Anyone else have any weird things they do to clean their truck? Or maybe a product or tool that usually is not used on cars?

Maybe it's something that could come in handy for all of us.

Here's mine:

I use a leaf blower to dry my truck. I've used it since I started washing cars as a kid and continued when I started my detailing business on the side. I usually get weird looks while do it, but hey, it works really good and cuts the drying time a lot.

So who else has got something unusual to share?

 

eh, i use a VERY cheap cleaner, - $25 for a 5 gallin bucket called ob 205 but its a commercial cleaner, works AWSOME on my rubber floor, and the tires come out like new.

and mixing about 1tblspoon armor all to 1/2gal of water drop tblsppon on floor, add water with hose, scrub around a lil and vaccume up... ta da like new. and its not slippery

i also her wd40 works great for removing tree sap..... spray on wipe off, then add a coat of wax to the area.

 

I use coleman fluid to remove sap it takes it off really easy or Ill use kerosene.

On the inside to keep it smelling nice I throw some dryer sheets the little smelly sheets under the seat thats a good smell they are pretty strong to and last long time

 

Do you know what "amber" is? Not the color, the mineral.

It's actually fossilized pine sap from the great pine forests which once ruled the world. In fact, strangely preserved insects and other biological matter have been found imbedded in amber.

Now, I reasoned that if the preservative action of pine sap is that long lasting, it might be worth investigating for finish protection.

I realize the natural product is usually superior to refined versions, so I've been getting my truck coated with pine sap by driving wildly through Wharton State Forest -- a large part of the New Jersey "pine barrens".

I'm not going to trumpet this miraculous discovery -- I'm just going to say that anyone who's seen my truck can testify to just how well this works to protect and beautify your truck.

Your mileage may differ...

 

that is freaking weird but sounds like a GREAT idea!!!! i never thought of that!

 

I have a few weird ones I guess:

Once or twice a year I'll dump a container or two of 409 or Fantastic into a garden sprayer and soak down the underneath of the truck really well. You'd be suprised how much road crap and brown stuff will run off after you rinse it out even if you don't go off-roading. My frame is still black...lol!

The dryer sheet idea is a good one and so is using some Ozium. Turn on Max AC where the air is recirculating and spray some into the floor vents. It will suck up into the vent system and smell really fresh for a week or so. The same principle can be used with Lysol if you have a mildew smell in you vents.

We have a good carpet steamer machine that has the furniture attachments that work great on the seats and carpet. Don't forget the headliner too. Make sure to find some shampoo that smells good first! Also, any type of fabric refresher helps keeps things smelling good inside. I like the Febreeze Auto. Regular Febreeze just stinks to me inside the truck.

I wipe out my door jambs during every wash and even wax them when I wax the truck. Putting some Black Magic or Armor All type protectant on the weather seals helps keep them from drying out too.

A can of tire foam is great for keeping Line-X or Rhino lining looking good once or twice a year. Just don't let it get on the paint!

Waxing the wiper arms when you wax the truck helps keep the paint on them. Fords are notorious for dissappearing black paint on them after several years. Don't be afraid to wax the healight lenses and tailights either. Makes removing bug splatter easier.

I religiously use Rain-X on the glass and have found that some people don't like it because it is smeared and foggy after they wipe it off. Use some window cleaner while you wipe it off and it makes the window crystal clear while retaining the benefits of the Rain-X.

Use a brush to scrub out the wheelwells when you wash as it does make a big difference in how your vehicle looks. Spray some tire foam in there too to make the plastic parts shiny and clean.

That and thouroughly rinsing out behind the bumpers, underneath the cab and bed are a good way to keep corrosion at bay. That little lip on the rear fender is where alot of stuff collects and starts rust. Look at any 10 or so year old F-150 that has been neglected and you'll see rust through there (right above the rear tires).

Keep a can of black POR paint around and touch up any rusting spots on the frame or suspension areas. That stops any further corrosion and keeps things looking good. Whatever kind of paint they use on the frame areas is crappy and you can actually rub it off with your finger. I don't know why they don't use something more durable.

 

^^ mine is completely off, i have a orangey steel colored frame, now. I need to get some black paint on it.

 

i posted this on a another topic but for plastics i use peanut butter to make them look blacker. just rub in and wipe off

 

It might not be so wierd, but I use a tooth brush with car soap after waxing on my pinstripes to get the residual wax off of them. I also use a tooth brush to clean out my vents, and some other parts where dust likes to settle in hard areas to get to.

 

after i washmy truck i drive it one the freewayfor 5 minutes gets it nice n dry

when i wax it i wax the crome parts of the bumpers and my wheeles and head/tail lights and my wiper arms, then get a new buffer pad and put windex on my windows and go crazy with the buffer....one more i use steel wool on my antena just wrap it around and slide it itll make it look shinier.. just dont leave it on there you wont get ne reseption
also i armor all all the plastic parts you can see when out side and inside the car
lemon oil works god on keeing things shiny.. only the parts you dont have to touch cuase it stays oily

 

I've been doing that for a while and it works great. It works even better when there's still a good coat of wax on the car.

