The Gilmour Foamaster II is an excellent tool for quickly applying suds all over your vehicle. It mists a ton of suds all over the vehicle, covering your vehicle top to bottom. Two of the major benefits of this product is that it’s safer than traditional washings and leaves the shampoo on the surface longer. After covering your vehicle the shampoo starts to soften and loosen contaminants before your mitt touches the surface. This means the shampoo is already spread over the whole vehicle so you don’t rely on your mitt to bring the water and shampoo to the surface. This reduces the amount of passes you’ll need to do with your mitt, which helps further minimize the possibility of adding swirls or fine scratches to the surface. I really like using the Foamaster II with the Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Gloss because this product is a highly effective shampoo. Using the Citrus Wash and Gloss in a concentrated ratio (2oz/1Gal) will strip off the protection and if you use it diluted (.5oz/1 Gal) it won’t strip off the protection. I enjoy this versatility because it helps me get the most out of my washings from one product. Now that I’m using it with the Foamaster II I wanted to share with everyone the appropriate ratios to use.

The amount of Citrus Wash and Gloss needed is should be added to the tank and the rest of the container would be filled with water.  Once mixed together, shake to generate some suds and start washing.

Over the years we’ve seen many mistakes in detailers washing and drying methods. Here are some of the common mistakes and solutions on how to better your process.

1. Using Dawn (or another dish detergent) as their automotive shampoo. Washing with Dawn will strip off any protection you may have on your paint, so using a detergent on a regular basis leaves you with no protection from you coat(s) of sealant and/or wax. Using a dish detergent on a regular basis can also dry out your trim, which can accelerate fading and cracking. Solution: Use a quality automotive shampoo that has gentle cleaners the help maximize the durability of your sealant or wax, such as Poorboy’s World Super Slick & Suds shampoo.
2. Using a bath towel to dry your paint. Big mistake! Most bath towels are cotton or terry cloth, which can easily add swirls and other imperfections in your paint. The washing and drying process is where a majority swirls and other imperfections stem from. Here’s a side by side comparison of a neglected side of a van and one that’s been properly polished.
   Using improper drying towels can easily cause these imperfections that take away from the finish of your vehicle and take hours to properly correct. Solution: Invest in quality paint safe drying towels. The best ones we’ve found are our Microfiber Waffle Weave Towels. Our towels are very absorbent, tagless, silk edging and a textured waffle pattern that helps pull contamination away from the surface.
3. Washing with a traditional sponge or a kitchen sponge. Traditional wash sponges push dirt and other contamination around on the surface, which can easily create swirls and other imperfections in your paint (as shown in the picture above). Solution: Use a paint safe wash alternative, such as a sheepskin wash mitt. The sheepskin fibers do an excellent job releasing contamination from the surface without pushing it around on your paint, minimizing adding imperfections.
4. Washing in direct sunlight. Washing in direct sunlight can cause water spotting on your paint, which ultimately take away from the finish of your vehicle. As water evaporates, it often leaves behind calcium and other minerals behind. Solution: Wash in the shade, as the sun is rising or just as the sun is setting. If washing in the shade is not an option, rinse as frequently as possible and work in small sections. Ideally, to minimize adding water spots to your finish, invest in a water de-ionizer such as the CRSpotless system.
5. Using a water blade to dry your paint. Nothing screams adding imperfections more than unnecessary friction on your paint. While it may seem like your saving time by drying your vehicle with a water blade, you’ll pay for it in the end as you’ll need to spend hours polishing away the marring, swirls and scratches created from using a water blade after each wash. Solution: Utilize the sheeting method prior to drying your paint and dry with a quality, paint safe waffle weave drying towel.
6. Not utilizing the sheeting method prior to drying your paint. One of the least favorite parts of the auto detailing process for many detailers is drying their paint. One thing you can do to save time and minimize adding imperfections to you paint is to utilize the sheeting method. After you have rinsed off your vehicle for the final time, remove your spray nozzle from your hose. Use free flowing water to flood the surface of the vehicle from the top down. The flooding creates a “sheeting” effect that will self dry the vehicle. Start from the top of the vehicle and move left to right with the hose. On the way back, right to left, lower the hose to the point where the water is falling and proceed to “catch” the falling water from your initial pass. Continue this method until you reach the bottom of the car. If you have a fresh coat of sealant or wax, this should leave you with 80% or more of the water removed from your vehicle without ever putting a towel to it.
7. Washing your wheels & tires with the same mitt as your paint. Your wheels and tires are often the most contaminated parts of your vehicle. To minimize adding imperfections to your paint, you want to avoid using the same mitt on your wheels and tires as you would your paint. Solution: We recommend using at least 2 quality wash mitts when you wash your vehicle.
8. Wearing clothing and jewelry that can damage your paint. This is one of the easiest ways to damage your paint. Think about it, as you lean over your vehicle to clean the roof of your vehicle, your belt, rivet, jewelry, watches and more can easily damage your paint. Before going into any detail, you should be aware of the types of clothes and jewelry you have on. We recommend wearing clothes with elastic waste bands and avoid wearing jewelry.
9. Using 1 wash bucket. Using 1 bucket to wash your vehicle can often lead to adding swirls, scratches and other imperfections to your paint. As you clean off an area and dunk your mitt into the bucket to rinse off and get more suds, you’re putting the dirt and grime you just removed from your paint right into your bucket of shampoo. When you put the mitt back onto the paint, chances are you’re mitt will still be contaminated and you’ll be adding swirls and other imperfections to your finish. Solution: Use a 2 bucket wash system. Fill 1 bucket with clean water and utilize this as your rinse bucket. The second bucket filled with suds. After cleaning a panel, before you dunk your mitts back into the suds, rinse it off in your rinse bucket to release contamination and help prevent from putting it back onto the paint. Ideally, add a Grit Guard bucket insert to the bottom of your rinse bucket to glide your mitt across and help trap dirt and contamination on the bottom.
10. Using pressure to remove contamination. This is possibly the biggest mistake I see detailers make. DO NOT USE pressure to remove dirt and contamination! This is one of the easiest ways to add swirl marks and fine scratches in your paint. You should use minimal pressure with your wash mitt and just glide the mitt across the paint. The automotive shampoo you are using should be doing the cleaning work. If contamination still remains on your paint after a gentle glide, consider treating it with a pre-wash degreaser or utilizing a clay bar to remove it after your wash.

