Ask DetailedImage.com...

[DetailedImage.com]

got this today

Nice!  Let us know what you think of it.

Greg @ DI

[DetailedImage.com]

is there a way to get wax out of plastic? it dried white around the mirror area on my bros car cuz his gf is stupid and waxed it =T

also.. sealed the windows... its niiiiiiiicceee.... all the waters just roll off in the morning and i dont even have to use my windshield wipers =P HOWEVER... not sure if its the inside or outside... when it steams up, it shows all the streaking so maybe i applied too much of the seal =T

The longer it's been on there the harder it is to remove.  For the plastic I would try a little degreaser if you have some handy.  If it's been on there a while I would try a product like the Poorboy's World Trim Restorer.  It does a good job of deep cleaning the surface and making the trim look new.  

Greg @ DI

[Mike]

Alright here is what i'm getting ready to do what I would like is a complete list of product selections including what type of pad I should be using and how many. Come spring time I'm planning to give my car a complete detail. Inside and out. The car is silver in color and has leather interior. I need to do light scratch, and swirl removal, and I'd like the finished product to have a nice deep shine. What products should I be using?

[AV6NHBP6SPD]

preferably you need 2 stage correction, if car was never detailed before then id say get menzerna 203(power finish) and menzerna 85rd, get orange or green pad for 203 and white or black pad for 85(this is final polish). after that you can use black/blue or red pad for glaze/sealant/wax.

what size pads you use? i probably can hook u up with that stuff

[wtcii]

Greg welcome and again thank you for you willingness to help out.


A frequent question I here is what should we use to clean/condition the leather in the Accords? It seems every time I hear this question there is a different answer that follows. What is your opinion?

Thanks again for the welcome.  For leather care my hands down favorite is the Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil and Prestine Clean.  It's a little bit pricey but it does work well.  It helps get rid of deeply embedded contaminants, human oils, etc. and leave the leather soft.  It helps the leather stay soft so it can flex but strong so it maintains it's shape and strength. It has no fillers or residue left behind that gives a temporary nice look, totally matte finish. If you are on a budget for time or money try the Poorboy's World Leather Stuff.

For protection the 303 Aerospace Protectant or Optimum Protectant Plus are great.  They leave a relatively matte finish and block UV rays that cause slow fade.  Let me know if you have other questions.

Greg @ DI

Greg, I agree that Leatherique is excellent stuff, but not for Accord leather. We have coated leather and so using Leatherique is basically useless. Leather Stuff is good as well, but I have found that for our leather, spending money on higher end leather conditioner and cleaners, are not really necessary. Some OTC Zymol or Meguiars Gold Class tends to get the job done equally well.

For Katzkin leather, which should I use? I dont know if it is coated or not.... I dont really want to buy the pricey stuff if its not needed...

[DetailedImage.com]

Alright here is what i'm getting ready to do what I would like is a complete list of product selections including what type of pad I should be using and how many. Come spring time I'm planning to give my car a complete detail. Inside and out. The car is silver in color and has leather interior. I need to do light scratch, and swirl removal, and I'd like the finished product to have a nice deep shine. What products should I be using?

Mike,

You asked a great set of questions.  There is no one right answer and you can always find different ways to get great results!  I'll help you put together a list of exactly the products I would use for your car.  My only big question to you would be, what buffer do you have or are you interested in getting, or did you plan a hand application?  The buffer you have definitely impacts the pad size recommendation.    

Here is what I would suggest.  1 - 2 times per year do a full detail with all these steps listed.  Then in between you can wash and seal/wax the paint as much as you'd like.  I suggest doing it at least every three months.  

1.) Wash / Dry - critical step where you remove loose contaminants and you are most prone to adding swirls if you use poor technique and low quality products.  If you need to upgrade your products check out our kits like our DI Packages Washing and Drying Basic Kit or the Starter Kit.  If you already have some of these products in these kits just get the ones you are missing.  Be sure to use one of the waffle weave towels for drying it's paint safe and highly absorbent.  

2.) Clay Bar / Lube - May seem complicated or hard but it's really pretty easy.  Pick up the DI Packages DI Clay Bar and Clay Lube Combo.  Check out our Detailing Guide for this step and all others for best results!

3.) Polishing - Arguably the most important step to restoring the shine.  This will help remove ultra light scratches, fine swirls, oxidation, etc. so the clear coat is more optically clear and shinny.  I would do a step process with the Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105 first (with a cyan pad if you have a buffer) and follow that up with the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 (with a tangerine pad if you have a buffer).  This will really help bring back the deep shine and the paint will look and feel much smoother.

