General Cleaning and Care

Aznbagel

Member
:
2017 CX-5 Touring AWD
Hey guys,

Been lurking here for a while to investigate the 2017 CX-5, and joined recently after pulling the trigger on one.

I want to leverage your experience with cleaning products to maintain mine to the best of my ability. The interior dash is made of some bizarre material that feels sticky and dry at the same time and I have no idea what I should use to clean that.

Also if you're willing maybe some recommendations for external care, wheels, and the plastic surfaces.

I searched but didn't find much on here, and I'd rather get your advice than some advertisement-driven blog post.
 
I'm still looking for a good product to clean the interior as well. Currently I'm using armor all wipes to clean and 303 aerospace protectant for a matte finish.
 
Ok, here we go.... A little about myself first, I'm a part time detailer in the fact that I'm a full time stay at home dad and squeeze in a couple of full details every year, about 5-10 usually. With that being said you know I'm not speaking out of my rear end. Lets cover a few things here, products, procedure, and what not.

First off is products, There are 1000's of products on the market to care for your car. They are split into 3 different categories, Over the counter (OTC), Online only (boutique), and Professional only. I'm not going to talk much about the professional only as there are relatively a small number of those products and really only apply to the exterior of the car. OTC products are ones that you can find locally at most auto part stores and the likes of Walmart and what not. Some are good and some are really bad. The really bad ones are things like original ArmorAll, it's sticky, so it attracts dirt and it is shiny so it leads to Increased UV damage. Turtle wax products are also notoriously bad, there are a few good products from them but they are diamonds in the rough. Stick to quality brands from the likes of 303, Meguair's and Mothers in this category, They consistently have good products with very few "bombs". Griot's Garage is another one that is popping up OTC more often and they are also very good.

The Next category is Online boutique brands such as Chemical Guys, McKee's 37, CarPro, Gtechniq, Optimum etc. Good Sources to buy most of these is Autopia-carcare.com, Autogeek.com and Detailedimage.com. Those sites will also have many offerings from some of the better OTC brands as well and the higher end product lines form the likes of meguiar's and what not. These are my go to brands and products as they generally perform much better then the OTC products. Yes, they are more expensive up front but they often last longer or provide better results so in the long run the cost is about the same for me.

The professional only products are few and are mainly paint coatings that require special certification to be installed properly. These coatings will last 7-10 years and if installed incorrectly can only be remove with wetsanding.

So lets talk about interior cleaning and dressing. There are several great products out there OTC for this. 303 protectant, either the white or blue bottle is a staple in the industry. It leaves a nice finish that isn't too shiny and doesn't attract dirt and offers excellent UV protection. The problem is there is no cleaners in it at all. Meguiar's Natural shine protectant and Optimum Leather protectant plus are very similar but offer mild cleaning agents as well. I still like to clean with something else and protect with 303 myself. Mothers VLR is also very popular and has a bit heavier cleaning agents then the others, I have not used this. For cleaning anything on the inside I use an All Purpose Cleaner (APC), no these aren't like fantastic or other household cleaners. Automotive APC's are designed for cars and can be diluted to suit your needs. I use Meguiar's APC diluted 10:1 for most interior cleaning. It does a great job at lifting oils and dirt of the surfaces your touch most, steering wheel, shift lever, armrests, etc. It will remove dye transfer from light colored leather, clean the headliner, display screen, you name it. It can also be used at stronger concentrates for engine and tire and wheel cleaning.

My interior cleaning is this: Vacuum all carpets and seats, shampoo if needed, clean with Megs APC 10:1 using either a Microfiber cloth or hoarse hair brush, then spray 303 protectant onto a clean Microfiber and apply to all surfaces. For lighter cleanings I'll use optimum leather protectant plus just rubbing a bit harder to do the cleaning. For quick once overs I'll use meguiar's quick interior detailer.

