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Dan@Adams

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  1. Thanks
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from Lisarose in Blog: Graphene Ceramic Coating™ Explained   
    Hey everyone! I wrote this technical article for the website a few weeks ago. A big thank you to our creative and marketing teams for making it look much more presentable with nice photos and layout design. 






     





    Preparation Instructions
    Prep for Paint
    Thoroughly wash the vehicle using a shampoo without any protection additives like Adam’s Car Shampoo or Mega Foam, or through a Waterless Wash or Rinseless Wash process.
    a. Use a Foam Cannon or Foam Gun if possible, as well as a Two Bucket Wash Method with Grit Guards.
    b. Use multiple clean towels if performing a Waterless or Rinseless Wash.
    c. The safer you are in the wash process, the less chance of wash-induced marring or scratching.
    (Optional) Perform iron decontamination with Iron Remover if necessary, by referencing our videos and other blog write-ups.
    Thoroughly rinse and dry the vehicle with an Ultra Plush Drying Towel or Air Cannon.
    Mask off any plastic and rubber areas that come in contact with paint, using detailing tape or painter’s tape.
    Remove bonded contamination with a Clay Bar or Clay Mitt using Detail Spray as a lubricant.
    Wipe away clay residue with a clean microfiber towel and Surface Prep.
    Perform paint correction with a machine polisher by referencing our videos and other blog write-ups.
    a. Remove previous protection with Compound and a Microfiber Cutting Pad.
    b. Remove oxidation, swirl marks, light scratches and other imperfections using various stages of Compound and Polish with their respective pads.
    c. Always do a test area first. Every vehicle will need a different level of correction.
    d. The better you make the surface look in compounding and polishing, the better the graphene ceramic coating will look in the end. Coatings do not fill in or hide swirl marks and other imperfections.
    Wipe away Compound and Polish residue with a clean microfiber towel.
    Move the vehicle indoors if you have not already done so for claying/compounding/polishing. Remove any Compound and Polish dust from body panels, body seams, etc. using a clean microfiber towel and Surface Prep.

    Prep for Glass
    Clean exterior glass using Adam’s Glass Cleaner and Green Microfiber Glass Scrubbing Towel. Clay glass with a clay bar or clay mitt using Glass Cleaner as the clay lubricant. (Optional) Polish the glass with our white Polish or Hand Polish with a Blue Hex Grip Applicator. Wipe away residue with a clean microfiber towel. Use a second clean Glass Towel with Surface Prep to ensure the glass is 100% clean.
    Prep for Wheels
     
    NOTE: If you are coating a set of new wheels, we strongly recommend coating the wheels after the tires have been mounted and balanced. Wheel weights can have difficulty sticking and can fall off if you coat the wheels before mounting and balancing the tires.
    If you wish to coat the outer and inner portions of the wheel, carefully remove the wheel from the vehicle after lifting the vehicle and securing it with jack stands. Heavy brake dust: Thoroughly clean the wheels using Adam’s Wheel Cleaner or Adam’s Wheel & Tire Cleaner, with the Short Wheel Brush, Trim & Lug Nut Brush, and Wheel Woolie for the inner barrel. Light brake dust or light dirt: Thoroughly clean the wheels using a shampoo without any protection additives like Adam’s Car Shampoo or Mega Foam or Adam’s Eco Wheel Cleaner with the Short Wheel Brush, Trim & Lug Nut Brush, and Wheel Woolie for the inner barrel. Thoroughly rinse the brushes or scrub them on a Grit Guard in a wash bucket multiple times throughout the cleaning process as they become dirty. You do not want to continue scrubbing dirt into other parts of the wheels and possibly scratching them. Thoroughly rinse and dry the wheels with a Mini Plush Drying Towel, Air Cannon, or Blaster Sidekick. (Optional) On clear coated, chrome, or gloss powder coated wheels, remove bonded contamination with a Clay Bar or Clay Mitt using Detail Spray as a lubricant.
    a. Wipe away clay residue with a clean microfiber towel and Surface Prep.
    b. Perform paint correction with the Swirl Killer Mini or Swirl Killer Micro Polisher by referencing our videos and other blog write-ups.
    c. Remove previous protection with Compound and a Blue Foam Pad.
    d. Remove oxidation, swirl marks, light scratches and other imperfections using various stages of Compound and Polish with their respective pads, or Metal Polish for chrome wheels.
    e. Always do a test area first. Every wheel will need a different level of correction.
    f. The better you make the surface look in compounding and polishing, the better the graphene ceramic coating will look in the end. Coatings do not fill in or hide swirl marks and other imperfections.
    g. Wipe away Compound/Polish/Metal Polish residue with a clean microfiber towel. Use a clean microfiber towel with Surface Prep to ensure the wheel is 100% clean.  
    Prep for Trim & Plastic
    Remove any detailing tape or painter’s tape from the plastic and rubber trim. Clean exterior plastic trim and rubber using Adam’s Trim Cleaner or Tire & Rubber Cleaner with an Edgeless Utility Towel.
    a. Fold the towel into fourths. Spray the cleaner directly into the towel, not onto the surface, to avoid over spray onto surrounding paint and glass areas that may have already been cleaned/polished/prepped.
    b. Use one side of the towel to scrub away dirt, oxidation, and previous dressings. Use a dry side of the towel to wipe away excess residue.
    c. (Optional) Use a Deep Clean Eraser in place of the Edgeless Utility Towel for very heavy cleaning. Test first to ensure the eraser does not scratch soft plastic.
    d. Clean the plastic until you no longer see new dirt/discoloration in the towel. If there are white/chalky wax or sealant stains in plastic trim, you may need to repeat the above cleaning steps multiple times before all discoloration is removed.
    a. You do not want to coat over any stains or discoloration in plastic.
    b. The coating will not hide the stains, and then they would be locked in underneath the coating. Use a second clean Edgeless Utility Towel and generously clean the area with Surface Prep to ensure all Trim Cleaner or Tire & Rubber Cleaner has been removed.  
    Application Instructions
    Application for Paint, Glass, Wheels, and Chrome
     
    NOTE: Rubber gloves are strongly recommended for applying a ceramic coating, and a pair are included with the Graphene Ceramic Coating Kit.
    Move the vehicle (or wheels if coating wheels only) indoors into a garage.
    a. This minimizes dust and moisture exposure, as well as provides a more consistent temperature.
    b. Use multiple light sources at various angles to work more effectively and see the coating flashing more easily on lighter colored finishes. Generously wipe the surface with Surface Prep and a Borderless Grey Towel. The Surface Prep will evaporate to a degree while wiping - this is normal.   Thoroughly shake the Graphene Ceramic Coating 60ml bottle or the Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating 12oz bottle to mix the solution evenly. Graphene Ceramic Coating: Pour several drops of the coating onto one side of the Suede Applicator Block. Do not use the side that is stitched together. Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating: Facing away from the vehicle, mist 2 or 3 sprays into the Microfiber Applicator Block. Apply the coating to a panel in an even manner.
    a. We recommend outlining the panel first, then pour/spray a little more into the applicator and fill in the remainder of the panel by applying in overlapping left/right or up/down passes.
    b. Try not to lift the applicator from the surface when applying the coating. Lifting the applicator will expose it to more oxygen and leave heavier spots of coating in those sections, which can possibly become high-spots later on.
    c. If you apply in a left/right path first, then do another pass in an up/down path. You do not need to apply more coating into the applicator at this point - you just want to spread it for more even and complete coverage. After a few moments, the coating will begin to have an oily, rainbow-like appearance as it begins to flash on the surface. Once the coating becomes slightly tacky on the surface, gently wipe the coating with a new, clean Suede Microfiber Towel to remove approximately 50% of the coating residue or more.a. The time in which it is ok to remove the coating residue can be anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes or more, depending on temperature and humidity.
    b. If the Suede Microfiber Towel seems to glide very easily without any slight tension, let the coating flash for another 30 seconds and test again.
    c. One other way to verify that the coating is ok to wipe off is when the rainbow effect begins to fade into a more clear look on the surface. Wait another 20-30 seconds, and then take a new, clean Borderless Grey Towel to thoroughly wipe away all remaining coating residue. Repeat the above steps for the remaining, body panels, glass, or wheels. Inspect all areas of the vehicle to ensure all coating residue has been removed.
    a. Use the UV LED Light to inspect coated areas for complete coverage. Some areas may appear to glow more heavily than others. You may see streaking, or overlap lines with the UV Glow Tracer - as long as the coating residue has been fully removed, these inconsistencies that are seen with the UV Glow Tracer will not show up under normal light.
    b. Temporarily move the vehicle outside to inspect it under natural lighting, both sunlight and overcast conditions if possible. No matter how much lighting you have in your garage, you will most likely see a few high-spots that you did not notice indoors. Polarized sunglasses can also aid in spotting high-spots.
    c. To correct any high-spots or other issues, please see the next section of this blog.
    d. Move the vehicle back indoors. Allow the coating to cure indoors for the required minimum time frame.
    a. Graphene Ceramic Coating: 24 hours
    b. Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating: 4-6 hours or longer if possible  
    Application for Textured Plastic and Rubber
     
