Auto Detailing FAQs | Removing Hard Water Spots from Glass
June 29, 2010
Hello, oh ye faithful “Adventures in Detailing!” followers!  We have been asked, yet again, “How do you remove hard water spots from my windshield?” Since this is such a commonly asked question, I think it is time to revisit it (last time was in February, I believe). So here goes:
DO NOT use either method on the glass of your rear-view (side) mirrors, it is way to fragile for either of these methods. Consult a professional.
Polishing method: (This is the method i recommend for the front windshield)
- items you will need:
- glass polish
- clean (not necessarily new) terry cloth, or #0000 steel wool, or Scotch-BriteTM pad
- chamois
- glass cleaner, terry cloth, microfiber
- shaded area. Make sure the glass is cool to the touch during this operation.
- With Terry Cloth:
- Fold your terry cloth so that you can easily manage it with one hand.
- Hold most of it balled up within your fist so that you do not accidentally get your glass polish on your car’s paint. A glass polish is for glass only. Use your knuckles on the folded part of the terry cloth to give yourself a little extra pressure if needed without straining your fingers. (Read the instructions on your glass polish, some of them, like Diamond MagicTM are abrasive enough to scratch glass if you use too much pressure.
- Work the polish into the glass with fairly small circular motions (except along the edges and corners). If you do not use too much polish
you should be able to see the hard water spots through the polish & feel a gritty texture when you first start. As you continue to work on it, you should feel the area smooth out & see the hard water spots in that area disappear. Continue until that half of the windshield is done. You will probably need to work harder around the rim of the windshield, where the wipers do not touch, however, do not neglect the face of the glass as well. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had guys produce great results around the rim of the windshield, but end up with cloudy (water spotted) areas within the wiper blade area because they didn’t think it needed to be done. If you get the glass really clean, you will notice the difference. - Dampen your chamois, wipe off the glass polish residue, then proceed to the other side.
- repeat steps 1 – 3 above on the other half of the windshield.
- use your glass cleaner to remove any remaining residue & make your glass sparkling clean!
- Fold your terry cloth so that you can easily manage it with one hand.
- with #0000 steel wool or Scotch-BriteTM pad
- dampen your steel wool before proceeding. Lubricating your steel wool is always a good precaution to help prevent scratching.
- use the same steps as with the terry above. You should not need to use as much pressure & should be done fairly quickly in most instances. If you still have hard water spots (irregular ovals, made by the minerals concentrating along the edges of the water spot as they dry) after using steel wool & glass polish I would recommend seeing a professional. Chances are your glass has been etched by an acid content within the water spot (often found on the Big Island and Mainland) or by the sun magnifying it’s rays with the water spot (this usually takes a while to actually do damage, but sometimes we have to high speed polish after a car has been hit every day for more than 3 months with water sprinklers).
Liquid water spot removal method:
Make sure your glass is COOL (not even warm, COOL) to the touch. If your glass is etched by grit from the wiper blades, it will quite likely stand out after you are done & quite possibly be a distraction while driving. You may want to have a professional look at it, instead. (Then again, if you’re considering replacing the glass anyway, this method might be worth trying first.)
- you will sometimes hear people saying to use white vinegar. That is because vinegar is acidic & can melt out the hardened minerals in the hard water spot. Combine #0000 steel wool & a chemical wash or liquid water spot remover (yes, feel free to use white vinegar if you like, anywhere from one part vinegar & two parts water, to straight vinegar for a stronger solution) as a lubricant (again, this is only for glass, not paint).
- If you have drips running down from your window over the paint of your car, they can stain your paint.
- if you rub glass polish over your paint, it CAN & probably WILL scratch your paint
- if your rub steel wool on your paint, it WILL leave scratches on your paint
- wear gloves.
- if you are misting the windshield with a chemical, wear a respirator…or at least a bandanna to keep excess chemical fumes/mist out of your system.
Well, those are your two most prevalent home-gamer methods. Both are not without their own inherent dangers, but can be very effective, & can yield outstanding results if done correctly.
As always, please feel free to call me if you have any questions.
Gavin
Auto Detailing FAQs | Cleaning your car’s headliner
June 21, 2010
Ever had a can of soda explode in your car? Not pretty, sticky little spots all over. For most of your vehicle it’s not too much of a problem. A couple issues could be the amount that soaked through the carpeting or upholstery into the foam layer underneath, & how long the soda sits on plastic, leatherette or vinyl & if it’s caustic enough to start eating through the dye. Today though we are going to focus on something you don’t usually pay much attention to; the headliner.
The headliner is the (usually cloth) material covering the underside of your roof. What is the problem here? Why can’t we just clean it like your carpets or upholstery? Well, the problem is how it’s attached. It’s only held up there by water soluble glue. That means if you soak it with all-purpose cleaner, or even soap & water, it may not be long before you start feeling something tickling the hair on the top of your head as the cloth starts to droop & fall. If this happens to you, you can either have a new headliner put in professionally, or if it’s not in the budget, get a whole bunch of tacks to keep it from blocking the view out of your windows. I know someone who did this & she’s perfectly fine with it so far, but I’ll issue the precautionary anyway…Watch out for falling tacks!
