SgtLip

I usually make the appointment for the "maximum allowed" tint installation as soon as I know when a new vehicle will arrive.  I had to wait almost 2 weeks when we bought our Accord and I hated it without tint.  😎
Here in the Sunshine State the extra tint helps the inside of the car stay cooler and reduces the fading of interior surfaces.  Your new whip will probably be in the garage most of time, so it may not impact you that much.   

I think that's what I'll do. I have plenty of beach towels around the house.
Hmmm, didn't think about the applicator. I have some MF applicators (not Adam's, from Amazon) or does it require the gray foam block? I have two of them. Anything else and I'm going shopping, AGAIN!!!

Okay, NO MORE Yellow Subaru. Went and got me a new 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. I didn't do anything to the interior except TRY to clean the windows. 
 
On Sunday: After getting some great help from @Nickfire20
I used a whole bottle of Iron Remover and there was more fallout than I ever imagined for a new car.
 
I had a piece of a bottle of Wheel Cleaner which was just enough for all four wheels Then I rinsed and dried the entire car I then used the Adam's White Fine Grade Clay Bar with DS and clayed the complete car. After I was done, I remembered I forgot to clay the wheels. Maybe next time I put maybe 3 ounces of Car Shampoo and 3 ounces of Eco All Purpose Cleaner in the Foam Cannon and the Wash Bucket I foamed the entire car, there was a lot of foam. And I used the mit and washed the entire car and then rinsed with the power washer I used my blower and dried the car. There wasn't enough left to towel dry but I drug it over everything anyway I then parked it in the garage while this old man went in and got him some Air Conditioning. I figured I'd let both me and the car cool down a bit as the sun was hitting the trunk and back window After an hour or two I went out into the garage and applied the Surface Prep spray to the entire car Once that was complete I applied the Ceramic Spray Coating and let it cure overnight Monday (Today):
Got up early this morning and applied the Ceramic Boost Pulled the car out of the garage and applied the Tire Shine I noticed there were at least a million streaks on the exterior of the glass that I didn't see yesterday after applying the Ceramic Spray Coating. I assumed it was from the Ceramic Boost I applied today. After going onto the Forum asking for help, it was suggested to try Ceramic Waterless Wash. I'm happy to say, IT WORKED!!  
This being my very first time to do anything other than run it through the chemical tunnel, I have to say, it looks pretty darn good for a rookie. THANKS TO EVERYONE who guided me. I can't begin to thank everyone but just to give a shout out to a few: @falcaineer @Nickfire20 @mc2hill @Rich @SouthernSteve and a Host of Others.
 

@mc2hill  Hope your vacation was fun. Please tell me you didn't go to Disney World!!! Ha Ha.
 
No 😢 but the wife and I talked and we traded both the Suby and her Lexus for a new 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. We thought it would save us money since the Suby required premium gas and was averaging 22 MPG. The Lexus was getting around 34 MPG. Our friend has a 2019 and is getting 44 MPG and 53 MPG if he uses pure gas (no ethanol). Plus we eliminated one car from insurance, but we lost our multi-car discount. So that was the thought. I want to pick me up a beater box truck just to drive around town just in case we need a second vehicle.
 
Since they are new, there aren't that many in stock yet. We found plenty of white ones but no colored ones until after the 4th of November. So I'm stuck with a white one. But it's growing on me. It might take another 15-20 years but there's potential for me to change my mind!!!
 
I'm extremely happy with the way it turned out. Especially with it being my first time doing anything like this. I'm enjoying it so far. I just hope I'll get to be as smart as you and a host of hundreds on this forum. Of course, I'll be learning on one car, so it may take awhile.
 

The ceramic waterless wash is probably my favorite product. I use it as a drying aid and also a quick detailer right after im done washing. It leaves great protection on the paint with no streaking. 

Wow! Really well done, Donald. Yes, a glass of good water absolutely still counts. 😎💯

Matt, Great write up! Great job on both your interior and engine bay!
 