Exterior is a whole other animal. I recommend using the 2 bucket wash method. 1 bucket for clean rinse water to wash out the wash mitt and the second bucket filler with your car shampoo and water. I also recommend using grit guards in the bottom of both buckets as they help trap the removed dirt from the vehicle and trap them in the bottom of the bucket so they don't get back into the wash mitt and cause swirls and scratches. Wash the car from the top down, rinsing the panel and wash mitt after each section. I do, roof and side window, hood fenders bumpers, drivers side top of doors them flip mitt and do the bottom half, passenger side top, flip and the bottom and then rear of the car last, rinsing the mitt in the rinse bucket between each section. Dry with clean microfiber drying towel, waffle weave or plush your choice.

Next, about once a year or so, clay the car with a clay bar. Meguiar's and Mothers both make great kits for this. The clay bar will lift bonded containments from the paint and make the surface nice and smooth. Be sure to use plenty of lubricant or just use soapy water from the wash bucket. Claying the car will remove any wax or sealant that has been applied so you have to follow up with something. There are a few choices for you.

Waxing the car: There are three option you have for protecting the paint, Wax, Sealant, and coatings. Wax has become a loose term in the automotive car care industry now. There are waxes that are actually sealants, sealants that are waxes and no real consistency to what they are call. Generally speaking a true wax is a natural product most commonly carnauba wax. They offer decent protection, often provide the best looks but don't last very long. Sealants are synthetic polymers that cross link across the paint to provide protection. Because of this cross linking they last longer, are easier to apply and remove and end up using less product, thin is in when applying a sealant. Sealants generally give a slightly harsher appearance to the vehicle then carnauba wax but it's hard to tell sometimes and the sealants have gotten so good I almost never use carnauba wax unless the customer specifically asks for it. Like I said earlier some sealants are called waxes and this is strictly marketing purposes. Meguiar's Ultimate liquid wax is actually a full synthetic polymer sealant that provides great protection and is extremely easy to use. It's even safe to apply to black trim with out staining it white, something carnauba waxes do quite easily. Because of this, it's one of my favorites. I also really like Collonite 845. For a winter wax, because I'm in Wisconsin I like Collonite 476 which is a bit more durable but slightly harder to work with then the Ultimate or the 845.

The third option is a coating. Coatings basically add a very thin layer of clear coat to your car in the form of SiO2 which is very hard, Hardness of 9H, a diamond is 10H on the scale. There are two types of coatings, Professional which I mentioned before and Prosumer which are more user friendly but have sorter life spans, usually 2-5 years instead of 7-10 for the pro coatings. These prosumer coatings are available the general public and if a mistake is made applying them they can be removed with a buffer. Speaking of buffers, before applying any coating the car must be polished as a coating has zero hiding ability, meaning any scratches or swirls will just be locked into the surface.

If you want more info on polishing and coating let me know, I'll go into more detail with those if you like.

In review, for interiors I like to use a APC diluted to the proper strength followed by a UV protectant such as 303. The exterior I 2 bucket wash, Clay and seal with either Ultimate liquid wax or Collonite 845. Currently I have a coating on my car so I don't wax or seal that much any more.
 
Ride92 is pretty bang on target. I have used his advice on Cleaning glass - wife drives a lot on interstate and the bugs want to die right.

Only thing to those looking - a small or maybe big decisive factor for me atleast was:
1. I dont own a house and dont have a garage or a friends place to wash cars.
2. Meguiars kit was bought - but rarely used :/

Now after learning a 60 dollar lesson my next step is to try and bring in ONR - it just needs a bucket of water and can be done without need for a hose etc. Also you can wax and clean together.
For me time is more important - money wise most products will run u under $100 for 6-7 cleaning cycles.

Never use Armor anything. Run away - I have interior cleaner from Meguiars - will try it sometime.
 
This is exactly the sort of information I was looking for. Thanks!

So this 10:1 Dilution is safe on that weird dash material and the leather surfaces too?

And any recommendations for wheel/tire care?
 
