I have an obsession with cleaning this car

[Journeyman425]

Ok guys, I have a serious disease. I can't stop cleaning our new Journey!

My wife usually drives the car. Last night she came home with the kids after a baseball game. The parking lot was obviously dusty. Then we had a light rain shower this morning so the car was all spotted.

Tonight she went to work and took the 300M since the parking spaces at the hospital that she works at are narrow and does not want the new car getting dinged. I love her...

Now, there is rain in the forecast. 20 percent tonight, 70 percent tomorrow, 60 percent tomorrow night. Pretty good shot that it's gonna rain. So, what did I do?

With an hour and a half of daylight left, I got out the Ardex spray detailer and proceeded to do the whole car, top to bottom, then shine the tires, wipe down the brake dust and clean the glass.

Now it's dark and I can't see it. Tomorrow it's probably gonna rain and mess it all up anyway. What the hell is wrong with me?

Only you guys will understand this. I didn't post any new pictures because it's too damn dark!

[Rgwog]

I completely understand but gave up. We have had a wetter than normal summer here. (rain at least once a day) I have given up. I have washed it maybe 3 times since we got it in June. And with it being wet you drag who knows what all in on your feet Arrrrg! Ahh just wait till winter.

[Addicted to Dodge]

I too enjoy keeping our Journey clean. But after a few months the new wore off and now its in need of a cleaning again. The pearl white is so hard to keep clean.

[black2011]

I'm right there. I bought the unlimited monthly pass to the local car wash. I go pretty much every other day..... Even thought the car isn't dirty! I can't stop!

[larryl]

Ditto on the rain even when the weatherman says its going to be nice they are wrong!

Never had such green grass this late in the summer have to cut it once a week so the Journey is dirty

[rolly]

Boy, I can totally relate. I wash mine by hand 2 or 3 times a week at least. I'm glad I have the WeatherTech floormats with all the rain this year. Every other week I use vinyl cleaner on the door panels, seats and dash. I'm surprised that the brake dust hasn't been too bad. The DJ sure takes longer to clean than my old Neon though, LOL. The great thing about the paint treatment I have, I don't have to wax and I always use microfiber towels to hand dry. I also have a bottle of pre-mix detailer in case of air attacks. I keep looking for better wash mitts, so any suggestions?

[Journeyman425]

Glad I am not alone! Sure enough, just as I was ready to go to work, the sky opened up and it rained - for about 10 minutes. Just enough to get the road completely wet, then it stopped. Drove to work in the road spray. Rained again on and off during the day while the car sat, then again tonight after we went out for dinner. Same thing, stopped raining and drove home in the road spray. I rinsed the car off when we got home to get the spray off. Tomorrow I'll hit it again with the Hydrogloss and all will be well!

You're right about the brake dust, Rolly - my wheels get dirtier from driving on wet roads than from the brakes. When I wipe them down in between washes, there is very little dust.

Edited August 10, 2013 by Journeyman425

[Mrmagoo]

Ok guys, I have a serious disease. I can't stop cleaning our new Journey!

My wife usually drives the car. Last night she came home with the kids after a baseball game. The parking lot was obviously dusty. Then we had a light rain shower this morning so the car was all spotted.

Tonight she went to work and took the 300M since the parking spaces at the hospital that she works at are narrow and does not want the new car getting dinged. I love her...

Now, there is rain in the forecast. 20 percent tonight, 70 percent tomorrow, 60 percent tomorrow night. Pretty good shot that it's gonna rain. So, what did I do?

With an hour and a half of daylight left, I got out the Ardex spray detailer and proceeded to do the whole car, top to bottom, then shine the tires, wipe down the brake dust and clean the glass.

Now it's dark and I can't see it. Tomorrow it's probably gonna rain and mess it all up anyway. What the hell is wrong with me?

Only you guys will understand this. I didn't post any new pictures because it's too damn dark!

Is it black?

[Mrmagoo]

Boy, I can totally relate. I wash mine by hand 2 or 3 times a week at least. I'm glad I have the WeatherTech floormats with all the rain this year. Every other week I use vinyl cleaner on the door panels, seats and dash. I'm surprised that the brake dust hasn't been too bad. The DJ sure takes longer to clean than my old Neon though, LOL. The great thing about the paint treatment I have, I don't have to wax and I always use microfiber towels to hand dry. I also have a bottle of pre-mix detailer in case of air attacks. I keep looking for better wash mitts, so any suggestions?

Try eshine.ca

[rolly]

I get a lot of different products from from ehine, it's a great company. There's so much choice it's hard to decide and trial and error gets expensive. I'd like to hear what the forums members use- sponge, foam, wool or just microfiber towels. What's the preference?

[Journeyman425]

I use microfiber towels with both the Miami Shine liquid wax and the Hydrogloss spray detailer. When I wash use a very soft brush - like horsehair, very soft - which makes it very easy to get the roof and makes the wash process a lot faster, yet leaves no etching lines in the clearcoat. I have a microfiber wash mitt too, which I use on the wheels since the brush does not get in between the spokes very well, especially on the wheels on my 300M.

