cleaning the Clarity

P

ProspectiveBuyer

Member
I've only had my car a week now -- and I love it. But wondering if anyone has any good tips/suggestions for washing/cleaning the car. It's been a while since I've cared and/or bothered since my last car was such a beater. Any suggestions on what to use (interior and exterior) would be great.
 
Great topic. I've also been wondering specifically what to put on the fake leather seats in the Touring trim to make them easier to clean.

My dealer wanted to sell me some $650 Armorall package!
 
The Touring is definitely leather. You could do the $650 Armorall package yourself. Just buy the product, spray and a little elbow grease. For the carpet and trunk, I used 3M auto fabric protector. Once done, regular carwash, vacuum and re-apply Armorall when needed.

I also applied "Precut 3M PRO Series Clear Bra Kit for 17+ Honda Clarity (found on ebay)" to help with any chipping/scratching on the front part of the car and "*3M 180" Door Edge Scratch Clear Guard Trim Protector Film Scotchgard". These can get pricey but doing it yourself will save a lot.
 
If you truly want to preserve the gloss / finish / shine of the clear coat, and reduce the risk of getting swirl marks, then stay away from Automatic car washes.

It definitely takes more effort to keep cars cleaned / detailed yourself, but it can be a LOT easier and faster if you have the right products and right techniques (ie Easier waxing with more friendly waxes)

For Cold Winters, Rinseless washes can be excellent (if you have a low to medium level of grime).
My favorite is the Optimum No Rinse Wash and Wax - I have used this for years with excellent results, and can clean a car and SUV with only 2 Gallons of water in the garage, away from freezing wind and death.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GG9FB8U/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For Hand Washing, you can either pay someone or do it yourself.
I personally use an electric Pressure Washer + Foam Gun + Blower (for drying).
I will sometimes use microfiber mitts after foaming to get at heavier grime areas not removed by pressure washing, and then quickly rinse + Foam again.
For water spots and extra shine, I then followup with Duragloss Aquawax 951 (spray wax) between hand waxes.
https://www.amazon.com/Duragloss-95...UTF8&qid=1532961939&sr=1-2&keywords=duragloss

I wax the cars at least 2-3 times a year with Synthetic polymer waxes / sealants. Not carnauba.
Currently using Mothers Synthetic car wax
https://www.amazon.com/Mothers-05716-California-Synthetic-Liquid/dp/B006VU3762

Exterior windows get treated with RainX a few times a year
Interior windows get cleaned with Invisible Glass
I also use RainX Brand wiper fluid which does an excellent job by itself keeping a coating on the windshield.
Boggles my mind why most dont spend the extra $1 for this amazing product, and instead run their wipers at a frenzy with each rain.

I also second the recommendation of Paint protection film. (front hood, mirrors, front roof, headlight lenses, etc)
I buy large rolls of 3M film on amazon / ebay, and then cut them down and apply myself - but I also paid a hefty price of blood / sweat / tears learning to do this somewhat competently.

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ProspectiveBuyer said:
I thought it was real leather in the Touring.
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The perforated part of the Touring's seats is the only leather in the car. All the rest is imitation leather. Nice imitation leather, but imitation leather. The phrase Honda uses for the Touring seats is "leather-trimmed."

I bought Sonax Upholstery and Alcantara Cleaner from Amazon in case I touch the beige imitation leather with a dirty finger. Haven't needed to try it yet.
 
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Insightmans right about the Touring. Only the tiny perforated area is real moo cow leather. All the rest is the fake, faux, green, eco, sustainable, blah, blah, blah, not leather. It sure feels good and close to leather though.
I treated it with the same goo I use for the real leather. Really, all you doing is trying to keep it from drying out and cracking.
I did treat the white stitching with Scotchguard and Scotchguarded the you know what out of the “suede”. It didn’t charge the suede’s texture or color. Also Scotchguarded the carpet, trunk, hood felt, and wheel well/underbody felt.
On all plastic and rubber I use 303 Protectant (get it on sale at AutoZone).
I found this protectant to be superior to the Armoral and clones. I found out that the airplane owners, whose air planes sit out in the harsh weather all year, swear by this stuff to keep the heat and sun from destroying plastic. It also has the benefit of not leaving a glossy shine or greasy residue so it’s great for the dash.

Use the 303 Protectant on all gaskets and trim plastic before you wax and then if you inadvertently get any wax on a trim piece, it’s easy to wipe off with out leaving a residue. I use a synthetic “wax” like NuFinish and the like since they last longer than carnuba waxes. Since the car’s finish seemed like it had never been waxed before, I clay barred before the first wax.
My last tip is for doing the hard to wax and wipe off area like the door jambs with the 3 levels of gaskets and hard to reach areas. I found that Barrett Jackson’s spray Rapid Detailer works great for these areas. I spray it on a small rag and wipe on and off. You don’t let it dry so it’s easy. And the bonus is that despite it listing carnuba on the bottle, it wipes off plastic and rubber without leaving a residue.
And like Young J, I treat my windshield with RainX (or any silane based hydrophobic compound) and add RainX to the wiper fluid. At speed over 35 to 40 mph, I don’t even have to use my wipers!
It’s my first new car in 30 years and I want to keep it shiny.
 