This is exactly the sort of information I was looking for. Thanks!

So this 10:1 Dilution is safe on that weird dash material and the leather surfaces too?

And any recommendations for wheel/tire care?

Has been so far for me. I haven't had any issues with it but I only "clean" about once maybe twice a year with that at that dilution. I'll sometimes spot clean something but most of the time I use the Quick detailer for regular wipe downs and the Leather Protectant+ or Natural shine protectant in between my full interior detailing. You can always dilute it out more, It's not uncommon for people to go to 20:1 with it but I don't find that really cleans much at all, I guess that would be closer to the Quick detailer. I always use 10:1

For wheels and tires there are a few products out there that work amazingly well and are quite inexpensive. For tires I use Zep Fast505 which can be found at homedepot and most home improvement stores. Use it straight and it does and amazing job at getting all the built up gunk of the tires. You'll be amazed at the brown crud that comes off the tires. The other great tire product is LA Totally Awesome, which can be found at most dollar stores of all places. I haven't used it personally but it gets great reviews on the detailing forums.

Wheels are a bit different. I like wheel cleaners that have Iron eating properties. Most of the time I just use DUB wheel cleaner because it does a pretty good job and I get it cheap on Amazon. Carpro Iron-X is also great on wheel. These wheel cleaners will change color as they dissolve the built up and stuck on iron particles from your brakes. Most of the time that's why you'll see silver rims with brown stains on them, it's from rust that gets stuck to the rim. I have a collection of brushes and mitts for washing wheels. Use a separate bucket for washing wheels!!!! You don't what all that wheel crud getting on the paint of the car. Wheel woolies and speedmaster brushes are my go to. For the CX-5 GT wheels, the older style, the wheel woolie large brush gets every where I need to. You can use what ever you want to wash the wheels though, just find something long enough to get to the back of the barrels on the wheels.

Another poster talked about ONR, that stands for Optimum No Rinse. It is a washing solution for vehicles that does not require the car to be hosed down before or after. I use it all the time in the winter in the garage when I don't have a hose hooked up. It's also quite popular in area's with water concerns like California. Wash your car with out a hose? What is this snake oil you speak of? Truly that can't be safe for the finish? Well I was skeptical at first as well but I am now a believer. The solution works by encapsulating dirt particles they come in contact with allowing them to be lifted and glided harmlessly off the car. I only use one bucket for my ONR wash, 4 gals of water with 2-3oz of ONR solution and about 5-6 microfiber towels. Soak the towels in the bucket remove one at a time for each section as described above, roof, hood/fenders, left side, right side, rear. Fold your towel into 4ths and glide the towel across the paint, don't squeeze the towel out before hand. Try to move the towel to a clean part for every swipe, swiping in straight lines.
 
Ride92 is pretty bang on target. ONR - it just needs a bucket of water and can be done without need for a hose etc. Also you can wax and clean together.
For me time is more important - money wise most products will run u under $100 for 6-7 cleaning cycles.

I have interior cleaner from Meguiars - will try it sometime.

carefull with that Kaps, ONR is not a substitute for an actual wash or sealant. Even the ONR wash and wax doesn't have very much wax in it. It's very similar to a spray wax in that it will help extend the life of what ever wax or sealant you put on but it is not going to offer very much protection or longevity on it's own.

Also if you spending anywhere close to $100 every 6-7 wash cycles you are doing something wrong. Most products today go a whole lot further then people realize. Case in point I just learned my father in law as gone thru almost the entire bottle of Ultimate Liquid wax I got him last spring. He's wax maybe 6 times. I have the exact same bottle bought at the same time and have used it on 20 or so car and have maybe 3/4 a bottle left. That stuff goes on very thin, that's all that's needed. It's better to do 2 thin coats then one heavy coat. You can always do the window test, if the applicator is pressed against the glass and it leaves product behind, there is still enough product to continue applying. Many of these new "waxes" being sold are actually synthetic polymer sealants and are harder to see when applied then the waxes of yesteryear. You only need about 2-3 pea sized drops to do one door panel if even that.
 
