grime reaper is not that great of a product compared to others . Iv tried almost every degreaser . My favorite is megs professional APC and super degreaser . Not the megs line sold at autozone . Those 2 work insanly well and can be diluted .

 

How do you clean black suede?

I know you can not use water or water based chemicals

i have what look to be two little water spots on my black suede leather seats

 

The Grime Reaper is a relatively strong product so you should test it (and any new product) on a small non-visible area first. I would also start off with the product being heavily diluted and only use a more concentrated version if you are comfortable. I typically use a metal polish (i.e. P21S Finish Restorer) on metals instead of a degreaser. A metal polish is safer and generally helps increase the shine more, but it takes a bit more time to apply.

I agree that the Meguiar's Super Degreaser D108 and the Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner Plus D103 are both very strong cleaners and also a great value.

 

You almost can't really clean suede, especially black. You can use a soft brush and agitate the fabric with light pressure to remove dust, dirt, crumbs, etc.. I have used the 303 Cleaner & Spot Remover to spot treat stains but use any cleaner or water based product with caution. Use as little as possible and make sure you leave the doors open to let air circulate through until dry and avoid direct sun. I would work it in with a soft brush and blot dry when you are done.

 

Thanks for the tip George! I'll pick the P21S Finish restorer up! Do you think it's safe to used on Gold plated parts as well? My plan is to now use the P21S to clean inside and out the metal parts. Then use Poor Boy's World Wheel Sealant afterwards to add some protection. I think it'll work. Your thoughts?

 

It's a great cleaner and I'm sure you'll love the shine. It should be fine to use on virtually any metal surface or clear coated metal. I've seen some really low quality paint work come off with strong metal polishes, however something that is gold plated should be fine. However like I always suggest test any new product on a new surface in a non-visible area first to make sure you are getting the results you desire. The PBW Wheel Sealant should be a big help afterward. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask.

 

Thanks again George! Can't wait to have my engine bay all blingy! Great products and even better customer service, that's Detailed Image !

 

Thank you for the kind words, it's greatly appreciated. As always we are here to help whenever you need it!

 

How would you describe the paint quality of G35's?

I am in the market for a used G35. I'm thinking of staying away from black since they are fairly common and I've read that infiniti's paint quality has gone downhill.

 

To be honest I've never heard of anyone who absolutely loves the quality of the paint/clear coat regardless of the make and model. It's either too soft and scratches more easily or it's too hard and seems challenging to correct, there is no perfect answer. Like any car the G35 looks great if you take care of it and you can correct the vast majority of surface imperfections with a good polishing routine at least once a year. Black will always make the imperfections more visible, which can be annoying, but black also looks amazing when it's detailed. Silver and other light colors tend to hide imperfections more but they don't usually have the same "pop" as a red or black will. It's really a personal choice on what best suits your needs. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg

 

Hey Greg,

I got a Makita 9227CX3 for christmas and I'm basically clueless as to what products I need to get started. I'm thinking about getting a 7 or 14 pad kit from your site and I'll make sure I do my research about which pad to use for which products. From there, I don't know where to go next. I don't know which polishes, etc to purchase...it seems like there are countless choices and I can't differentiate between them. Any suggestions for a beginner?

Also, I saw that the kits for the Makita on your site come with a 150mm backing pad. Is that necessary or will the one that came with the buffer work? Thanks in advance!

 

Glad to hear you got an awesome rotary buffer to work with. I would highly recommend you pick up either our 4" or the 5.5" backing plates. The smaller backing plate and pads will be easier to use, especially for a newer user. I'd recommend practicing on a lower speed and with a light polish first. Starting off at a high speed with a more aggressive polish is probably not wise. Increase the speed of the unit and the aggressiveness of the polish when you feel comfortable. Check out our detailing guide and our Ask a Pro Blog for more rotary tips and instructions or ask me questions.

As for the products I'd recommend one of the pad kits you listed. With these kits you can select any combination of pads you'd like by adding a comment in the comment field while checking out. We'll discuss the pads below:
Lake Country 4" Pad Kit - 14x pads
Lake Country 4" Pad Kit - 7x pads

If you want to restore the clear coat to like new condition I generally recommend a two step process (after you are comfortable with the unit) with the Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105 with an orange pad and follow that up with the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 and a white pad. I would get at least 2x - 4x of both the orange and white pad. If the pad is saturated with product it will not be nearly as effective so while polishing I use a bare minimum of 2x pads per coat of polish, ideally several of them.

Some people who want results nothing short of perfection will use an ultra fine polish and pad after this routine listed above. If interested finish off the polishing process with the Menzerna PO85RD Polish and a blue pad will work great. This process is called "jeweling" the paint for that extra little bit of optical clarity.

After that you can move over to a hand application of a sealant or wax. I generally recommend a sealant because they are so much more durable. The Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant and the Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger are two of my favorite choices. Both look outstanding on all colors and protect for months while easy to apply.

Hand remove the excess product (polish, sealant, etc.) with a clean microfiber towel. I usually recommend about 5x - 10x of the DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel. It very safely picks up the left over particles without scratching the surface.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

Quick question, im going to be purchasing a carbon fiber hood, is it safe to wax or will i need to do something special to it?

 

now there's 100 some posts and I'm sure someones asked but here are my questions or my requests for recommendations on a black on black ride. What would you recommend for the following.

leather conditioner? (was told to use anything that doesnt contain silicon)
vinyl conditioner?
polish?
wax?

I work at a detailing shop and the guys there have their opinions, i jus wanted to find out what you would use.

 

Almost all exterior carbon fiber is clear coated so treat it just like like your clear coated paint. You can verify this with the carbon fiber shop if you want to be absolutely sure.

Greg