Home > Fun Stuff > CAFCNA Magazine - March 2002 > Page 2

Washing Your Avalanche

Before I begin, I must tell you of an e-book that goes into great length on the many aspects of detailing. The book is from http://autopia-carport.com a site dedicated to detailing. I do not receive money from the site but I have found it to be the best place to send beginners and novices for detailing information. I am not a professional detailer but a clean Avalanche is a happy Avalanche. Here are some tips on how to keep your Avalanche looking showroom new with a little bit of effort.

Tires & Rims

Always wash your tires and rims prior to washing your Avalanche to prevent water spots on the truck. This also it allows you to wash off any of the rim and tire cleaners that may have gotten on the paint and cladding when you wash the truck. Wash one wheel and tire at a time and use a separate wash mitt or soft brush so you don't swirl your paint with road grit from off of your rims. Also never wash your wheels when they are hot or after recent heavy braking as this can damage your rotors.

I suggest using a tire cleaner from Eagle One. Spray the cleaner on and agitate with a stiff plastic brush. The cleaner needs time to work so let it sit for two to ten minutes and then rinse. Prepare a bucket with your favorite car shampoo and water but use double the amount of shampoo. Use a wash mitt or high quality wash brush to clean the rims. Make sure you get into all nooks and crannies and also reach in through the holes to get at the dirt on the inside of the wheels. To maintain that showroom look consider taking your wheels off once or twice a year to clean the inside of the rims.

Washing

Most swirls and scratches in a car or truck are from when people wash them. Proper washing and waxing techniques help prevent them from appearing. Park your Avalanche on a slight incline to help the water run off when rinsing. This will help prevent water spots. You shouldn't wash a hot vehicle as this can cause water spotting. Pre-rinse the Avalanche with a high stream of water from you hose. This is to loosen up large dirt and flush them away.

Get two buckets and add your favorite car shampoo in one and then fill both buckets with water. Use the water bucket to help flush any dirt that your wash mitt has picked up after each panel. I suggest using only a high quality 100% cotton wash mitt to help further prevent swirls and scratches. Always wash from the top down and do the roof and hood first so as not to induce swirls and scratches. I also suggest on horizontal panels like the hood to wash from front to back and on the vertical surfaces like fenders to wash up and down. This way if you to make swirl marks they are less visible. Do all the painted surfaces and glass first and then wash the lower cladding. You should use another wash mitt or a high quality soft wash brush on the cladding so you don't get road grit on the painted surfaces. When washing the cladding start with the bed covers and sail areas then work your way down saving those areas near the wheels for last.

Drying

Drying is another time when you can induce swirls and scratches. I take the nozzle off the hose and let the stream from the hose cascade on the roof so it forms a sheet of water I then move to the windshield and down the hood. This large sheet of water will tend to flow off the truck and leave less water behind. After doing the whole truck I then get a leaf blower and blow the majority of any remaining water off the truck. Focus on the mirrors, where the cladding meets the body, and along the top box storage panels to help get hidden water out so it does not drip onto your clean Avalanche when you drive away.

When done with the leaf blower I use either micro fiber towels or a synthetic chamois like the Absorber and blot dry the truck. When I'm done drying the outside, once again from top to bottom, front to back on horizontal panels, up and down on vertical panels, I open all the doors and use a micro fiber towel to dry and clean the door jams, the B pillar, and the tailgate jam. When you're done drying the Avalanche you can dry the rims and tires with a dedicated towel.

Exterior Plastic & Rubber

When the truck is dry I suggest using water based dressing for the plastic and rubber such as the cladding and tires. These products have PDMS, which are highly beneficial silicones. Quality products include 303 Aerospace, Vinylex, & Zaino Tire Dressing. Apply the protectant to a foam applicator or sponge and apply to all the plastic and rubber on the exterior. Spread it in a thin layer so it does not drip and let it sit for ten to twenty minutes before lightly rubbing it off with a cotton or micro fiber towel. If you desire a shiny finish apply another coat and let it sit for 30 minutes prior to drying. The cladding should have a nice satin to shiny finish and the tires will look brand new.

Windows

You're almost done with washing your Avalanche. Use a non-ammonia based window cleaner designed for cars such as Stoners Invisible Glass or Eagle One 20/20 Auto Glass Cleaner. If it is windy out spray the cleaner right on the towel and scrub the glass to remove any dirt or grime you may have missed when washing. Then buff dry with a green cotton surgical towel. I find this leaves no lint or smudges. When cleaning outside glass you should go up and down and when you clean your inside glass you should go left to right. This way you can determine if any streaks are on the inside or the outside at a glance.

Finally you can go out and enjoy your shiny clean Avalanche. Next month I will cover how to wax your truck.

Author Credit: Mark Brustowicz AKA ygmn