Best cleaning products...?

[LostSouthernStar]

Hello everyone,


1.) I was wondering which products would be best to clean the interior such as the dashboard, console, controls, doors, seats, carpet, etc. of my 2001 Toyota Camry without stripping the natural oils and material away from the objects?


2.) Also, which products are best for the exterior?



3.) Finally, any special tools I could use other then the obvious vacuum and rags???



I'm looking for the whole 9 yards of cleaning here, I hate ArmorAll. I hear Meguiar's is a great brand and is gentle on the car yet efficient.





Thanks!



-LSS

[CTB727]

Originally Posted by LostSouthernStar

Hello everyone,


1.) I was wondering which products would be best to clean the interior such as the dashboard, console, controls, doors, seats, carpet, etc. of my 2001 Toyota Camry without stripping the natural oils and material away from the objects?

Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner Plus
Griot's Garage Interior Cleaner
Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel
1Z Einszett Cockpit Premium Interior Plastic Cleaner
Optimum Power Clean All Purpose Cleaner

Any of these is an excellent choice and have high reviews

Also I recommend Ultima Interior Guard or 303 Aerospace protectant as a dressing. Both great.

2.) Also, which products are best for the exterior?

Car wash: Meguiar's Gold Class, Griot's Garage Car Wash, Wolfgang Auto Bathe
Wheels: P21S Wheel Cleaner, Wolfgang Wheel and Tire cleaner
Drying: Waffle weave towel, or microfiber towel.
Mitts: Any sort of good quality wash mitt
Tire dressing/plastic or rubber trim protectant: Ultima Tire and Trim Guard Plus
Glass: Stoner's Invisible Glass (for cleaning)
Aquapel (for sealant)
Wax or paint sealant: Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0, Detailer's Pro Series Poli-Coat, Pinnacle Liquid Souveran Car Wax, Mother's California Gold Pure Carnauba Car Wax
3.) Finally, any special tools I could use other then the obvious vacuum and rags???

Any decent steam cleaner, dual action or random orbital buffer (Porter Cable 7424XP, Griot's Garage are pretty good)

I'm looking for the whole 9 yards of cleaning here, I hate ArmorAll. I hear Meguiar's is a great brand and is gentle on the car yet efficient.





Thanks!



-LSS

[LostSouthernStar]

Could I not just stick with one quality brand across the board with these products?


Also, I heard protectants such as ArmorAll actually strip natural oils from the interior, thus leading to cracking, fading and peeling in the future...will Meguiar's and others cause this as well???



I'm not sure where the cheapest place to buy these products are, so I guess I will check Pep Boys, Wal-Mart, Advanced Auto, O'Reiley Auto, etc...




Thanks!

[CTB727]

Originally Posted by LostSouthernStar

Could I not just stick with one quality brand across the board with these products?


Also, I heard protectants such as ArmorAll actually strip natural oils from the interior, thus leading to cracking, fading and peeling in the future...will Meguiar's and others cause this as well???



I'm not sure where the cheapest place to buy these products are, so I guess I will check Pep Boys, Wal-Mart, Advanced Auto, O'Reiley Auto, etc...




Thanks!

You can stick with one brand if you'd like, I was just giving you options. They key is to find something you like, and use it often.

Crappy protectants do. Armor All is a crappy protectant. Something like Ultima or 303 is a quality protectant and will not strip anything.

Most of the products I listed can only be bought online. If you want the best for your car, then the best stuff costs more money. You pretty much get what you pay for with car care products. Also most of the stuff should last you quite some time if you're only doing your own car.

[LostSouthernStar]

Ok thanks. Dang, I do not really like buying things much online...but I guess I have to.


If you could name the best complete like of products out there, which one would it be?

Originally Posted by CTB727

You can stick with one brand if you'd like, I was just giving you options. They key is to find something you like, and use it often.

Crappy protectants do. Armor All is a crappy protectant. Something like Ultima or 303 is a quality protectant and will not strip anything.

Most of the products I listed can only be bought online. If you want the best for your car, then the best stuff costs more money. You pretty much get what you pay for with car care products. Also most of the stuff should last you quite some time if you're only doing your own car.

[CTB727]

Originally Posted by LostSouthernStar

Ok thanks. Dang, I do not really like buying things much online...but I guess I have to.


If you could name the best complete like of products out there, which one would it be?

If you don't wanna buy online, then these are the following good quality products you can buy in a store:

Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash
Stoner's Invisible Glass
Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wax
Meguiar's NXT 2.0 car wax
Any sort of microfiber, wash mitt, etc. can also be found at auto stores obviously. Quality varies though.

303 Aerospace protectant can usually be found at shops that sell truck toppers and tonneau covers.

When waxing, apply with a foam applicator pad and buff off with a clean microfiber towel. Never use old shirts, towels, etc.

[johnsavage]

How's Nufinish?

[Dana_15]

^^^

[CTB727]

Originally Posted by dana_15

^^^

+1

[bravozulu]

Detailing is more involved than you might guess. I was lurking on the AutoGeeks forum for a few months before I understood more and could make choices.

I really don't know about Interiors, though folks seem to like the Maguire's products a lot. My white '94 Camry was just repainted, so I focussed on the Exterior.

Griot's Garage sells great products. I got their Shampoo (for exteriors) and Microfiber Towels and Wash Mitts. Along with their $29 foam canon. It converts shampoo into a goopy, sticky slop that is hurled onto the paint. You wait for the foaming action to work on the grime, then mop it off with a mitt and rinse.

I'm really sold on this method, rather than just a bucket with suds. For the sake of the Foam
Canon I switched to a Detailer's Pro (that's a brand) soap called Extreme Foam. It does a hell of a job.
But Griots shampoo is good. And, if you have hard water in your area, leaving white spots, Maguier's has a line of products called Next Generation. That type of shampoo is great for hard water.

And the new hot ticket instead of Wax is called Acrylic Sealant. Easily wiped on, shines great and lasts for 6 months. Stops UV damage better than wax.