I think one of the special things about detailing is how you can take something that looks good and make it museum worthy. Like your interior - looked pretty good to begin with, then you take a few quality products and some time and effort, and it looks like it's been untouched!
 
How do you feel after all that? and excited to see your pics for your exterior!

Okay, NO MORE Yellow Subaru. Went and got me a new 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. I didn't do anything to the interior except TRY to clean the windows. 
 
On Sunday: After getting some great help from @Nickfire20
I used a whole bottle of Iron Remover and there was more fallout than I ever imagined for a new car.
 
I had a piece of a bottle of Wheel Cleaner which was just enough for all four wheels Then I rinsed and dried the entire car I then used the Adam's White Fine Grade Clay Bar with DS and clayed the complete car. After I was done, I remembered I forgot to clay the wheels. Maybe next time I put maybe 3 ounces of Car Shampoo and 3 ounces of Eco All Purpose Cleaner in the Foam Cannon and the Wash Bucket I foamed the entire car, there was a lot of foam. And I used the mit and washed the entire car and then rinsed with the power washer I used my blower and dried the car. There wasn't enough left to towel dry but I drug it over everything anyway I then parked it in the garage while this old man went in and got him some Air Conditioning. I figured I'd let both me and the car cool down a bit as the sun was hitting the trunk and back window After an hour or two I went out into the garage and applied the Surface Prep spray to the entire car Once that was complete I applied the Ceramic Spray Coating and let it cure overnight Monday (Today):
Got up early this morning and applied the Ceramic Boost Pulled the car out of the garage and applied the Tire Shine I noticed there were at least a million streaks on the exterior of the glass that I didn't see yesterday after applying the Ceramic Spray Coating. I assumed it was from the Ceramic Boost I applied today. After going onto the Forum asking for help, it was suggested to try Ceramic Waterless Wash. I'm happy to say, IT WORKED!!  
This being my very first time to do anything other than run it through the chemical tunnel, I have to say, it looks pretty darn good for a rookie. THANKS TO EVERYONE who guided me. I can't begin to thank everyone but just to give a shout out to a few: @falcaineer @Nickfire20 @mc2hill @Rich @SouthernSteve and a Host of Others.
 

I had an AWD Subaru Forester. Living in Central Florida, I found very little use for it. But no I didn't even ask.

I finally got it done!!!! The ceramic coating is from chemical guys unfortunately because I got it as a gift lol. I was really impressed with the sprayable compound and the orange pad, it finished out super clear with no hazing. Thanks for all the suggestions. 

Attached is the Dilutions Table I made in case any of you would like to use it.  The amounts are not exact but are rounded up to the nearest quarter ounce.
Dilution Ratios.pdf

So you want to start mixing and diluting products for various uses, but you're not sure how to decode the ratios? Not to worry - the Shine Doc has got you covered! Dilution and mixing can be a very important part of a good detailing regimen, whether its to reduce the strength of a cleaner for more delicate needs or reduce the shine of a dressing, its key to know how to properly read dilution recommendations.
 
WHAT PRODUCTS CAN BE DILUTED?
Virtually any chemical can be diluted in one way or another, but things like wax for example won't be diluted often. Other products like Super VRT, Leather & Interior Cleaner, or Rinseless Wash will be things you dilute all the time.
 
CAN I USE TAP WATER TO DILUTE THINGS?
Yes and no, it really depends on the product you're mixing and what its purpose will be. Typically any product that has an 'optical implication' should only be mixed with distilled water. By optical implication we're talking about products with a visual impact on reflection, clarity, etc. So for example Super VRT can be mixed with regular tap water as the clarity of your tires or trim isn't an issue. On the other hand Rinseless should (ideally) be diluted with distilled water to reduce the chance for streaking when its used as a waterless spray.
 
DEFINING 'PARTS' IN A DILUTION
The term 'parts' are used in simplified dilution ratios that allow the user to calculate a dilution ratio regardless of the size of the bottle or batch you are mixing. Simply put 'parts' are a basic way to break down a mix and scale it to whatever amount you need or want.
 