    NOTE: Rubber gloves are strongly recommended for applying a ceramic coating, and a pair are included with the Graphene Ceramic Coating Kit.
    Move the vehicle indoors into a garage.
    a. This minimizes dust and moisture exposure, as well as provides a more consistenttemperature.
    b. Use multiple light sources at various angles to work more effectively. Generously wipe the plastic or rubber surface with Surface Prep and an Edgeless Utility Towel. The Surface Prep will evaporate to a degree while wiping - this is normal. If the plastic or rubber trim does not appear to have a uniform color appearance after the Surface Prep is fully dry, go back to the PREP Steps and clean the area again before continuing. Thoroughly shake the Graphene Ceramic Coating 60ml bottle or the Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating 12oz bottle to mix the solution evenly. Graphene Ceramic Coating: Pour several drops of the coating onto one side of the Suede Applicator Block. Do not use the side that is stitched together. Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating: Facing away from the vehicle, mist 2 or 3 sprays into the Microfiber Applicator Block. Apply the coating to the plastic or rubber trim in an even manner. Use the applicator to level the coating evenly across the rubber or plastic, so that it appears uniform, rather than having some areas heavier or shinier than other areas. Allow the coating to flash and soak into the surface for 30-60 seconds. It will not rainbow as it does on paint, glass, and chrome. Use a clean Edgeless Utility Towel to thoroughly wipe the plastic or rubber trim to ensure that all solvent from the coating has been removed. Allow the coating to cure indoors for the required minimum time frame.
    a. Graphene Ceramic Coating: 24 hours
    b. Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating: 4-6 hours or longer if possible  

     
     

     


     
    We hope this in-depth blog and reference videos help to clear up any confusion or hesitation you may have on our Graphene Ceramic Coating™. You can take a look at our reduced graphene oxide products HERE. Please let us know below if you have any questions!
  2. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from Rich in Is there a list of "body shop safe" products?   
    Awesome! Alan is the man! He's very knowledgeable, always helpful, and a great asset to the team 👍
  3. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from falcaineer in Is there a list of "body shop safe" products?   
    Awesome! Alan is the man! He's very knowledgeable, always helpful, and a great asset to the team 👍
  4. Thanks
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from RayS in New Products and Mystery Madness!   
    I would agree with your assessment @falcaineer. I would do a small test area @RayS, and stay away from the edges of the vinyl decal, where it could possibly weaken the adhesive underneath as well, especially since the vinyl is 30+ years old.
  5. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from kaj41354 in Blog: Wheel & Tire Cleaning Detailing Guide   
    I'm glad to hear you liked it! I'm actually going to restructure the first post to include a full blog write-up that I just finished as well, to go along as a reference to the video - so you will see the post above change a little bit throughout the evening as I update it 👍
  6. Like
    Dan@Adams reacted to kaj41354 in Blog: Wheel & Tire Cleaning Detailing Guide   
    Great video!  Can't wait for Part 2!
  7. Like
    Dan@Adams reacted to mc2hill in FAQ - "What kind of tape should I use to mask off trim?"   
    The 3M #03131(3/4") Performance Masking tape is a great all around detailing tape, and is available in most auto parts stores.  Most high quality tapes can be re-used during a detail, saving a little money - e.g. tape window trim on one side, polish, move tape to other side. 
    If you want something more like the old Adam's tape check out Fine Line tape or the 3M #06526/06529 Precision Masking tape.
     
    I keep 1/4", 1/2", 3/4", and 1 1/2" tape on hand., but use mostly 3/4".     

    For headlights I use 3M blue painters.  It's a little cheaper, and I go thru a lot when I wetsand.   
  8. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from Black Bowtie in Blog: Wheel & Tire Cleaning Detailing Guide   
    In this new for 2021 video, Joe gives an explanation and how-to of our different wheel cleaning chemicals and accessories. We cover each of our wheel cleaning chemicals - Wheel & Tire Cleaner, Wheel Cleaner, and Eco Wheel Cleaner - and the scenarios where they work best. We hope this video and the write-up below will help you decide which combination will work best on your wheels to clean them safely without introducing any potential damage to delicate finishes!
     

     
    Cleaning Overview | Chemicals
     
    There are a large amount of wheel finishes available on new vehicles and aftermarket wheel options, and plenty of vintage types of wheels as well, so it’s very important to use the proper cleaners, accessories, and process to not damage the finish. Clear coated, chrome, matte, satin, raw polished aluminum, powder coated, and anodized are the most common wheel finishes that you will find yourself cleaning. We offer a few different options when it comes to chemical cleaners for handling all of these different wheel finishes and a few for tires as well. It’s important to know which ones will work best for each particular vehicle, so we’ll take a look at each, starting from most aggressive to least aggressive. There is a lot to cover to explain why you should and should not do certain things when cleaning different wheel types, so these first two sections of the blog are going to be the longest - but spending time up front on proper cleaning is very important in order for the protection process to go smoothly and last the longest.

    Wheel Cleaner
    Adam’s Wheel Cleaner has evolved with a few updates since its release in 2013 as Deep Wheel Cleaner. The original version was a transparent reddish-pink color with a very potent scent. It was a heavy duty cleaner with an iron activator (Sodium Thioglycolate) that would cause the chemical to turn purple as it began to interact with and dissolve brake dust on the wheel surface, brake calipers, and rotors. Over the years, the name was simplified to Wheel Cleaner, and the third and most current version has a thicker, gel-like consistency now with a blue-green color. It’s still just as effective and turns purple as it interacts with the iron deposits in the brake dust. The scent is further improved but still carries some potency due to the sulfur in the Sodium Thioglycolate. In some cases, the iron removing aspect of Wheel Cleaner allows it to nearly self-clean the wheel, by simply spraying it on, allowing it to work and turn purple, and then rinsing it off thoroughly with a pressure washer or strong blast from a hose; however, in most cases you will need to agitate it with a cleaning tool like the Rubberized Wheel Brush or Wheel Woolie.

    Wheel Cleaner is our strongest chemical for removing heavy brake dust buildup from high-performance brakes found on most performance vehicles and aftermarket big brake kits. How can you tell if your vehicle has high-performance brakes and brake pads? Brembo brakes and other large calipers, often powder coated in a bright color, are almost an immediate sign of incredible braking performance but large amounts of brake dust. A second example, let’s say that your truck or sport sedan has silver wheels, but you notice the wheels are turning dark gray with brake dust after just a few drives - this is another scenario where your vehicle most likely has higher performance brake pads.