4.) Sealant - Sealants are like waxes but last much longer and can be applied with a buffer (blue pad) if desired.  I highly recommend the Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger for the optimal shine, protection, durability and ease of use.  It's truly awesome!

5.) Wax (optional) - You can stop with the sealant or apply a wax for even more gloss and depth.  The P21S Concours Carnauba Wax looks outstanding on silver paint.   If you want something even better try the Dodo Juice Diamond White Hard Wax which is specifically designed for lighter colors.  These waxes should be hand applied.

6.) Step back and admire the shine!!!!

I hand remove all of these products with clean DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel.  About 10 - 12 of these towels should really help you get the paint totally clean safely and effectively.  

Wow that was a lot so let me know what questions you have and I will be happy to help!

Greg @ DI

[DetailedImage.com]

For Katzkin leather, which should I use? I dont know if it is coated or not.... I dont really want to buy the pricey stuff if its not needed...

I'm confident you would get great results with the Leatherique Prestine Clean and the Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil.  Again these are my go to products for most seats.  If you wanted to save some money the Poorboy's World Leather Stuff is another quality option.

Greg @ DI

[wtcii]

I have another question along with the leather question. My cars paint is in horrible condition. Either I got a bad batch of Honda pain or a detailer cut through my clear coat. I'm getting the visible places fixed, hood and fenders. My question is though, with the condition of the paint, is it safe to polish? There are not really any other areas that have been affected by it, but I'm just not sure how much clear is left and I dont want to make it any worse in other places. My main concern as far as correction goes is swirl marks. I used to get it detailed but I think they put more swirls in it than I did so I took that over... I dont really have any products so I would need some suggestions there too. My car is a dark green pearl.

[Mike]

Alright here is what i'm getting ready to do what I would like is a complete list of product selections including what type of pad I should be using and how many. Come spring time I'm planning to give my car a complete detail. Inside and out. The car is silver in color and has leather interior. I need to do light scratch, and swirl removal, and I'd like the finished product to have a nice deep shine. What products should I be using?

Mike,

You asked a great set of questions.  There is no one right answer and you can always find different ways to get great results!  I'll help you put together a list of exactly the products I would use for your car.  My only big question to you would be, what buffer do you have or are you interested in getting, or did you plan a hand application?  The buffer you have definitely impacts the pad size recommendation.    

Here is what I would suggest.  1 - 2 times per year do a full detail with all these steps listed.  Then in between you can wash and seal/wax the paint as much as you'd like.  I suggest doing it at least every three months.  

1.) Wash / Dry - critical step where you remove loose contaminants and you are most prone to adding swirls if you use poor technique and low quality products.  If you need to upgrade your products check out our kits like our DI Packages Washing and Drying Basic Kit or the Starter Kit.  If you already have some of these products in these kits just get the ones you are missing.  Be sure to use one of the waffle weave towels for drying it's paint safe and highly absorbent.  

2.) Clay Bar / Lube - May seem complicated or hard but it's really pretty easy.  Pick up the DI Packages DI Clay Bar and Clay Lube Combo.  Check out our Detailing Guide for this step and all others for best results!

3.) Polishing - Arguably the most important step to restoring the shine.  This will help remove ultra light scratches, fine swirls, oxidation, etc. so the clear coat is more optically clear and shinny.  I would do a step process with the Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105 first (with a cyan pad if you have a buffer) and follow that up with the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 (with a tangerine pad if you have a buffer).  This will really help bring back the deep shine and the paint will look and feel much smoother.

4.) Sealant - Sealants are like waxes but last much longer and can be applied with a buffer (blue pad) if desired.  I highly recommend the Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger for the optimal shine, protection, durability and ease of use.  It's truly awesome!

5.) Wax (optional) - You can stop with the sealant or apply a wax for even more gloss and depth.  The P21S Concours Carnauba Wax looks outstanding on silver paint.   If you want something even better try the Dodo Juice Diamond White Hard Wax which is specifically designed for lighter colors.  These waxes should be hand applied.

6.) Step back and admire the shine!!!!

I hand remove all of these products with clean DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel.  About 10 - 12 of these towels should really help you get the paint totally clean safely and effectively.  

Wow that was a lot so let me know what questions you have and I will be happy to help!

Greg @ DI

I employ a PC 7424 sorry I left that out.