In a dilution ratio your first number is always the water and the second number is your chemical, so for example:
 
If you were trying to create a dilution of Car Wash at 4:1 it would read 4 PARTS water and 1 PART car wash. Because the ratio is a simplified dilution you can apply it to something as small as a 16oz bottle or as large as a 5 gallon bucket. As long as you know the parts you can create any batch you need at the identical dilution ratio.
 
HOW PARTS MAKE UP A TOTAL YIELD
With the parts understood we can discuss how those parts add up to create your total yield. The total yield is the amount of the finished mixture you will create with your dilution. Simply put, the sum of the parts equals the yield. Sticking with our 4:1 mixture for Car Wash from earlier -
 
4 parts water and 1 part car wash equals a total yield of 5 (the sum of the parts)
 
If you were using a dilution of 20:1 your total yield would be 21. If working with a dilution of 10:1 your total yield is 11, etc, etc.
 
DETERMINING YOUR BATCH SIZE
Your batch will be dictated mostly by the container you intend to mix in. Keep in mind that most bottles are not defined by 'full to the top' as almost every bottle manufacture leaves an air gap at the top to reduce spillage. If your bottle doesn't have markers or a gauge to indicate sizes use a measuring cup to determine where the fill lines should be and mark them with a sharpie.
 
CONVERTING YOUR RATIO TO OUNCES
So now we know what parts are and how they add up to the total yield. You also know that your batch size will be dictated by your container, but how do we break the formula down into ounces and start mixing? We need to convert our parts to ounces. Lets say we're going to mix 32oz of our Car Wash solution at 4:1 to clean a set of delicate aluminum wheels:
 
 
BATCH / YIELD = OUNCES PER PART
 

Remember BATCH is the size of your container, or the amount you wish to make in ounces and YIELD is the total number of parts in your dilution ratio so in our example:
 
32oz  /  5  =  6.4 ounces per part
 
Now that we've determined our ounces per part we can plug that number back into the original ratio and determine exactly what we need to create our mixture in the correct batch size
 
4 PARTS WATER       x     6.4oz   =     25.6oz
1 PART CAR WASH   x     6.4oz   =     6.4oz
 
Double checking our math by adding it together you can see we have a total of 32oz of mixture being created at our desired dilution.
 
TIP: PRE-MIX LARGER BATCHES
Armed with all this new found knowledge of dilution how can you make it even more effective? Try pre-mixing larger quantities of your most commonly used ratios for refill purposes. Diluting directly into the bottle, while convenient and easy does present a challenge - if you are almost done with your mixture and need to refill it how can you accurately measure when there is already liquid in the bottle to contend with? By mixing gallon or larger batches to then refill your spray bottles you can eliminate the guess work and the need to mix for 128oz of use.

So the next time you exhaust a gallon container don't toss it out! Mix up a batch of your most commonly used dilution and have it ready to go whenever you need it!

 
COMMON DILUTIONS
Below you'll find just a few suggestions on various dilutions to use your Adam's products at. If you have a dilution ratio you like for a product reply here and we'll add it to the list. The beauty of diluting products is you can find a variety of needs and new solutions for products you may not have thought of before.
 