    These metallic brake pads often contain metals such as iron, copper, and steel composites for this level of performance; however they do indeed make a lot of dust, that if left untreated, may start to leave yellow, orange, or brown staining into the creases and outer spokes of your wheel as the dust bonds to the finish from high temperatures. Wheel Cleaner and the Trim & Lug Nut Brush will be the best option in this scenario to remove these iron stains effectively, as our other cleaning options most likely will not be aggressive enough. Organic brake pads, very common in most non-performance vehicles, may not show the purple color-change with Wheel Cleaner as much or at all, since they produce less dust and are made of non-metal materials like rubber, kevlar, fiberglass, and resin. Ceramic brake pads offer even less dust, but can still show the purple color-change, since the ceramic material is combined with copper.

    There are a few wheel finishes that we do not recommend using Wheel Cleaner with, where other chemicals are required instead. On raw aluminum and raw polished aluminum wheels, the exposed metal can potentially become cloudy or hazy after using Wheel Cleaner. This would then require polishing them back out with Metal Polish #2, which you may not want to do every time you clean your wheels. On aftermarket anodized wheels, Wheel Cleaner can stain the anodized finish. Anodizing is an electrochemical oxidation process of an aluminum surface that produces a stable film of colored aluminum oxides. In other words, anodizing is in the metal rather than a layer that sits on top of the metal like paint, powder coat, chrome, and so on. An anodized finish is durable and cannot chip, but raw aluminum is porous and is still porous after the anodizing process, so strong chemicals like Wheel Cleaner can work their way into the pores and cause staining and discoloration.

    Powder coated wheels and calipers must also be cleaned with special care, especially if the powder coat is just a base color without a clear powder baked on top of the color layer. Wheel Cleaner can be used on powder coated wheels, but the wheels and calipers must be cool to the touch, you cannot let the cleaner dry on the wheel, and you must rinse it very thoroughly to avoid any issues like staining or fading of the powder coat. The same stipulations apply to gloss black, satin black, and matte black wheels as well. If you do not follow the precautions above, the Wheel Cleaner can cause drip stains or even a chalky appearance on some black wheels if used incorrectly.

    Wheel & Tire Cleaner
    Wheel & Tire Cleaner is a relatively new entry into our product lineup, but it has quickly become a customer favorite for how effective this one chemical is at cleaning heavily dirty wheels and tires, saving time and money in the process. While Wheel & Tire Cleaner does not contain the iron activating chemical that turns purple as it dissolves iron particles, it is still a very strong cleaner that is perfect for removing heavy road grime on your daily driver. It’s great to use on vehicles that have low-dust brake pads, or for maintenance cleaning when the wheels may not have as much brake dust buildup in between uses of our regular Wheel Cleaner. Because Wheel & Tire Cleaner is a strong chemical cleaner, it has the same safety precautions as Wheel Cleaner above, with the same notes on which types of wheels to avoid using it on entirely, or which to use with caution.

    Wheel & Tire Cleaner is also extremely effective at removing brown discoloration from tires, called tire blooming. After spraying it on a tire, you will almost immediately begin to see streaks of brown residue bleed out of the sidewall of the tire. On some rubber compounds, it is even more effective than our Tire & Rubber Cleaner at cleaning the tire. It may only require one pass of spraying and scrubbing the tire to get it to near 100% clean, whereas with Tire & Rubber Cleaner, it can sometimes take 2 or 3 passes if a tire has been neglected and is very discolored. Wheel & Tire Cleaner will easily remove previous applications of VRT, Tire Shine, or Graphene Tire Dressing, in order to dress the tire fresh again. It is also the only chemical of ours that will remove our Tire Armor, which we’ll outline later in this blog.
     
    Tire & Rubber Cleaner
    Much like our Wheel Cleaner specifically targets and removes brake dust, Tire & Rubber Cleaner is a heavy duty degreaser that has surfactants and citrus solvents that target mold release agents on brand new tires as well as tire blooming, or discoloration, that can develop over the life of the tires. Tire & Rubber Cleaner is a high sudsing formula that removes silicones, greases, polymers, road grime, and previous dressings to leave your tires bare and looking like new. With the first pass of cleaning, you will see Tire & Rubber Cleaner foam up into an orange-brown color as it removes all of the contamination from the sidewall. After rinsing the tire, you’ll notice if you use Tire & Rubber Cleaner again for a second or third pass, the foam will eventually appear white. This is a good indication that you have the majority of the sidewall bare and clean. By stripping the sidewall of an old tire dressing, it will allow the new application of Tire Shine, VRT, Graphene Tire Dressing, or Tire Armor to spread onto the tire more evenly and last longer.

    Tire & Rubber Cleaner isn’t just for tires. It does an excellent job of cleaning exterior rubber and plastic trim, turning chalky and oxidized trim nice and dark again. It is our most effective chemical at removing white wax stains from textured plastics on bumper inserts, truck bed rails, wiper cowls, and other trim pieces. It is the necessary first step in making exterior plastics as clean as possible before using Surface Prep and then coating the plastic with a product like Ceramic Spray Coating, or dying heavily faded plastic with our Ceramic Black Trim Restorer. Lastly, Tire & Rubber Cleaner works well on plastics and rubber hoses as an engine bay degreaser, and it also cleans inner fender liners really well when used with the Fender Brush. Keep in mind though that if your vehicle’s fender liners are carpeted, you will spend more time rinsing all of the chemical out of the synthetic carpet material.

    All Purpose Cleaner
    Our All Purpose Cleaner, or APC, is another heavy duty degreaser option that we offer. While it was not specifically designed to combat brake dust, it is still an effective cleaner for both tires and wheels. Where APC stands out though is in its cleaning power for inner fender liners, engine bay degreasing, and loosening exhaust residue and soot buildup on exhaust tips. All Purpose Cleaner is a concentrated formula that can be used full-strength for heavy degreasing or diluted for delicate tasks. It can be used to clean rubber floor mats, mud flaps, and even brushes and applicators pads when you’ve finished the detail session. As with Wheel Cleaner and Wheel & Tire Cleaner, we do not recommend using it on any of the delicate finish wheels we mentioned earlier - and never let it dry on any surface. One final caution is that APC should not be used on white vinyl, such as racing stripes, as it can potentially stain and discolor the material.

    Eco All Purpose Cleaner
    Adam’s Eco All Purpose Cleaner is a safer alternative to our heavy-duty All Purpose Cleaner and other options above. The “Eco” in the name means that it is eco-friendly on both you and the environment. It is a direct release to the environment product that is safe to breathe, will not leave your hands with a strong chemical odor, and will not pollute open streams, drains, and so on. It works great on most wheels, tires, and wheel wells to remove medium contamination, perfect to remove worn down Graphene Tire Dressing, Tire Shine, or VRT when you may not need the more aggressive cleaning strength of Tire & Rubber Cleaner to remove brown discoloration. Eco All Purpose Cleaner can be used as a degreaser for engine bays that may have more delicate painted areas that may not be clear coated and could fade, or aluminum components that may discolor, from stronger degreasers. Eco APC can be used on paint as well, provided the vehicle is in the shade and the paint is cool to the touch. It can be used to remove more stubborn contamination like tar, bug splatter, bird droppings, and sap, but since it is a degreaser it will weaken or remove wax or sealants that you have on the paint, so make sure to apply a fresh coat of protection if you use sealant or wax on the vehicle. Lastly, if you find you’ve ran out of Towel & Pad Revitalizer, Eco All Purpose Cleaner is a safe and powerful substitute for cleaning out machine polishing pads, applicator pads, and foam tire applicators without any damage to the foam material.

    Eco Wheel Cleaner
    If you’re hesitant on which cleaner to use on your wheels, whether they’re delicate aftermarket wheels or black factory wheels that have been stained by other cleaners in the past, our Eco Wheel Cleaner is recommended for you. Eco Wheel Cleaner is a safe wheel cleaning formula combined with the cleaning technology of our Eco All Purpose Cleaner discussed earlier. No matter the sensitive finish - gloss black, anodize, powder coat, polished aluminum, and more - when used properly, Adam's Eco Wheel Cleaner will not stain your wheels. This formula does not contain the iron activator chemical found in our normal Wheel Cleaner, so it does not turn purple during use.

