This digital age has all of us drowning in a sea of free information. Endless voices from the digital echo chamber of the Internet. So-called experts, self-proclaimed professionals, and "RU-vid Detailers" who do little more than regurgitate bad information into worse information. "You have questions and I have answers!" Real-world experience for your real-world questions Whether you are a driveway detailer, enthusiast, or a person ready to start your own detailing business, there is something here for you! Darren is a voice of reason and critical thinking in an industry saturated with hype and misinformation. Darren Priest is owner and operator of Auto Fetish Detail of Orange County, CA since 1988. Darren is founder/writer/creator of (3) websites: AutoFetishDetail.com, BestAutoDetailingTips.com and DetailVault.com Darren Priest assumes no liability for personal injury, property damage or liability as a result of any of the information contained within these video's.
Darren, thank you for the video, very well presented would love to see you and your technique on detailing the interior of a 200011 black cadillac srx (black interior)
I don’t care what it’s made of, a seat has one purpose: to be sat on. I does not matter how you sit in it, that seat is going to get damaged over time. One way or another. Gingerly plopping yourself into a leather seat makes zero difference in the long run. It’s going to happen. Will it save your seat? No. Will it prolong the life of the seat? Sure, but not by any measurable degree. 😊😊😊
Hey Bro, is most of what you're doing from a timing standpoint for illustrative purposes? I'm not asking in any snotty way at all. Just I wouldn't think you'd be spending that much time (teaching part removed) on a section. I want to reiterate I'm not challenging anyting (hate I have to say shit this way these days as people get offended) but it seems like that would be a detail that took days lol.
I do what you are saying about my butt when I sit down in my '14 Porsche Cayman S with the standard seats. Climbing out is a different story; I'm 6'1" and 170 pounds and 58 years old, so I have to grip the bolster while climbing out, but that's it. As to the leather sections, which are only the centers, I use Collinite #855 Leather and Vinyl Wax. Cows don't come in white and red and blue, your leather has been PAINTED. So you need to use wax on it. My '14 Cayman S has a Luxor beige interior; I think it is too pale, I like the more orange leather interior that Ferrari's have but that is the way the car came.
About getting in and out of the car, I kinda figured that out on my own from having cars with leather in the past. With my newer car with leather I get in and out with caution not to add any unnecessary wear and tear. I have leather nd alcantara seats now. I'm being careful lol
I guess I will take that to mean it is not playing in stereo for you? On your headphones/earbuds I suspect? ? I am sooo over all this technology. But thanks for tuning in regardless of my limitations.
Great advice as always! I'm currently leasing a Mazda 3 and I'm guilty of sliding into the seat. I use Chemical Guys leather conditioner and leather serum (yes, I clean the leather), which makes the leather slick so it's a bit of a natural slide. Another thing I notice is when getting out of the car, my left elbow will often press against the side bolster as a leverage point. This occurs mostly in my garage and parking lots where I can't fully open the door. I can only hope that keeping the leather clean, conditioned, and sealed, it will help reduce the wear from my elbow.
Sounds like you are very much on top of things. Well done! I also use my elbow and in the original video I demonstrate how I do this myself, but then edited it out.
Skip the clay bar, skip the iron remover... Use 25% Phosporic Acid and dissolve the contamination in a fraction of the time. If you dont know how to acid wash then DO NOT do it. Especially with 25% basically acid washing on steroids. Paint is nice and smooth after
so basically you are claiming Rapid Decon spray (Iron Remover) to get rid of all the gunk embedded onto the clear coat is better, just use a very soft brush to work it in and rinse off
Quick to judge the clay bar process, but offered NADA about removing paint contaminates. If you are an auto detailing professional, where is the professional method, as you pointed out, on museum relics, and such? Used properly, and proper polish/seal/wax, clay bars process works. If anyone offers to do a full multi-stage clean/polish/seal/wax without a clay bar, I will ask them, "so did you grind all the paint contaminates deeper into the finish, then over coat it?" Thanks for the vid -- good info, but have to consider the big picture
Very nice. How do you separate the ribs of the grill from the border? Do you bend the tabs from the back? Or is there a way to access and pry with a flathead as you did from the front like the badges?
Although I understand and agree with your arguments, I have real life dillema/question: it's the sweaty butt test (no, I am not kidding). How come that in the same conditions, temperature etc. if car seats are made of fake leather (also known as "plastic") my butt sweats in a matter of tens of minutes of driving....but, if I'm driving a car with the inpenetrable coating over a real leather seats I can litteraly drive thousands of kilometers without sweating. Shouldn't both materials fake leather and leather have (the same kind of?) coating anyways? Or is it nuanced in a way you guys talk in comments down below: is it inpenetrable enough that "leather products" are a waste of time/money, but just not inpenetrable enough so my butt can "breathe", hence not sweat? I am asking an honest question here...