All Purpose Cleaner 8:1 - Delicate aluminum wheels or trim 4:1 - Bug or tar pre-treater, door sills, kick panels 1:1 - Ceramic coated wheels, gloss or matte black painted wheels, delicate engine bay Car Shampoo 128:1 - Soap Bucket 8:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Leather & Interior Cleaner 8:1 - Delicate surface interior cleaning 3:1 - Moderate soiling 1:1 - General coated leather cleaning (when no stains are present) Mega Foam 256:1 - Soap Bucket 16:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Rinseless Wash 16:1 - Waterless washing spray 64:1 - Clay lubricant 6:1 - Pre-Wash/Pre-Soak solution Strip Wash 128:1 - Soap Bucket 8:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Tire & Rubber Cleaner 1:1 - Maintenance cleaning of lightly dirty tires, delicate engine bay Ultra Foam Shampoo 128:1 - Soap Bucket 10:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun VRT Tire & Trim Dressing 1:1 - Spray on low gloss tire dressing 2:1 - Spray on detailer for vinyl soft tops/tonneau covers and engine bay plastics/hoses (sometimes referred to as "VRT Milk") 3:1 - Quick detail spray dressing for matte vinyl wraps Wash & Wax 128:1 - Soap Bucket 10:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Wheel Cleaner 1:1 - Paint decontamination/removal of ferrous metal (Iron Remover is preferred and more effective for full body panels) Wheel & Tire Cleaner 2:1 - Fender wells and engine bay 1:1 - Maintenance cleaning of lightly dirty wheels and tires 

@Nickfire20  You were right!!!
 
I used a whole bottle of Iron Remover on the car and there was more than I imagined.
 
This is the Roof:
 
 
This is the Hood:

 
This is the Trunk:

 
I had a piece of a bottle of Wheel Cleaner and just enough for all four wheels.
Then I rinsed and dried the entire car.
I then used the Adam's White Fine Grade Clay Bar with DS and clayed the complete car. Crap, I just remembered I forgot to clay the wheels. Maybe next time.
I put maybe 3 ounces of Car Shampoo and 3 ounces of Eco All Purpose Cleaner in the Foam Cannon and the Wash Bucket. 
I foamed the entire car, there was a lot of foam. And I used the mit and washed the entire car and then rinsed with the power washer.
I used the leaf blower I purchased for the sole purpose of drying the car and dried the car. There wasn't enough left to towel dry but I drug it over everything anyway. 
It is now parked in the garage while this old man rests and it cools down as the sun was hitting the trunk and back window.
 
Still left to do:
Apply the Surface Prep spray.
Apply the Ceramic Spray Coating. and let it cure overnight.
Get up in the morning and apply the Ceramic Boost and Tire Shine. 
 
I have to say, it looks pretty good so far.
 
Here is a picture of the hood during the rinse after washing. Not much beading of water on the hood:

 

Hi All,
I purchased a new Toyota Avalon Hybrid over the weekend. It is unfortunately another white car. I can't seem to get away from having a white car.
 
Anyway, I want to use the Ceramic Spray Coating on the car but figured I better decontaminate first. Do I need to use Iron Remover if I'm going to Clay Bar the car? I can't see any brown spots but that doesn't mean they aren't there. I watched Adam's video for the Iron Remover and he mentioned it is not a replacement for Clay Bar. But I'm not sure if I need to use both.
 
Next question is what type of Clay Bar should I use? Being a new 2020 I figure the "Fine Grade" clay will suffice. I am also looking at the "Visco Clay Bar" but I don't really understand the difference. Which should I use? Since I am going to use Ceramic Spray, what should I use to lubricate the Clay Bar? I have Detail Spray but since I'll be applying Ceramic I was thinking not to use Detail Spray. But then I'm thinking since I'll be using the Ceramic Surface Prep, that should take care of the residue from the Detail Spray, right?
 
Then the process would be to wash, dry, apply Surface Prep, apply Ceramic Spray Coating. Should I use Ceramic Boost after applying the Ceramic Spray or is that not necessary at this point? I already have a bunch of the Ceramic Waterless I'll be using routinely with the Boost every 4-6 weeks.
 
So, do I need to use Iron Remover? Which Clay Bar should I use? Am I correct about the Detail Spray residue being removed by Surface Prep?
 
Thanks in advance.
 
 

Okay, NO MORE Yellow Subaru. Went and got me a new 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. I didn't do anything to the interior except TRY to clean the windows. 
 
On Sunday: After getting some great help from @Nickfire20
I used a whole bottle of Iron Remover and there was more fallout than I ever imagined for a new car.
 