    Since Eco Wheel Cleaner is designed to be a very safe cleaning option for more specialized finishes, it may not be as effective at removing heavy brake dust buildup. It is, however, a perfect choice for maintenance cleaning after a wheel has been graphene coated or ceramic coated, when wheels typically will not require as harsh of chemicals for cleaning. Naturally derived surfactants in this formula generate nice foaming and detergent properties that are safe for the wheel, tire, and brake components - even very high-performance and expensive carbon ceramic rotors and brakes present in some exotic performance vehicles. One additional feature of Eco Wheel Cleaner is that it doesn’t have a very strong or lingering odor like our normal Wheel Cleaner and instead has a nice citrus scent. Like our Eco All Purpose Cleaner, Eco Wheel Cleaner is direct release to the environment, meaning there is no harm in it rinsing into drains, grass, etc.

    Car Shampoo
    Our Car Shampoo will be one of the most gentle ways of cleaning delicate finishes like raw polished aluminum, anodized, or gloss black wheels with the least chance of wash-induced damage; however, it is not going to be 100% effective at removing baked-on brake dust or dirty tire dressings. Car Shampoo is more suited to maintenance cleaning after your wheels have been coated with one of our graphene or ceramic coating options. Having the very hydrophobic and self-cleaning layer of a ceramic coating on a wheel can take a dirty wheel back to spotless with just a small amount of Car Shampoo, a wheel brush, and a hose or pressure washer to rinse it off. Not using a heavy duty product like Wheel Cleaner at every wash will also help to prolong the life of the ceramic coating on the wheel as well. Car Shampoo is another safe option for cleaning vehicles with carbon ceramic rotors as well.
     

     
    Cleaning Overview | Tools and Accessories
     
    Having the right cleaning tools to go along with the chemicals is crucial to achieving excellent results. For example, using a brush with bristles that are too firm may not allow Tire & Rubber Cleaner to foam up as well on a tire, but using one with too soft of bristles may not scrub all of the road grime from the sidewall lettering. We do extensive testing to offer cleaning accessories that complement the chemicals above to make the job of cleaning wheels and tires easier and more effective. While we won’t go as in-depth as we did in the Chemicals section above, we’ll provide a quick outline of each wheel and tire cleaning accessory to see where they may fit into your detailing process.

    Short Wheel Brush
    The short-handle design of our Short Wheel Brush makes it easier to control when cleaning the face of intricate wheel designs. This brush utilizes a very dense amount of synthetic bristles to give a softer feel and more cleaning power. These nylon fibers are slightly more rigid than natural fibers, letting them agitate the wheel cleaning chemical and break the bonds of dirt and grime while still being delicate enough for nearly all wheel finishes. The synthetic fibers don’t shed or smell when wet like natural fibers such as boar’s hair and merino wool. There is one wheel finish we caution using this brush, a raw polished aluminum wheel, as it may cause light marring that you would then have to polish back out with Metal Polish #2. Our Microfiber Wheel Wash Mitt detailed below would be a safer alternative in this instance.

    Rubberized Tire Brush
    We’ve recently updated our Tire Brush. The Rubberized Tire Brush safely scrubs dirt, grime, oxidation, and previous tire dressings for the tire sidewall. This brush has bristles much firmer and shorter in length than our Wheel Brush for increased scrubbing strength. The shorter bristles allow increased foaming of Tire & Rubber Cleaner, Wheel & Tire Cleaner, All Purpose Cleaner, and Eco All Purpose Cleaner, to penetrate the rubber compound for a more thorough deep-cleaning. As the name implies, the Rubberized Tire Brush has a protective rubber layer around the perimeter of the brush to prevent possible scratching with any accidental contact to the wheel or surrounding fender arches on the vehicle.

    Rubberized Trim & Lug Nut Brush
    The Rubberized Trim & Lug Nut Brush is an updated version of our previous Trim & Lug Nut Brush. This design has a rubber handle which is safer if it contacts parts of the wheel while giving a better grip when holding it as well. The bristles are shaped perfectly to fit inside lug holes to remove brake dust on and around each lug, around valve stems, and even into the cracks and crevices in emblems and other badging on body panels. The Rubberized Trim & Lug Nut Brush gently cleans powder coated calipers as well, to make them stand out and appear as spotless and clean as the rest of the wheel, too. It’s also a great tool for getting into more intricate areas of engine bays, using it with the chemicals outlined above.

    Microfiber Wheel Wash Mitt
    The Microfiber Wheel Wash Mitt is a soft mitt with microfiber fingers covering one entire side of the mitt. The microfiber fingers allow you to easily clean more difficult areas on the wheel, such as the corners and back of spokes, the barrel, and brake caliper, since you will be able to bend your fingers into these areas more easily than a larger brush. The Microfiber Wheel Wash Mitt is safe for use with all of our wheel cleaning chemicals, and rinses easily in between cleaning each wheel. The opposite side of the mitt has a more textured surface that can be used for heavier scrubbing of less delicate wheels or tire sidewalls.

    Large and Small Wheel Woolie
    The Large and Small Wheel Woolies are a great solution for cleaning modern wheels with intricate designs. The 45-degree angle of the brush head allows you to easily clean the back of spokes and the inner barrel of the wheel, where the Rubberized Wheel Brush and Trim & Lug Nut Brush will have more difficulty accessing these areas. Each wheel woolie has very soft, dense carpet fibers that are 100% polypropylene and chemical resistant. For vehicles with large rotors and painted calipers with tight clearance between them and the barrel of the wheel, the Small Wheel Woolie is perfect to fit into those nooks and crannies.

    Large and Small Barrel Brush
    The Large and Small Barrel Brush have a very similar design to the Wheel Woolies mentioned above, with a few key differences - the brush head is a bendable design, and they have thicker handles for a more stable grip during use. The barrel brushes have soft fibers safe on delicate wheel finishes. The brush heads can be bent greater than 90-degrees, which allows them to easily fit into tight areas on the wheel, around the fender liners, and hard-to-reach areas in an engine bay.

    Turbo Stick and Mini Turbo Stick
    When the barrel of a wheel has large amounts of baked-in brake dust and road grime, it will sometimes require more scrubbing power than the Wheel Woolie or Barrel Brush. This is where the Turbo Stick and Mini Turbo Stick come into play. The Turbo Stick uses the rotating strength of a cordless drill to spin the soft, chemical resistant fibers to scrub the barrel clean. Spraying the barrel with Wheel Cleaner or Wheel & Tire Cleaner first and allowing it to work for about a minute before using the Turbo Stick will give the best results. You will need to be careful around brake calipers, as the shaft of the Turbo Stick could snap if it gets stuck on the caliper while spinning.

    Fender Brush
    The Fender Brush utilizes a 20” long handle to easily reach and clean the inner fender liners on most passenger cars, trucks, and SUV’s. The flagged bristles are soft enough to not scratch plastic fender liners while still offering good scrubbing power when combined with Tire & Rubber Cleaner, Wheel & Tire Cleaner, All Purpose Cleaner, or Eco All Purpose Cleaner. The Fender Brush also works very well at scrubbing truck bed liners, rubberized floor mats, textured plastic step rails, and engine bay plastics.
     