So what can you do? If you insist on trying to clean this surface yourself, try to keep it as dry as possible. You could usually vacuum it, especially if someone’s been smoking in your car for a while. You can also mist a little bit of cleaner on a brush or cloth & then brush lightly over the surface, but you don’t want to allow any of that liquid to get through the surface cloth to the glue above it.
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line.
Best wishes & thank you for listening.
Auto Detailing FAQs | How long does a car detail take?
June 14, 2010
Hi all! This is a question Adventures in Detailing hears almost every day.
Depending on who you ask, you can get a variety of different answers on this one. Let’s break down our “detailers” into a few categories here. Obviously, I will be generalizing. But pretty much any “detail” company should be able to fit at least loosely within this framework.
- Drive through car wash (not really a “detail”, but it is a request.
- Volume detailers
- Quality detailers
Drive through car wash.
- Advantage: cheap, quick (even if you have a line, under 20 minutes is likely), no hassles, you’re pretty sure about what you’re getting out of it before you start-even if it’s your first time
- Disadvantages: no detail work, may or may not include an interior vacuum-if it does, it will be quick & dirty. very minimal protection if any
Volume Detailers;
- Advantages: quick, cost to value is usually pretty good, will meet the expectations of almost anyone who has not had a detail before. protection will usually last from 4 – 8 weeks. average time of detail will be about 2.5 hours.
- Disadvantages: check your cup holders, center console, interior pockets, mirrors, dashboard & interior glass (especially out in the sun)
Quality Detailers:
- Advantages: You should be able to expect a top end job from a company that bills themselves out to be a top end or quality detailer. Even people who have had detail work done before should be happy with the work done by one of these companies (or individuals). Usually all or almost all of their Detail Technicians will have many years of experience under their belt.
- Disadvantages:
- Cost: the price will usually be slightly above to extravagantly above the cost of the volume detailers. Many will operate, whether knowingly or not, under the mantra of “Cost is only an issue in the absence of value.’ Something I first read from a guy named Bachrach when I was in the finance field more than a decade ago.
- Time: Time is held to more importance by some than others. The good thing is you can schedule yourself to be doing something else (anything from working, to watching movies, to housework, to spending time with your family) while your detail is being done. Either make arrangements to drop your vehicle off at the shop, have it picked up or possibly even have it done at your home or office. Obviously time is a factor. Details from a quality centered detailer can average anywhere from 5 to 10 hours, so make sure you either have alternate transportation or have something else to do.
Hope this helps you decide what you’re looking for. Feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions…& as always, thank you for listening.
Auto Detailing FAQs | What is Auto Detail Clay?
June 7, 2010
Adventures in Detailing answers an often asked question; What is Auto Detail Clay & should I use it?
The relatively short answer to this would be, “a natural or man-made resin that looks like the stuff you used to play with as a kid, but made to remove contaminants from your car’s paint or glass without harming (when used correctly) the surface…& yes, you should use it.”
Auto Detail Clay should be used after you wash, but before you polish or wax your vehicle. Clay bar can come in different grades. The deeper or darker the color of your car’s surface, the finer grade of clay you will want to use. White & silver are your most forgiving colors. If you have black paint, you will want the finest grade of clay you can get. Detailing Clay is used to get out surface contaminants like industrial fallout, paint over-spray, light tar, really light cement, brake dust & other pollutants that can adhere to your paint and help promote oxidation and eventually paint failure. If you have not used detail clay before, wash your car, place your hand within a plastic baggy & run your fingers over the surface of your vehicle. You may be amazed to feel how many little bumps there are on your paint. Detailing clay can remove these surface contaminants making your paint smooth & ready for polishing or waxing.
Note: clay is not meant to remove scratches from within your paint. If you have clear coat scratches or oxidation, that is a job for compound or polish, not clay.
What you will need:
- a just washed vehicle
- a bar of automotive clay
- a lubricating agent (detail spray or soapy water)
- terry & microfiber cloth
How to clay:
- perform this procedure in shade or when the sun does not cause your vehicles surface to heat up
- mold the detail clay into a flat, thick “cookie” shape. You should be using on average 1/2 to 1/3rd bar of clay. A bar of clay can often last between 5-10 cars in average condition.
- work from top to bottom.
- spray or lubricate the paint or glass.
- hold the clay in the palm of your hand & rub it gently back & forth over the surface. You may be able to hear a whispery sound as it picks up the contaminants on your paint. It shouldn’t take for the whispery sound & gritty feel to disappear. After you have gone over your area (recommended about a 2′x2′ area at a time) for a while it should become silky smooth & ready for your polish, wax or sealant. You can wipe it down with your terry & microfiber & move on.
It may take longer if you are trying to get out visible spots from a neighbor spray painting a house or something similar. You may want to consult a professional (or call me for advice) on bigger jobs like this.
Thanks for listening!
