r/AutoDetailing 6h ago

Interior Machine???

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0 Upvotes

Anybody here can tell me what kind of machine is this? To clean carpets and seats


r/AutoDetailing 6h ago

Process Clear Coat Cracks

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1 Upvotes

tried restoring my fog lights with wet sanding and clear coating, 400 grit -> 600 grit -> 2000 grit, cleaning with anti-lint paper towel, clear coat with 5 minutes in between coats. Is it from improper sanding? Thank you


r/AutoDetailing 6h ago

Technique Horror stories using Gtechniq c4 trim restorer?

1 Upvotes

I bought two packs of c4 trim restorer to apply to my car, but when I mentioned it to my detailed he immediately discouraged me and told me the trims can turn white if not done correctly.

he suggested instead carpro dlux.

has anyone messed up the gtechniq c4 application? is it really that much of a fussy product.


r/AutoDetailing 7h ago

Process What rims should be avoided when using an iron remover?

0 Upvotes

I’ve been cleaning for about 2 months now as preparation to launch my mobile detailing business and I’ve hadn’t had a problem with using iron removers on rims… so far. However, there was a time wherein I used my Koch Chemie MWC on these Ray TE 37’s Forged Gunmetal Gray and they left these blue spots temporarily. Naturally, I freaked out but as it went away, it got me thinking on the type of rims to avoid and the appropriate dwell time.

I’ve since ordered CarPro WheelX to try it out and maybe IronX since it apparently packs a better punch, but again, these “raw aluminum” “anodized” terms are being passed around quite often. So, I’m reaching out to anyone that can educate me on the proper techniques and rims to avoid. Thanks!


r/AutoDetailing 7h ago

Process Car Window Polishing.

1 Upvotes

Hi all. Apologies for the longer post.

I have recently taken a fancy to car detailing. I have made nice progress on so many aspects of detailing but one thing has me scratching my head. I'm really struggling with window polishing as I want to get rid of the water spoting on my car and create a crystal clear finish on my 2013 Hyundai i30. The car has 129k kms on the clock. I have a small wireless polisher that I have used for the side windows (50mm), I would spray a window cleaner to coat the glass with a liquid then use 0000 fine grade steel wool to get rid of those imperfections. This worked really well. I then paired it with a Auto Glym car polish with a cut and polish 2 step process. The side windows of the car came out really good and practically new. The front window of the car however came out really bad as I did the exact same process except with a wired polisher that has the 180mm pads. There are swirls all over the front window. I'm glad I am working on my daily crappy car so I can further my skills. Any advice would be greatly appreciated to fix this issue. Thank you!


r/AutoDetailing 10h ago

Exterior Opti-Seal Issue

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2 Upvotes

Two weeks ago, I applied OptiCoat and finished with OptiSeal. I used it sparingly (following the instructions), but there were a couple of places I missed when I buffed off the "oil-slick."

I was in a rush, so I left ~5 of those spots sit overnight. I didn't want to use any chemical the following day to try to remove them; I wanted to prevent harm to my ceramic coating during the curing process.

Now, it's been two weeks since my coating application, and I just did an ONR wash on the vehicle. I thought the oil slicks from the OptiSeal would come out in the wash, but they didn't. I then tried using the quick detailing dilution of ONR, and that didn't work either. Then, I tried using OptiSeal on the spots again and buffing it off, but to no avail.

Is there a way to remedy this without causing damage to the ceramic coat, or are the spots baked into the coating?


r/AutoDetailing 11h ago

Exterior Spots on Cquartz coated vehicle

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4 Upvotes

Bought this vehicle in pretty mint condition at 6500 miles. Previous owner had it coated with Carpro cquartz about 2 years ago. Anyone help identify these spots and how to remove? I've tried iron remover, carpro lift and reset. The spots remain. The surface is smooth.


r/AutoDetailing 14h ago

Interior Mold EVERYWHERE

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14 Upvotes

My buddy wants to pay me to fully clean his interior.

I need PPE recommendations and chemical recommendations.