So you’ve done all the research, gathered all the right products and you are ready to detail. You’ve completed a large part of the preparation but there is more you can do before the detail begins. We’ll go over some things you can do before you detail that ensures your detail will go smoothly.

The day before and the day of your detail you should check the weather to be sure it will be conducive to the detail. Extremely high and low temperatures or precipitation can affect your decision on whether or not to detail. Check the weather forecast and plan accordingly.

Detailing may require you to use some muscle groups you do not use on a regular basis. To help loosen these muscles and minimize soreness you should develop a good stretching routine. Your arms, back and legs will all get a good work out, so take the time to stretch them out before beginning.

Wear clothing that is appropriate for the weather and safe to have on around a vehicle. Your clothes are likely to touch the paint at some point, even if you are careful. Clothing articles like rivets on jeans, belt buckles, zippers, buttons and other objects can do plenty of damage to your vehicle. Make sure you take off any jewelry, keys, cell phones, etc. that may scratch the paint or other surfaces. The clear coat can be scratched much easier than you might think, so don’t underestimate the importance of wearing appropriate clothes.

You should also try and estimate how long the detail will take and allocate more time than you think will be needed. I typically try and make sure that I have 25% more time than I think I need, just to be sure I have enough time to complete the detail. For example if you think the detail will take 4 hours, allocate 5 hours just in case it’s needed. If you end up rushing you will likely sacrifice some quality and add more stress to your day. There are very few times I detail where I don’t see something I just “have to” take care of, while I didn’t plan for it. Sometimes I need to clay an especially contaminated area, polish out a scratch I had not seen previously, remove tar or other unexpected detailing needs. You may also have other unexpected interruptions like phone calls, neighbors stopping by, errands, etc. While these things are unexpected they are very normal and should be planned for by adding some extra time for the detail.

