Helpful Hints & Ideas

[Fins4ever]

This is a thread I have put up on other sites and it is amazing how many people have little things they do that most never think of. In my house, vinegar and bleach are king and queen. The wife really goes overboard on trying to kill a germ. lol

Anyway, this week was detail week for our autos and I thought I would share my way of beading off rain and snow. Wax your windows! Doesn't have to be a through job. I spread it on lightly and either buff it out or wipe with a clean towel. The rain will just bead off for months. I do all windows. Cheaper and better than Rain-X.

[Fins4ever]

Another car tip.

The headlights on my X-Terra and pickup truck starting fogging up some time ago and contned to get worse. I tried cleaning, buffing and even wet sanding with 600 grit. Nothing worked and the sandpaper made it worse. I ended up buying Turtle Wax Lens Restorer. It comes with everything you need to do 2 or 3 vehicles and cost less than 10 dollars. It did a very good job, but was not perfect despite repeated applications. Grade = B

If you do give it a try, consider this...

Do final lens clarifying compound on all vehicles / lights at the same time. The reason is the kit comes with plenty of lube, pads and spray, but only 1 small sealing wipe (prevents future occurrence).

Let final application of compound dry completely and I mean completely. At least an hour.

On initial application of compound, really rub it hard and keep it wet when you use the pads.

Bottom line is the product did a VG job and I did a total of 3 vehicles (4 lights for me) for under 10 dollars. The reason for only 4 of the 6 lights being affected is unknown, but every vehicle had worse fogging on the side of the battery. Could be a chemical reaction between the battery and the plastic...my best guess.

The non battery side of the Nissan Frontier was not affected at all and the non battery side of the X-Terra, only slightly. The 3rd car, a Dodge Sebring was the worst of the 3 with the battery side being almost non-salvageable.       

[badger6]

This is a thread I have put up on other sites and it is amazing how many people have little things they do that most never think of. In my house, vinegar and bleach are king and queen. The wife really goes overboard on trying to kill a germ. lol

Anyway, this week was detail week for our autos and I thought I would share my way of beading off rain and snow. Wax your windows! Doesn't have to be a through job. I spread it on lightly and either buff it out or wipe with a clean towel. The rain will just bead off for months. I do all windows. Cheaper and better than Rain-X.

Yea, I used to buff my car with a high speed buffer when I was younger. I would always go over all of the windows when buffing the final wax coat. It would clean, polish, and apply a light coat or wax to the glass. Just make sure the wax you are using is a regular wax or glaze and not a cutting compound or wax with abrasive

[TonyB0D]

Use a thick white toothpaste to clean your foggy headlights - magic!!

[Fins4ever]

Yea, I used to buff my car with a high speed buffer when I was younger. I would always go over all of the windows when buffing the final wax coat. It would clean, polish, and apply a light coat or wax to the glass. Just make sure the wax you are using is a regular wax or glaze and not a cutting compound or wax with abrasive

I use Meguiars Gold, best wax on the market IMO and I have tried them all. It is about 12-15 dollars a bottle, but worth it. Never use a rubbing compound, ever. That really cuts the paint. Meguiars lasts a long time and takes the heat and cold very well.

[Fins4ever]

Use a thick white toothpaste to clean your foggy headlights - magic!!

I have heard that, but didn't try it. The main thing is not to use something abrasive as almost all headlight covers are plastic and easily scratched. Did not want to take the chance. The kit I bought works more on dissolving the fog more than "scratching it off", but glad it worked for you.

[Landshark]

If you want to get the smell of cigar/cigarette smoke out of your car, a few moist fabric softener sheets will do the trick.  I discovered this when I let a friend of mine borrow my car and he smoked in it.

[badger6]

I have heard that, but didn't try it. The main thing is not to use something abrasive as almost all headlight covers are plastic and easily scratched. Did not want to take the chance. The kit I bought works more on dissolving the fog more than "scratching it off", but glad it worked for you.

I would have figured that stuff would have been more like polishing compounds where the cutting agent or grit just got finer and finer. Isn't it like a 4 or 5 step process with different compounds ?

[badger6]

I use Meguiars Gold, best wax on the market IMO and I have tried them all. It is about 12-15 dollars a bottle, but worth it. Never use a rubbing compound, ever. That really cuts the paint. Meguiars lasts a long time and takes the heat and cold very well.

I detailed cars for about a year and a half in the early 90s and I rarely used the stuff in the stores, never got good results. Depending on the color of the car and how much I was getting paid I always did a 3-5 step buff and wax and used stuff from local suppliers that serviced the local dealerships. That stuff worked so much better. Detailing cars made me not want to do my own, ha ha. Needless to say, I haven't buffed or waxed anything in years. Is that Meguiars Gold a one step cut and wax type thing ?

[Fins4ever]

If you want to get the smell of cigar/cigarette smoke out of your car, a few moist fabric softener sheets will do the trick.  I discovered this when I let a friend of mine borrow my car and he smoked in it.

Not a smoker, but heard cutting an apple in 1/4's and leaving it inside the car with windows closed also absorbs the odors. 

[Brian Fein]

I can not believe that these car makers haven't figured out a way to make headlights without them looking disgusting after 3-4 years.  That is really irritating, as my Altima is starting to fog up and it annoys the crap out of me.  I'm considering dropping the $400-500 to get new headlight assemblies just to get rid of it. 

I did the buffing/wet sanding process on my previous car and it was never the same again.  I am wondering if maybe applying a vinyl protective film to them will help prolong their life.

[Fins4ever]

I detailed cars for about a year and a half in the early 90s and I rarely used the stuff in the stores, never got good results. Depending on the color of the car and how much I was getting paid I always did a 3-5 step buff and wax and used stuff from local suppliers that serviced the local dealerships. That stuff worked so much better. Detailing cars made me not want to do my own, ha ha. Needless to say, I haven't buffed or waxed anything in years. Is that Meguiars Gold a one step cut and wax type thing ?

Yes, Gold is a cleaner & wax combo. There is probably better industrial waxes, but all I know is after 6 months my truck still holds a bead and looks fantastic. I have a friend that details airplanes. I will have to ask him what he uses. 

[Fins4ever]

Use a thick white toothpaste to clean your foggy headlights - magic!!

Tony, I tried your toothpaste idea on a particularly stubborn spot and it didn't help. Maybe it was the wrong brand lol (Ultrabrite).

Anyone out there notice the correlation on my theory of the battery side attracting the fog through chemical reaction. Maybe it is just a coincidence, but all 3 cars I did were only foggy on the battery side.

[Buddhagirl]

Can someone tell me how to wash my car without getting white streaks and stuff on it? (It's a black car if that matters.)  I usually get it detailed, but want to cut that down to every other month or so.

Note: I have not washed a car in years. So, I might not even have the right tools.

[Dave Gray]

Fill a 1 liter bottle with water, a couple of drops of bleach and a few pebbles.  Then, place it in the back of your toilet tank.  It still gives you enough water to adequately flush even the most stubborn of turds, yet saves you water with every flush.  It saves you money on your water bill, without a loss in performance.