     







     
    You can take a look at our wheel & tire products HERE. Stay tuned for Part Two of this in-depth video and blog, which will cover protecting your wheels and tires, coming soon! And as always, please let us know if you have any questions!
  9. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from haimiah in Is there a list of "body shop safe" products?   
    Hi Jeremiah! Thanks for joining the forum, and welcome! We do have certain requirements and buy-in tiers in order to be a re-seller of our products. For more information about the wholesale program options, you can contact our wholesale department from this link: https://adamspolishes.com/pages/become-a-distributor

    If your retail/office area is sectioned off from the body shop area, you should be ok, as long as you aren't spraying products directly in the office area, where particles could travel through the air or any duct work. Generally most of our protection products could potentially cause issues in a body shop, as they contain some amount of silicone, polymers, carnaubas, resins, or solvents. Waxes, sealants, ceramics, and sprayable products of ours that I would NOT use in or directly near a body shop or paint booth include:
    Americana Paste Wax Brilliant Glaze Buttery Wax Ceramic Boost Ceramic Spray Coating Ceramic Waterless CS3 Detail Spray Fabric Protector Glass Boost Glass Sealant Graphene Ceramic Coating Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating Graphene Detail Spray Graphene Tire Dressing Hand Polish (has some glaze and protection in it) H2O Guard & Gloss In & Out Spray One Step Metal Polish (has some protection in it) Paint Sealant Patriot Wax Rinse + Coat Slick & Slide Spray Wax Tire Shine Ultra Foam Shampoo Undercarriage Spray UV Ceramic Leather & Vinyl Coating UV Ceramic Paint Coating UV Ceramic Spray Coating UV Ceramic Wheel Coating VRT Wash & Wax Wash + Coat Machine polishing products of ours that are safe for use in a body shop are:
    Compound One Step Polish Polish Scratch & Swirl Remover
  10. Like
    Dan@Adams reacted to haimiah in Is there a list of "body shop safe" products?   
    My apologies, sometimes I get ahead of myself.

    I'd like to offer some Adam's Products as kind of an "add on" service for customers we've done paint/body work for. you know like an impulse buy item, either while we are writing an estimate, or when they are picking their vehicles up. 

    I'd also like to use some of those products, in an effort to practice what we preach, so I wanted to grab some of the "body shop safe" products to use while prewashing/final detailing customer vehicles, obviously without causing issues in the paint department. Dan's list gives me beautiful start, on some products I can avoid.
     
    I'm going to pick out a few products, and I may take you up on just double checking. Otherwise I'll do some in house testing haha
     
    I've spoken with Alan about the different options, and have found an option that works for all parties. He was VERY helpful

     
  11. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from falcaineer in Is there a list of "body shop safe" products?   
    Hi Jeremiah! Thanks for joining the forum, and welcome! We do have certain requirements and buy-in tiers in order to be a re-seller of our products. For more information about the wholesale program options, you can contact our wholesale department from this link: https://adamspolishes.com/pages/become-a-distributor

    If your retail/office area is sectioned off from the body shop area, you should be ok, as long as you aren't spraying products directly in the office area, where particles could travel through the air or any duct work. Generally most of our protection products could potentially cause issues in a body shop, as they contain some amount of silicone, polymers, carnaubas, resins, or solvents. Waxes, sealants, ceramics, and sprayable products of ours that I would NOT use in or directly near a body shop or paint booth include:
    Americana Paste Wax Brilliant Glaze Buttery Wax Ceramic Boost Ceramic Spray Coating Ceramic Waterless CS3 Detail Spray Fabric Protector Glass Boost Glass Sealant Graphene Ceramic Coating Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating Graphene Detail Spray Graphene Tire Dressing Hand Polish (has some glaze and protection in it) H2O Guard & Gloss In & Out Spray One Step Metal Polish (has some protection in it) Paint Sealant Patriot Wax Rinse + Coat Slick & Slide Spray Wax Tire Shine Ultra Foam Shampoo Undercarriage Spray UV Ceramic Leather & Vinyl Coating UV Ceramic Paint Coating UV Ceramic Spray Coating UV Ceramic Wheel Coating VRT Wash & Wax Wash + Coat Machine polishing products of ours that are safe for use in a body shop are:
    Compound One Step Polish Polish Scratch & Swirl Remover
  12. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from Rich in Is there a list of "body shop safe" products?   
    Hi Jeremiah! Thanks for joining the forum, and welcome! We do have certain requirements and buy-in tiers in order to be a re-seller of our products. For more information about the wholesale program options, you can contact our wholesale department from this link: https://adamspolishes.com/pages/become-a-distributor

    If your retail/office area is sectioned off from the body shop area, you should be ok, as long as you aren't spraying products directly in the office area, where particles could travel through the air or any duct work. Generally most of our protection products could potentially cause issues in a body shop, as they contain some amount of silicone, polymers, carnaubas, resins, or solvents. Waxes, sealants, ceramics, and sprayable products of ours that I would NOT use in or directly near a body shop or paint booth include:
    Americana Paste Wax Brilliant Glaze Buttery Wax Ceramic Boost Ceramic Spray Coating Ceramic Waterless CS3 Detail Spray Fabric Protector Glass Boost Glass Sealant Graphene Ceramic Coating Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating Graphene Detail Spray Graphene Tire Dressing Hand Polish (has some glaze and protection in it) H2O Guard & Gloss In & Out Spray One Step Metal Polish (has some protection in it) Paint Sealant Patriot Wax Rinse + Coat Slick & Slide Spray Wax Tire Shine Ultra Foam Shampoo Undercarriage Spray UV Ceramic Leather & Vinyl Coating UV Ceramic Paint Coating UV Ceramic Spray Coating UV Ceramic Wheel Coating VRT Wash & Wax Wash + Coat Machine polishing products of ours that are safe for use in a body shop are:
    Compound One Step Polish Polish Scratch & Swirl Remover
  13. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from Mike E. in Updated Time: Meet Adam at Adam's Polishes Anaheim, CA - February 28th - 11AM-1PM   
    NEW UPDATED TIME: The Meet & Greet is now scheduled for 11AM to 1PM!

    Sorry for the short notice on this one, but I just found out! Our Anaheim, CA location will be holding a meet and greet with Adam this Sunday, from 11AM-1PM. Stop out to say hello and pick up some gear with in-store specials!


  14. Like
    Dan@Adams reacted to falcaineer in Updated Time: Meet Adam at Adam's Polishes Anaheim, CA - February 28th - 11AM-1PM   
    Can't wait to visit there one day!
  15. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from Rich in Updated Time: Meet Adam at Adam's Polishes Anaheim, CA - February 28th - 11AM-1PM   
    NEW UPDATED TIME: The Meet & Greet is now scheduled for 11AM to 1PM!

    Sorry for the short notice on this one, but I just found out! Our Anaheim, CA location will be holding a meet and greet with Adam this Sunday, from 11AM-1PM. Stop out to say hello and pick up some gear with in-store specials!


  16. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from Norton in Barrett-Jackson Auction - Scottsdale, AZ - March 20-27, 2021   
    It's once again time for the Barrett-Jackson Auction at WestWorld in Scottsdale, AZ - March 20-27th! We'll be there with our show display - demonstrating and selling products! We're also the official detailer of Barrett-Jackson, so you will see our team members all over the auction making vehicles truly shine! 
     


    You can purchase advance tickets through the following link:
    https://barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Tickets/Scottsdale-March-2021/b8297bc9-b0e4-4129-98d3-884d31219e9b
     
    Please note there is a clear bag policy for all Barrett-Jackson events, and face masks must be worn at all times!
     
    We hope to see you there!
  17. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from kaj41354 in Blog: Wheel & Tire Cleaning Detailing Guide   
    In this new for 2021 video, Joe gives an explanation and how-to of our different wheel cleaning chemicals and accessories. We cover each of our wheel cleaning chemicals - Wheel & Tire Cleaner, Wheel Cleaner, and Eco Wheel Cleaner - and the scenarios where they work best. We hope this video and the write-up below will help you decide which combination will work best on your wheels to clean them safely without introducing any potential damage to delicate finishes!
     