You ARE asking an honest question and to me, it is about the nuances. Meaning: not all vinyl is created equal, just as not all "clear coating" on real leather is created equal. I should have clarified that when I say impervious, I am making a direct comparison to leather that is NOT coated to leather that IS coated. un-coated leather will very quickly begin to "darken" when any liquid is spilled on it. Coated leather does not do this and can quickly be wiped up with no visible sign that a liquid was spilled on it. This does not mean that the coated leather cannot be "penetrated" with anything...and this is part of the nuanced moment: how do we qualify/quantify what is meant by "impervious"? The same holds true with cleaners and conditioners: they are ALL unique in their chemistry. And some of these can "penetrate" somewhat, or not all all into coated leather. Once again, there are many factors from every angle: the cleaner, the conditioner, the type of coated leather, etc. It is indeed a nuanced topic like every other topic of life and detailing. The problem is that most people don't have the attention span nor the incentive to take the time to understand the nuances of any given topic. We are all being trained to operate off headlines, memes, or bullet point lists with any real substance of understanding dismissed due to our lack of attention span. A real problem to me.... To answer your question, I am of the opinion that true vinyl will provide zero ventilation when making a direct comparison to coated leather. But for example; are we talking about perforated vinyl/coated leather versus non-perforated vinyl/leather? I only add this to demonstrate a nuanced moment, yet again. Thank you for your valid question.
I agree with Darren on this one. Why? Let me explain: There are MANY automotive leather manufacturers. Of those manufacturers, the grades and quality of leather varies wildly. There is solid, patchwork, perforated and suede leathers. Most of the automotive leathers are coated, some are not. The same is true for pleather, vinyl and alcantara. NO material used for upholstery is impenetrable. However, some (coated) resist liquids better than others. That means with quick clean up, no staining occurs. With prolonged exposure, liquids will eventually penetrate and soil/stain the material underneath the coating. 😊😊😊
Last mont i had my cars trunk paint job its metallic light blue, but after a month its reflections doesnt look so clear looks little blur and matte.what can be problem and solution plase?
Hey back Darren, yes Larry is a celebrity in the eyes of many wanna be detailers. I attended a seminar at Image Detail, a detailing business in a very affluent area of northern NJ near NYC. It was a joke with him signing autographs. I was there for sharpening my skills. Like you, I wash all my microfibers separately, especially my huck towels I use for windows ONLY. Consider me a subscriber for life. I am pushing 70 years old, but still out work my staff. Thanks for all the tips. Yeah, good luck with junky Jeeps. Like they say, Jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket.
Dang...70?! Impressive! I am 58 and still outwork pretty much anyone around me. I hope I am still capable of this when I am 70. Thanks for tuning in and for sharing some of your real-world experience with me and anyone who reads your comments.
No thank you for your comment on these new screens. Question. I run the detail dept. at a Dodge Jeep dealer in addition to my own auto detailing business. I am somewhat baffled by what I call piano black on the B and C pillars. They literally scratch just washing them. After washing I air dry them and tell my staff to do the same and be careful. Also have found that you must use 3000 grade sand paper if wet sanding a new Chrysler product. The paint is just awful quality. Have been watching your videos for many years. You seem more experienced than Larry at AMMO NYC. I know him and that is not a knock on his abilities. He does incredible work and went out of his way helping me when my new $500 Rupes orbital polisher broke when barely a year old. Keep up the great work sir. I'm going with distilled water which I use in my steamer.
I have never been a fan of Chrysler/Jeep for many reasons: their materials they use (interior and exterior) I think are garbage and their paint quality is garbage. I always had problems detailing any and all Chrysler/Jeep vehicles of any type. So I feel your frustration. Larry is not what I consider a business owner as far as a true detailing business owner. I know he "dabbled' with a business at the beginning, but it is helpful to know/understand where a guy is speaking from and to what audience he is speaking towards. I am a business owner and I am required to operate under the expectations of customers and turning a profit. This is very different from a enthusiast or hobbyist. And like yourself; this is not me disparaging Larry, but he cannot speak to products or techniques that would necessarily prove to be efficient or effective under the constraints of an actual profitable business. And the key word being "profitable', as I know many detail business owners who are not profitable and therefore have more of an expensive hobby rather than a profitable business. Best of luck dealing with those vehicles!!
Yes, I have used that many times for many years myself until I just adopted using water. As technology advanced, the anti-glare coatings and scratch resistant coatings manufacturer's were putting on the many types of "screens' proved to become a problem as I never knew when the spray wax or a quick detailer was going to leave an unwanted film. I found water to be the sure thing for me. And thank you!!
