show just how well Mothers Back To Black works. The picture is of the front bumper and I applied Back To Black to only a portion of the bumper so you guys could see just how good this stuff works. I use it on the front & rear bumpers, mirrors, side moldings, and door handle moldings.



Steve

[BADs Crew]

I love the stuff. I used it on the mirrors and trim on the 95 Blazer and it made all of it look like new. It did pick up dust for a few days but that problem solved itself.

[Pauleo]

Back To Black is a pretty good product. Just be sure to really buff off the excess as per Mother's instructions. It can leave streaks down the paint after a rain if used on the door handles and such.

[WVHogRider]

If you really want you truck to shine. Look into getting some Detailing Clay. Several companies make a kit. Just use after you wash your truck and before you wax. I've used it, and love it. http://www.automagic.biz/specialt.htm

It pulls all the paint contaminates off the paint before you wax. And its not all that hard to do.

[WVHogRider]

EWWW!!!! EWWW!!!! EWWW!!!!

A great tip I got for cleaning the carpet. Use a stiff bristled brush, (one like you use to clean your tires), on the carpet while you shop-vac up all the dirt/rocks. Get all the big stuff first with the shop vac. Then go back over the carpet with the brush and shop vac. It tends to pull a lot of the fine stuff up and out.

Waxes: I use Meguiar's three step process-After the Clay Magic. I use the Meguiar's paint cleaner, then polish, then wax. For when I really want that black paint to shine its best.

Tire/Plastic Shine: Definately "Black Magic Tire Wet"

[Blaze One]

I like to use Meguiars 3 step process , Paint cleaner , polish , then gold class wax .

I use a black turtle wax for the hood of my blazer , only becuase there are so many rock chips and scratches , the black color wax fills them in temporaraly .

On the tires I use a Simoniz Midnight Tire Gel

On the interior , I use Armoral Wipes , some say armoral is crap and dont use it . But I have seen that it works fine .
My Dads 1990 Silverado has had armoral on the dash for 16 yrs and it still looks like new , except the fabric speaker covering is faded .

I am going to have to pic up some Back to Black today too . Looks like great stuff .

[BADs Crew]

After having my brakes replace I found that two of my wheels where stained with what looked like brake dust. I usually just spay some McGuiars wheel cleaner on them and remove the dust with no problems but today they would not come clean no matter what I used. I even tried bug and tar remover.

I took the truck back to the shop thinking maybe the problem was caused by brake fluid or some type of cleaner or grease that they may have used. The service manager checked out the problem, tried a few things then returned with THIS . He spayed it on and what ever was on the rims came rite off with no effort. This stuff is fantastic. After cleaning the wheels on my truck and the Blazer the wheels look brand new. Try it you'll like it.

[F9K9]

Attention Aluminum Wheel Gurus need a little advice. I picked up 4 BFG 33/12.50x15" AT/KOs (w/under 1K on them for my XJ) already mounted on some really ugly aluminum wheels (balanced) today for $300. I had to meet the seller halfway to pick them up.

As everyone should know, I am not a "bling, bling" individual and like the black wheels on my XJ. All of my mods that are pending are pretty serious and I just wanted to see if, I could restore the wheels somewhat today before the rain set in. The wheels are pitted and pretty nasty.

I have been dying to try the "Mother's" Power Ball and picked one up along with some polish. The pits are too deep to hope to remove but, the black inside them may come out with some work.

The wheel on the left has about 20 minutes invested in it with the polish and powerball. Does anyone has a better suggestion or should I not even bother continuing the project. Thanks, Reed

[BADs Crew]

If they are not powder coated I would use Eagle One Mag Cleaner. It won't remove the scratches but the acid will clean them and make them less noticeable. I use it on the 85 Blazer we had after the powder coating was chipped and scratched. I noticed the improvement rite away but after regular usage every time I washed the Blazer the powder coating was totally removed and the wheel looked sweet and I'm a picky person for detailing.

I just spent the day detailing the last winter weather event off my Crew just the find out we are going to get hit tomorrow and Monday with more Ice and Snow.

[F9K9]

Are you confusing powder coating with CLEAR coating? If, not I am really confused.