I had a piece of a bottle of Wheel Cleaner which was just enough for all four wheels Then I rinsed and dried the entire car I then used the Adam's White Fine Grade Clay Bar with DS and clayed the complete car. After I was done, I remembered I forgot to clay the wheels. Maybe next time I put maybe 3 ounces of Car Shampoo and 3 ounces of Eco All Purpose Cleaner in the Foam Cannon and the Wash Bucket I foamed the entire car, there was a lot of foam. And I used the mit and washed the entire car and then rinsed with the power washer I used my blower and dried the car. There wasn't enough left to towel dry but I drug it over everything anyway I then parked it in the garage while this old man went in and got him some Air Conditioning. I figured I'd let both me and the car cool down a bit as the sun was hitting the trunk and back window After an hour or two I went out into the garage and applied the Surface Prep spray to the entire car Once that was complete I applied the Ceramic Spray Coating and let it cure overnight Monday (Today):
Got up early this morning and applied the Ceramic Boost Pulled the car out of the garage and applied the Tire Shine I noticed there were at least a million streaks on the exterior of the glass that I didn't see yesterday after applying the Ceramic Spray Coating. I assumed it was from the Ceramic Boost I applied today. After going onto the Forum asking for help, it was suggested to try Ceramic Waterless Wash. I'm happy to say, IT WORKED!!  
This being my very first time to do anything other than run it through the chemical tunnel, I have to say, it looks pretty darn good for a rookie. THANKS TO EVERYONE who guided me. I can't begin to thank everyone but just to give a shout out to a few: @falcaineer @Nickfire20 @mc2hill @Rich @SouthernSteve and a Host of Others.
 

Thanks Donald!  I got the dilution ratio from that embedded video.  I have seen some different ratios used throughout the forum so I'm sure you get different results based on what you like.  Glad my post can help someone!

So, I've been on the forums for a couple months now.  Slowly building my Adams detailing gear and materials.  I posted in the newbie forum ("new to this game")and had some great discussion.  Before I go any further I do want to say thanks to @Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin @falcaineer @RayS and many others on the forum for being so helpful and responsive.  @Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin provided a very detailed write up on my post that I would say anyone should read, detailing steps for Exterior prep and Ceramic Spray Coating.  Thanks all!
 
For this thread, I will be focusing on the Engine Bay and Interior steps that I have taken so far on my full detail.  I will be completing the exterior and Ceramic coating later on this week (after the rain blows through)
 
I was very hesitant to even attempt the engine bay cleaning but I did a ton of research, talked with forum members and watched Adam's videos over and over and came up with my plan.
 
Here is what I used:
Engine Bay:
Eco APC VRT "milk" (my ratio was 30% VRT/ 70% distilled water) Block Applicator Lug Nut Brush Wheel Brush Oil-Less Air Compressor Adam's Step Ladder (I'm short, so this makes my life easier  )  
As I said, I was a little skiddish to try this but I just used common sense and followed the videos that I had seen describing methodology.  I started here on the engine bay because I knew I would get the truck wet in the process and figured I would have overspray.  So why not start here and work outward.  Here is a video that I like of Adam demonstrating.
 
I first removed all leaves and debris from the bay.  I set my water hose on the "Flat" setting which gave me a light mist of water but it was forceful enough to move dirt while not dumping a ton of water on my engine and components.  I chose not to use my pressure washer mainly because I wanted more control of what I was doing.  I sprayed all the loose dirt that I could see off.  I then soaked the bay with the Eco APC.  Using my soft wheel brush I agitated all of that and followed up with my Lug Nut brush on all the spots that I could not reach without banging the brush around on stuff.  Using the "Flat" water hose I then rinsed off all the APC.  I followed up with my air compressor and blew out as much water as I could.  It was not COMPLETELY dry but it was not standing water on any of the engine bay.  From this point I sprayed the VRT "milk" over the entire engine and closed down the hood.  I went on about my business and started cleaning the interior of the vehicle and mats and such (detailed below).  Once I was done with the interior I opened the hood back up and used the block applicator to knock down the wet shine or places where there was more product than I personally wanted.  In the spots I missed I used the block applicator to apply there.  Here are the before and after pics of the engine bay.
 


