| diesel Truck Cleaning Products car Wash
Diesel truck owners are not average. Partly because diesel trucks are not average. You may use your diesel for work, play, or both, but you probably take care of it. You may have noticed that all diesel vehicles have personalities. They run better when they're clean. OK, so they also attract more attention.
Now we have problems. Dirty problems. Bugs, mud, road grime, tree pitch, bird poop-the more you use your truck, the worse things get. We know this far too well. We've been getting diesel trucks dirty for many years, and being creative, we've discovered some very helpful products to keep our diesel trucks clean.
First, you need to rinse off the chunks. The hose is obvious. Sprayer nozzles help direct the water and concentrate the power. Carrand makes the Water Snake, which attaches to most flow-thru poles and redirects the adjustable spray in any direction, great for getting the mud off under the frame and reaching the cab roof of a lifted 4x4.
Next you need a bucket, but not just any bucket. Check out the Grit Guard bucket. It has a big grate in the bottom that allows sand and grit to fall through, instead of turning your wash mitt or brush into a piece of sandpaper. Great idea! Add soap and water. No worries. If you're into show-'n'-shine events, you can bring your own touch-up water with you-the lid on the Grit Guard bucket seals.
You can use dishwashing detergent to wash your truck, but only if you don't care about the paint on your vehicle. Several companies have better soaps made specifically for washing vehicles. Protect All, Meguiar's, Turtle Wax, Mothers, and Armor All are all excellent.
So you've rinsed the big stuff off of your vehicle and washed thoroughly with a soft brush or mitt. Drying is perhaps one of the most important steps, and a California Original Water Blade is the answer. Trust us, if you're still drying your truck, boat, toy-hauler, or car with an old bath towel, we suspect you may still be playing eight-track tapes. The Water Blade's silicone edge easily removes 90 percent of all water from most surfaces in seconds. It comes in two sizes: regular, and a large, 18-inch model, great for big surfaces like RVs. The 18-inch version comes with an extension handle for a long reach.
For the water a Water Blade leaves, a product like the Absorber is next in line. Made by Clean Tools, the Absorber has replaced all our chamois and most of our towels. It's the perfect tool for final detailing and lint-free windows, and it can be washed and reused forever. Some of ours are more than 10 years old.
Speaking of glass, there are some tricks we've learned. A good coat of Rain-X really does keep bugs, ice, wet snow, road grime, and yes, even rain, from sticking to the windshield.
Over the years, we have discovered an interesting phenomenon: if you can't clean your truck, at least do the tires and wheels. For some reason, clean rubber makes everything look better. There are several products by Mothers, Armor All, Meguiar's, and Turtle Wax that will remove some of the brake dust and road grime from rims and rubber with just a hose, but what it really takes is a stiff brush and elbow grease. We have found that a bead of Soft Scrub and a stiff, natural bristle brush works the best on sidewalls. Carrand and Clean Tools offer a selection of specialized wheel and tire brushes.
Once your tires are clean and dry, there are many products that will restore the glossy black look of old rubber. Which one you use is really a matter of choice. How much shine do you want? Is it the look of John's Used Car Lot you're seeking, or do you, like us, just want the tires to look like new? Vinylex by Lexol, Mothers Protectant, and Turtle Wax F21 give us the look we like, but our favorite is still the original Armor All. The trick is, you can't just spray any of these products on and walk away. To get the new-tire look, you need to wipe it on and buff it off.
If you've let your aluminum wheels become scratched or pitted, there are some great tools and products that will bring them back to a blinding shine. Polishes by X-Treem Products, Griot's Garage, Flitz, and Mothers work well. Flitz and Mothers have drill-powered buffing wheels to speed up the process. The Mothers PowerBall MD Mini is specifically made for taking scratches out of aluminum
Now that everything is spiffy, it's time for a good wax job. There are so many choices from companies like Mothers, Protect All, Griot's Garage, Turtle Wax, and Meguiar's-it can boggle your mind. What it often amounts to is how much work you want, how long you want it to last, and what results you want. Some products claim to do everything in one step: wash, clean, seal, wax, and polish. Others may involve different products for each of those steps. Providing your paintjob is not over oxidized or otherwise trashed, for ease of application, we especially like The Wax Shop Super Glaze and Turtle Wax Platinum Series waxes, which don't leave a white powdery residue on rubber trim. Many of these companies have excellent instructional DVDs, like Griot's Garage, or informative websites like Meguiar's how-to resource (www.meguiars.com/howtocenter/) and Mothers car care discussion group (www.waxforum.com).
Now we'll turn our attention to the interior. There are several one-step foams and liquids for leather out there, but we like the two-step approach. First clean, and then protect. Lexol has always been our favorite. Lexol Cleaner is used first, followed by Lexol leather conditioner. For dust and static-free cleaning of the dash and other plastic parts, Lexol Vinylex is excellent. Floor mats can be renewed with almost any good carpet-cleaning product. Coleman white gas camping fuel will remove stubborn grease stains.
All that's left is the engine. Frankly, we have had varying results with all of the so-called spray-on engine cleaners and degreasers. What seems to work best, if the engine is not really bad, is a little Simple Green or similar cleaning product and a hose. It helps if the engine is warm, but not hot. Then the old standby-take a rag and wipe off the dirt.
For those times in between washes, there are several products that prolong those intervals. You can't go to any car show without seeing a few of those big, red Original California Dusters around. They come in several sizes, and they pick up dust like a magnet. Carrand also makes a dust glove that does the same. Meguiar's offers its Ultimate Wipe, and Clean Tools and Thetford have moist protectant cloths. Both come in a resealable pouch. Original California Dusters has just introduced a MicroFiber Magic wheel duster to remove that coating of brake dust.
All of this information is about dirt, and how to keep it off your truck, car, or RV. Yet even a garage has dust that will seek out glass and paint like flies on dead meat. By simply covering your truck and trailer with custom Covercraft WeatherShield covers, they can sit for months under sun, rain, snow, tree pitch, and bird doo. When we pull back the Covercraft fitted covers, the most the truck might need is a quick pass with an Original California Duster. Custom cab covers are a great alternative for truck owners. They protect the entire cab area from heat, sun, snow, and damaging UV rays. They fit between the cab and pickup bed, and since they're not a full-size cover, they're easy to store, and you can throw them in the washing machine when they get dirty.
So now you know our secrets. No excuses. You wouldn't come back from a ride on your favorite horse and put it in the corral without taking the saddle off and giving it a good wipe down with a curry brush. Make your diesel ride happy.