You should also plan plenty of breaks, where you can rest, eat and re-hydrate. We all get wrapped up in our work at times, but it’s important to pace yourself. If you burn yourself out in the first couple of hours you could be putting your health at risk and reduce the quality of your detail. You need to be disciplined and stick to a schedule where you take breaks and stay energized. We recommend taking a short break hourly and drinking fluids each time. You may also want to make sure you get out of the sun and elevate your feet as needed. While it seems obvious, you should plan on eating as well. You’re going to be expending plenty of energy and your body will need more nutrition to keep going. Make sure you have some food in your home so you don’t have to take an extended break that could interrupt your detailing plans.

I find that many people hate the drying process, and this is also the time when you are most likely to add imperfections to the paint. One of the best things you can do to not only cut down on your time, but minimize adding swirls, scratches, water spots, and other imperfections, is to utilize the sheeting method. This works best if you have a fresh coat of sealant or wax on your paint.

After washing your vehicle and rinsing down the paint so there are no suds left behind, remove your hose nozzle so you get free flowing water. Start at your top panels and let the free flowing water flow down your vehicle. Create a cascading effect by moving the hose so the water moves left to right, then a little lower moving right to left, then a little lower and from left to right. The water will flow together and eventually run off of your vehicle, leaving behind much less water that you can easily blot dry with a quality waffle weave drying towel. Since this minimizes wiping your paint, you minimize adding imperfections. It will also save you time, which is important when you are washing so water spots are not left behind.

Below is a very brief video taken from a cell phone. The first few seconds show wetting the hood of the car, then the last few seconds are using the free flowing water moving left to right quickly. You can see the water pool together and run right off of the hood with very little water left behind. We’ll be creating a new video of this technique in the spring, but this should help for now. The wax on this car was Pinnacle Souveran.

Microfiber towels have become a standard tool for high quality detailers. The ultra-soft fiber’s ability to safely lift and collect particles makes it ideal for so many parts of the detailing process. These towels can be a major investment for detailers who want to ensure they are using the proper products with good technique. A full detail can easily use 10 – 50+ microfiber towels. Since you will be using so many towels we have come up with some suggestions to help users maximize their microfiber towels performance and longevity.

One of the major benefits of microfiber towels is their ability to safely clean surfaces that can be easily scratched, such as the clear coat, coated wood, DVD and navigation screens, gauges, etc. A brand new quality microfiber towel will not add scratches to these surfaces, so it’s very important to keep your microfiber towels clean, for as long as you can. Never use these towels on an area that may trap large particles that could potentially be abrasive. Try not to drop your towel, put it down on a contaminated surface, or place it where it can fall or be blown on to the ground. Clean your towels immediately after each use and store them in a protected container, like large zip lock bags or a Rubbermaid bin. For more information about microfiber care visit “Microfiber Towels and Properly Caring for Microfiber“.

It is common to see the middle of a microfiber towel worn out while the edges look almost new. The problem with this is that the outside edges are still of high quality and safe while the middle may be contaminated and possibly dangerous to use on delicate surfaces like the clear coat. To maximize the functionality of the microfiber towel (16” x 16”) we recommend folding it in fourths while exerting pressure evenly across the towel. Folding the towel in fourths gives you eight different fresh surfaces to use and helps evenly distribute the wear and tear.

One of the primary functions of microfiber towels is hand removing excess polish, wax, etc. from the clear coat. After you have applied a wax over a small area fold your microfiber towel in fourths and remove approximately 80% of the excess product. Then flip the towel to expose a fresh side and remove the remaining 20%. This method gives you a fresh side of the microfiber towel to remove the remaining excess product, which better ensures you leave no residue behind. When you start to remove excess product from the next small section do not flip the towel, instead remove approximately 80% of the excess product. Then flip the towel and remove the remaining 20% and repeat the process.

