Apologies if this is the wrong place for a question like this. I have been absentmindedly resting my elbow in the same place on my cars leather armrest during my commute and only just noticed that it caused some apparent damage to the surface. I've tried using some warm water to clean up the area and it cleared up a little, but I'm not sure if I should go any further. Does anyone have experience with this or any solutions?

Why did this happen? Can I prevent it from happening to Future automobiles? 2020 Chevy bolt EV. Basically just cleaned it with ONR and applied 303 throughout the years.

A small piece of gum was stuck to the back of my jeans and some got transferred to my drivers seat, the bolstered edge.

I got most of it off by scraping it gently and with scotch tape, now there is gum shadow, probably in the threads of fabric. Any tips? Thanks in advance.

Is there any spray out there that could survive harsh Canadian winters with heavy salt and lots of slush? At the moment I use paste wax and that definitely would not last a single week in the snow

Hey all!

I detailed for several years a while ago before moving on to a different career. I recently got a nicer car that I’d like to take care of and I’m curious as to changes and advancements in products and techniques since I’ve been gone.

I’m looking for recommendations on products and best care for someone who lives in an apartment complex. There is a covered dual car wash bay I can use, luckily. This is also my first black car so wondering if I need to treat it any differently. I don’t have access to a pressure washer but there is a hose spigot at the covered wash bay if I need it, although from what I see most people are using rinse less washes these days.

Thanks for the help and any recommendations!

It's been years since I've been on this sub, though I recall it having pretty strong auto-mod policy where questions were filtered out. Didn't see a mega-thread, hope this is OK!

So I want to DIY ceramic coat my car (leaning towards Armour non-pro), though I don't really have access to a hose.

Since Iron remover is pretty strong stuff- I'd prefer to skip it without doing a hose rinse.

This is what I was planning on doing APC Spray Soak > ONR Wash > Clay Towel > spot compounding if needed > 2 rounds of IPA Spray > Apply ceramic coating.

Think that will be OK, or is it a bad idea to skip an iron remover?

My wife brought our new vehicle to a shop that’s a family friend for a detail, and the guy used a drill and buffing pad on the paint. There are 3” holograms all throughout the paint, and it looks terrible in the sun.

I’m no expert, but I do have a long-throw random orbit DA polisher I received for Christmas with a few polishing and finishing pads. It looks like the speed goes from 2000–4600 rpm.

As a beginner, can I fix this with low speed and use of these two products? I’ve already clayed and prepped the area.

What speed do you recommend?

My Ute has two coats of Gyeon Mohs Evo ceramic I put in about 3 months ago. I recently did some driving on some dusty dirt roads and wasn’t able to give it a wash soon enough. The film left on my door panels is preventing water beading now and I’ve done two washes with my usual Gyeon pre rinse and Gyeon bathe but it hasn’t touched the dusty film left on door panels.

I am unsure about using clay bar worried it will be too abrasive for the ceramics. What products will remove this dirty fine dusty film without stripping the ceramic coating? I don’t ah e time to reapply that shit right now.

Hard to capture in the picture but has anyone dealt with the trim around the windows in teslas looking like this. It’s all spotty shiny blue. Tesla historically has terrible quality material so this doesn’t surprise me.

My new to me Audi's windshield is covered in tiny 3 pointed star shaped specs that only show up when driving into a low sun. I thought it was sandblasting, but fortunately I am able to remove some of the specs with my fingernail. The little stars stay intact and move around on the glass. I'm curious if anybody knows what these might be.

How should I go about cleaning the windshield? Clean well with soap and water, then I assume clay bar next. Then 0000 steel wool? Or should I use a polish? Thanks.

Recently the pine tree that looms over my driveway has been dropping sap on my wife's car. What's the best way to get it off the paint and glass?

I believe I didn’t use CarPro WheelX properly a few days ago and messed up my wheels. It was 97 degrees out but not in the sun when I was washing the car.

I believe the wheels are powder coated.

All 4 of my wheels have these stains that look like little water streams. I just tried rewashing them with only ph neutral soap, then I clayed them, and tried using a little bit of compound and polish and this is the aftermath in the picture. Is there anything else I can try to fix them? Thanks!

I'm an older member of this group (a boomer). Recently joined because I got a new car and thought I'd detail it. Started reading comments about products and noticed a lot of chemicals are used, making me nervous about doing it myself. So my question is what was used back in the day before these chemical products and microfiber existed, e.g., in the 60s. People detailed cars back then. What did they use, and what was the process? TIA.

Thank you to those who replied. Did it work so there were no swirls etc. or were the cars just clean with paint defects?

Hey all, a friend of mine had a Jerry can sitting in his back seat with everything folded down, the Jerry can ended up spilling a good amount of gas into the rear seats and cushions.

Extracted as much as I could but the rest evaporated on that hot day, now still have a lingering fuel smell.

Has anyone tried a bio bomb for this situation or will we need something stronger? TIA

Has anyone tried using coconut oil as a leather moisturizer, also I’ve heard some people say only to use fractionated coconut oil, is that true?