[Journeyman425]

I did it again today!

[Journeyman425]

Did the 300M today - finally have two clean cars at the same time!

[rolly]

Looking good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Journeyman425]

...and then proceeded to rain all over them early this morning and then later on in the morning - with none of that precipitation in the forecast at all on Saturday...

[Chris1276]

Lol,, i know the feeling! Whenever it happens to me i just watchi the water beads on my journey! Whew, sucks but amusing as the water slides on your paint.

[onecrazyfoo4u]

You guys need to have some kids . I don't have time to wash/wax my DJ that often. Maybe once every other month if I'm lucky...

[Journeyman425]

I'm enjoying the little time that I do have this summer. We put a 22' X 25' basketball court in for my two boys last month, and they have been hanging out with their friends playing hoop while I clean the car and watch at the same time. In less than a month they'll be back to school and the car will be all over creation with games, practices, rehearsals and various other activities and that will be the end of the always-clean Journey. I'll still keep it nice but won't have the time to do it nearly as often.

Sometimes a little multitasking is in order. My wife works nights (nurse) so she takes the 300M when she goes to the hospital and leaves me the Journey, Get home from work. Dinner is made but has to be heated 15 minutes. Put it in the oven and quick wash the car. Leave it wet, eat with the kids, clean up, towel off the car and drive one of them to a friends house. Get home and now the car is dry. Kid #2 is playing outside, 30 minutes is all it takes to throw on a quick coat of Miami Shine and some tire dressing and clean the water spots off the glass. Voila! Clean car and some quality time with family. Life is good!

Edited August 16, 2013 by Journeyman425

[rolly]

You guys need to have some kids . I don't have time to wash/wax my DJ that often. Maybe once every other month if I'm lucky...

My kids have left the nest. That's why I have the time lol!

[doubleO7]

Boy, I can totally relate. I wash mine by hand 2 or 3 times a week at least. I'm glad I have the WeatherTech floormats with all the rain this year. Every other week I use vinyl cleaner on the door panels, seats and dash. I'm surprised that the brake dust hasn't been too bad. The DJ sure takes longer to clean than my old Neon though, LOL. The great thing about the paint treatment I have, I don't have to wax and I always use microfiber towels to hand dry. I also have a bottle of pre-mix detailer in case of air attacks. I keep looking for better wash mitts, so any suggestions?

A little late to this thread. I like to keep my Journey sparkling inside and out. Like you, I have the Weather Tech floor mats and I also have the cargo mat.

Also like you, I had the paint treatment done, but directly from the company that our dealer uses, and paid one third the cost.

As for washing and waxing, I have gotten all of my car care supplies (except the wash buckets) from e-shine.ca. One or two of the products are for my other vehicle that doesn't have paint protection on it - these products would be used on the Journey if I didn't have the paint protection. The reason I go to eshine.ca is that is where detailers go to buy their products, and I have always held the notion that you get what you pay for. When I want to buy an outdoor jacket for winter, I go to a store that specializes in outdoor equipment and clothing, not a retailer that specializes in really nothing.

Wash mitt -Merino wool (will explain later)- appears to be no longer available from eshine.

Two buckets (from Home Depot)

Two grit guards

Durogloss 901 Car Wash Concentrate

Poorboy's World Spray and Wipe

Poorboy's World Natural Look - for leather and vinyl

EZ Crème Glaze - for other car

Menzerma Power Lock Polymer Sealant - for other car

Aerospace Protectant- for tires

Chemical Guys Wheel Polish

Dehydrator Wiping Cloths - large

Microfiber Cloths - medium size

Buffing Clothes - large - for other car

Riccardos Clay Bar -yellow - for other car

Riccardos Clay Bar Lube- for other car

I have a friend who has a car detail business and those are the products he recommended.

Rolly and others, the reason for the grit guards and the Merion wool wash mitt has to do with getting rid of the grit on the wash mitt. According to my friend the Merion wool when agitated against the grit guards which sit in the buckets, release the grit easier then other types of wool mitts. I use two grit guards, one for the wash bucket and one for the rinse bucket. I usually make sure I have the grit guards well below the water level, so the grit settles at the bottom, and there is not chance of picking it back up on the mitt.

After wetting down the vehicle, I was a very small area of the vehicle and then dip the wash mitt in the rinse bucket, and agitate it on the grit guard before dipping it back in the wash bucket. I then just lightly agitate the mitt against the grit guard as a final step to make sure that the grit has been removed. I then hand the mitt over the edge of the bucket to allow any remaining grit to settle to the bottom while I rinse the area that I have just washed. Then I gently dip the mitt back into the soap and repeat the process. When washing my friend recommends to wash in straight line motions rather then circular. This reduces the chances of getting swirl marks on the vehicle.