Eventually all towels become too contaminated or worn out to be safely used on delicate surfaces. If you are unsure if a microfiber towel is still safe to use test it on the back of a CD. We recommend you categorize your microfiber towels into three different levels. The first level is for towels in pristine condition that will only be used on delicate surfaces. In time these towels will be downgraded to the second level, where they are used primarily for interior cleanings, glass care, leather care, metal polishing, etc. The second level is reserved for towels still in good to excellent condition but with slight wear. Eventually these towels will be downgraded to the third level where they will help clean the door jamb, engine bay and other contaminated areas. Heavily contaminated towels or towels with large abrasive particles may need to be discarded. We recommend storing and cleaning the different level towels separately, to help keep them in the proper level. Inspect each towel after each cleaning to ensure it’s in the proper level.

If you follow these tips you should be able to get more efficiency and functionality from each microfiber towel you have. This means more value from your purchases and better results at the same time.

No one likes to see their leather fade, crack or stretch, yet this is an extremely common problem. As most people are aware, good leather care involves a regular routine of cleaning and conditioning. Cleaning your leather helps remove contaminates that become embedded in the leather and clog the leather’s pores. Conditioning helps replace proteins and other natural properties that can fade over time due to normal usage, UV rays, etc. These basic steps are essential elements to good leather care but there are other ways to care for your leather that are just as important.

The driver’s side bolster, or the part of the driver’s seat closest to where the driver enters and exits the vehicle, often shows the most wear and tear. This area is prone to stretching and cracking due in large part to the method by which the driver enters and exits the vehicle. Often times while entering the vehicle you will sit down on the edge closest to the door and slide into the middle of the seat. While this method is natural to most people, there are two basic problems with this technique. Most seats are slightly concave with the lowest point being in the middle of seat. Therefore when you sit on the edge you force the leather to flatten, which stretches and flexes the leather, especially on the outer edge. If you repeatedly stretch and flex the leather you may prematurely start to add permanent creases, cracks and stretch marks to the leather. The second problem is when you slide and twist your body to move from the outer edge to the middle of the seat. Your body’s downward force will generate plenty of friction to start to slowly wear away the top layer of your leather. This can lead to your leather looking worn and faded and this damage is generally permanent. These same exact problems happen in reverse when you’re exiting the vehicle. Most people twist and slide their body towards the outer edge of the seat and then exit the vehicle. To help prevent these kinds of problems try and reduce how much you slide and twist in your seat. Instead lift straight up and down when entering and exiting the vehicle. This simple step can be a tremendous help towards preserving your leather.

One step that should be apart of everybody’s routine is protecting your leather. Ultra Violet rays from the sun can dry out and fade your leather. Heat helps opens the pores of your leather, which allows proteins and other nourishing elements to evaporate more readily. Without these properties leather becomes less flexible which can lead to fading, cracking and stretch marks. After you have cleaned and conditioned your leather you can protect your leather with a product like the 303 Aerospace Protectant. Lightly mist the protectant on a microfiber towel outside of your vehicle, to avoid overspray, and wipe down the seats. Make sure you regularly protect areas that have prolonged exposure to the sun. A good protectant will also make it easier to remove contaminates and oils during future cleanings.

Here are some other areas of concern that you should be aware of to help care for your leather. Be careful that your seatbelt does not regularly rub against the leather. Always use safety first, but adjust the belt accordingly if it’s potentially damaging the leather. Be careful of what you and others wear in your vehicle. Some articles of clothing and jewelry can be sharp or blunt like buttons, rivets, and zippers that can potentially scratch or otherwise harm your leather. Human oils, lotions, make-up and contaminates that are commonly found on the human skin can prematurely dry leather. Avoid touching your leather excessively and wipe down any areas that regularly come in contact with human skin.

Try and observe any other habits you may have that may be harmful to your leather, and see what you can do to minimize them. Follow the tips listed above and regularly clean and condition your leather and you’ll have leather that always looks great.