Thanks for taking the time to type all this out.

How about some pitfalls? Is there anything I should avoid that could do some serious damage? I'd hate to destroy some sort of coating while trying to protect it.
 
Great information going on this post. I fall into the OCD space when it comes to keeping a car's exterior clean and waxed. I've been a 2 bucket washer using Optimum suds and clean water rinse but in the last month I've changed to Optimum No Rinse and OptiSeal as a drying and sealing agent with the Big Red Sponge and Chemical Guys Grey Matter drying towels with plush microfiber buffing towels. I do use a grit guard with ONR in only one bucket - and I must say I'm overly impressed with the ease and results. If I use a 2 bucket method now, it's one bucket of ONR on each side of the car so I'm not lugging buckets back and forth. There are a lot of good videos on YouTube about how to use ONR and OptiSeal - I suggest any videos by The Rag Company for the best explanation of how the Optimum products work.

Cost - it may seem expensive initially but Optimum preaches a 'less is more' philosophy and I have found that to be true. ONR dilutes at a 256 to 1 ratio so my gallon of product should last more than a year with weekly washings of my cars. I can also wash in the garage with drops of runoff of the car. ONR works to lift the dirt from the finish and the Big Red Sponge lifts that from the surface.

My professional detailer guided me in this direction and I couldn't be happier. I can wash 2 cars now in the time it used to take me to wash one - and the results with OptiSeal as a drying agent give a slick glassy finish over my detailers work.

I'd almost rather go to the dentist than work on my interiors but I try to stay on top of them also with Optimum's Leather Protectant which can also be used on plastics. I agree with the assessment of never using armour anything products.

I hope to get both the CX-9 and the CX-5 cleaned tomorrow morning if the weather holds. I'll share pics later.
 
Thanks for taking the time to type all this out.

How about some pitfalls? Is there anything I should avoid that could do some serious damage? I'd hate to destroy some sort of coating while trying to protect it.

Some general rules of thumb to follow are this: Always start with the least aggressive approach. Meaning don't go right to the heavy duty cleaners if a light cleaner will do the trick and for the exterior don't start polishing with a heavy cut compound and heavy cutting pad if a finishing polish and polish pad will get the result you need.

The second rule of thumb is to work smarter, not harder. For the interior try not to be too aggressive in scubbing the leather seats, you run the risk of wearing off the top coating. Same applies to the steering wheel and what not.

If you start looking at detailing forums and reading up more on it, it's not uncommon to get the feeling that vehicles and their paint are this super delicate item that needs the gentlest touch with only the best products. This is not the case, they are quite durable as long as you do it right and do it smart.
 
I just use plain water for exterior and armorall for interior. Then detail ext/int once every 2 years.
 
Thanks again for all this. Picked up some ONR on Amazon, and some microfibers from Costco. Worked great! Having a hard time finding that Meguiars APC though.

I think I am going to have to Clay bar my (and my girlfriends car) more regularly than a year. No garage so they sit under Oregon trees all day. The sap is incredible. I'll have to look into that process in more detail in the near future I'm sure.
 
I've been happy with pretty much all of the meguiars ultimate line. Except the interior protectant. I use the wash and wax for the normal washes. Dry with a absorber while spritzing ultimate quick wax to help prevent swirl marks and maintain my wax job.


The ultimate waterless wash and wax works surprisingly well on wheels. It got the wheels on my bike really clean when they were exceptionally dirty. Leaves a coat behind to help keep dirt not bound to the surface and easier to remove.
 
If you want more info on polishing and coating let me know, I'll go into more detail with those if you like.

I'm trying to be proactive about protection but lack an orbital buffer. Am I screwed until I get one to polish/wax? Are there some sad, inefficient, by-hand solutions?

Also. What are your opinions on cleaner waxes?
 
