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| A clean tube sock is a good way to clean wheel rims. |
Using mayonnaise to clean your car and other odd tips: After the dreadful winter of 2011, lots of us are out scrubbing and waxing to try to get our cars back into spring driving shape. As nice as we can get them, you won't believe some of the tricks of the trade that professionals use when it comes to pimping a ride.
Our favorite: mayonnaise. International Aero - one of the world's largest aircraft detailing companies - says it uses a dab of mayo when it is trying to remove tar. Just let the Hellman's (or Kraft, or whatever) rest for about 10 minutes on the gob of goo and then rub. If that doesn't work, go with lighter fluid.
Our favorite: mayonnaise. International Aero - one of the world's largest aircraft detailing companies - says it uses a dab of mayo when it is trying to remove tar. Just let the Hellman's (or Kraft, or whatever) rest for about 10 minutes on the gob of goo and then rub. If that doesn't work, go with lighter fluid.
Borrowing from the aviation industry, here are some other often weird auto-care tips from International Aero:
Paint transfer: To remove paint transfer from minor scrapes with other cars, fences, etc., wet a towel with common lighter fluid and lightly dab the surface, wetting the area for 20-30 seconds. Then, rub the surface lightly and the transferred paint/color will disappear. Don't worry, it won't harm your cured paint, it just breaks down the bonds between the two paints there. Be careful because it is extremely flammable!
Adhesive removal: Time to remove those pesky stickers or decals you've had for years? Again, lighter fluid is a great option as it breaks down the adhesive bonds; follow the same steps as above for paint transfer. This works on glass as well as painted surfaces.
Ink removal: It can be very frustrating when you leave a pen in your pocket and write on new leather seats. To remove ink from leather, dampen a Q-tip with cuticle remover and lightly rub the surface. The ink will be gone in seconds. Just remember to try a spot under the seat first, to make sure the dye in your leather is color-fast and won't bleed.
Streak-free windows: Here's a simple trick to get your window's truly streak free. When you're cleaning the exterior of your windows wipe in an up-and-down motion. When cleaning the inside of the windows, wipe in a side-to-side motion. When you are finished, if there are any streaks, you'll be able to target them by knowing which side of the window they are on, depending on which direction the streaks go.
Water-spot removal: After washing and rinsing your car, remove your spray nozzle from the hose and let the water flow from the hose to cover the entire car. You'll notice the water will sheet off the paint and as a result, there will be less water on the paint to have to dry off. This allows you to dry your car more quickly, use fewer towels, and reduce the chance of having water spots.
Leaky mirrors: Even after a careful car wash, it can be very irritating when your side mirrors leak water all over the doors and leave water spots. To prevent this, after washing and drying your car, fold up a paper towel six times into a wedge shape and slide it in around the perimeter of the mirror between the glass and the plastic housing. This will soak up the water.
Pristine wheels: Use an old (or new) tube sock to clean your wheels. This will protect your hands from corrosive brake dust, and makes it easier to clean tough to reach edges and corners that are hard to get at with a brush. Put your hand in the sock, soak up soapy water and scrub.
Seat & carpet stain removal: Never scrub a stain in a side-to-side motion, it just pushes the contamination into the carpet fiber. Instead, tamp it! Tamping is a technique that breaks up the stain without abrading the fabric, perfect for durable, tightly woven fabrics like automotive carpet and upholstery. Quickly and repeatedly rap (strike) a stain with a tamping brush (available at most big-box stores) until the stain is removed. You'll know you are using too much pressure if the bristles on the brush bend.
Spotless carpets: After shampooing your carpets, clean them a second time with only plain water to rinse the carpet more thoroughly of soapy residue. Soap acts like a dirt magnet, so if you don't follow your cleaning with a rinse only step, your carpets will get dirty again— quickly!
Paint transfer: To remove paint transfer from minor scrapes with other cars, fences, etc., wet a towel with common lighter fluid and lightly dab the surface, wetting the area for 20-30 seconds. Then, rub the surface lightly and the transferred paint/color will disappear. Don't worry, it won't harm your cured paint, it just breaks down the bonds between the two paints there. Be careful because it is extremely flammable!
Adhesive removal: Time to remove those pesky stickers or decals you've had for years? Again, lighter fluid is a great option as it breaks down the adhesive bonds; follow the same steps as above for paint transfer. This works on glass as well as painted surfaces.
Ink removal: It can be very frustrating when you leave a pen in your pocket and write on new leather seats. To remove ink from leather, dampen a Q-tip with cuticle remover and lightly rub the surface. The ink will be gone in seconds. Just remember to try a spot under the seat first, to make sure the dye in your leather is color-fast and won't bleed.
Streak-free windows: Here's a simple trick to get your window's truly streak free. When you're cleaning the exterior of your windows wipe in an up-and-down motion. When cleaning the inside of the windows, wipe in a side-to-side motion. When you are finished, if there are any streaks, you'll be able to target them by knowing which side of the window they are on, depending on which direction the streaks go.
Water-spot removal: After washing and rinsing your car, remove your spray nozzle from the hose and let the water flow from the hose to cover the entire car. You'll notice the water will sheet off the paint and as a result, there will be less water on the paint to have to dry off. This allows you to dry your car more quickly, use fewer towels, and reduce the chance of having water spots.
Leaky mirrors: Even after a careful car wash, it can be very irritating when your side mirrors leak water all over the doors and leave water spots. To prevent this, after washing and drying your car, fold up a paper towel six times into a wedge shape and slide it in around the perimeter of the mirror between the glass and the plastic housing. This will soak up the water.
Pristine wheels: Use an old (or new) tube sock to clean your wheels. This will protect your hands from corrosive brake dust, and makes it easier to clean tough to reach edges and corners that are hard to get at with a brush. Put your hand in the sock, soak up soapy water and scrub.
Seat & carpet stain removal: Never scrub a stain in a side-to-side motion, it just pushes the contamination into the carpet fiber. Instead, tamp it! Tamping is a technique that breaks up the stain without abrading the fabric, perfect for durable, tightly woven fabrics like automotive carpet and upholstery. Quickly and repeatedly rap (strike) a stain with a tamping brush (available at most big-box stores) until the stain is removed. You'll know you are using too much pressure if the bristles on the brush bend.
Spotless carpets: After shampooing your carpets, clean them a second time with only plain water to rinse the carpet more thoroughly of soapy residue. Soap acts like a dirt magnet, so if you don't follow your cleaning with a rinse only step, your carpets will get dirty again— quickly!
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