Best way to clean...

My car is disgusting... bird poop, mud, dead bugs everywhere on the bumper and windshield, and fingerprints on the windshield on the inside. I already took the bumper off so it will be easier to clean. What's the best way to get all this off? Share your detailing tips please

1. Get the water soluble stuff (dirt, bug guts, etc) off first with standard car wash soap and water.
2. Next, take off the petroleum-based stuff (tar, grease, etc) with tar and bug remover (basically kerosene in a small can).
3. Then attack the stubborn stuff with car wax. It will act as a solvent to what is still left from step 2 and it won't evaporate as fast.
4. I would then recommend a quick machine polish with a fine grit compound. I use Griot's #3 machine polish. It's amazing what this stuff does in getting the dull film off your paint surface. Use the coarser grit #2 polish (lightly) on any remaining blemishes, and then re-polish with #3.
5. "Clay" the surface and apply car wax.

For the glass, I love Stoner's Invisble Glass. I never get streaks like I would with Windex. They make a tar remover too that I also use.

If you headlight covers are getting dull, I just saw that Mother's has come out with a resto kit that includes plastic polish and a powerball that attaches to your drill. Mother's also makes a powerball attachement for wheels.

Don't forget to clean the engine. Make sure you don't blast water into your disti and other electronic bits.

As for polishes and such, you will get as many opinions as there are products out there. I personally use Mother's stuff for paint and aluminum. Heard really good thinks about Griot's stuff. MacQuiers too. One day I'm going to get teh Griot's polisher. I'm tired of doing it all by hand.

Keeping around a spray bottle of speed shine is great for knocking off bird poop and bugs between polishings. Remember that both will eat your paint if left on.

Current Promo From Griots:

Thanks for the advice guys. Mark I got some Invisible Glass, works like magic! So the windshield is done, now for the hard part

Here's what it looked like with the bumper off. I drove around like this for a couple days



I kind of just want to take the entire body off just for the heck of it

Actually I kinda like it like that. Looks mean an manly. BTW if you recall, Dan took off his rear bumper to make his car look meaner and manlier...like mine

here here!!! and to show off my cars enormous....exhaust
btw, you need to show me about this dry washing thing, Im too lazy for the soup and water route and figured when I get home from work I can do a door today a hood tomorrow etc

Webby...you might want to consider putting the roof up the next time you wash the car.

Only real men take their cars appart to clean them.


Maybe he was washing the inside too. He's pretty determined to give it a GOOD cleaning.