Brian GorsethDetailing the Exterior of an Auto in Boise
Hey guys, Brian with Limelight Detailing in Boise, Idaho. Today, I wanted to talk to you about iron remover and what it does. Whenever you’re detailing the outside of a:
- Vehicle
- Boat
- RV
It’s really important that you clean the paint properly before you apply protection. A lot of times when people are using DIY techniques, they’re trying to apply wax to the outside of the vehicle without cleaning it first, or they will:
- Run their car through the carwash.
- Wash their car at home.
People will wash their vehicle and think it’s ready to go, and then will put wax on the top of it. It’s not necessarily the worst thing for your vehicle if you’ve taken care of it over time and you apply a wax directly after washing it, but professionally and the proper way to detail the outside of the vehicle is not skipping the protection step. It’s really important.
Step One: Clean the Auto’s Exterior
Today, we’re working on a Chevy Camaro that we’ve washed the entire exterior of. So, what are we doing when we’re washing a car? We’re trying to get rid of all of the:
- Dirt and Debris
- Bird Droppings
- Bugs
To help us remove the topical debris on the vehicle we will use a clay bar. You can see some of our other videos where we have used this before.
Step Two: Use Iron Remover
We’re going to spray iron remover over the entire surface of the vehicle. Just for this demonstration, I’m going to do the hood, and along the panel to show you what it looks like when you’re using a good iron remover.
What is an Iron Remover?
Iron remover is a cleaning agent that goes into the paint on a vehicle. Think of it as being like the exterior of your skin. It’s very porous. So, what we’re trying to do is to get into the pores of the paint. We’re trying to:
- Clean the paint.
- Bring everything to the surface.
- Wash it off before we apply a wax.
- Polish the vehicle.
How to Use Iron Remover
I’m going to spray the hood and show you what it looks like but you want to apply the iron remover evenly over the entire surface. This particular iron remover, and most iron removers that you use, it’s going to be clear. You want to make sure to get a good spray bottle that’s going to mist properly; so it applies nice and even. And don’t worry if you get it on the plastic or glass it won’t hurt anything. It’s not the end of the world, it’s actually going to clean really well.
Does Iron Remover Clean Tire Rims?
Once you have applied the iron remover to the whole vehicle evenly apply some iron remover to the tires and rims to remove the brake dust on them. There are a lot of different types of rims such as:
- Aluminum
- Steel
- Hubcaps
Don’t worry about iron remover getting on any of them, it won’t hurt anything. It’s actually really effective on this Camaro’s rims which are called anodized rims, which means that it has a matte look. It’s going to remove a lot of the brake dust. It might be kind of tough to tell on the video, but you can see it as I’m wiping away.
How to Make Sure You’re Using an Effective Iron Remover
As the iron remover sits you can see it start to turn purple on the hood. A lot of different iron removers that you use will typically turn purple or red. If you’re using an effective iron remover, it’s going to change color after time. What it does is get rid of the:
- Metals
- Toxins
- Iron Fallout
Iron Fallout | What It Is & Why You Need It Removed
When you see the highway district, and they’re putting stuff on the roads, that’s iron fallout. It has a lot of calcium and sodium in it. This gets kicked up on your vehicle’s paint and gets baked into it, especially in the summer months.
It’s really important that you have an iron remover applied before you apply wax, so you can get rid of all of the iron fallout before you apply protection. If you’re using an effective iron remover, it’s going to change color as it starts working. You’ll see the iron pull begin to be drawn out making for a nice, clean surface.
Final Step, Step 3: Rinse & Wax the Vehicles Exterior
The next steps in our exterior detail would then be to:
- Rinse the iron remover off.
- Dry it properly.
- Polish and Wax.
Does Your Vehicle Need an Exterior Detail?
This is a really good iron remover that we use, and it turns colors meaning it cleans the paint really well. We’d love to do this for you. The iron remover portion and cleaning of your paint are included in every exterior detail we do. Also, our classic detail, and our Limelight Detail package. If there’s something you need done, give us a call today: 208-391-34755, or book an appointment.
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