Young J Kwak said:
For Hand Washing, you can either pay someone or do it yourself.
I personally use an electric Pressure Washer + Foam Gun + Blower (for drying).
I will sometimes use microfiber mitts after foaming to get at heavier grime areas not removed by pressure washing, and then quickly rinse + Foam again.
For water spots and extra shine, I then followup with Duragloss Aquawax 951 (spray wax) between hand waxes.
https://www.amazon.com/Duragloss-95...UTF8&qid=1532961939&sr=1-2&keywords=duragloss
View media item 180
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Young, these are great suggestions - thank you for taking the time to make that post!

Did you have any recommendations for an electric pressure washer? This is something I've thought about buying for a long time (and I'm thinking about it much more now that I own a car I actually care about :D) but I have no idea what's good or what to look for!
 
Numbernine said:
Did you have any recommendations for an electric pressure washer?
Click to expand...

Oh gosh, I went through a number in my life. I used gas pressure washers for the past 20 yrs, and recently switched over to electric
(in fact I replaced all the gas powered yard / house equipment for electric units)

For electric washers, I would firstly avoid going cheap - I tried a low end harborfreight one and immediately regretted my decision when I used it.
It doesn't even shut off when the trigger is not depressed.

After returning the Harborfreight unit, I bought the 2000psi Greenworks electric pressure washer from Lowes and have been overall impressed.
Going from a $99 ($75 w/ coupon) cheap unit to a $199 unit was a notable difference in overall build quality, pressure consistency, and engineering.

A foam gun will set you back anywhere from $15 (amazon) to over $50 if you dive deep into it.
A dial nozzle will save time in regards to having to otherwise switch tips constantly.
Lowes has a Quick disconnect kit ($20 here in houston) you can install onto most pressure washers so you save the threads on your hose and machine.
I use silicone grease / dieletric grease on the o-rings, and teflon tape on the threads for the quick disconnect
To protect the pump, I instill some pump protector fluid ($8-10 at home depot) through the compressor via the hose attachment - preventive stuff that I have learned over the years to keep the small motor / compressor from seizing up. One of the medium sized bottles will last me around 10-12 flushes
 
Thank you. I've been wanting a pressure washer for a while but didn't want to get a gasoline one. This is very helpful.

I also have an electric push lawn mower and am now looking for an electric riding mower! The rechargeable electric mower I have (for 10 years now) is awesome. Every Spring when other people are changing oil and trying to get their mower's started, I just push a button and it fires right up!
 
ProspectiveBuyer said:
I've only had my car a week now -- and I love it. But wondering if anyone has any good tips/suggestions for washing/cleaning the car. It's been a while since I've cared and/or bothered since my last car was such a beater. Any suggestions on what to use (interior and exterior) would be great.
Click to expand...
Glad to see you bought a Clarity! I was wondering what you had decided- it would seem a new screen name in in order though...
 
I am quite happy with my 1600 psi $99 Ryobi electric pressure washer from Home Depot. I used it to clean my roof and deck with good results. Enough pressure to do the job but not so much that it damages the wood or shingles. I have a rotating brush for it to use when cleaning my car. It does not work well for my driveway but great for the smaller jobs.
 
KentuckyKen said:
Insightmans right about the Touring. Only the tiny perforated area is real moo cow leather. All the rest is the fake, faux, green, eco, sustainable, blah, blah, blah, not leather. It sure feels good and close to leather though.
I treated it with the same goo I use for the real leather. Really, all you doing is trying to keep it from drying out and cracking.
I did treat the white stitching with Scotchguard and Scotchguarded the you know what out of the “suede”. It didn’t charge the suede’s texture or color. Also Scotchguarded the carpet, trunk, hood felt, and wheel well/underbody felt.
On all plastic and rubber I use 303 Protectant (get it on sale at AutoZone).
I found this protectant to be superior to the Armoral and clones. I found out that the airplane owners, whose air planes sit out in the harsh weather all year, swear by this stuff to keep the heat and sun from destroying plastic. It also has the benefit of not leaving a glossy shine or greasy residue so it’s great for the dash.

Use the 303 Protectant on all gaskets and trim plastic before you wax and then if you inadvertently get any wax on a trim piece, it’s easy to wipe off with out leaving a residue. I use a synthetic “wax” like NuFinish and the like since they last longer than carnuba waxes. Since the car’s finish seemed like it had never been waxed before, I clay barred before the first wax.
My last tip is for doing the hard to wax and wipe off area like the door jambs with the 3 levels of gaskets and hard to reach areas. I found that Barrett Jackson’s spray Rapid Detailer works great for these areas. I spray it on a small rag and wipe on and off. You don’t let it dry so it’s easy. And the bonus is that despite it listing carnuba on the bottle, it wipes off plastic and rubber without leaving a residue.
And like Young J, I treat my windshield with RainX (or any silane based hydrophobic compound) and add RainX to the wiper fluid. At speed over 35 to 40 mph, I don’t even have to use my wipers!
It’s my first new car in 30 years and I want to keep it shiny.
Click to expand...
Eco friendly leather is still leather. It refers to the eco friendly tanning methods used.
 
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