Alternative cleaning/protecting methods

[mjabbasi]

Forget all your fancy polishes, clay bars, shampoos etc as someone told me of this old school method of achieving the best shine and protection for your cars at barely a fraction of the cost.

While cleaning/washing your car, get a medium sized bucket, fill with water and add half a cup of diesel fuel, by cup I mean teacup not a coffee mug and mix the diesel with the water and then with a wet cloth wash the car down as in with the wet cloth, no hoses involved here. The diesel infused water will get every grain of dirt and grime off the car leaving it slick, shiny and protected. No polishing needed. It does NOT effect the paintwork in any manner and if you want I can arrange to do a photo tutorial of the same as I tried this method on my car and the results were beautiful.

Now to clean and protect your chrome. If you drive your cars seldom and not very often, while the car is not in use, get a bottle of coconut oil and a small hand sized piece of foam sponge and pour a little oil onto the sponge and rub it on all the chrome parts of the car and leave it and on the day you plan to drive the car and take it out, take a dry cloth and simply wipe off the oil coating and the chrome will shine beautifully. For larger parts of the car like the front and rear bumpers, simply pour drops of the oil all over them and then wipe them with the sponge. Coconut oil acts not only as a protective for when the car is stored and not in use but also a cleaning agent when its removed. It kind of serves a dual purpose. My car has this oil over its chrome trim even right now and the next time I take it out, which might be Saturday night, I'll wipe it off in the evening before heading out, then on Sunday wipe the oil over the chrome again till I take it out the next time. The oiled/lubed chrome will attract dust to cling to it but you can rest assured its well protected from the elements.

[Dan Szwarc]

I wouldn't try it. But if you say it works for you, I can't deny that.

[trouble]

i am waiting for some more owner's to try it' as a truck driver i am careful not to get diesel on anything including my hand's' so i will pass i guess

[papawayne]

I'm willing to try it, but not on my Lincoln. I've got a 2000 Toyota Solara (two door Camry) that used to belong to my youngest daughter, with all of the dings and scrapes a college kid can do to a car. The paint is pretty much dead. I will admit, though, to shining up the rubber door sills with fresh motor oil. I can't say that it didn't work. I wonder what other weird things we have done to our cars, or heard that other people have done...BTW, the snow is gone up here in Maine, and as soon as I get the snowblower put away, I intend to get the Lincoln out of the garage and start putting it together again after its new paint job...Wayne

[mjabbasi]

Ok what I will do is the next time I have it washed this way, I'll take some before, during and after pics. That will give a better idea of the quantity used and application method. I myself was reluctant to try it but when this person insisted I give it a shot I told him fine, you do it right now and I'll stand and watch and he did it and I was more than pleasantly surprised.