 
So, while that was marinating, I moved on to the interior of the vehicle.  Below are the materials that I used:
Interior:
Leather and Interior Foam Cleaner Interior Detailer Glass Cleaner Tire and Rubber Cleaner Tire Brush Leather Conditioner Microfiber towels Vacuum Cleaner w/ attachments I started here by removing all the Rubber floor mats from the truck.  I also removed any and all pieces inside that would make them easier to clean.  I have several coin holder type rubber inserts in my truck and they are all removable.  I also pull all of my headrests off the seats to make the glass in the back of the truck easier to reach and also make them easier to dress at the later stages.
 
So, I saw this video of Adam doing a winterization on a SUV in a public, pull up, pressure washer bay.  In this video he had a tip to take out any rubber mats and hang them up on the wall using their clamps and spray them down with TRC.  Then use the Tire Brush to really scrub them down.  So I "RE'd" something of the sort here at my house and did just that.  A good spray off with the water hose and then soaked with TRC and scrubbed with the Tire Brush.  Then I hung them up and let them soak while I worked on the interior. 
Video:
I stated with a thorough vacuum of the entire truck.  I used to not do this part first but I found that I kick up dust doing this as a last step and end up with dust on my interior pieces after they have been wiped down.  So after a thorough vacuum of the carpet, I moved on to cleaning all of the glass in the vehicle.  I tried both types of glass cleaner that Adams has and I think I like the Green Spray bottle the best.  I can get a real fine mist with a full pull of the trigger where the can gives me a wide foam spray.  Next I moved on to cleaning my leather seats and any other heavily soiled parts of the interior of the truck.  I used the Leather and Interior Foam Cleaner and a microfiber towel and it worked great.  I did want to try the Interior Detailer (got both of these in a Mystery Bucket BTW) so I grabbed a second microfiber and used that on all my plastic pieces in the truck.  It also worked very well.  I controlled both of these products by introducing them into the MF towel and then wiping on to the desired surface.  After cleaning, I then went on to the Leather conditioner and wiped down all the leather in the truck.  This is where having the headrest removed also helped.  I could really get all the way to where the leather ended at all parts of the truck without smearing on the glass or other surfaces.  I could also hold the headrest in my hand and use the conditioner outside of the vehicle.  Now I moved back to my Rubber floor mats.  I hosed them off thoroughly and hung them back on the rack to dry.  It was at this point that I moved back to the engine bay cleaning as mentioned above to visit and assess the shine of the VRT "milk".  Here are some pics!
BEFORE


 
 
All in all, I am very pleased so far with the ease of use of all these products, especially for the shade tree novice like myself.  I'll be taking pictures and posting about my exterior process and coating soon.  Thanks again y'all!

@Captain Slow  I like that radio station!!!!
 

Looks awesome/Great write-up but I hope you forgot to list one more point...I dont see where you cracked open a cold beverage!!

My drink of choice is "Cold" Lemonade, is the "Cold" part that counts, not what the content is.  Although, I don't hide the fact that I also like a nice glass of wine with dinner once in a while.

@RayS hit the nail on the head! Cold is the key!   And on serious note..I believe pacing yourself is important.. you definitely cannot rush a good detail.

Yes, I used a 3 bucket wash yesterday before using the Surface Prep and Ceramic Spray Coating. With the Ceramic Spray cured overnight, I applied the Ceramic Boost as a topper this morning. I think the towel got too wet and I ended up applying too much on the glass. And I knew better, that's the sad part. But @Nickfire20 said to use CWW and that fixed it.
 

I knew I didn't have the right applicator. Never fails. I'll either hold off or use something until I can get the correct tools. THANKS @RayS

I do it on all interior 👍

Have to apologize but I don't drink. But I did have a cold glass of water or two. Does that count?
 
I apologize as I should have added you and @RayS to my list of folks to thank.