Dry your surface well

After having rinsed your car with clean water make sure there is no visible dirt, grease or oil still visible on the surface.

Using a clean, damp, natural or synthetic chamois, start at the top of the car and work down, drawing the chamois across the surface in a straight line. If you are using a natural chamois, use the “rough” side to dry the car. Keep wiping until little or no droplets of water visible on the surface. If you prefer drying with a microfiber cloth the microfiber waffle weave is excellent and will absorb and remove all the final water droplets that you see.

There are many different kinds of synthetic chamois. Cheaper synthetic chamois “cling and Jerk” as you draw them across the surface leaving ridges of water. Find a synthetic chamois that pulls evenly like a natural chamois or use the microfiber waffle weave to dry the surface. It absorbs like a chamois and will not scratch the surface.

Compound or Polish or a Glaze?

“Compounds” and some polishes are abrasive. Compounds are the most abrasive and come in different grades of abrasiveness and depending on severity of the problem be it a light surface scratch, to uneven paint or to deep scratches you choose the grade you need. Polishes can be abrasive or non abrasive but are generally less abrasive than compounds and some can even remove light surface scratches, water spots and bird droppings. Compounds are designed to take away a layer of the top clear coat or paint surface. They are best used with a circular polisher, but also work with dual action polishers. If looking for a good compound we suggest the Menzerna line of compounds as they are very effective, easy to use and provide a good finish.

After using any compound we always recommend polishing the surface with a silicone free polish or wax like Hi Gloss 707 to take away any dullness left behind by the compound.

“Polishes” generally contain solvent cleaners or very mild abrasives and are also sometimes called pre-wax cleaners or paintwork cleaners. Some have very mild solvents whereas others have a strong petroleum solvent base and may or may not contain fine abrasives, silicones, fillers and waxes. Polishes help remove old wax, paint sealants and minor blemishes and restore surface gloss. Some such as Hi Gloss 707 even contain very high grade carnauba wax and are silicone free so you do not have to buy a wax to apply after the polish. They do not abrade like compounds and typically burnish the surface to a mirror-like gloss rather than abrade away paint. Polishes can be applied by circular polishers, dual-action polishers or by hand.

"Glazes" generally contain oils and wetting agents and help revitalize the look of paint. Used at automotive manufacturing plants and by paint and body shops on freshly painted surfaces their main function is to improve the brilliance, depth and clarity of the paint. Some contain fillers to hide very minor imperfections (swirls) and generally do not offer any protection. Glazes do not contain silicone and are almost always body-shop friendly. After a vehicle is painted or touched up it may be compounded to remove minor defects, polished to remove compounding haze or surface dullness and a glaze applied to create a uniform, deep, "wet" shine before it is delivered to the consumer. Enthusiasts like to use glazes because they tend to create a "wet-look" and this maximizes the shine on show cars. Glazing does not replace polishing with a polish and do not last very long.

Cleaning your cars interiors vinyl, plastic, carpet or rubber interiors.

Start by vacuuming your cars interior to remove any loose dirt from door jams, carpets, seats etc when the dirt is dry instead of wet. You can use soft rounded brushes for the seats, dash etc. and a stiff-bristled brush on the carpets etc. to loosen embedded dirt and soften the piles by lifting them and separating the entangled fibers.

You can buy one of those portable vacuum cleaners that plug in to the lighter and regularly vacuum your carpets. This will prevent the carpets from getting damaged and hard due to the salt and grime that generally collects during the winter and forms a curst. Do-it-yourselfers who do not want to buy one of these portable vacuums, but want something more powerful and industrial can visit the local gas station or car wash and utilize the coin-powered vacuums. We found one of these portable units very effective and easy to store in the car. This made maintaining a dirt-free interior actually feasible and easy.

The next step is to clean any soiled areas with the appropriate cleaner. For grimy upholstery and carpet, use Superkleen 707 a biodegradable carpet and upholstery cleaner with a sturdy upholstery scrub brush. Mix 1 part Superkleen 707 with 5 parts warm water and spray on to surface being cleaned (carpet, upholstery, etc). For stubborn stains, repeat application, but test on an inconspicuous area first for color-fastness even though Superkleen 707 is safe on gentle fabrics. Then let the surface dry or vacuum it dry with a wet vacuum cleaner or dry terry towel

For vinyl, plastics and rubber use Plastic Care 707 especially formulated for these surfaces. This is a silicone free and abrasive free product that will clean, protect and condition all the vinyl, plastic and rubber in your car, boat etc. Unlike Armour All or other silicone based products it will not leave the surface greasy, or slippery. Do not use Plastic Care 707 on leather as leather needs to breath.

Note: If you have a leather interior you can use Lederbalsam 707 which is made out of natural bees wax and will clean and protect leather without damaging the leather or drying it out. It is used by major manufacturers of fine leather furniture all over Europe and is the best leather cleaner and conditioner we have come across. For more information on all these products please go to products page on www.Xkleen.com and click on more info for detail information on product.

Cleaning stains out of cloth upholstery

Let's star with perhaps the most common stain in vehicles -- the coffee stain. Blot the stain immediately after it spills, absorbing as much of the liquid as possible into a napkin, towel or rag. Later, you can use one of the commercial upholstery cleaners or SuperKleen 707 a biodegradable cleaner which will not discolor your upholstery fabric during cleaning.

An alternative to the commercial cleaners is shaving cream. Place a little bit of the shaving-cream foam directly onto the stain and work it in with a cloth. Let it sit for a few minutes, then begin blotting up the shaving cream with a clean cloth. This is a fairly effective technique for lifting coffee stains out of upholstery.

Another technique that's useful for coffee stains -- as well as many other stains -- is to blot the area with club soda.

For ink stains, it's important to avoid causing the ink to spread or smear any further than it already has. The objective is to keep it concentrated in a small area as you work on removing the stain.

Hair-spray applied directly onto an ink-stain works as well as just about anything for dissolving and removing the ink.

Spray the effected area, let it soak in for a few minutes and blot with a clean cloth or shop-rag. Change cloths often to avoid re-introducing the ink back into the fabric as you blot.

Rubbing alcohol may also be effective at removing an ink stain. Apply and blot it in the same method as the hairspray. kit

Car-Boat Wax/Polish

Plexiglass Cleaner & Scratch Remover