Paint appearance and care advice for a n00b

[Colasec]

Okay, here's what's in my Amazon cart. I ended up substituting some of the Griot's products with Meguiar's since the latter were cheaper and had better reviews. The total was $248 with tax and shipping. All I need to get now are two of those orange Home Depot buckets, and my car!

Regular Wash
Gilmour Foamaster II Cleaning Sprayer
Chemical Guys Mr. Pink (16 oz)
Griot's Garage Car Wash (16 oz)
Meguiar's Microfiber Wash Mitt (4)
Meguiar's Hot Rims Alumimum Wheel Wash (24 oz)
Mother's Wheel Brush
Mother's Contoured Tire Brush
Grit Guard Wash Bucket Insert (2)
Orbit Brass Hose Quick Connect Set
Orbit Brass Hose Shut-Off Coupling Valve

Waterless Wash
Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine (32 oz)
Mother's Ultra Soft Microfiber Quick Detail Towel (4)

Detailer
Optimum Instant Detailer and Gloss Enhancer (17 oz)

Glass and Interior
Stoner Invisible Glass Cleaner (22 oz)
Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer Cleaner (16 oz)
Meguiar's Supreme Shine Microfiber Cloths (set of 3)

Other Car Items
Slime Pencil Tire Gauge 10-50psi
LooPo Seat Belt Tension Adjuster - Two Pack (Black)

----

Omissions:
- A quick detailer for wiping down door jambs. I'll just use the Optimum Instant Detailer for that, even though it's overkill. Cheaper (and easier to store) than buying a second product.
- Poorboy's Bird Sh#t Remover. I'm going to try the non-salted carbonated water/soaking method first and see how it goes.

 

[kevincwelch]

Looks like a great start!

Buying two gallons of shampoo may be overkill to start with. Why not start with one and see it'd you like it?

The optimum no rinse will serve 4 purposes. You can make a rinseless wash, a waterless wash, a clay lubricant, and a quick detailer walk from the same concentrated mixture...keep that in mind if you're thinking about buying the specific quick detailer from Optimum.

For the interior, I have DP's interior cleaner as well as Meguiars APC, which you can dilute for multiple jobs.

Another thing: you never can have too many microfibers. That's for sure.

 

[Colasec]

I washed my Model S for the first time on Sunday. I reviewed the full set of Junkman videos beforehand and am happy with the result. Except that cleaning the interior and then washing the car took four hours. :redface: And because I didn't want to start until I could park in the shade in the driveway, I didn't finish until 8:30pm when it was fairly dark.

So yeah, doable but I definitely need some practice.

The leafblower drying approach didn't work at all. I was basically just blowing the water droplets back and forth. Either I missed something fundamental about how to do it or it just doesn't work. I had to dry (very gently!) with clean high-quality microfiber towels, but was super worried about scratching it. That was the toughest part - I was very anxious and couldn't really see because it was dark.

I also didn't know how much Mr. Pink to put in the Foamaster, nor what Foamaster setting to use. My first attempt was not very foamy. I'll try more Mr. Pink and maybe the "C" mixing setting.

Before pics:

Rubber residue on the rear fender (yes, I've been having fun):

All set and ready to go:

After pics:

The next morning:

 

[JohnQ]

LOL. I assumed you had the brown based on the first shots. That was one dusty car!

 

[Larry Hutchinson]

The leafblower drying approach didn't work at all. I was basically just blowing the water droplets back and forth. Either I missed something fundamental about how to do it or it just doesn't work. I had to dry (very gently!) with clean high-quality microfiber towels, but was super worried about scratching it. That was the toughest part - I was very anxious and couldn't really see because it was dark.

I think blowing the water droplets around is what you want. But the idea is to start at the top and blow them off - not dry them in place. That would leave spots just like letting the car dry by itself.

 

[Nick@Autowerx]

Contained within this single thread you've pretty much got all the basics covered for how to expertly maintain the appearance on your new Tesla. What a great forum!

Some quick additions from a detailer's perspective...

