Honda Odyssey Forum banner

Lazy Detail

5K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  Tuned350 
#1 ·
Ok, lets start a thread on Lazy Detail. This is for those of us that don't want to think about leather and waxing the car more than say once a year. So what types of products are recommended for those of us that only detail once a year?

Since we are lazy, please point to products that are easy to use and that the benefit of the product might last until the next application (The following year). So stuff that last the whole year would be best for us. Maybe twice a year products could work for some, but I know I would prefer a once a year application.

Also, products that don't create more work such as: One application instead of two, or don't turn black trim white and require extra work to remove.

Also assume us lazy people know nothing about detailing in your reply.
 
#2 ·
Sorry, but there aren't any magical "once a year" products out there, no matter what some of them say. If they say that then it is just marketing. The dealership I work at recently had a customer who purchased the 6 year guaranteed paint and fabric protection come in to the shop complaining that the fabric protection didn't keep his seats from getting dirty :) Yes, some products are better than others, but if you want your car to look new for years to come it's real simple. Clean it regularly. Especially removing bugs, bird poop, tree sap, etc. The sooner the better. For carpet use all weather mats. Teach your kids to carry their trash out and be careful where they step when their shoes are wet or dirty. My sons friends all know we keep a clean van and act accordingly when their own parents can't get them to do the same. Because of this I get by with a spot clean on the carpet once or twice a year and it looks nearly new, but I will admit it is the seats that take the most work. Leather treatment 4X a year. If you have cloth then a quality shampoo with fabric protector leave behind 2-4X a year depending on your personal dirtiness. For that a little spot cleaner/shampooer is a handy thing, but buying the product at Walmart, mixing to the correct concentration in a spray bottle, spray on one seat at a time, agitate with a soft brush, and wipe with a dry towel is a decent substitute. Same technique for carpet or you can use a shop vac to suck up the dirty fluid.
 
#3 ·
Nu finiosh claims to be once a year.

Anyway, new van on the way want to start out right.

I guess I can't be lazy about it.

What should I do to the leatehr to start it off right? Or is it good for several months?

How many times ayear should AI do something to leather and what should I do to it? S o many threads in the detail section, hard to find what is right for me. Which is as seldom as possible, but the van still looks good.
 
#4 ·
Okay - here is what I do and I'm no professional but really as it was pointed out, if you do a bit now - you'll save a lot of work later on.

1. Most important - wash your car regularly with car soap. NOT dish detergent (palmolive, dawn etc) as this will strip the wax and finish off your car. It's fine if you want to start from scratch and wax after that but I don't recommend it - ever. Anything will work here really, armor all, turtle wax, mother's. I buy whatever is cheapest and on sale.

2. Wax. And Wax again. Then wax some more. It's the simplest and easiest way to keep your paint looking like new for years. If you are truly lazy, then yes, something like Nu Finish will be good for several months at best (depending on where you live, whether you garage it or not etc). Apply this wax to every painted surface - mirrors, A / B pillars, roof, alloy wheels (yes I'm serious) etc. Do this a minimum of twice a year - once in the spring, and once in the fall. More if you feel up to it and have the time, you could do it monthly or quarterly. Always try to wax in the shade!

3. Interior / tire dressings. This is the part that separates the men from the boys in my opinion. Here's what I do: for my tires, I ALWAYS use a degreaser to get brake dust and grime off my tires and wheels. Simple Green or Spray Nine work perfectly here. You can also use it to clean spots on your carpets, get stubborn stains off your rubber floor mats, whatever you want really. Wet the tires, spray on, you'll see it start removing brown gunk immediately, scrub with a DIFFERENT sponge than the one you wash with, and clean the alloys, then rinse. Now go wash the rest of the car. When its all nice and dry, apply a tire dressing. People have lots of opinions here but for me, I like shiny. So I just use Armor All. Works great, always has and I have no issues. If you want something that lasts longer, 303 Aerospace Protectant is your friend but its pricey. There are lots of other options out there but as I said, I use Armor All and buy the big jug whenever its on sale.

