Suggestions on keeping your Tremor Clean.....

[WalterMitty]

EXTERIOR

What's your thoughts on going through automatic (the ones with the spinning brushes) car washes? I know for some it's sacrilegious, especially if you have dark paint. I have AMB. But I live in a snowy, and salty area and want to keep the crap off and from under my truck, which means routine washing. And I really don't have the time or desire to try and wash the truck by hand in cold weather. I also have a buddy with a Blue Jean colored Tremor and he uses automatics all the time and his paint seems to be fine.

INTERIOR

Specifically, Leather & Interior Cleaning. I've had my Tremor all of 4 days, so she's still pretty clean, but I would like some safe to use wipes to clean up the seats, center arm rest, etc. Please share some thoughts and suggestions on good and safe to use products. I don't want anything greasy, just some thing that will keep stuff clean and looking new, but won't damage the materials (leather, etc.).

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[Dunthupl]

EXTERIOR

What's your thoughts on going through automatic (the ones with the spinning brushes) car washes? I know for some it's sacrilegious, especially if you have dark paint. I have AMB. But I live in a snowy, and salty area and want to keep the crap off and from under my truck, which means routine washing. And I really don't have the time or desire to try and wash the truck by hand in cold weather. I also have a buddy with a Blue Jean colored Tremor and he uses automatics all the time and his paint seems to be fine.

INTERIOR

Specifically, Leather & Interior Cleaning. I've had my Tremor all of 4 days, so she's still pretty clean, but I would like some safe to use wipes to clean up the seats, center arm rest, etc. Please share some thoughts and suggestions on good and safe to use products. I don't want anything greasy, just some thing that will keep stuff clean and looking new, but won't damage the materials (leather, etc.).

Swirl marks are inevitable, but drive-through washes are the quickest way to trash black paint... Personally, yes, sacrilege. I don't have any experience with 'touchless' washes or could even tell you what they look like.

Your best bet to keep it looking sharp is to pay someone to initially get you squared away - polish/correct the paint and apply a sealant then top coat. After that, maybe give a touchless wash a try and be adamant about following up with a quick detailer or spray wax after. Think of it as a sacrificial coat - dirt will wash off easier from the rain and create the appearance of a cleaner car without doing a proper wash. Bugs and bird droppings (the biggest killer) can be removed easier when washing if you keep up with the quick detail spray.

Total fanboy of CarPro products, long time user. But if I could recommend one product, it would be Optimum No Rinse (ONR) or (newer) McKees N-914. It doesn't provide protection like a quick detailer, but mixed at different ratio can perform a variety of task - handsdown, its product I use most of. I used it this weekend to clean my wife's leather seats that were totally discolored from blue/black jeans. Bird dropping > quick spray, wipe away. I occasionally prespray bugs on the bumper/mirror, let sit, and pre rinse before contact washing. Super concentrated so a bottle last forever (like 4mL be 32oz of water). Sometimes referred to as 'rinseless wash', lots of people in cold or water conscious climates will fill up a bucket and some micro fiber towels and clean (wipe) there entire car with better results than that drive through car wash...that is, you don't need a hose, just 5 gal of water.

I keep a 8-16oz spray bottle in my truck and a couple 16x16 microfibers in a ziploc. I feel like wipes just have too much product on them and more or less push dirt around. Microfiber will actually pick it up. $32 for a bottle of ONR or McKees will make 64 gallons of product. It's just a cleaner, simple, works amazing, and zero residue on any material. Maybe a handful of times throughout the year I'll follow up ONR with a dedicated interior cleaner/conditioner, something with UV blockers.

HMU if you need anything, but beware, auto detailing can be a deep hole...Hope this helps

 

[Jus Cruisin]

All I own are black vehicles. I've lived in Michigan for 4 years now and use automatic washes in the winter. I just traded my black Platinum and the GMC dealer was amazed how nice the truck looked when it was appraised. And, this was mid-winter. In the fall, I take my Porter Cable to the truck, then wax and finally a spray on ceramic. Once spring rolls around, I do the same. Just find a good wash place that uses plenty of soap. My place uses hand pressure washers initially then you go in. That takes a majority of the crud off before you even start into the tunnel. It's either this or using a bucket with hot water in the driveway. No hoses with the water bibs shut off.