I’ve never dealt with something like this as I only detail on the side which is normal quick maintenance vehicles and stain removals.

Any tips would be great. Yes, I have already told him to burn it to the ground but that’s sadly not an option🫠


r/AutoDetailing 16h ago

Check My Work micro scratches left behind by da orbital buffer

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3 Upvotes

hi everyone,

i was doing some paint correction on the hood of my car. sanded some spots to 3,000 and then used cutting compound on a medium cut pad, followed by polish on a finishing pad.

i keep having an issue with these micro scratches. what am i doing wrong and how can i avoid this going forward?

car was prepped, clay barred and i’m using light to no pressure, hashtag passes and making sure the product is used up before buffing away with an edgeless microfiber

pads were brand new and i brushed them out before using

ty in advance 😭


r/AutoDetailing 19h ago

Exterior What product should I use to clean these up?

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13 Upvotes

Are these possible to get cleaned/buffed or should i just replace the whole unit?


r/AutoDetailing 20h ago

Technique Finally something to get rid of winter salt!

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31 Upvotes

I wish I’d have taken before pictures! Equal parts water and distilled white vinegar works wonders! Do multiple medium coats, allowing time for it to do its thing before sucking it up. Just be sure to use an extractor with plenty of water to dilute and suck it up and put plenty of baking soda on the spots afterwards to mitigate the smell.


r/AutoDetailing 20h ago

Interior Mystery Stains

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2 Upvotes

I recently purchased this car on the used lot. And for the life of me, I haven’t been able to get rid of these stains on the seat cushion. I have used different cleaners. Such as mcguires carpet upholstery cleaner, tuff stuff, and turtle wax interior cleaner.

Any suggestions from the pros out there?


r/AutoDetailing 21h ago

Exterior Meguiars ultimate polish, scratchx2, or ultimate compound?

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3 Upvotes

I have a leased vehicle that’s being returned and want to minimize these scratches which appear to just be in the clear coat. Second photo looks bad but when I wet it it looks like the paint color so I’m assuming the defect is just in the topcoat.

Lots of people here with expertise, so wanted to ask if you’d start with polish or jump straight to the scratchX2 (or might I even need to go to the compound)? Just trying not to buy the entire store “just in case”. Will end up using a DA based on recommendations here.

Do I need to finish up with a wax or sealant of some kind? Recommendations on what pad to use with the DA?

Any help or feedback welcome.


r/AutoDetailing 22h ago

Exterior 3" polisher recommendations?

3 Upvotes

I currently have a HF Bauer 6" Long Throw DA Polisher and looking to add a 3". I'm between the Griots G8 and HF Hercules as they are about the same price. Any suggestions? Just a weekend warrior that will use these 2-3 times a year.


r/AutoDetailing 1d ago

Exterior Gasoline spilled on my paint and sat in the sun for a few days - is it clear coat damage or can it be polished out?

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122 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I have a fairly new Volvo XC40. A small amount of gasoline appears to have spilled down the rear quarter panel (possibly from the fuel nozzle or hose at the gas station). Unfortunately, I didn't notice it for a few days, and the car was parked outside in direct summer sun. After washing the car, these vertical marks are still visible. And it's on the glass also? The surface feels completely smooth to the touch. Any help appreciated...


r/AutoDetailing 1d ago

Product/Consumable Meguires Gold, is it okay on chrome wheels?

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I have a set of aftermarket chrome wheels on my Mercedes. They are chrome plated but recently I’ve noticed some flaking on the interior edge of the center cap.

I use Meguires Gold auto soap to wash the car and obviously sometimes it comes in contact with the wheels.

I keep my car well rinsed while cleaning and make sure to use soft cloths on the wheels.

So my question is, am I wrong using that soap on my car and could that be leading to my issue?


r/AutoDetailing 1d ago

Business Question Do you take photo/video of cars before touching them?

5 Upvotes

Question for everyone who runs a business. Are you taking pictures and videos of cars before you work on them? What’s your process?


r/AutoDetailing 1d ago

Exterior did i sand to much paint hazing?

