Debadging

Something that I simply cannot stand is when car dealerships put company badges or stickers on the vehicles that they sell.  Dealer badges are ugly and detract from the overall appearance of a vehicle.  All see is that unsightly blemish and knew what I had to do when I detailed this 2012 Honda Fit Sport.  The Fit was in for an Interior Rejuvenation Detail, Minor Paint Correction and Opti-Coat Application.

Some minor paint marring does occur during the debadging process and that can be removed with a light polish.  It is important to remember that when debadging an older vehicle the paint underneath the emblem can be a different shade.  This is because the surrounding paint has faded over the years from the suns UV rays.  It is best to debadge your vehicle when it is brand new for two reasons: the adhesive used to affix badges and stickers is easier to remove when it is new and the paint around the badge or sticker has not had a chance to fade yet.

 

Hot Water Carpet Extraction

I cleaned half of the carpet in this video using a Mytee-HP60 hot water extractor.  The Mytee HP-60 has an unbeatable 137 inches of water lift that less expensive carpet extractors simply can't compete with.  The water that came out the carpets was so dark and murky that I could not see the bottom of the bucket.

Minor Paint Correction

Single stage machine polish removes light swirls, scratches, oxidation and water spots from the paintwork restoring gloss. Machine polishing is performed in addition to a decontamination detail and removes 40% - 60% of paint defects.

Trim Restoration

The sun's UV rays cause plastic trim to dry out and discolor if left unprotected.  Ultima Trim and Tire Guard is in a class of its own when compared to other trim restoration products.  UTTG lasts for months not days and restores even the most faded trim.  A tell tale sign of UV damaged trim is the distinct stripe pattern seen the pictures below. 

Decontamination Detail

The clay bar process alone cannot fully decontaminate a vehicle’s exterior.  Although the clay bar removes “above surface” bonded contamination, “below surface” contamination is left behind. The only way to remove this contamination is through chemical paint cleaners and Iron removers.

After removing so much contamination with the clay bar it is shocking to see how much more remains.  An abrasive free paint cleaner is paired with a light polishing pad to remove the remaining contamination.  This two step process allows for the final layer of paint protection (sealant, wax) to properly adhere to the vehicle’s paint. 

For cars that are not frequently decontaminated, rust blooms may be a problem especially on lighter paint colors.  If iron particles remain on a vehicle’s paint for an extended period of time they will etch their way deeper below the surface.  The only way to remove these unsightly blemishes is to use a product such as Iron X.

Is My Leather Healthy?

Over time, body oils, skin care products and other contamination (clothing dye, dirt, dust, etc) accumulate on leather surfaces.  It is important to frequently remove these contaminants in order to prevent premature leather wear.  Shiny leather is unhealthy leather!

Equally important to regular maintenance are the products and tools used to clean leather surfaces.  At Critical Details we use PH balanced leather cleaners combined with the power of steam to safely deep clean leather surfaces.  After cleaning we apply a premium leather protectant, which unlike traditional leather conditioners does not promote resoiling.  A majority of today’s automotive leather is clear coated much like a vehicle’s paint and prevents conditioners from absorbing into the leather.  Instead leather conditioners sit on top of the coating acting as a dust magnet.