[BADs Crew]

Clear coating is powder coating its just clear. The black in your wheels is powder coated also. Using the buffing ball and the mothers is surly cutting the black down and I believe you are transferring that black into the cracks and pits. Acid will do the job but may brake the black down a bit.

If I was into that job I would acid the wheels with Eagle One for non Powder Coated Wheels, After I got the pits and scratches cleaned out tape off and touch up the black with a spray bomb enamel ( If you go with Eagle One watch out because the containers look alike for both Clear Coated and non Coated) The Eagle One is good for other Aluminum parts also. I use it under the hood to CAREFULLY clean parts like the AC drier.

[border man]

You could always use aircraft remover. It comes in an aerosol can at Wally world or Autozone, but it will remove the paint. I used it on my motorcycle wheels to break down the powder costing to bare alloy, after which I polished them with mother's.

[F9K9]

There is no clear coat remaining on the white metal and no polishing is reaching the black paint. I am sure you know your stuff but I understand powder coating to be completely different than clear coating on automotive paint. I buy it in "paint" "pens" and rattle cans often. This may be a difference in nomenclature, I don't Know. I will try the eagle product you suggested but all of this may be a moot point since I will more than likely mount the tires on my black rock crawlers.

[BADs Crew]

I just did a little research and found that clear coat can be power or spray. I just assumed that all where Powder Coated. While looking around I found this How To . Maybe not what your looking for but it may help.

[michaels86svo]

Like Pauleo,I used to have a detailing business.I still do some for special customers.I've been doing this since I was 15 and I'll soon be 35.PAINT PREP is key to any good "wax" job.It use to kill me when people would come to me with a 10yr old car thats never been buffed or waxed in its life and ask what I charged for "just a wax job". HA! There is so much more to it than most would think.I can write a LONG page on that alone.I won't give any quotes till I look the vehicle over and see how far I'll need to go with it and what kind of results they're looking for.Any ways,after LOTS of money on different products I still go back to my 3M products for paint prep.
Then the wax stages.Cool indoor space is needed for optimum results(65-75degrees).Then I start with Meguires NXT tech wax(yep,just off the shelf at your local Wally World).Put a coat on the entire vehicle(back&fourth)...wait just a few minutes and wipe off with a microfiber towel.Here's a detailer secret,wait at least an hour or two for the wax(or sealer)to breath and set then I top with one sometimes 2 coats of S100 carnauba wax.These steps work awesome and show great results on dark colors.
michaels86svo@hotmail.com

[F9K9]

If they are not powder coated I would use Eagle One Mag Cleaner. It won't remove the scratches but the acid will clean them and make them less noticeable.............

The Eagle Mag Cleaner rocks

Also ZED, owner of ZedR2.com and a member ZR-2USA.com recommended wet sanding. I just need to polish them now.

Before



After

[BADs Crew]

Looks Sweet. I use Eagle for a lot of things. I even have my service crew using it on aluminum door sills on our new homes. The construction department can really beat them up.

[F9K9]

Okay, I have picked up a couple tricks that I am sure most of you are aware of, from other sites and thought I would just toss them out here. A lot of the younger crowd has some fascination with mud. I don't mind mud and will go through it if, there is no bypass and it is on the trail that I am on. I wheel with some people that will go out of their way to go into it and it is usually down time with dragging them out or getting them fired back up due to a wet engine.






The playing is over with and now you want to get your rig somewhat cleaned up. We can feed quarters to some wimpy local car wash for an hr or two to half arse it. We can also get it prepped for the car wash to save a little time and place a water sprinkler under your CC and let that work for awhile. You can move it around every 10 minutes or so and really get the majority of the underside clean. From what I understand most of the upscale pros coat the underside with tire dressing before the mud baths and this simplifies cleaning up and makes it a whole lot easier. The cheapest Dollar Store dressing allegedly works as well as any.

[F9K9]

I have been intrigued with the TV commercials concerning this new product, TURTLE WAX "ICE". What really interested me was two things that the ads brought up.

The first was that it could be applied in direct sunlight because summer shade is non existent at my house.

The second thing the commercials brought out was that no white marks on ANY surfaces. I threw it on everything! door handles, mirrors, luggage rack, aux light covers, Duplicolor rattle can painted grille guard......etc. All came out looking good and I have not waxed my rig in a yr. I didn't use 5% of the bottle after doing everything. It was just under $15 at my local Advance Auto but, am sure the price will drop soon. Came with an application sponge and a microfiber polishing cloth.