Q-tips are great for getting into the gaps between body panels, a/c vents, etc.

 

You know... as strange as that sounds. Its true. If you look at a car that has been exposed to tree sap for a long period of time. Removing the tree sap leaves small perfectly preserved circles of paint. The damage is caused by dirt and debris that builds up on the outside of the sap and scars the pain on the edges of the spot of sap, not by the sap itself. One of those weird but true facts.

 

So who wants to volunteer to be the first to coat their truck in pine sap? As much as I'd like to "preserve" my paint, I don't want to ruin the appearance. Is the sap up north not brown, cracking, and a PITA to get off when it's dried or something?

 

Ha ha! Thank you. I was waiting for SOME kind of response to that, lol.

I know there's a "grain" of truth there. That's one of the secrets of a really good "liar's story", lol...

 

this would prolly work if you could maybe bake it on u know, make it age faster. amber is hard like a rock, where as sap is just sticky. youd hafta find a way to age it so that u lose the stickyness yet keep its protective properties.

 

Nothing to crazy but some times I use pledge furnisher polish on the black plastic pieces like the bottom part of my bumper and fender flairs. I also use it on my dash and door panels leaves them lookin shiney but doesnt have that oily look to them like armorall does. Plus if you get the scented type like vanilla it leaves the inside smelling good. For the outside black pieces there is a product called back to black made by mothers that is pretty good. On the windows a use a product called Amaze which goes on like a wax which worls great for water spots. Vinegar also works for hard water spots.

 

man I'm a normal guy compared to what I've read.... NOW I kinda want a leaf blower, B/C I hate hand drying...

 

well i work at a body shop and when i first started i washed the vehicles. I've learned so much about how to clean and everything. I almost do everything ya'll been sayin except for the peanut butter lol. But i will say one..... I hate washing black cars!!!! and when u wax them they have swirls all around the car. Just take a hose and spray the black car again with water and dry it and the swirls disappear!

 

I LOVE the leaf blower idea!! It's great because I have rheumatoid arthritis in my hands and am usually pretty limited to a fast wash then maybe I can start trying to dry in 30mins or even an hour when my hands feel up to the work. Even then it will cost me 2-3 days of being able to work with them after a day detaling any of my vehicles. So to me this idea just ROCKS!!!

Amber would not be a great protectant because it is a very soft material in it's fossilized/petrified state. Still an interesting idea because it does seem to have inherient UV protection, at least the sap does plus it's air tight. Another problem with amber is, well, it's ummmm amber in color.

The weirest thing I do on my vehicles is I spray the door gaskets with silicone spray and wipe it down after a few minutes. It keeps the gaskets soft and new feeling and makes the seal much better.

Otherwise I bow to you rebel gawds out there with your leaf blowers!!

 

I use an air pistol and my compresor to clean my interior instead of a vac. It really gets all the stuff out of the vents and out from under the seats. A wierd thing that you can use for windows instead of paper towels is newspaper. I wont leave and fibers and a lot cheaper.

 

I'll 2nd the newspaper on the windows thing. Been doing that since I was a kid. It never leaves any streaks.

 

Hope the squirrels don't eat your trim..LOL

 

I forgot the quote from "Transporter"..."Respect a mans car and he will respect you". My wife really hates that...lol! She has a tendency to push the rules in my truck like no eating, but drinking (water, soda, coffee...no beer) is OK as long as you're careful, and pick up all the crap and throw it away when we get home. I do have several really strict rules though...

NO SMOKING IN MY TRUCK!
NO BRUSHING YOUR HAIR IN MY TRUCK!

and the most important...

Dont dare propping your feet up on the dash!!!!!

LOL..Anyway...I guess if we ever have a kid I'll either go crazy or have to ease up on the rules. Having a baby can really funk up the interior of a car.

 

Haha yeah! Its too bad bird**** doesnt work that way...

This also keeps them from fading or "yellowing" from exposure to the sun.

I regularly use Eagle One brand Wax As U Dry. Its a spray on wax that is applied while the vehicle is still wet just after the wash. Put a just a few sprays on each section of the car, then shammy it dry. If you do it right, it will leave a streak free shine and helps keep it looking great between waxing. But dont worry if it comes out streaky, just wipe them off with a clean soft microfiber towel. You can spray it on everything, and it wont leave white residue on window moulding, or body side moulding. Very good stuff. Meguiars makes a similar wax called "Fast Wax" but I dont think it works quite as well as the Eagle One stuff.

 

Aquapel is a professional quality glass treatment that makes a chemical bond with the windshield. I find it works much better than Rain X and lasts over a year in my experience... As for why factories don't paint frames, it's all about cost. The wax type coating they use is MUCH more inexpensive than a slightly elastic paint for the frame. A really hard coating would be more prone to chipping than a slightly elastic coating...