I'm trying to be proactive about protection but lack an orbital buffer. Am I screwed until I get one to polish/wax? Are there some sad, inefficient, by-hand solutions?

Also. What are your opinions on cleaner waxes?

I think the new thing now is to use DA polishers.

I've tried compounding/polishing by hand on my CX-5 with Meg's Ultimate. It wasn't worth it. Couldn't really get out what I was trying to get out by hand. And my garage gets too damn hot and too small to work effectively that I don't want to bother with a DA polisher either. Sadly, I'm just going to have to pay someone to do the work I think.

Agreed with earlier poster. Throw out that Armor All! That has got to be the worst stuff in existence for car care.

Also, I didn't know 303 didn't have any cleaner. I guess I will need to remedy that before my next interior cleaning. I use the blue bottle of 303.
 
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I think the new thing now is to use DA polishers.

I've tried compounding/polishing by hand on my CX-5 with Meg's Ultimate. It wasn't worth it. Couldn't really get out what I was trying to get out by hand. And my garage gets too damn hot and too small to work effectively that I don't want to bother with a DA polisher either. Sadly, I'm just going to have to pay someone to do the work I think.

Agreed with earlier poster. Throw out that Armor All! That has got to be the worst stuff in existence for car care.

Also, I didn't know 303 didn't have any cleaner. I guess I will need to remedy that before my next interior cleaning. I use the blue bottle of 303.


For the amateur detailer DA is where it's at. I think some pros may even use them as well.

I use http://www.meguiars.com/en/dapowersystem/ on a cordless drill. Pretty cost effective way to get a machine polish on the clear, and definitely makes waxing a easier and faster job.

The Griots garage polisher would be a step up, but also more costly.

Like you said, though. What is your time worth? I had a local detailer quote me around $175 for only a outside detail with a polish and I think he was going to seal the paint as opposed to waxing it.
 
For the amateur detailer DA is where it's at. I think some pros may even use them as well.

I use http://www.meguiars.com/en/dapowersystem/ on a cordless drill. Pretty cost effective way to get a machine polish on the clear, and definitely makes waxing a easier and faster job.

The Griots garage polisher would be a step up, but also more costly.

Like you said, though. What is your time worth? I had a local detailer quote me around $175 for only a outside detail with a polish and I think he was going to seal the paint as opposed to waxing it.

That would be wroth it for the compound/polish for me if they can get out the swirl marks and light scratches. I'd want to wax my own car though.
 
I highly recommend a DA polisher for anything more then just waxing the car. Wax can still be applied by hand since most of them don't do anything to remove defects. If defect removal is what your looking for a DA is must or you will have really sore arms trying to do it by hand and it will take for ever. I own the Meguiars DA power system tool for the drill but only use that for spot corrections when I don't feel like getting out any of the bigger tools.

A good, inexpensive DA to start with is the Harbor Freight DA. Yes, I actually did say harbor freight. It runs about $60 or so with a coupon and has decent power for what it is and with the right pads can remove quite a bit of defects. I used one for years until I recently upgraded to large throw 21mm DA.

I would recommend the HF DA but throw out the stock backing plate that comes with it. It's not very good and it's a 6" backing plate for 6" pads. 6" is a little on the large size for that machine and you'll get better results with less pad stalling going to a 5" backing plate and pads.

As far as cleaner waxes go, I don't use them and haven't in awhile. There's much better all in one products out there that will remove light defects and add protection in one step. I am a really big fan of HD Speed.

http://www.autogeek.net/3d-hd-speed.html

It's a very easy product to work with and can be used in direct sun light and even when it's really hot outside with out making it too difficult to remove.

Another one that I really like if you are thinking of coating the car is CarPro Essence. I like that one for coatings since it acts as a primer for the coating with no need to do a panel wipe down before applying coatings. It can also be used as a stand alone as it has some protection as well. The protection is in he form of SiO2 which is really hard stuff and has some hiding ability but it's more durable then the standard wax or sealant with fillers.
 
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