Dehydrator Wiping Cloths: These things soak up water like you wouldn't believe. You could get away with one, but then it takes a little more effort to dry the vehicle. I bought a second set for in the house as they work well in soaking up water when doing plumbing jobs.

Poorboy's World spray and wipe - stays in the vehicle. Its a waterless wash and quick detailer. Gets rid of bird bombs rather nicely. I use a microfiber cloth for this application.

Poorboy's World Natural Look for leather and vinyl - is used on the inside door trim, centre consul (I don't use it on the seats as the owners manual says only to use a damp cloth). The nice thing about this product is that is restores the leather smell to the interior.

Aerospace Protectant - I use this on the tires as it does not leave a wet look shine on the tires (I like my tires a dark colour but not shiny- to me the shiny look makes it look like I just drove it off a used car lot). So this is just a personal preference

Chemical Guys wheel polish - I put this on the wheels after I had washed them to get any brake dust off from the ride home. Its been fourteen months now and I have just redone them. I have never had any visible brake dust residue on my wheels in the fourteen months. Not sure if that's due to the wheel polish alone or a combination of having the larger brakes and the wheel polish. I let my neighbour use some about the same time on his older Grand Caravan and he is amazed at how much cleaner his wheels stay. The only reason I had to re apply, was because I went through a construction area and got some tar on the wheels, and used a tar remover to get rid of the tar, so thought may be a good time to re-apply wheel polish.

Other products bought but not used on Journey:

As I said earlier I ordered these products and was prepared to use them on the Journey, so if you didn't get a paint protection package for your Journey, these products should interest you for further use

Riccardo Clay Bar/Riccardo Clay Bar Lube - my friend said when you go and get the vehicle, if the dealer hasn't prepped your vehicle properly, you may have brake dust on the paint. The paint should be smooth when you pick it up. Thank goodness I deal with a great Car dealer as the paint was smooth, so I didn't have to clay bar it.

I use the product on our old and abused (by previous owner) Subaru. I clay barred the Subaru (later I did my neighbours Grand Caravan), and it took all the contaminates out of the paint. As one was going along, it was easy to tell where you had clay barred and where you hadn't.

Menzerma Power Lock Polymer Sealant - again I was going to use this on the Journey but have only used it on the Subaru and my neighbours Grand Caravan. A very little goes along way and lasts about six months if vehicle is left outside and longer if vehicle is garaged. Regardless, my friend says to do it twice a year. Early spring and early fall. (clay barring only has to be done when needed). My friend also recommends putting two coats on just for a little extra protection. This doesn't take the place of car wax, it just seals the surface and one should wait 24 hours before applying any wax. As usual wax will have to be re-applied after a few washings but not the sealant. This product really creates a slippery finish. I placed the buffing towel on a part of the front hood (that I had just finished buffing) that starts to curve downward and it slid right off. Had to get another buffing towel out, as I'm sure the one that slid off would have grit on it. Before I had done the hood, I had placed the buffing towel around the same spot and it didn't move.

E-Z Crème Glaze - I actually bought this thinking it was a wax, and applied it over the Menzerma on the Subaru twenty four hours later but its actually a polymer sealant also. Between the two products, the Subaru really had a deep shine and repelled dust and pollen beautifully. Other then when mud got on the Subaru, we could actually just hose it down.

This spring, I decided just to use the Menzerma and a Carnuba wax and will save the E-Z Crème Glaze for when I run out of the Menzerma (container is large so will probably last years).

I hope this helps other Journey owners in deciding what products are best for their vehicle. I am sure there are others, but these are my personal preferences.

So, yeah, I am a bit obsessive with keeping my vehicle clean, so much so that the dealer has made note that under no circumstances are they to wash the vehicle.

I caught them trying to wash it on my first oil change and the vehicle wasn't even dirty, I can see a slight swirl mark on my rear quarter panel. Thank goodness, that was the only place the brush touched the vehicle before I yelled STOP.

[Mrmagoo]

Nice writeup. I use the Porter Cable 7424 orbital polisher and the klasse "Twins", polish and sealer from eshine. Never use the brush at the car wash unless you want swirls and scratches and no, the spray wax at car wash is not going to protect your paint. If your paint is a few years old it needs a clay job or all you will do is grind all the grit into your paint when you wax.

[burgandy25]

If you've never used clay on a car before. Oh man is clay the work of the Gods because it makes a cars finish so great before polishing even.

[bigtsr]

Well mine has been ready fall/winter for a while

I use NU FINISH polymer took keep it polished up.

http://www.dodgejourneyforum.com/gallery/image/1206-cleaned-and-polished/

[Journeyman425]

Beautiful color! Looks great - I LOVE a clean car...

[Journeyman425]

Hasn't rained in three weeks here - everything is parched. Detailed the car last night; an hour later it rains - just enough to get the car wet and spotted. God loves me! Had to quick wipe it down again at lunch. The obsession continues. Getting harder though, with kids in school, practices and games, and less and less daylight with each passing day. I dread winter!