 

[Graygoose2021]

Had mine ceramic coated, well wifes black Highlander. So I have to hand wash with mit, soap car, wash and rinse.
inside, my detail guy told me he only uses Chemical Guys Hydo Interior...so I bought some at Walmart...looks great, great UV protection, not greasy

 

[powerboatr]

i though tremors were to be driven off road and muddy???

here our roads are crap and you can wash and wax any of our vehicles and hr later they are covered in brown dust
i dont go through the swirly car washes, only the onewith high pressure swirly spray
hand wash at home with a thick sudsy mit

 

[B-real]

I use the hand sprayer places in the winter and skip their hand brush. My black 17 would show all the swirls in the right light from the Quick Quack.

 

[WalterMitty]

Swirl marks are inevitable, but drive-through washes are the quickest way to trash black paint... Personally, yes, sacrilege. I don't have any experience with 'touchless' washes or could even tell you what they look like.

Your best bet to keep it looking sharp is to pay someone to initially get you squared away - polish/correct the paint and apply a sealant then top coat. After that, maybe give a touchless wash a try and be adamant about following up with a quick detailer or spray wax after. Think of it as a sacrificial coat - dirt will wash off easier from the rain and create the appearance of a cleaner car without doing a proper wash. Bugs and bird droppings (the biggest killer) can be removed easier when washing if you keep up with the quick detail spray.

Total fanboy of CarPro products, long time user. But if I could recommend one product, it would be Optimum No Rinse (ONR) or (newer) McKees N-914. It doesn't provide protection like a quick detailer, but mixed at different ratio can perform a variety of task - handsdown, its product I use most of. I used it this weekend to clean my wife's leather seats that were totally discolored from blue/black jeans. Bird dropping > quick spray, wipe away. I occasionally prespray bugs on the bumper/mirror, let sit, and pre rinse before contact washing. Super concentrated so a bottle last forever (like 4mL be 32oz of water). Sometimes referred to as 'rinseless wash', lots of people in cold or water conscious climates will fill up a bucket and some micro fiber towels and clean (wipe) there entire car with better results than that drive through car wash...that is, you don't need a hose, just 5 gal of water.

I keep a 8-16oz spray bottle in my truck and a couple 16x16 microfibers in a ziploc. I feel like wipes just have too much product on them and more or less push dirt around. Microfiber will actually pick it up. $32 for a bottle of ONR or McKees will make 64 gallons of product. It's just a cleaner, simple, works amazing, and zero residue on any material. Maybe a handful of times throughout the year I'll follow up ONR with a dedicated interior cleaner/conditioner, something with UV blockers.

HMU if you need anything, but beware, auto detailing can be a deep hole...Hope this helps

Finally got around to looking up those products...both seem to be for exterior. I'm assuming you think if diluted enough, they are fine for leather and other interior surfaces?

 

[B-real]

interior wise a damp cloth does wonders

 

[Dunthupl]

@WalterMitty I understand the product to be composed primarily of surfactants and lifting agents, no gloss enhancers, waxes etc which seem to be surface dependent. The purpose being cleaning and leaving nothing behind (no rinse). Maybe checkout some videos from Rag Company for interiors. There is this little yellow hand tool with microfiber* on bottom. Pointed tip, looks similar to those shark fin radio antennas…anyway allows you to get into creases of seats and works really well in my experience (leather/vinyl). I’ll post a link, but spray on, light scrub, wipe excess with MF towel. Don’t be bashful with solution, it’ll all dry fine.

 

[Dunthupl]

@WalterMitty
This thing
https://theragcompany.com/collections/interior-brushes/products/vinyl-leather-interior-scrub-brush

This is where I get all my towels from btw

he’s using just straight water in this video, but the idea is ONR is really a jack of all trades

 

[Morgans Tremor]

The first month after receiving my Tremor I had clear protective film put on the truck mirrors forward. I only will use a brushless car wash for my Tremor which is Antimatter Blue. Ceramic coated the exterior. For the interior, I use a leather cleaner and protector. I installed full rubber mats to protect the interior while my two dogs ride in the back of the truck. Overall it looks as good as new. I use to detail vehicles and have some OCD issues so the truck tends to stay fairly clean and organized. The only trouble spot is around the fake plastic louvers on the hood tend to form water spots.

 

[WalterMitty]

I have had great luck using the below stuff.

From day one, I've had some random spots on the leather. There were 3 or 4 spots....looked almost like oil/grease spots...on the center arm rest. This stuff removed them right away.

 

[Graygoose2021]

Yes, the Griots cleaner works great, Mothers for carpet cleaner....daily wipedown, I use Chemical Guys Ceramic Interior. All my detail guy uses for dash and doors.

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