     
    Cleaning Overview | Chemicals
     
    There are a large amount of wheel finishes available on new vehicles and aftermarket wheel options, and plenty of vintage types of wheels as well, so it’s very important to use the proper cleaners, accessories, and process to not damage the finish. Clear coated, chrome, matte, satin, raw polished aluminum, powder coated, and anodized are the most common wheel finishes that you will find yourself cleaning. We offer a few different options when it comes to chemical cleaners for handling all of these different wheel finishes and a few for tires as well. It’s important to know which ones will work best for each particular vehicle, so we’ll take a look at each, starting from most aggressive to least aggressive. There is a lot to cover to explain why you should and should not do certain things when cleaning different wheel types, so these first two sections of the blog are going to be the longest - but spending time up front on proper cleaning is very important in order for the protection process to go smoothly and last the longest.

    Wheel Cleaner
    Adam’s Wheel Cleaner has evolved with a few updates since its release in 2013 as Deep Wheel Cleaner. The original version was a transparent reddish-pink color with a very potent scent. It was a heavy duty cleaner with an iron activator (Sodium Thioglycolate) that would cause the chemical to turn purple as it began to interact with and dissolve brake dust on the wheel surface, brake calipers, and rotors. Over the years, the name was simplified to Wheel Cleaner, and the third and most current version has a thicker, gel-like consistency now with a blue-green color. It’s still just as effective and turns purple as it interacts with the iron deposits in the brake dust. The scent is further improved but still carries some potency due to the sulfur in the Sodium Thioglycolate. In some cases, the iron removing aspect of Wheel Cleaner allows it to nearly self-clean the wheel, by simply spraying it on, allowing it to work and turn purple, and then rinsing it off thoroughly with a pressure washer or strong blast from a hose; however, in most cases you will need to agitate it with a cleaning tool like the Rubberized Wheel Brush or Wheel Woolie.

    Wheel Cleaner is our strongest chemical for removing heavy brake dust buildup from high-performance brakes found on most performance vehicles and aftermarket big brake kits. How can you tell if your vehicle has high-performance brakes and brake pads? Brembo brakes and other large calipers, often powder coated in a bright color, are almost an immediate sign of incredible braking performance but large amounts of brake dust. A second example, let’s say that your truck or sport sedan has silver wheels, but you notice the wheels are turning dark gray with brake dust after just a few drives - this is another scenario where your vehicle most likely has higher performance brake pads.

    These metallic brake pads often contain metals such as iron, copper, and steel composites for this level of performance; however they do indeed make a lot of dust, that if left untreated, may start to leave yellow, orange, or brown staining into the creases and outer spokes of your wheel as the dust bonds to the finish from high temperatures. Wheel Cleaner and the Trim & Lug Nut Brush will be the best option in this scenario to remove these iron stains effectively, as our other cleaning options most likely will not be aggressive enough. Organic brake pads, very common in most non-performance vehicles, may not show the purple color-change with Wheel Cleaner as much or at all, since they produce less dust and are made of non-metal materials like rubber, kevlar, fiberglass, and resin. Ceramic brake pads offer even less dust, but can still show the purple color-change, since the ceramic material is combined with copper.

    There are a few wheel finishes that we do not recommend using Wheel Cleaner with, where other chemicals are required instead. On raw aluminum and raw polished aluminum wheels, the exposed metal can potentially become cloudy or hazy after using Wheel Cleaner. This would then require polishing them back out with Metal Polish #2, which you may not want to do every time you clean your wheels. On aftermarket anodized wheels, Wheel Cleaner can stain the anodized finish. Anodizing is an electrochemical oxidation process of an aluminum surface that produces a stable film of colored aluminum oxides. In other words, anodizing is in the metal rather than a layer that sits on top of the metal like paint, powder coat, chrome, and so on. An anodized finish is durable and cannot chip, but raw aluminum is porous and is still porous after the anodizing process, so strong chemicals like Wheel Cleaner can work their way into the pores and cause staining and discoloration.

    Powder coated wheels and calipers must also be cleaned with special care, especially if the powder coat is just a base color without a clear powder baked on top of the color layer. Wheel Cleaner can be used on powder coated wheels, but the wheels and calipers must be cool to the touch, you cannot let the cleaner dry on the wheel, and you must rinse it very thoroughly to avoid any issues like staining or fading of the powder coat. The same stipulations apply to gloss black, satin black, and matte black wheels as well. If you do not follow the precautions above, the Wheel Cleaner can cause drip stains or even a chalky appearance on some black wheels if used incorrectly.

    Wheel & Tire Cleaner
    Wheel & Tire Cleaner is a relatively new entry into our product lineup, but it has quickly become a customer favorite for how effective this one chemical is at cleaning heavily dirty wheels and tires, saving time and money in the process. While Wheel & Tire Cleaner does not contain the iron activating chemical that turns purple as it dissolves iron particles, it is still a very strong cleaner that is perfect for removing heavy road grime on your daily driver. It’s great to use on vehicles that have low-dust brake pads, or for maintenance cleaning when the wheels may not have as much brake dust buildup in between uses of our regular Wheel Cleaner. Because Wheel & Tire Cleaner is a strong chemical cleaner, it has the same safety precautions as Wheel Cleaner above, with the same notes on which types of wheels to avoid using it on entirely, or which to use with caution.

    Wheel & Tire Cleaner is also extremely effective at removing brown discoloration from tires, called tire blooming. After spraying it on a tire, you will almost immediately begin to see streaks of brown residue bleed out of the sidewall of the tire. On some rubber compounds, it is even more effective than our Tire & Rubber Cleaner at cleaning the tire. It may only require one pass of spraying and scrubbing the tire to get it to near 100% clean, whereas with Tire & Rubber Cleaner, it can sometimes take 2 or 3 passes if a tire has been neglected and is very discolored. Wheel & Tire Cleaner will easily remove previous applications of VRT, Tire Shine, or Graphene Tire Dressing, in order to dress the tire fresh again. It is also the only chemical of ours that will remove our Tire Armor, which we’ll outline later in this blog.
     
    Tire & Rubber Cleaner
    Much like our Wheel Cleaner specifically targets and removes brake dust, Tire & Rubber Cleaner is a heavy duty degreaser that has surfactants and citrus solvents that target mold release agents on brand new tires as well as tire blooming, or discoloration, that can develop over the life of the tires. Tire & Rubber Cleaner is a high sudsing formula that removes silicones, greases, polymers, road grime, and previous dressings to leave your tires bare and looking like new. With the first pass of cleaning, you will see Tire & Rubber Cleaner foam up into an orange-brown color as it removes all of the contamination from the sidewall. After rinsing the tire, you’ll notice if you use Tire & Rubber Cleaner again for a second or third pass, the foam will eventually appear white. This is a good indication that you have the majority of the sidewall bare and clean. By stripping the sidewall of an old tire dressing, it will allow the new application of Tire Shine, VRT, Graphene Tire Dressing, or Tire Armor to spread onto the tire more evenly and last longer.

    Tire & Rubber Cleaner isn’t just for tires. It does an excellent job of cleaning exterior rubber and plastic trim, turning chalky and oxidized trim nice and dark again. It is our most effective chemical at removing white wax stains from textured plastics on bumper inserts, truck bed rails, wiper cowls, and other trim pieces. It is the necessary first step in making exterior plastics as clean as possible before using Surface Prep and then coating the plastic with a product like Ceramic Spray Coating, or dying heavily faded plastic with our Ceramic Black Trim Restorer. Lastly, Tire & Rubber Cleaner works well on plastics and rubber hoses as an engine bay degreaser, and it also cleans inner fender liners really well when used with the Fender Brush. Keep in mind though that if your vehicle’s fender liners are carpeted, you will spend more time rinsing all of the chemical out of the synthetic carpet material.