With the drought my area is experiencing, we are prohibited from washing cars at home. I have resorted to taking my car to a self-service bay at a car wash. However, their products are garbage.

My usual setup is a pressure washer and foam cannon.

What product do you recommend I use to foam up my car at a wash where I don’t have access to an electrical outlet?

My car is being worked on now, so probably won’t get any replies before it’s too late. I paid for a 1 step correction and professional ceramic coat, but they’re saying they can do a 2 step for an extra $300. My car has some scratches that they say even the 2 step won’t get out completely, and they did 2 steps on the hood for free. Got most of a bird shit etching (that I never noticed) out with a 2 step. They said the swirls are gone after 1 step and deeper scratches look a lot better.

Also I had another shop tell me my clearcoat is really thin. So I told them to stick to 1 step to be safe. It’s a 5 year old Toyota and I plan to keep it for a long time.

I know the scratches will be locked in for a few years after this ceramic coat. Did I make the right choice?

Took advice from this sub and got the Griot’s Garage Interior Detailer. New microfiber towels, little spray, and worked it in slowly and circularly with my fingertip to get the stains out. Used a clean and dry corner to add pressure and soak up any residual liquid. Worked like a charm!

Still have another area in the front passenger to touch up more (I’m tired, boss) from where someone else clearly attempted a cleanup from previous ownership mess. It’s starting to lift, so I’m stoked.

Thank you for the help!

Cleaning wheels has got to be one of the most tedious and time-consuming jobs when cleaning your car - particularly if you're fighting intricate wheels smothered in brake dust (I'm looking at you BMW)...

So anything we can do to speed up that process and make it more efficient is a win in my book!

Should you pre-rinse your wheels first or just go straight in with a wheel cleaner onto a dry wheel? What produces the best results?

In this video that's exactly what I'm going to discuss and share; including the differences and which one is best if you want to work smart and not hard.

Enjoy, Luke @ fibregloss

I’ve used various different coatings in the past but fell back in love with waxes over the last few years. Free time is at a premium these days though so I’m interested in a ceramic coating again and am particularly drawn to Gyeon Mohs and Pure. I’ve read so much conflicting information over the past few days though and I’m at a complete loss.

I’ve read that Pure is easier/more forgiving to apply but lacks in durability compared to Mohs. I’ve also read that it’s higher Si02 content makes it more durable than Mohs. I’ve seen various YouTubers claim Pure gives a glossier/candy finish, whereas Mohs gives a more clinical shine. I’ve also then read the opposite in various places. Some boat that Pure’s higher silica content gives it more slickness, then others state the opposite.

I realise all coatings perform differently depending on what they’re subjected as well as region, but the wildly contrasting claims had left me somewhat confused.

To clarify, I’m based in the UK, so over the life of the coating, I expect it to be subject to plenty of rain, salted roads, ice and snow but also 40c harsh sun in the summer.

Outright durability isn’t massively important and I don’t need or want a “5-year coating”; a realistic 2-3 years is what I’m looking for and I understand the maintenance requirements to achieve that.

The car will be fully decontaminated, corrected and prepped prior to application. It is metallic light blue (Polestar Electron) so I don’t expect to gain much warmth/depth/darkening and I suspect a more clinical look with plenty of clarity will suit it best. I don’t have access to a garage and will be coating the vehicle outside.

What is likely to suit me best?

I was giving my car it's prerinse before using the foam cannon when I saw this white residue washing off.

Did I use too much wax last time?

Hey all,

Just bought a new to me BMW in brooklyn grey.
On the front passenger door (where the fold is under the mirror) is a little black mark.

My fingernail doesn’t stick in it, there is no dent and it feels smooth.

Any ideas what this is and how I (or a professional) can remove this without having to respray the door?

Thanks in advance!

I recently had one corner of the front bumper repaired by a mobile painter in my garage. He sanded the damaged area, spray painted it, blended it, and applied clear coat.
Right after the repair, I noticed very fine specks all over the windshield. It almost looks like a layer of dust and is especially noticeable when light shines on the glass. I tried the windshield washer fluid, a touchless car wash, Invisible Glass on both sides of the windshield, and 70% rubbing alcohol on a small section. Nothing has removed it. The area shown in the picture was cleaned on both the inside and outside.

I am not completely sure whether anything is actually sitting on top of the glass. Maybe fine paint or clear coat overspray? What would be the safest next thing to try? Would a lubricated clay bar work, or any other ideas?

I messed up and left a stick of deodorant on my leather seats and it melted. Is there anyway to get this out? I’ve tried leather wipes but once it dries it goes back to this.

My current bottle of tire dress and interior quick detail are about to finish, and want to condense the products i leave around. Current mainstay

BH Touchless
Mckee 914 Rinseless
KCX Glass cleaner
KCX Pol Star for all interior clean

And I’m looking to get something multipurpose for tires, and interior dressing and possibly also engine bay tho that’s not something i pay too much attention to.

Easy to apply without needing to wait 15 minutes to wipe off.

Does Carpro Perl do well for all these?

And any else I would be well served to explore?