It might not last a week but, my initial impression is

[BADs Crew]

I have seen the commercial and was curious as to how it worked. It sounds similar to Zaino car wax but its a lot less expensive. Is there a claim as to how long it will last?

[F9K9]

Nothing on the bottle or on their site about time but, if it lasts three weeks I am impressed. Garbage from their site but, it is basically how I feel.

“This last weekend I entered my 1956 Ford Fairlane "Hot Rod" in the G.E.A.R.S. car show in Elkhorn, NE. With the help of Turtle Wax ICE the car was awarded 1st Place in the Modified Category for years 1955 thru 1959. Thanks to all at Turtle Wax for the Best Shine in the industry."

- Jim Rowe
Ohama, NE

"A comment about the new ICE product. It is unbelievable. I have a truck which is all primer (black). It is faded and the ICE product brought it back to black instead of gray. I will definitely use again. You can polish primer. Great product.”

- Daniel Young

"Just tried Turtle Wax ICE on my black 1961 Oldsmobile Super 88 in direct sunlight. It is an absolutely amazing product. The "waxing" probably took a third of the time and did a beautiful job with no streaks that needed a lot of struggle. Thanks for developing such a great product--my Meguiar's has been relegated to hubcap duty!"

- Dave Mahan

"I just tried your ICE product. It cut 50% off my usual time to do the car and went on and came off easily, with a great shine. Thanks!"

- David King

"Thanks for developing the new ICE Polish. I have always been a Meguiar's user but decided to try ICE. It is a fantastic product! Application time is less than Eagle One's spray wax. It leaves a beautiful wet shine look and no residue! Keep up the good work!"

- Dave Kane
Bradenton, FL

"I am a detailer and I am always trying to find the best products to give me the best results. I am traditionally a user of Meguiar's until I went to the store the other day and noticed your new ICE polish, on a hunch I bought it. After using it twice and going through 4 washes and two days of nonstop rain, I am happy to report that the water still beads off the car...I am very happy with it and will buy more in the future, it has given me confidence in your company and I may just start to test out more of your products."

- Tom Bresette

[HenryJ]

Upon Reed's recommendations above, I bought some Turtle wax ICE today.
I ran out of Wax Shop SuperGlaze on the front half of my truck. When I went to buy more they were out. They did have ICE, so I thought I'd give it a try.

It goes on easy. It has an oily feel and application. I like how it works well on the rubber and vinyl parts. I ended up coating the bumpers and tonneau cover.
It doesn't leave a mess, but I do not think it is as slick or shiny as the Wax Shop SuperGlaze. It leaves sort of an oily feel. That may just be my perception though.

I think the Wax Shop SuperGlaze does a better job on good paint, chrome and glass. I will probably continue to use it on the HenryJ and the trucks windows. It just dries better , buffs off crystal clear and leaves a really slick surface.

Turtle wax ICE does a great job on the rubber and vinyl as well as a decent job on the paint for the effort. I will probably continue to use it on the truck. Thanks for the recommendation. I think it is a great product. Kind of a one step for all surfaces.
The time spent for the whole process is significantly reduced.

[HenryJ]

Update on ICE:
I am going to have to give it a thumbs down. It attracts dirt terribly. My truck looks like it took a dust bath. I don't know if it is the "oily" feel that I had during the application, or if the removal was unsuccessful. I buffed the hood several times and it is just as bad as the rest of the truck.
I probably should not have gone over the areas that I did with Wax Shop for a good comparison. I did all the windows with Wax Shop and they have little or no dust. The tool box did not get coated and it is free of dust except for a hand print and some slop around the bar that I treated.

It almost looks like the truck had a very light coating of armour-all. A light film of dirt shows the wipe marks from the application in some areas.

It all cleaned off with the auto dry wash easily. I probably won't be using the ICE on the truck again if I have to deal with its attraction for dust. That abrasive coating is heck on paint if it gets rubbed.

Sorry to be a disparaging review, but I can not endorse something that does this.

I will see how it does and likely not retreat it until later this fall.