    All Purpose Cleaner
    Our All Purpose Cleaner, or APC, is another heavy duty degreaser option that we offer. While it was not specifically designed to combat brake dust, it is still an effective cleaner for both tires and wheels. Where APC stands out though is in its cleaning power for inner fender liners, engine bay degreasing, and loosening exhaust residue and soot buildup on exhaust tips. All Purpose Cleaner is a concentrated formula that can be used full-strength for heavy degreasing or diluted for delicate tasks. It can be used to clean rubber floor mats, mud flaps, and even brushes and applicators pads when you’ve finished the detail session. As with Wheel Cleaner and Wheel & Tire Cleaner, we do not recommend using it on any of the delicate finish wheels we mentioned earlier - and never let it dry on any surface. One final caution is that APC should not be used on white vinyl, such as racing stripes, as it can potentially stain and discolor the material.

    Eco All Purpose Cleaner
    Adam’s Eco All Purpose Cleaner is a safer alternative to our heavy-duty All Purpose Cleaner and other options above. The “Eco” in the name means that it is eco-friendly on both you and the environment. It is a direct release to the environment product that is safe to breathe, will not leave your hands with a strong chemical odor, and will not pollute open streams, drains, and so on. It works great on most wheels, tires, and wheel wells to remove medium contamination, perfect to remove worn down Graphene Tire Dressing, Tire Shine, or VRT when you may not need the more aggressive cleaning strength of Tire & Rubber Cleaner to remove brown discoloration. Eco All Purpose Cleaner can be used as a degreaser for engine bays that may have more delicate painted areas that may not be clear coated and could fade, or aluminum components that may discolor, from stronger degreasers. Eco APC can be used on paint as well, provided the vehicle is in the shade and the paint is cool to the touch. It can be used to remove more stubborn contamination like tar, bug splatter, bird droppings, and sap, but since it is a degreaser it will weaken or remove wax or sealants that you have on the paint, so make sure to apply a fresh coat of protection if you use sealant or wax on the vehicle. Lastly, if you find you’ve ran out of Towel & Pad Revitalizer, Eco All Purpose Cleaner is a safe and powerful substitute for cleaning out machine polishing pads, applicator pads, and foam tire applicators without any damage to the foam material.

    Eco Wheel Cleaner
    If you’re hesitant on which cleaner to use on your wheels, whether they’re delicate aftermarket wheels or black factory wheels that have been stained by other cleaners in the past, our Eco Wheel Cleaner is recommended for you. Eco Wheel Cleaner is a safe wheel cleaning formula combined with the cleaning technology of our Eco All Purpose Cleaner discussed earlier. No matter the sensitive finish - gloss black, anodize, powder coat, polished aluminum, and more - when used properly, Adam's Eco Wheel Cleaner will not stain your wheels. This formula does not contain the iron activator chemical found in our normal Wheel Cleaner, so it does not turn purple during use.

    Since Eco Wheel Cleaner is designed to be a very safe cleaning option for more specialized finishes, it may not be as effective at removing heavy brake dust buildup. It is, however, a perfect choice for maintenance cleaning after a wheel has been graphene coated or ceramic coated, when wheels typically will not require as harsh of chemicals for cleaning. Naturally derived surfactants in this formula generate nice foaming and detergent properties that are safe for the wheel, tire, and brake components - even very high-performance and expensive carbon ceramic rotors and brakes present in some exotic performance vehicles. One additional feature of Eco Wheel Cleaner is that it doesn’t have a very strong or lingering odor like our normal Wheel Cleaner and instead has a nice citrus scent. Like our Eco All Purpose Cleaner, Eco Wheel Cleaner is direct release to the environment, meaning there is no harm in it rinsing into drains, grass, etc.

    Car Shampoo
    Our Car Shampoo will be one of the most gentle ways of cleaning delicate finishes like raw polished aluminum, anodized, or gloss black wheels with the least chance of wash-induced damage; however, it is not going to be 100% effective at removing baked-on brake dust or dirty tire dressings. Car Shampoo is more suited to maintenance cleaning after your wheels have been coated with one of our graphene or ceramic coating options. Having the very hydrophobic and self-cleaning layer of a ceramic coating on a wheel can take a dirty wheel back to spotless with just a small amount of Car Shampoo, a wheel brush, and a hose or pressure washer to rinse it off. Not using a heavy duty product like Wheel Cleaner at every wash will also help to prolong the life of the ceramic coating on the wheel as well. Car Shampoo is another safe option for cleaning vehicles with carbon ceramic rotors as well.
     

     
    Cleaning Overview | Tools and Accessories
     
    Having the right cleaning tools to go along with the chemicals is crucial to achieving excellent results. For example, using a brush with bristles that are too firm may not allow Tire & Rubber Cleaner to foam up as well on a tire, but using one with too soft of bristles may not scrub all of the road grime from the sidewall lettering. We do extensive testing to offer cleaning accessories that complement the chemicals above to make the job of cleaning wheels and tires easier and more effective. While we won’t go as in-depth as we did in the Chemicals section above, we’ll provide a quick outline of each wheel and tire cleaning accessory to see where they may fit into your detailing process.

    Short Wheel Brush
    The short-handle design of our Short Wheel Brush makes it easier to control when cleaning the face of intricate wheel designs. This brush utilizes a very dense amount of synthetic bristles to give a softer feel and more cleaning power. These nylon fibers are slightly more rigid than natural fibers, letting them agitate the wheel cleaning chemical and break the bonds of dirt and grime while still being delicate enough for nearly all wheel finishes. The synthetic fibers don’t shed or smell when wet like natural fibers such as boar’s hair and merino wool. There is one wheel finish we caution using this brush, a raw polished aluminum wheel, as it may cause light marring that you would then have to polish back out with Metal Polish #2. Our Microfiber Wheel Wash Mitt detailed below would be a safer alternative in this instance.

    Rubberized Tire Brush
    We’ve recently updated our Tire Brush. The Rubberized Tire Brush safely scrubs dirt, grime, oxidation, and previous tire dressings for the tire sidewall. This brush has bristles much firmer and shorter in length than our Wheel Brush for increased scrubbing strength. The shorter bristles allow increased foaming of Tire & Rubber Cleaner, Wheel & Tire Cleaner, All Purpose Cleaner, and Eco All Purpose Cleaner, to penetrate the rubber compound for a more thorough deep-cleaning. As the name implies, the Rubberized Tire Brush has a protective rubber layer around the perimeter of the brush to prevent possible scratching with any accidental contact to the wheel or surrounding fender arches on the vehicle.

    Rubberized Trim & Lug Nut Brush
    The Rubberized Trim & Lug Nut Brush is an updated version of our previous Trim & Lug Nut Brush. This design has a rubber handle which is safer if it contacts parts of the wheel while giving a better grip when holding it as well. The bristles are shaped perfectly to fit inside lug holes to remove brake dust on and around each lug, around valve stems, and even into the cracks and crevices in emblems and other badging on body panels. The Rubberized Trim & Lug Nut Brush gently cleans powder coated calipers as well, to make them stand out and appear as spotless and clean as the rest of the wheel, too. It’s also a great tool for getting into more intricate areas of engine bays, using it with the chemicals outlined above.

    Microfiber Wheel Wash Mitt
    The Microfiber Wheel Wash Mitt is a soft mitt with microfiber fingers covering one entire side of the mitt. The microfiber fingers allow you to easily clean more difficult areas on the wheel, such as the corners and back of spokes, the barrel, and brake caliper, since you will be able to bend your fingers into these areas more easily than a larger brush. The Microfiber Wheel Wash Mitt is safe for use with all of our wheel cleaning chemicals, and rinses easily in between cleaning each wheel. The opposite side of the mitt has a more textured surface that can be used for heavier scrubbing of less delicate wheels or tire sidewalls.

    Large and Small Wheel Woolie
    The Large and Small Wheel Woolies are a great solution for cleaning modern wheels with intricate designs. The 45-degree angle of the brush head allows you to easily clean the back of spokes and the inner barrel of the wheel, where the Rubberized Wheel Brush and Trim & Lug Nut Brush will have more difficulty accessing these areas. Each wheel woolie has very soft, dense carpet fibers that are 100% polypropylene and chemical resistant. For vehicles with large rotors and painted calipers with tight clearance between them and the barrel of the wheel, the Small Wheel Woolie is perfect to fit into those nooks and crannies.

