I’ve always been terrible at cosmetic maintenance...
#1
I’ve always been terrible at cosmetic maintenance...
...and at 56 I’m unlikely to change. I know that I should hand wash but I haven’t since I was 12 and did Dad’s VW Rabbit. I should stay on top of smooshed bugs but I don’t. The thing is that I keep cars for years and at a certain point they look pretty rotten! I don’t care about it looking showroom perfect today or next year but I would like it to look pretty good in 10. (My current cars are 14 and 17 years old). The same is true for leather and dash materials and I’m really concerned about that. My current leather looks like h***.
So given that, what are the easiest/best things that I can do to my new Caviar w/Black Leather ES300h that’s coming next week? Once a quarter (or year!) is reasonable but once a week is wishful thinking. Is there something that I should do immediately? (I have a 6 hour drive home so it won’t be immediately immediate)
BTW - I’ll take no offense if you laugh at me. I’m excellent at mechanical issues like oil changes, fluid levels, tire wear etc.
So given that, what are the easiest/best things that I can do to my new Caviar w/Black Leather ES300h that’s coming next week? Once a quarter (or year!) is reasonable but once a week is wishful thinking. Is there something that I should do immediately? (I have a 6 hour drive home so it won’t be immediately immediate)
BTW - I’ll take no offense if you laugh at me. I’m excellent at mechanical issues like oil changes, fluid levels, tire wear etc.
#4
The have warranties of 7 or 10 years but at some point they won’t look good anymore — i assume that once removed it will be obvious where the edges were. If I keep it for 12-15 years won’t I run into that?
#5
And you still have to maintain PPF even more so than paint. If you're lazy with washing bugs off and bird sht, it will etch the film and there is nothing you can do to fix it aside from complete replacement whereas with paint, most bug etchings can be buffed out easily.
#6
If the idea of regular detailing your ride doesn't fit your lifestyle, you could take the vehicle to a highly rated local detailer and let them apply a coating rather than a wax or sealant. Repeat every few years or whenever you think you don't like the appearance. For the interior, I'd suggest a deep cleaning every 3-6 months and an application of a fluorocarbon protectant. I'd use a product with some uv protection on the dash and vinyl. Something like Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer will clean and leave uv protection and this is effective. Takes only 20-30 minutes to do the whole interior, dash, seats, doors, all hard surfaces. Maybe do the interior every few weeks.
Last edited by jfelbab; 07-19-18 at 07:51 AM.
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Dmaxdmax (07-19-18)
#7
if you are not going to start washing by hand..
Just do a wash and wax at a shop 2 or 3 times a year ($50 each-$75 each)
Touchless car wash when your car gets dirty.. especially within ($10)
A "fuller" detail once a year (or two) ($150-$200)
Just do a wash and wax at a shop 2 or 3 times a year ($50 each-$75 each)
Touchless car wash when your car gets dirty.. especially within ($10)
A "fuller" detail once a year (or two) ($150-$200)
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Dmaxdmax (07-19-18)
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#8
[20 minutes later...]
Great - I’ve been reading yelp about everyplace in the area and nothing looks good except one or two high end detailers. Now I’m thinking that it couldn’t be *that* hard to do it myself. We’ll see how long that lasts.
#9
If the idea of regular detailing your ride doesn't fit your lifestyle, you could take the vehicle to a highly rated local detailer and let them apply a coating rather than a wax or sealant. Repeat every few years or whenever you think you don't like the appearance. For the interior, I'd suggest a deep cleaning every 3-6 months and an application of a fluorocarbon protectant. I'd use a product with some uv protection on the dash and vinyl. Something like Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer will clean and leave uv protection and this is effective. Takes only 20-30 minutes to do the whole interior, dash, seats, doors, all hard surfaces. Maybe do the interior every few weeks.
Q2 - What product(s) do you use for the interior deep clean?
Q3 - I can use Maguiar’s Quik on everything from ventilated seats to dash to wood trim?
Thanks!
#10
A2 - I personally use Leather Master Strong Leather Cleaner diluted 50/50 with hot water for my quarterly deep cleaning. I apply Leather Master Protection Cream after this quarterly deep cleaning. On a weekly basis I use Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer on everything in the inside outside of cloth and carpet. I use this on the dash, leather, vinyl, as well as the gauges and Nav screen.
A3 - Yes, one product works an all the hard surfaces as well as the leather. It adds zero gloss. It is a light cleaner with UV protection.
These products that I use are also made by many other manufacturers. I chose to use Meguiar's because they have been in business for over 110 years, stand behind their products and sell these products in detailer size for those who do a lot of vehicles. They also make a myriad of detailing products so I can just shop for everything I need from one source.
Meguiar's products I use on a regular basis.
Meguiar's D14901 Quik Interior Detailer (1 gallon)
Meguiar's D15501 Last Touch (1 gallon) This is a Quik Detailer for your paint to remove fingerprints, light dust, bird droppings and fresh tree sap.
Meguiar's D15601 (1 gallon) Synthetic X-Press Quik Spray Wax. Adds gloss and slickness after regular washing. Will remove water spots.
If you are into detailing, purchasing these products in gallon sizes yields huge savings.
Otherwise, these are the consumer line equivalents in smaller volumes and are available in most auto supply stores as well as Walmart, Target, etc.
D149 is available in their consumer line and is just called Quik Interior Detailer.
D155 a similar product in their consumer line is Ultimate Quik Detailer.
D156 is available in their consumer line and is called Ultimate Quick Spray Wax.
If I were to ever buy a black car again, (I won't, LOL) I'd be using these products on a weekly basis to keep the vehicle looking showroom fresh. In fact, I use these products on my vehicles almost daily.
Tip: If you plan on going with these types of products, be sure to purchase lots of high quality microfiber towels and only use them when they are impecably clean. Use these towel freely so as not to drag dust or dirt over the paint. Anything that touches your paint (black paint in particular) may cause swirl marks. Easier to prevent swirls than to remove them.
One word of caution, detailing can be addictive. Once bitten by this bug, you are infected for life and there is no known cure, LOL. I'm older than dirt and have been detailing since 1956. I still love detailing and can't stand to drive or ride in a dirty car.
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Dmaxdmax (07-20-18)
#11
Thank you!!
I really wish the interior came in a color that wasn’t black nor very light. I love the way the light leathers look but I’ve read too many stories about blue jean dye transfer. On the other hand, black will show every speck of dust. Poor me, I’ll have trouble keeping my Lexus looking pristine - talk about your first world problem!
I really wish the interior came in a color that wasn’t black nor very light. I love the way the light leathers look but I’ve read too many stories about blue jean dye transfer. On the other hand, black will show every speck of dust. Poor me, I’ll have trouble keeping my Lexus looking pristine - talk about your first world problem!
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