The 20 Step System

Speaking of cars, now that I have made my blogging debut, it seems like an appropriate time to write up a post I've been thinking about for quite a while. With the warmer weather over the past couple of weeks, it has gotten me thinking about cleaning up all of the winter messes and diving into spring cleaning. I actually look forward to being able to get out and start working in the yard, and to be able to get the house and cars looking good again. I suppose it is no big surprise to anyone who knows me that I like to keep things clean and organized, and that I actually look forward to being able to clean. In fact, when I was in Junior High, some of my friends gave me a bottle of pledge for my birthday thinking it was a big joke. Little did they know that I actually thought it was a great gift. To be honest- I don't really know what spring cleaning is. I suppose when most people talk about "spring cleaning" they generally mean that they take the extra time to "deep clean." To me "deep clean" is synonymous to clean- it is either clean, or it isn't. I don't understand how something is sort-of clean. I suppose it is the same philosophy I take on a number of things: You either take the time to do it right- or you don't do it at all. This type of philosophy drives Jamie absolutely nuts. For example, take a routine cleaning of the kitchen. I go to work scrubbing the counters and sink, drying out the sink to prevent any water spots, completely cleaning the oven and stove- inside and outside, wiping out all of the cupboards, emptying out the fridge and wiping it down, moving the fridge and stove to clean under and behind them, dusting the tops of the cupboards, wiping down all of the small appliances, cleaning out the light fixtures, cleaning the inside and out of all the windows, and sweeping and moping the floor. The problem is- you can't really have a clean kitchen while the rest of the house is dirty... so cleaning to me usually means cleaning the entire house in a similar manner. OCD, I know. (I guess it is not all bad though--they say that a good Anesthesiologist by nature has at least some quirks and OCD tendencies.) Well, as you can guess, cleaning takes me quite a bit of time- which is a highly sought after commodity these days. Since my philosophy is to take the time to do it right, or not bother doing it at all, too often the later occurs. One solution I have tried works quite well when I am home alone, but it doesn't work so well with a house full of kids. It involves taking the day to get things all clean- then just stop using everything. No cooking meals- it creates a mess. No walking on the carpet- it ruins the vacuuming pattern. No using the bathroom or taking showers--you get the picture. Then you would only have to clean a couple of times a month since the pesky dust accumulates no matter what. The only problem is that doesn't work so well when the kids get hungry, or want to play with their toys. As a result I am trying to add a new word into my vocabulary-- "touch-up cleaning." Unfortunately, my OCD doesn't end with cleaning the kitchen. It similarly spills into my cleaning of the cars. (Which is what this post is supposed to be about.) I feel the same way about detailing a car as I do about deep cleaning. Detailing = cleaning in my book. When you combine the idea of clean it right, or don't clean it with the negative 20 degrees outside, you can imagine how often the cars get cleaned during the winter. As if they weren't dirty enough, the Minnesota winters just wreak havoc on a car. Since it gets so cold here, they often use dirt rather than salt to spread on the roads. It quickly turns to mud, and with the kids getting in and out of the car all day- it gets everywhere- inside and out. It's a disaster. Thank goodness; however, that I have developed my very own 20 steps to a clean car to take care of this problem.

Let me further explain.

After we bought the Acadia, I wanted to keep it looking good. Consequently I did quite a bit of research on what the best products to use were. After hours of looking and comparing and reading everyone's opinion--I found Zaino. From there I took the Zaino products and developed my own method of "detailing" a car inside and out. With the help of Zaino, and my 20 step program, I can get any old car looking new- and keep any new car staying new. So, without any further ado... I present:

Nicholas Hoskins' 20 Steps to a Clean Car.

Inside:

Step 1) Wipe all the surfaces in the car with hot water and a cleaning agent (I prefer Simple Green, or Mr Clean). This also involves collecting all of the kids "treasures", garbage, and other clutter that seems to accumulate in the car, as well as de-gunking the cup holders.

Step 2) Remove the seat protectors and car seats and completely disassemble and clean them out. Often it is easiest to just run the car seat covers through the wash. I never cease to be amazed what things I find deep in the cracks of the kids car seats.

Step 3) Using a small brush (car brush or old toothbrush)- clean out all of the small crevices (vents, around the trimming, etc.)

Step 4) Remove the floor mats and vacuum the carpet.

Step 5) Using a shampoo, or spot cleaner- scrub the carpets and floor mats to get the deep dirt and stains. Sometimes I add a stain repellant at this point, but admittedly, I don't do it every time.

Step 6) Clean the leather seats- Zaino has a product (Z-9), but I don't think anything beats a magic eraser. Just make sure it is plenty wet so you don't damage the leather.

Step 7) Leather in a bottle. One of my favorite Zaino products. Use Z-10 on all seats and leather in the car. Has a nice "leather" smell and keeps them soft and supple.