That's the worst thing you could possibly do, especially on touch screens. Isopropyl alcohol will strip away the layer that makes the touch function work.
@@mooferoo I said "some"... the "some" part is the key. Don't just use water, put in 10%, 25%, 50% or even 70% iso in it and the grease will come off. Water can't remove grease, kids know that. Google: 1. Do NOT use the following materials when cleaning or disinfecting touchscreens: Isopropyl Alcohol at concentration > 85% Methyl Alcohol or Ethyl Alcohol at concentration > 35% Thinner or benzine. Strong alkali lyes. Strong solvents. Acids. Detergents with fluoride. Detergents with ammonia at concentration > 1.6% ____________________ 2. Is 70% isopropyl alcohol safe for phone screens? Some websites suggest creating a mix of alcohol and water yourself, but it's crucial to get the concentration right. Get it wrong and you could damage your phone. The safest bet is to use disinfectant wipes that contain 70% isopropyl alcohol to clean your phone screen. Drop the window cleaner and counter spray, now. ____________________ 3. How should I clean my touch screen? Avoid Isopropyl alcohol at concentrations greater than 70% and non-diluted bleach or ammonia solutions. The use of incorrect solutions can result in visual impairment of the touchscreen, discoloration, and damage to functionality.
I have used a alcohol mix myself many times and have never had a problem. But I am still amazed at how effective water alone is at cutting down most everything that gets on these screens. Which leads back around to the ability to keep things super simple. But I understand most detailers aren't carrying around a spray bottle of water but they do have plenty of other products that will work on these screens: glass cleaner, alcohol blend, quick detailers, etc.
Yes; effective to a degree. But don't underestimate static electricity and its ability to allow dust to cling to surfaces despite blowing the surface with a powerful blast of air. Ergo: time to manually wipe areas clean versus blowing them clean. But valid technique on your part.
First, ALL leather coatings are permeable. That, alone, kills your argument. MOST, if not all, leather coatings do not need to be conditioned for several years when fresh from the factory. Because of the type of coating put on leather now days, it takes time for “leather specific” products to penetrate it. That’s why you can get away with spilling coffee on your leather by just wiping it up quickly … but if you let it soak in, you will stain the leather. You’re not staining the coating. Use leather detailing products. Don’t use leather detailing products. Both are correct … kind of. Leather manufacturers recommend mild soap and water for cleaning. But they also recommend after 3 years to use leather conditioner. So … why would they recommend that if the leather coating is supposedly impenetrable? 😊😊😊
I was making a direct comparison to uncoated leathers that will pretty instantly show that any liquid is "penetrating" into the leather, whereas coated leather doesn't allow liquids to immediately "penetrate" into the material and can easily be wiped up. You illustrate a more nuanced debate which I don't disagree with. And as a whole; RU-vid viewers don't really do nuance. Just read the endless comments where I discuss the nuances of most topics that irritate the TLDR viewers of today's era.
@@autofetishdetailI’m not going to argue your logic, especially when I mostly agree with it. New leather doesn’t really need to be cleaned or conditioned for years on end … that is, unless something extreme happens. I’m just pointing out that, over time, the leather coating will start to weaken. At some point it will need to be cleaned and eventually conditioned. In some cases, the coating will need to be re-applied. A professional with a fair bit of knowledge and common sense will be able to determine when and why. When you do have to clean leather, scrubbing aggressively and/or using aggressive tools is still NOT recommended. Yes, the coatings are tough and flexible. But they are not bulletproof and can get micro-abrasions built up over time … like paint clear coats do. Can you scrub a dub all willy-nilly? Sure, you can … doesn’t mean you should. Almost any mild cleaner works, like; diluted OnR, diluted P&S Xpress, diluted SP Fire Power, diluted Dawn, whatever… the point is, don’t use undiluted Super Clean with a wire brush to clean leather. You CAN, but you won’t be happy with the results and neither will your client. Are leather care products ultimately pointless? From my point of view, I would say they’re very rarely needed. Yes, you can still use them but they’re not doing anything more than the others I mentioned above. Leather conditioner? Sure, when it’s needed … but, again, it will be rare. I don’t really have a point here, just rambling. 😊😊😊
There may be a coating, but it doesn’t mean is completely stopping things from getting through it. Lots of people have issues with dash leather on expensive cars shrinking and coming off from being too dried out. Not saying it’s not coated, but a coating doesn’t mean it’s a waste of time to condition if some can get through. There are lots of examples out there of the Leatherique system keeping seats looking incredible over long periods. There has to be something to it.
