Door Jambs/ megs apc+

Hey guys I was cleaning up the door Jambs on my jetta yesterday which has some pretty heavy grease around the hinges so I was using megs apc+ 4:1 with raceglaze brushes. I found that with the brushes it was taking forever to get the grime loose, so as soon as I switched to a tooth brush I found that I was moving at a way faster pace, so I guess the raceglaze brushes just didn't have enough scrubbing power because they are to soft? So my question to you guys is should I dilute the apc less or should I find some stiffer brushes? I have a SV detail brush coming soon don't know if that will be any better. Also what do you guys use to get in all the tight knooks and crannies?

 

I find that the swissvax brushes are too soft for what you describe.

I have a few of these: Master Grip Detailing Brush Soft Horse Hair Bristles w/ Ergonomic plastic handle

but obviously toothbrushes work well too. Maybe increase your APC solution too, i use 50/50 OPT OPC for beat down door jams and hinges. Also, try a stronger solvent too, just carefull it wont damage your paint. Ive used body solvent, and various other products. Steam works too......

 

As Kilo said, if they are greasy, use a tar and adhesive remover to dissolve the grease ( a strong citrus cleaner will work as well) and then follow up with your APC and RG brushes. I just got a SV brush and its almost identical to the RG ones.

 

Thank's guy's I just did my moms Honda Accord today and it had a bunch of white grease on the hinges and it was kinda a PITA to clean up kept clogging up the brushes, I have Zep citrus aswell so I may try that at 3:1 like premiershine uses it and see if it works better, do you guy's think I would be able to dilute the meg's apc+ less then 4:1 without harming the paint?

 

I wouldn't go any stronger than 4:1. You won't "harm" the paint, but you may leave some staining/streaking that won't come out unless you polish up the paint.

Why do you want to strip all the grease off the door hinges? That grease on the door hinges is applied at the factory and is supposed to last for the life of the vehicle.

 

Pretty sure he means that white lithium grease that dealerships and some owners use to spray. That stuff is a serious PITA... Cleaned my uncles hinges last summer and re-lubed them, but the brushes were coated in an oily mess. Rinsing them after and the bucket I used showed considerable oil sitting on top on the water. I did a BMW with Bryan this year and 3M adhesive remover and a brush along with a cheap MF did wonders. Of course, this car didn't have as much as my uncles. I have also tried undiluted brown royal which also did the trick on my aunts Lexus. But speaking from experience, white lithium grease cleanup ain't fun!

 

http://www.autogeek.net/tornador-black.html

 

I have one and use it religiously. NEVER in a million years remove lithium grease. I agree with the other guys. Raceglaze and Swissvax are great brushes but wont stand a chance either. I have had decent luck with tarminator and a disposable foam swab(I dont want to toast expensive brushes for this) and follow up the whole jamb with an APC (and her is where the Tornador shines,post goop). I try to isolate the area I am cleaning to avoid marring the paint. Polishing jambs is no joke either.

 

I hate cleaning door jambs. I use APC and Swisswax for regular dirt areas, just like you mentioned ... but I find that soaking a cheap/disposable MF in hot water/APC removes all the lithium grease without much effort. I use retired MF's or Costco cheap ones for this task. 3M adhesive remover/Tarminator works well too. Like Heavy D said ... try to isolate the area and don't use the MF to clean all the door jamb areas, just around the hinges.

 

Emile ... have you ever lived in the Rust Belt? You might get away with that in NJ, but not in the Midwest.

 

I get a lot of vehicles with this hard to remove grease that you are talking about in the door jambs. I tried a lot of different things and Tarminator will break this up with ease and it will just wipe right off.

 

^ Agree, sometimes i use waterless soap also for greased up areas,just don't use with the stuff that has grit in it.

 

Door Jambs (Door shuts)

1. Use P21S® High Performance Total Auto Wash or Optimum Opti™ Clean), dilute the cleaner 1:10 or as necessary, using a damp micro fibre towel to go over the door jamb to remove excess grease etc.
2. Ensure all water drainage holes are clear
3. Take a Swissvax Detail Brush and ensure that you have got into the corners, just lightly brush over it a couple of times.
4. For difficult to reach areas use the Mini E-Z Detail brush with a flexible shaft
5. Rinse it off using a wet microfiber towel, and dry thoroughly
6. Use a Carnauba wax or a spray (WOWA) polymer sealant Zanio Z-8 for protection
7. Repeat this process on the other side and carry on detailing the rest of your car
8. Check the hinge / latch lubrication, renew with a clear synthetic grease (WURTH Spray Grease Synthetic Lubricant) or white Lithium grease applied as a very thin layer only
9. Apply WD-40 (water displacement) to lock as this will prevent moisture, rust and or freezing and then apply Graphite Lubricant to the door locks, hinges and latches
10. Remove dust / dirt from the rubber sleeves and apply Iz einszett Gummi Pflege
11. Clean the felt window strips with a rubber napping brush and a 1:10 solution of P21S Total Auto Wash and distilled water
12. Clean the window ‘seals’ with diluted cleaner and then used Iz Gummi Pflege
13. Clean the water channels in the trunk as well as under the hood.
Do not use wax, silicone spray or 303 Aerospace Protectant on door seals

While you are doing this part of the job, also clean the behind the door seals, the area around the boot lid, hood and inside the fuel filler flap and access area, as these areas can accumulate a lot of dirt and grime

Don’t forget the door sills / kick plates; use P21S® High Performance Total Auto Wash or Optimum Power Clean™ dilute the cleaner 1:10 or as necessary , once they are clean and dry, they should be protected by applying a surface dressing to vinyl surfaces and either wax or sealant protection to painted surfaces.