While Jims_97_ETC was in town to pick up his 2011 Cadillac CTS-V, we were discussing the topic of spray detailer. I actually meant to pick up a bottle of spray detailer to tuck in his Cadillac for the drive back, but didn’t get that done by Saturday.
Spray Detailer is a product used for touch-up clean-up of an automobile when you don’t have time or need a full wash. So let’s say you get a new, clean car, and get one spot on it on the way back home. You’d spray just that spot with the spray detailer, then wipe off with a micro-fiber towel, and the car would be clean again. No muss, no fuss.
The spray detailer provides a quick spot-rinse, soap to lubricate and lift the dirt, and liquid wax to provide some shine. A microfiber towel helps pull the dirt off the vehicle without scratching the paint.
Spray Detailer is relatively expensive, costing around $8 for 16 oz of the stuff. When I was trying to describe to Jim the goodness of Spray Detailer it occurred to me that I should have been able to just hand him a spray bottle with water, wash & wax concentrate, and mark it ‘done’! Why buy when you can DIY (do it yourself)?
Materials:
- Professional quality spray bottles (Around $5 for 6 at Sam’s Club)
- Car wash concentrated solution, especially a wash & wax solution
- Clean Water
- Microfiber towel
Recipe:
Follow directions on the car wash solution for dilution — basically add 1 or 2 ounces of car wash solution then fill up the rest of the spray bottle with water.
Mix thoroughly. I actually used Turtle Wax Concentrated Car Wash (will not spot or streak) that I had a gallon of in the garage, and tap water. Filtered water would be a reasonable mod here.
Use:
Spray the DIY Spray Detailer on the problem area / bird poop / dirt.
Wipe away with a microfiber towel.
Okay Bruce, but How do you know DIY Spray Detailer works?
My first test was on my own prized 2008 Cadillac STS-V of course. In the photo above you can see the ‘after’ shot. The back of the Cadillac gets a light film of dirt due to the aero parts working — the back catches dirt that can’t come off the spoiler with the air and stays there.
As soon as I sprayed on the DIY Spray Detailer I could see dirt lift and stream down the paint in tiny brown rivulets. One quick wipe with a handy microfiber towel, which along with the soap lubrication in the DIY Spray Detailer lifts dirt away from the paint, and the back of my Cadillac was shiney and clean.
I also did a quick-round of wheel cleaning, using the tight spray control to just hit the wheels and a microfiber towel to clean them off. This worked great for cleaning the wheels, but basically blackened the microfiber towel. I started with a used / almost done towel. In the future I might use the DIY Spray Detailer and a wheel brush instead of a microfiber towel on tires/wheels.
Summary
if you are heading to a car show, consider an off-the-shelf spray detailer solution designed for this purpose. If you are just trying to keep your Cadillac clean and looking good, consider mixing up some DIY Spray Detailer when needed.
I am pleased with my result and plan to continue to use my DIY Spray Detailer for spot clean-up.