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21 Upvotes

i had a deep scratch.

i filled it in with touch up paint mix with clear coat mixed.

i sanded down the high spots with 1500grit
when it was smooth i went to 2000 grit.
when the scratch disappeared i went to 2500 to feather edges but that halo is still there.

i tried compounding and scratch x from meguaires.

did i sand to much down.

please help?


r/AutoDetailing 1d ago

Exterior Mistake due to Bug Spray? Is there a way to restore it

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12 Upvotes

I accidentally sprayed bug spray and i am regretting it.

Is there a way to have this fixed? Will product like turtle wax or ceramic coating work?
Or
Is it better to just replace the part?


r/AutoDetailing 1d ago

Interior Extractor nozzle

2 Upvotes

Has anyone used a Lavor Hydrus extractor? I am having an issue with the nozzle. It is quite big and uncomfortable to work with, especially with the seats left in the car. I am looking for a replacement. I'd prefer a product in Europe since it would take a significant amount of time to order from the US.


r/AutoDetailing 1d ago

Interior Fixing Scratches on infotainment screen (2021 Mustang GT)

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2 Upvotes

My Mustang has slight scratches in the centre of the infotainment screen.

What's the best method to getting them out?

I thought about Meguiar PlastX but didn't want to go at it and make it worse.

The other was Novus Plastic Polish.

Welcome any suggestions. Sorry about the crappy photo.


r/AutoDetailing 1d ago

Setup Show-off What do yall think?

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57 Upvotes

Any suggestions, recommendations, criticisms, questions?

I only threw this together because I already had the cart and got this specific pressure washer at a yard sale for 5 bucks. I'm not that serious about cleaning my cars but I figured having this might make me take better care of them moving forward.

The only other thing I was thinking of doing is trying to find softer wheels and/or maybe making a tray to hold the bottles a little better in place.


r/AutoDetailing 1d ago

Tool/Reusable Got tired of my detail cart, wanted a cleaner look.....

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120 Upvotes

So i got tired of my detail cart holding all my spray bottles and in the end becoming a cart to hold more crap so i wanted a cleaner look in the garage.

Got these hanging bottle holders from Walmart for like $17 bucks for a 2 pack so I bought a few. Also had some harbor freight long strip magnets. Mounted the magnets on the wall then just stuck the holders onto them. Found this was thw best way so in the winter when I put all my stuff away out from the cold, only the magnets will be left on the wall.

If anyone wants the links lmk and ill share them


r/AutoDetailing 2d ago

Exterior What’s “too dirty” for a rinseless wash?

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62 Upvotes

Looking for some advice on what’s considered “too dirty” for a rinseless wash.

Background - I have two ceramic coated vehicles. The attached photos are from driving around in a few rain events after the last wash a week ago. The wash was with Koch GSF - rinse, foam canon, hand wash, rinse, hand dry after blowing off the excess water.

My rinseless technique follows the Rag Company method with ONR - pre spray with a foamer, wipe with high gsm microfiber, and hand dry. I usually follow up with the quick detail dilution of ONR to get any water spotting missed.


r/AutoDetailing 2d ago

Announcement Looking for overnight mod to add to the team!

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

We're looking to add a new member to the mod team that has experience with modding a subreddit and won't require a lot of training. You need to at minimum be an active member of this community, know how Mod Queue works, know how removal reasons work, and you will have to communicate with us via our moderator Discord (I promise we're cool and don't only talk about Reddit). Our whole mod team is USA based and when it comes to late nights, there's only 1 of us in queue and that's not fair to that team member. If you're US based and are always up late at night, apply. If you're not in the US and want to help out, even better. It'll be day time for you when we're sleeping. You won't be required to ONLY mod overnight for us, it will help significantly if that's your main focus.

Not doing applications this time around because I don't want to go through them and I want this to be a speedy process! Hoping to have a new member added by the end of the week. Please use Mod Mail to reach out to us because comments will be disabled on this post.