Citrus Cleaners Have Taken Center Stage In Detailing

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Are you amazed at how many specialty cleaners that are available to clean your vehicle?

Wheel and rim cleaner, tire cleaner, brake dust remover, engine degreaser, white wall cleaner, tar remover - the list goes on.

Ever wonder what the pros in Dealerships and Detailing Shops use?

In those businesses, concentrated citrus cleaners have replaced them all and taken the center stage.

Why?

Simple – they work, and work extremely well where time and results matter. Citrus cleaners work as well or better than the caustic counterparts that we are all used to using. Citrus cleaners are also cost effective and versatile.

For example, a good professional-grade, concentrated citrus cleaner now replaces a lot of specialty products that professional detailers needed to use in the past. Citrus cleaners easily dissolve and lift grease, oily residue, grime and dirt without harming or discoloring the surface.

The principal component of a good, professional grade citrus cleaner is something called d-limonene. D-limonene is extracted from the oil found in peels of citrus fruits, a natural solvent that is also biodegradable.

As with any product, the quality and performance difference is related to how highly concentrated the ingredients are, including d-limonene. For example, more “orange” cleaners are showing up on retail shelves, some of which are scented or colored orange, or both - and aren’t really suitable for heavy duty cleaning tasks.

A good professional grade citrus cleaner is highly concentrated and is able to be diluted all the way down to 1:50 for general cleaning tasks.

Other than simply working better, there are many reasons detailing pros use citrus cleaners. Citrus cleaners replace dangerous, flammable solvent-based products, are safer to use, environmentally friendly, non-caustic, and much more economical and cost effective.

Citrus cleaners degrease, clean and deodorize at the same time while leaving behind a clean surface with a pleasant scent.

For example, cleaning and degreasing under the hood is a snap with a good citrus cleaner at the coin car wash.

Here’s how:

Simply pop the hood, spray the cleaner from front to back, left to right, then right to left - getting coverage in all the nooks and crannies.

Throw in some quarters, select rinse and spray away all the crud.

Once you’re done, shut the hood and rinse off the excess from the outside finish.

Go for a short drive to dry it off and it will look like brand new.

If you’ve owned a utility trailer, RV or camper, you undoubtedly experienced those dreaded black streaks that run down the sides from the roof, which can be a real challenge to remove.

To easily remove them, substitute a good concentrated citrus cleaner as you would for soap. Wash as normal and rinse. The results will be a clean shiny surface with no black streaks.

Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? It really is that easy with a good citrus cleaner.

Cleaning and removing brake dust from wheels, and tires with a citrus cleaner is a breeze. Liberally spray a concentrated citrus cleaner directly on the surface and select high-pressure rinse and you’re done – usually no need for scrubbing.

Citrus cleaners also do a great job at removing adhesive residue, cleaning concrete floors and countless other uses.

Try a professional-grade citrus cleaner next time in your cleaning regimen. Other than getting better results, it will make things a lot easier on you and your wallet.

carjunky
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How to Paint and Clear Coat your Car

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If you have ever painted a vehicle before, you will have no problem with this project.
If this is your first paint job, just makes sure your read all of the instructions on your varnishes and take your time; you will do just fine.

Before you begin this job, make sure that you are familiar with the airbrush equipment; there is a lot of preparation work to be done first, but when it comes time to apply the paint you do want to make sure you are comfortable with the equipment and its operation.

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Make sure to read all the directions on the products you buy for this project. Make sure they are exactly what you need.

Things you'll need for this project:

Airbrush equipment
Air compressor
Masking tape
Old newspapers
Hand and electrical sander with fine, medium, and coarse sand papers; if the old paint on the car is in moderate condition, a 360 grit sandpaper will work fine
Putty knife
Primer
Base coat color paint
Bucket of clean water
Clear coat paint
Electric buffer
Buffing compound

Step 1:
Set up for your preparations somewhere outside. You will need to have a lot of maneuverability around the car to reach those hard-to-reach places; also, make sure you are in a place that can be easily cleaned, as you will be leaving a mess behind.

Begin by stripping the car of the old paint. Use a small putty knife to chip off large strips; brand new straight razor blades can also be used to pry difficult spots off the body.

Be careful not to gouge into the metal of the vehicle, as any and all dents and dings will be blatantly obvious when you are finished painting; by then it will be too late to fix them. Strip away as much as you can with the putty knife and razor blade; you should see bare metal when you are finished.

Once you have all of the large areas scraped clean, follow up with the sandpaper. Test your assortment to find out which is the most effective; the best sandpaper for any given area will change depending on where on the car you are working at.
When you are finished the surface should all be bare metal.

Step 2:
Move the car indoors; somewhere that there is still enough room to maneuver around the car as you work, and somewhere clean enough that there will not be any flying dust or debris in the air, because any and everything sticks to wet paint; with that said, also make sure that you have proper ventilation while you work.

Wearing a breathing apparatus and proper filtration masks must be used to ensure your safety while painting. Make sure that any other exposed surfaces in the area are covered with drop cloths to prevent them from becoming coated with over spray.

Step 3:
Using the masking tape and newspapers, completely cover all windows, outside mirrors, headlights, tail lights, and turn signal covers that you don't want to paint. Using the tape, cover any and all chrome or aluminum trimmings that you don't want painted. The only thing left exposed should be the bare metal that you want to paint.

Step 4:
Mix your primer into your airbrush gun following the manufacturer’s instructions. When ready, begin working in sections about a foot long, covering all of the exposed metal in even, steady strokes. Consult your manufacturer’s directions as to how long the primer needs to be left undisturbed to dry. Clean out your painting equipment thoroughly and allow it to dry while you are waiting for the primer.

Step 5:
Mix your base paint into your airbrush gun following the manufacturer’s instructions. When ready, as with the primer coat, begin working in sections about a foot long. Holding the gun about 6”-10” away from the body, begin applying the paint in even, steady strokes.

Make sure that your passes overlap to avoid seaming; you should come about halfway back and pass over a previous area before moving forward. Think, “Two steps back, one step forward” as you work.

Again, refer to the paint manufacturer’s directions in regards to drying time. As before, clean out your airbrush equipment thoroughly and allow it to dry before moving onto the next step.

Step 6:
Dipping your sandpaper in the clear water, begin to wet-sand the color coat until it is smooth. Usually the finest grade sand paper you can find will work best. Keep it sopping wet throughout this process to get the best result. Let the car dry completely before moving on.

Step 7:
Mix the clear coat varnish and load into your airbrush gun according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Using the same application method as before, completely cover the base coat surface with a coat of the clear varnish. Allow to dry completely, referring to the paint manufacturer’s instructions as to time. Once again completely clean your airbrush equipment and let dry completely.

Step 8:
Using your buffer and buffing compound, polish the clear coat until it shines like it’s ready for a showroom floor.

Stand back and admire your job well done!

carjunky
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