For the interior, just vacuum and use a slighly damp microfibre cloth to wipe down the interior dash, panels etc. Use the same cloth to wipe the insides of the windows. Windex / window cleaner is really not needed here. If there is anything really bad on the dash or elsewhere, get out the Simple Green or Spray Nine but plain old water works perfectly for most of the jobs and doesn't leave streaks (assuming you do this in the shade!). Once that's done, use the armor all / other interior protectant and apply it to the dash, door panels etc.

5. Leather cleaning / maintenance. Here's where I'm going to give you a lesson in leather. First off, it's a natural product (usually) that requires MORE maintenance than cloth. Why? Like your own skin, leather has pores in it. These pores can become clogged with dirt and oils. You need to clean them - even when new. Most modern leather has a clearcoat to help protect it but the fact is that just sitting on the leather stretches it and creases the leather. Unlike your own skin, leather does not have anyway to replenish its oils to keep it soft and supple. Therefore you have to do it yourself.

What do I recommend? There is NOTHING better (and don't even bother using anything else) than Leatherique. Go to Home Page | Leatherique Restoration Products or Leatherique Canada to see for yourself! Disclaimer - I don't work for them or anything, I'm just a believer in their products.

Ok, so assuming you buy this stuff, what you need to do first is give it a good cleaning. For that you would use the Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil. Apply this when its hot and sunny outside so you can seal up the car and the oil can penetrate the leather. I apply it liberally by hand but a spray bottle with a soft cloth will work too. You will need to do this once a year probably, depending on how much you drive or climate etc. Hotter climates will dictate doing this more often. I live near Toronto and once a year for our car (which is outside 100% of the time) is plenty.

Next, you need to soften the leather. For this you use the Pristine Clean. Yes, you use the cleaner AFTER the oil. Why? The oil pulls the dirt out of the pores and brings them to the surface. It will be sticky and gross after sitting in the sun for awhile but the pristine clean will get rid of all of that. Apply with a spray bottle, wipe with a clean cloth. You will need several cloths to do an Odyssey properly.

Finally, if you are super OCD and want the leather to look a bit shiny and clean (vs matte), then you can use the interior protectant / armor all on the leather. This will give it some UV protection as well so it will help avoid the cracking and fading.

That's it! I would suggest that if you did all of the above twice a year, you'll have a very nice looking Odyssey for many many years to come. It's also a great time to check for scratches, dents, paint chips etc and you'll be amazed at how great it looks after you're done.

Good luck and I hope that helps!
 
#5 · (Edited)
Ok, twice a year I could do. I am in NH so for1/2 the year it is too cold to do this type of thing.

As for item 1, I already wash both my cars several times a year with car soap

So would I wax and treat the leather on a new car? (Edit, oh I see above after reading it again, answer is yes, even new)

Thanks for the long explanation. I think I just have to buy it and try it. I used new finish once several years ago. It was easy to use.

But never had leather, so that is all a learning experience.
 
#8 ·
All good info here.

For the leather, like the rest of the car, the end result depends on the ease of use and frequency of care. The harder you are on it the more frequent the care must be in order to retain the original appearance, but 4X a year on leather treatment should keep it in pretty good shape in most cases. I probably average 2X a year and since we are pretty easy on it we get by, but it doesn't keep it from cracking at the highest traffic points. Even once it is cracked you can still improve the appearance significantly with a good cleaning and treatment, as the dirt in the cracks is what makes them most visible. I have never tried Leatherique, but I have never found any combo cleaner/treatment that was much good at cleaning. It really is two separate steps IMO. A medium brush and a gentle cleaner to get all the dirt out of the cracks and grain followed by a good treatment give the best results.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I like the idea of this thread, to simplify this area of maintenance. I absolutely love working on my Ody (or any other vehicle) but detest any kind of interior or exterior care. It just bores me to death. My Ody has never been waxed or clay bared or anything like that. However, a trip through the car wash has it looking pretty darn good.

My carpets have never been washed but still look good enough after a good vacuum job. Leather care, well I once scrubbed the interior with Krud Cutter (stuff works great BTW) and just the other day used some Meguiars Leather cleaner on the bottom of the front seats. It didn't work as well as the Krud Cutter so I gave up after a few minutes. Overall, the interior is in great shape, the seats are kind of dirty right now and the leather is a bit cracked at the edges where you get in and out, but it's not so bad. Still soft, still comfy.