[AV6NHBP6SPD]

I employ a PC 7424 sorry I left that out.

which backing plate you have, what size

[Mike]

I believe its 4.5

[AV6NHBP6SPD]

its either 5 or 3.5 i think so i guess you got 5

[DetailedImage.com]

I have another question along with the leather question. My cars paint is in horrible condition. Either I got a bad batch of Honda pain or a detailer cut through my clear coat. I'm getting the visible places fixed, hood and fenders. My question is though, with the condition of the paint, is it safe to polish? There are not really any other areas that have been affected by it, but I'm just not sure how much clear is left and I dont want to make it any worse in other places. My main concern as far as correction goes is swirl marks. I used to get it detailed but I think they put more swirls in it than I did so I took that over... I dont really have any products so I would need some suggestions there too. My car is a dark green pearl.

If you really think the clear coat may be gone you can have it measured by a paint shop with a paint thickness gage (DeFelsko PosiTest DFT Paint Thickness Gage).  This will tell you the exact thickness of the clear coat.  Unfortunately many "professional detailers" can do more harm than good.  They do very often add more swirls than they remove, however it's covered up temporarily with a glaze or wax so you may not notice initially.  

Assuming the clear coat is still there and there are no visible cracks in it, you should be okay to polish it and restore the like new appearance.  A buffer will be a major help in this area because they help generate the pressure needed to really work in a polish for best results.  If interested I would highly recommend DI Packages Porter Cable 7424 XP 6.5" Starter Kit or the DI Packages Flex XC3401VRG Starter Package.  Both buffers are totally safe even for new detailers and they will greatly help improve your results, while saving you time and effort.  The Flex is my favorite but it's a little bit pricey.  The PC is far more affordable and also works really well.  Take a minute to look over those links and let me know if you have any questions.  

As for the products I just outlined a routine for Mike in the above posts which I'm going to copy and paste below here.  The only changes I would make are my wax recommendation for your green paint.  Please read this section over and let me know your thoughts.  

Here is what I would suggest.  1 - 2 times per year do a full detail with all these steps listed.  Then in between you can wash and seal/wax the paint as much as you'd like.  I suggest doing it at least every three months.  

1.) Wash / Dry - critical step where you remove loose contaminants and you are most prone to adding swirls if you use poor technique and low quality products.  If you need to upgrade your products check out our kits like our DI Packages Washing and Drying Basic Kit or the Starter Kit.  If you already have some of these products in these kits just get the ones you are missing.  Be sure to use one of the waffle weave towels for drying it's paint safe and highly absorbent.  

2.) Clay Bar / Lube - May seem complicated or hard but it's really pretty easy.  Pick up the DI Packages DI Clay Bar and Clay Lube Combo.  Check out our Detailing Guide for this step and all others for best results!

3.) Polishing - Arguably the most important step to restoring the shine.  This will help remove ultra light scratches, fine swirls, oxidation, etc. so the clear coat is more optically clear and shinny.  I would do a step process with the Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105 first (with a cyan pad if you have a buffer) and follow that up with the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 (with a tangerine pad if you have a buffer).  This will really help bring back the deep shine and the paint will look and feel much smoother.

4.) Sealant - Sealants are like waxes but last much longer and can be applied with a buffer (blue pad) if desired.  I highly recommend the Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger for the optimal shine, protection, durability and ease of use.  It's truly awesome!

5.) Wax (optional) - You can stop with the sealant or apply a wax for even more gloss and depth.  For green paint one of the least expensive yet still outstanding options is the Poorboy's World Natty's Blue Paste Wax.  If you want something even nicer try the Chemical Guys 50/50 Limited Series Concourse Paste Wax.  It's one of my favorite waxes!   These waxes should be hand applied.

6.) Step back and admire the shine!!!!

I hand remove all of these products with clean DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel.  About 10 - 12 of these towels should really help you get the paint totally clean safely and effectively.  

Again please let me know if you have any questions.  I look forward to helping you restore the paint's deep and glossy finish!

Greg @ DI

[DetailedImage.com]

I employ a PC 7424 sorry I left that out.

I would stick with the same pads I listed above, now just pick the appropriate size for your backing plate.  For a PC, or other orbital buffers, you generate more polishing power from the smaller backing plate and pads.  The Lake Country Porter Cable 7424 Backing Plate for 4 Inch Pads and the 4" Pads are ideal for polishing.  The other sizes will still work great.  If you have a 6" Backing Plate get the 6.5" Pads, if you have the 5" Backing Plate get the 5.5" Pads. Let me know if you have any questions.

Greg @ DI

[AV6NHBP6SPD]

for PC i wouldnt recommend 6.5 it wastes product and not as manuvrable around curves. i use 4" with my PC, doesnt use as much product and easy to work with but you would need 3.5" backing plate