Be VERY careful when you are dealing with bird bombs on your vehicle's paint. Bird droppings contain a variety of harmful substances that can affect the paint in various ways. Acids and organic material from bird droppings can quickly etch into paint (literally within minutes), compromising the finish, and leaving a spot that cannot simply be cleaned off. Also, when trying to remove bird bombs it is very easy to damage the paint and cause irreparable damage. The best method (that I have found) to remove stubborn bird dropping residue is as follows (this procedure will ensure no scratches are induced during the process):

• Source the softest, plushest microfiber towel in your car care arsenal.
• Saturate the microfiber cloth with water so it is dripping wet.
• Treat the bird dropping with a quick detailer or some sort of car wash solution that is wax/sealant friendly (this matters less if your vehicle is coated).
• Carefully place the wet microfiber towel on top of the bird residue to begin dissolving it away.
• Allow the towel to dwell for 3-4 mins, re-wetting by pouring water onto the towel if necessary.
• After a few minutes grab the towel and in one motion scrunch up the towel, balling up the bird residue into the grasp of your palm (within the towel).
• Avoid "scrubbing" or attempting to wipe the bird residue away. This WILL scratch your paint.

The only other pointer I had was for the interior. Be careful around the center console when vacuuming. Almost every Model S I have seen has scratches from someone using a shop-vac with the standard plastic tip along the edge of the carpet in the console area. By simply using a brush attachment when working on the center console (and a little extra care) you will be able to effectively clean the carpets and avoid damaging the more delicate interior plastics.

 

[Colasec]

I think blowing the water droplets around is what you want. But the idea is to start at the top and blow them off - not dry them in place. That would leave spots just like letting the car dry by itself.

Okay, maybe next time I'll give it another shot. With it getting dark and 3.5 hours in, I just wasn't up to trying to hold my 8lb leafblower out over the top of the car and patiently blow off all the droplets. I'm only 5' 10" and had a poor angle because of the driveway, so I'd have to work a little to hold it steady and be absolutely sure I won't waver and let it bump the paint.

- - - Updated - - -

Contained within this single thread you've pretty much got all the basics covered for how to expertly maintain the appearance on your new Tesla. What a great forum!

Some quick additions from a detailer's perspective...

Be VERY careful when you are dealing with bird bombs on your vehicle's paint. Bird droppings contain a variety of harmful substances that can affect the paint in various ways. Acids and organic material from bird droppings can quickly etch into paint (literally within minutes), compromising the finish, and leaving a spot that cannot simply be cleaned off. Also, when trying to remove bird bombs it is very easy to damage the paint and cause irreparable damage. The best method (that I have found) to remove stubborn bird dropping residue is as follows (this procedure will ensure no scratches are induced during the process):

• Source the softest, plushest microfiber towel in your car care arsenal.
• Saturate the microfiber cloth with water so it is dripping wet.
• Treat the bird dropping with a quick detailer or some sort of car wash solution that is wax/sealant friendly (this matters less if your vehicle is coated).
• Carefully place the wet microfiber towel on top of the bird residue to begin dissolving it away.
• Allow the towel to dwell for 3-4 mins, re-wetting by pouring water onto the towel if necessary.
• After a few minutes grab the towel and in one motion scrunch up the towel, balling up the bird residue into the grasp of your palm (within the towel).
• Avoid "scrubbing" or attempting to wipe the bird residue away. This WILL scratch your paint.

The only other pointer I had was for the interior. Be careful around the center console when vacuuming. Almost every Model S I have seen has scratches from someone using a shop-vac with the standard plastic tip along the edge of the carpet in the console area. By simply using a brush attachment when working on the center console (and a little extra care) you will be able to effectively clean the carpets and avoid damaging the more delicate interior plastics.

Thanks for the tips, Nick! I'm carrying a quick detailer and a MF towel in my car in case of bird bombs and will add a bottle of distilled water too.

 

[bareyb]

I lik to top off my Sealant with a couple of coats of Wax. Is there a quick detailer that won't remove the Wax?

 

[kevincwelch]

I lik to top off my Sealant with a couple of coats of Wax. Is there a quick detailer that won't remove the Wax?

You really don't need to worry about that. Any QD will be fine if used with quality mf towels.

 

[bareyb]

You really don't need to worry about that. Any QD will be fine if used with quality mf towels.

I typically use Zaino or Chemical Guys and both seem to add their own "brand" of shine to the car which is somewhat different than the brand of shine you get from Wax. Wax is more wet and Sealants are more "mirror-y" if that makes sense. It seems the QD's have their own look….

I was actually thinking of trying an "Optimum No Rinse" with water solution in a spray bottle just to clean off the surface, but that would likely remove the wax too…