    Large and Small Barrel Brush
    The Large and Small Barrel Brush have a very similar design to the Wheel Woolies mentioned above, with a few key differences - the brush head is a bendable design, and they have thicker handles for a more stable grip during use. The barrel brushes have soft fibers safe on delicate wheel finishes. The brush heads can be bent greater than 90-degrees, which allows them to easily fit into tight areas on the wheel, around the fender liners, and hard-to-reach areas in an engine bay.

    Turbo Stick and Mini Turbo Stick
    When the barrel of a wheel has large amounts of baked-in brake dust and road grime, it will sometimes require more scrubbing power than the Wheel Woolie or Barrel Brush. This is where the Turbo Stick and Mini Turbo Stick come into play. The Turbo Stick uses the rotating strength of a cordless drill to spin the soft, chemical resistant fibers to scrub the barrel clean. Spraying the barrel with Wheel Cleaner or Wheel & Tire Cleaner first and allowing it to work for about a minute before using the Turbo Stick will give the best results. You will need to be careful around brake calipers, as the shaft of the Turbo Stick could snap if it gets stuck on the caliper while spinning.

    Fender Brush
    The Fender Brush utilizes a 20” long handle to easily reach and clean the inner fender liners on most passenger cars, trucks, and SUV’s. The flagged bristles are soft enough to not scratch plastic fender liners while still offering good scrubbing power when combined with Tire & Rubber Cleaner, Wheel & Tire Cleaner, All Purpose Cleaner, or Eco All Purpose Cleaner. The Fender Brush also works very well at scrubbing truck bed liners, rubberized floor mats, textured plastic step rails, and engine bay plastics.
     

     







     
    You can take a look at our wheel & tire products HERE. Stay tuned for Part Two of this in-depth video and blog, which will cover protecting your wheels and tires, coming soon! And as always, please let us know if you have any questions!
  18. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from falcaineer in New Products and Mystery Madness!   
    I would agree with your assessment @falcaineer. I would do a small test area @RayS, and stay away from the edges of the vinyl decal, where it could possibly weaken the adhesive underneath as well, especially since the vinyl is 30+ years old.
  19. Like
    Dan@Adams reacted to Chris@Adams in Adam’s Polishes How-To Clean & Protect The Inside Of Your Car   
    Here's some great info on Detailing & Protecting your Interior!
     
    https://adamspolishes.com/pages/adam-s-polishes-how-to-clean-protect-the-inside-of-your-car
  20. Like
    Dan@Adams reacted to BRZN in Original 1966 paint...what products do you use?   
    On older vehicles with their original single stage paint I'll usually use Adam's Paint Sealant and recommend customers maintain the shine with his H2O Guard and Gloss after washings with the hose. Traditional waxes don't last as long as sealants, and I'd rather not mess with the original paint using Ceramics. I reserve Ceramics for newer vehicles and those with Clear Coat, however, the Ceramics could be used on older paints. I did a 1980 original paint Camaro a couple months ago and Graphene Ceramic Coated the black hood as there wasn't much paint left and wanted to preserve what was there the best I could.
     
    Adam's Paint Sealant:

     
    Graphene Ceramic Coated black on hood:

  21. Like
    Dan@Adams reacted to kaj41354 in Original 1966 paint...what products do you use?   
    Bob,
     
    First, Hello to a fellow Pittsburgher!  I was born and raised there but now live in York PA.  As you can see by the pictures in my signature I have 3 older vehicles that I take care of. The Morris is a clear coat so it doesnt apply here.  The 52 Chevy is the original paint and was (and to some extent still is) very imperfect.  however, after polishing I did use Paint Sealant and H2O G&G and it is much better than I expected.  The MGB was repainted about 25 years ago( I was told) but it is a single stage.  After polishing, I used paint sealant and have used Americana over the top.  I love the shine that gives.  Mind you, all 3 cars are garage kept but, they are driven as much as possible (at least once a week each).  They just dont see a lot of bad weather unless it rains while i am at a show or cruise (which has happened a lot more than I would have liked).  Good luck and post some pics of the Catalina (my first car was a 67 Grand Prix convertible)
  22. Like
    Dan@Adams reacted to falcaineer in New Products and Mystery Madness!   
    I haven't used it yet. But my gut tells me not to use it on more delicate surfaces like old decals given its high acidic formula. I've been wrong before, so hopefully someone else can chime in and clarify either way.
  23. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from falcaineer in New Products and Mystery Madness!   
    You may have noticed we launched some new products onto the website yesterday afternoon, as well as Mystery Madness, with all sorts of different mystery boxes, buckets, crates, stools, etc! 
     
    First up is product that many have been requesting for quite some time, Adam's Water Spot Remover! This is a very effective cleaner, but keep in mind it does have acid actives in it, so wear gloves and make sure to review the product video before use!

     
    Product Video: 
     
     
    We also introduced a new formula update to one of our most popular products, CS3. The short answer for what is different about it - we made everything about it better with a few simple tweaks to the formula. The longer answer from our chemist: "We adjusted the ratio of cleaners to protectors to make it slicker, even glossier, less prone to streaking, and more durability." It should reliably last up to 2-3 months now per application. The scent was updated a bit as well, mixing passion fruit into the original pineapple orchid scent, to help distinguish the formula update too. 


    A few new detailing accessories were added to the site as well! First up is the Adam's Rolling Wheel Detailing Stand. This high quality powder coated stand will make the process of cleaning and ceramic coating your wheels much easier. It can accommodate 14" to 22" wheels, and the rollers can be tilted to prevent the wheel and tire from tipping over. This one will save you time and effort when coating wheels!


    Then we also added a new Handheld Dual LED/UV Flashlight. This rechargeable light has 3 different shades of white on the color spectrum, as well as UV mode for using any of our coatings with our UV Tracer Technology. 

     
    You can find these items and more, plus all of our mystery box options under the New Products section of the website. Make sure to use code SAVE for 15% off of your order, excluding mystery items.

    CLICK HERE TO SHOP NOW!
  24. Like
    Dan@Adams got a reaction from tlbullet in New Products and Mystery Madness!   
    You may have noticed we launched some new products onto the website yesterday afternoon, as well as Mystery Madness, with all sorts of different mystery boxes, buckets, crates, stools, etc! 
     
    First up is product that many have been requesting for quite some time, Adam's Water Spot Remover! This is a very effective cleaner, but keep in mind it does have acid actives in it, so wear gloves and make sure to review the product video before use!

     
    Product Video: 
     
     
    We also introduced a new formula update to one of our most popular products, CS3. The short answer for what is different about it - we made everything about it better with a few simple tweaks to the formula. The longer answer from our chemist: "We adjusted the ratio of cleaners to protectors to make it slicker, even glossier, less prone to streaking, and more durability." It should reliably last up to 2-3 months now per application. The scent was updated a bit as well, mixing passion fruit into the original pineapple orchid scent, to help distinguish the formula update too. 


    A few new detailing accessories were added to the site as well! First up is the Adam's Rolling Wheel Detailing Stand. This high quality powder coated stand will make the process of cleaning and ceramic coating your wheels much easier. It can accommodate 14" to 22" wheels, and the rollers can be tilted to prevent the wheel and tire from tipping over. This one will save you time and effort when coating wheels!


    Then we also added a new Handheld Dual LED/UV Flashlight. This rechargeable light has 3 different shades of white on the color spectrum, as well as UV mode for using any of our coatings with our UV Tracer Technology. 

     
    You can find these items and more, plus all of our mystery box options under the New Products section of the website. Make sure to use code SAVE for 15% off of your order, excluding mystery items.

    CLICK HERE TO SHOP NOW!
  25. Like
    Dan@Adams reacted to TheWolf in New Products and Mystery Madness!   
    I need a little bigger Rolling Wheel Stand for these monsters!  
     

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