[F9K9]

ICE

Reed, it was really great to finally get to meet you, and shake your hand! You've got one awesome rig man. The way you've got your interior set up is exactly what I'd like to have in mine.....when I get one! And I will be getting one after seeing yours work out on the trail! .........IMHO, the crew cab has the absolute best mix of all the above! .................Now for the big question.... How the hell did you keep that thing so clean out there??? While all of our rigs looked like dirt magnets.....the dust seemed to just fall right off of yours!?

............it was also cool to see Reed wheel his CC. it's one of the cleanest rigs I've seen in a long time. really sweet lookin rig

Dunno Maybe it doesn't work as well west of the big muddy when it is applied there It apparently does well West of it when it is applied East of the Mississippi

[BADs Crew]

ICE


Dunno Maybe it doesn't work as well west of the big muddy when it is applied there It apparently does well West of it when it is applied East of the Mississippi

You could have something there. Being a service manager I find quite often that the same labeled product can be different depending where it is manufactured. We have proved the point to the sales reps by comparing products that where manufactured at different plants by the same company. Check your labels.

[HenryJ]

While trying to find some more Wax Shop Superglaze, I found an article that said The Wax Shop was purchased by Turtle Wax and the whole line discontinued

Old stock is all that is left!

Searching for plan B

ICE has done really well on the rubber and vinyl. The truck looks pretty good after I dusted it and a decent rain storm. It actually seems more waxed now than it did after application. I wonder if a second application might be what it needs to start working?

[F9K9]

..........I wonder if a second application might be what it needs to start working?

A possibility but, I don't know. I did the liquid
clay bar on my second application which, should have removed the initial application. I was pretty thrilled with their platinum wax that came and went in the last couple of yrs. My biggest hassle is shade so, you may want to give it a try since you seem to have some.

[rickscrewcab]

I've been using ICE for a couple of months because, I too, have no summer shade at my house. I think it works great! I picked up one of those California Dusters and give my truck the once over each week to keep the dust down. I live in South Jersey around farms, cities, refineries and industry, so there's a variety of pollutants. I think I need some of that fresh, clean Oregon air.

[Noma02]

Black magic for my tires. And I'm thinking about claying the truck to get off all the contamints (spelled that wrong) off the paint.

[rickscrewcab]

The really nice thing about ICE, is that it can be used on everything, except glass. You don't have to worry about white spots on black, or colored smears on paint.

[brandons4door]

Any secret to cleaning spoiled milk out of the seats? My daughter rides in the back and we bought her "spill proof" cups for this reason. They worked pretty good until I forgot to take one out for 3-4 days. The milk spoiled then it finally warmed up to 65 around here and the milk expaned and soaked nicely into my seats. I removed the the seat from the truck hosed it down and used our carpet cleaner to extract as much excess as possible.
Any other suggestions would be helpful.
I hope I didn't miss a thread already started, I searched Cleaning AND Interiors and even searched Milk. I was suprised to find 12 threads with milk but should have known anything is posible with this group.

[green02crew]

We have used professional cleaning services for that exact issue, it never smelled quite right until we did. There may be some other (cheaper) alternatives.

[brandons4door]

I found a way to clean the milk out of the seats and decided to post it for referance. The spoiled milk was still a little damp so I soaked it with water and used our carpet deep cleaner to suck up as much of the water milk mix as possible. I did this repeatedly until the dirty return water was clear. Then I made a vinager water mix about 1cup vinager to 10 cups water. I was hoping the vinager (acetic acid) would break up the milk (a base). I applied it to the milk soaked area (still damp from the day before) and let it soak for 30 mins. Then I resoaked it with the hose and used the carpet cleaner again like the first time. I then let the seat dry outside in the fresh air. I've since put the seat back in my truck and I had been dredding our first 80 degree day, but we've hit 88 and with my windows up and parked in the sun threre wasn't even a hint of either smell!

hope no one ever has to use this,
brandon

[HenryJ]

Learned a new detail trick today.
Leather cleaning tip: Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom cleaner to clean leather seats. Works great! brings back that dull new leather look.
Just did the seat bottom install and found the tip in these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeoEkJfXNfo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WN2YcbpZQE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-noKwr1kOe4

Next up trying the Lexol 1013 Leather Conditioner...