One thing that I do like to do, and I don't know why, is clean all of the door jams and doors. I like the way that the car looks when that part is clean.

In the long run, it doesn't really matter how well I've taken care of my interior or exterior over the years. With the mileage as high as it is the shape of the interior is almost irrelevant. Furthermore, as easy and inexpensive as it is to have a vehicle professionally detailed these days, I can have it all done and looking great practically overnight.

Any way, I'll be checking this thread out, maybe I'll be inspired to do some non mechanical care on old reliable.
 
#9 ·
OK Folks the thread is about LAZY so any post longer then 5 sentences prob won't be read. If you are only going to do something once a year find a detail you can pay $200 to wash, wax, clean carpets, condition leather etc. Why bother spending $25-$50 on products that will be used once a year to take up space.
 
#10 · (Edited)
The best bet my be to pay some one...that is if I want a great cleaning. To do it right is a lot of work.

I did learn a few tips from this video series.



/DRIVE CLEAN Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL96D52AF54166C886&feature=plpp

Some of he things to add to my Lazy detail, are things like.
1) Stop using my sponge, so I bought a mitt.
2) Wash tires separately. And have a dedicated bucket and tools for tires. As the dirt from tires can scratch paint if I alternate.
3) Clay is good if I am not feeling lazy.
4) Stop using Windex on my widows
5) Use tire gell, not the spray as it lasts longer.
6) Buy microfiber towels.

Anyway, jut a few tips I learned from the videos. I do enjoy washing my car and I wish to do it correctly. Also, from time to time, I might do some of the other tips.

I am not OCD, I just wish to do things right a couple times a year.

I used new finish a week ago on my old car, and my kids helped. So I want to teach my kids some basic stuff too.
 
#11 ·
While there's really not a lot of "Once a year" stuff, Zainos is about as close as you can get with a sealant. Is it as good as waxing a few times a year? Probably not. Will it protect the car relatively well the whole year? Most likely. I'd still say take 2-3 Saturdays and do it the right way with re-waxing the car.
 
#12 ·
Collinite 845 Insulator Wax is good stuff and lasts a long time, plus it does not stain trim. I apply 2 coats of Collinite 476 wax over 2 weekends and it will easily get you through 6 months of midwestern fall and winter.
 
#13 ·
I used NuFinish for many years and the family '01 still has all it's paint, in excellent condition, after six years in the Northern California climate and nearly ten years near St. Louis. I also used it on our '06 for quite a while before switching to Eagle1 Nanowax, spray-on. Great stuff! As mentioned above, following a clay bar treatment, it leaves an uncommonly fine finish, for a minimal effort. It is better than the NuFinish, since it leaves no white residue.
Jerry O.
 
#14 · (Edited)
In my opinion, I think waxing is kinda pointless. Though I am speaking from a very anal point of view. The very moment you drive your car, it is getting dirty. Don't believe me? Clean your car in one spot, at the end of the day, take you finger and swipe that spot. You'll see how much dirt has accumulated from just a quick drive. So even if you wax your car, dust and pollution is getting on it making the "shine" dull defeating the purpose of making the car look shiny. As a layer of protection over the clear coat, yes, wax will do an good job but that's what the clear coat is for. And sure wax will help bead water off your car but if the rain dries on your car, it still shows the contaminants and you still have to wipe that stuff off whether waxed or not. If your clear coat ever deteriorates, there's products out there you can apply that's even better than factory clear coats at the fraction of the cost of getting your whole car resprayed if ever the need.

To get back on track, there's really nothing you can put on your car and go care free for 5-12 months. Just drive the car normally and wash the car every 2-3 weeks WITH the right products as that can make or break you. Dont be a chump and wipe the car down every-time you drive like me lol
 
#15 ·
Tuna the purpose of waxing goes far beyond just getting a shine on the car. Yes that is a big part of it but wax also helps to slow oxidation, provides UV protection, and adds a layer between your clear coat and contaminants. Compare a car with a good layer of wax to one without and you'll notice the car with wax is much easier to clean than one without. It's the old "ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure."

Anyway, if I'm in the mood for a quick detail/touch up I use Ultima waterless wash. Just spray it on and wipe off with a microfiber towel.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top