Detailing the Details

Details like emblems, logos, model numbers, key holes are hard to care for. Those areas tend to be neglected when washing. They become a pain in the b*tt when polishing and waxing as the polish or wax would get "trapped" in between them. After prolong time, they become caked up with polish and wax residues combined with all the road grime and dirt. Soon they would become an eye sore on your nicely detailed shinny ride.

In this post, I would share how I normally detail those details. As always, the following methods are what I normally practice. They are just my personal preference. The methods would depends on the level of dirtiness as well as the condition of your ride. I hope this would serve as a reference. Know your ride and find out what is the best method that suits you and your ride.

The general idea is to detail these areas while washing the car. Take advantage of the suds generated in your car wash bucket. The tool to use would be a soft bristle brush. It could be anything from a detailing brush to a paint brush or a dusting brush. If you feel that the paint on your ride is hard enough a soft bristle toothbrush might even work. Just test on a small area to make sure that it would not mar the paint. Just don't use toothpaste! They are meant for your teeth and not your car. The abrasives in toothpaste might mar and ruin your ride's paint.

Here I would normally use a detailing brush. This particular one is from Autoglym but any soft detailing brush would work fine. This brush came together with Autoglym wheel cleaner set and it is meant for alloy and painted wheels. I tested on my ride's paint and it seems gentle enough.

Autoglym Detailing Brush

Get a generous amount of car wash on those area. Dip the brush into the wash and then gently brush the area. Brush and agitate gently. Let all the suds lift up the dirt as you are brushing.

The idea is to use the brush to get into every nook and crevice to brush up all the dirt. The suds from the car wash would help lift them up.

The same thing could be done on the door handles too especially on the under side.

Besides using normal cash wash shampoos, no-rinse and  waterless wash could be used too. The lack of suds on waterless wash is compensated by the increased lubricity and dirt encapsulation capabilities. Similar to using normal cash wash, soak the area with plenty of waterless wash and gently clean with a brush.

No-Rinse and Waterless Wash

If the dirt proves to be too tough to remove, a stronger solution could be used. They could range from a pH neutral wheel cleaner like Chemical Guys Diablo or diluted all-purpose-cleaner like Optimum Power Clean (aka Alien Clean).

Do make sure to wax back those areas after cleaning as they might strip away existing protection.

There you have it. A quick and effortless method to detail the details.
Happy detailing.