Step 8) Lube the vinyl. Depending on your preference, there are a couple of products that can be used. My favorite is 303 Aerospace Vinyl Protectant. It keeps things looking clean, but you don't get the high gloss finish that some prefer. I like the Aerospace because it acts like sunblock for the vinyl as well.

Step 9) Add some fragrance. I actually usually wait a day or two for this step since the Simple Green leaves a nice fresh and clean smell itself.

Outside:

Step 10) Initial Wash. To get your car looking clean and shiny, you need to start with a clean paint surface. To do this you start by washing your car with Dawn or Joy dish soap. It dissolves all of the wax and other products which may have accumulated on the car. Growing up we used to use regular dish soap every time we cleaned the car. I later learned how it completely strips everything off the car- and too frequent use can actually dull the paint. 2-3 times per year is plenty. When washing, remember to change the water often. I also have found that a grit guard in the bottom of the bucket is nice to prevent dirt from being rubbed all over the car as you are trying to wash it off. For the same reason, it is important to start from the top and work your way down.

Step 11) The clay bar: Z-18. This is one of the big keys to a good looking car. The clay bar is absolutely essential. It gets all of the road grime, tar, water spots, tree sap, and other impurities that you can't always see. It cleans all contaminants from the paint and gets it ready for the polish.

Step 12) Wash the car again- to get all of the clay bar impurities off. This time use the Zaino wash: Z-7 with lubricants to buffer the paint from scratches, swirling, or marring and also prepares the paint for the polish.

Step 13) Dry. The most important thing here is the type of towel. Just make sure it is clean and soft. I think terry cloth or micro fiber towels are fine. Zaino recommends 100% cotton white towels only.

Step 14) Polish. If the clay bar is the first key to a good looking car- this is the second. The polish you use depends on your car. For a new car with new paint- use the Z-2. For older cars with some micro scratches, use Z-5. For bigger problems you can use the Z-PC fusion paint cleaner and swirl remover. To remove the polish, again, I just use a clean soft cloth.

Step 15) Wax. With the Zaino polish- they actually say that it acts as a sealant which gets better with each application, but I still think good wax on top of it all finishes things off nicely. I love the wax I have (compliments of Kyle from his dealership), but any good carnauba wax will probably do. Zaino also has a new product, Z-CS, which sounds pretty good, but I haven't tried it.

Step 16) Buffing. I have an orbital buffer I bought at Autozone for $40-50. Nothing fancy, but it does the trick. It gets all the wax off, and buffs it to bring out a brilliant shine.

Step 17) Gloss Enhancer. Another of my favorite Zaino products. Z-6, or Z-8 can be used at the end, and in between washes to add that extra touch of shine.

Step 18) Clean the windows. I imagine most use Windex- but I prefer Invisible Glass. Seems to clean better with less streaks.

Almost done...

Step 19) Lube the tires and outside vinyl. Once again I turn to Zaino. Z-16 leaves a nice shine that seems to last pretty well. I also get all of the black vinyl on the outside to keep things looking extra shiny- and don't forget under the hood. So many people neglect the engine bay. With most newer cars, there is quite a lot of plastic under the bonnet that shines up quite nicely when it is not forgotten.

Step 20) Maintenance. A car isn’t clean until it is clean inside and out. I think a good general fuel system cleaner added to the gas with every oil change does make a difference. I like to use the Lucus fuel system cleaner, but I have also heard good things about the Sea Foam fuel system cleaner. I always use synthetic oil, so I generally stick to every 6,000 miles for an oil change. That makes it easy to remember to rotate the tires which should be done every 6,000 miles as well. As for the other maintenance items- I just go by the manufacturers recommended intervals listed in the owner's manual.

There, all done- in 20 easy steps. It looks great and runs well too! So, the big question is: how long does it take? Of course it depends on what size of car you have. A Suburban will obviously take a lot longer than a Porsche. For the Acadia- I can get the inside done in about 2 hours, and the outside done in about 3 hours. For the Acura- it usually takes about 1/2 that time, some because of the size difference, but probably more so because the kids generally aren't in my car getting half of their lunch in their mouth, and half ground into the floor mats. Question number two, how much do these products cost? As for the Zaino products... they are admittedly a little pricey, but once you make the initial investment, a little product goes a long way. Their website is great as well (www.zainostore.com) and honestly, is the place I got a lot of my tips from. All the others came either from my many years of cleaning cars with my dad, or from Erik Clapham, and Justin Keller- car cleaning experts themselves.

So- there you have it. See OCD can lead to good things too- like a show room shine on just about any car. ( Or a perpetually filthy car since my wife won't give up five hours very often!) It just takes a little bit of time and elbow grease.

And here's a picture of our cars right after the 20 step system, just for history's sake.