Detailing

Matt_

I Get Jokes
Been doing it ever since and owned glimmerglassdetailing for almost 5 years before selling it and watching the new owner run it in to the ground. :mad::(

Wait a minute.... you owned glimmerglass?? Were you on GMFS? I used to be on that site daily; pretty sure you were a supporting vender?
 

Chris(NJ)

Well-Known Member
Wait a minute.... you owned glimmerglass?? Were you on GMFS? I used to be on that site daily; pretty sure you were a supporting vender?

haha, yep, I sure did :) GMFS was one of the first places I advertised on and remained a vendor there until I sold the business. Excellent site.
 

Matt_

I Get Jokes
Good stuff man. This spring I'll have to hit you up for a quote. My Jeep is in dyer need of a claybar.... I hate detailing though and have trouble forcing myself to wax it once a year! I'll even pre-wash and help out :D
 

Chris(NJ)

Well-Known Member
Good stuff man. This spring I'll have to hit you up for a quote. My Jeep is in dyer need of a claybar.... I hate detailing though and have trouble forcing myself to wax it once a year! I'll even pre-wash and help out :D

lol...I always know it's bad when a customer offers to wash it before bringing it in for a detail :p
But yea man, just let me know whenever you want to have it done.
 

Cyclopath

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
About interiors:

What(if anything) can be done to permanently remove smoke odors in a car?

And what can be done to remove the Febreeze residue from car left by people trying to mask said smoke odors?

I despise smoke, am allergic to cats(urea), perfumes(urea=cat piss), and tend to get headaches, asthma attacks and wheezing from chemicals and perfumes. Is there anything that removes those odors without adding masking?

If you really can remove it I'll buy the van I looked at and have you seriously detail it
If you can't get the stink out I can't chance the misery no matter how good the deal.
 

Chris(NJ)

Well-Known Member
About interiors:

What(if anything) can be done to permanently remove smoke odors in a car?

And what can be done to remove the Febreeze residue from car left by people trying to mask said smoke odors?

I despise smoke, am allergic to cats(urea), perfumes(urea=cat piss), and tend to get headaches, asthma attacks and wheezing from chemicals and perfumes. Is there anything that removes those odors without adding masking?

If you really can remove it I'll buy the van I looked at and have you seriously detail it
If you can't get the stink out I can't chance the misery no matter how good the deal.

Bleh..removing cigarrete/cigar smoke odors is always a tough task. It depends on how bad it is. If it's bad...and I mean, BAD, then there is a good chance of a lingering smell, especially to people like us who don't smoke and are sensitive to the odor.
If the recurring source of the smell has already been stopped (nobody smokes in it any more) and hopefully the vehicle gets regular venitilation, the next step is to obviously try and speed up, or remove the leftover particles that create the odor.
This can be approached in a few different ways. Obviously everything needs to be addressed so this means hitting carpets/upholstery, door panels/dash, glass, vents, headliner, etc. One of the things worht noting when cleaning headliners is that the material is very thin and is usually held onto a cardboard structure by a thin layer of adhesive. Oversaturating the material can cause the fabric to droop.
Anyway, back to removing the smells. The carpet needs to be hit with a pre-spray to clean and neutralize the odor. A heavy duty extractor is handy in this situation to help pull the odors out.
Seats can be approached in a similar fashion, but like headliners, shouldn't be oversaturated because the foam can absorb it as opposed to carpets which release the liquid back into the extractor much easier. Leather would be easier to deal with in this situation if that's what the seats were lined with.

The same goes for the pet urine on the carpet and/or seats. Chemical companies sell specific urine spotters/treatments to neutralize, lift and aid in removal of the stain.

The panels can be hit with all purpose cleaners and that is typically enough to remove stains on those.

Now, you also have the option to use an odor bomb or, if available, an ozone generator. Ozone machines seem to be far and few between and have the potential to leave a lingering smell, unique to themselves, in the car, but that dissipates over time. Some people will argue a potential health risk with them. If you use an odor bomb, use a small burst of it and not the whole thing since a lot of them are designed for household rooms and not a small area like a vehicle's interior.

So in short, unless the van is an absolute steal, the process of trying to remove the smell thoroughly enough may not be worth the time and cost...especially if you're sensitive to the odors, like you mentioned.
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
Are cabin air filters "active" when set to recirculate?
This would seem like another source of odor if the vehicle is equipped.

after a quick look, seems like there are upgrades to the stock models.
that may help with sensitivities to airborne allergens.
 

walter

Fourth Party
Where abouts are you at? My new car (mazda3 hatch) is a lease, and while I can do the usual washing and vacuuming, I'd like to maybe do something once a year or so to keep it looking fresh for when I possibly decide to return it.
 

Chris(NJ)

Well-Known Member
Are cabin air filters "active" when set to recirculate?
This would seem like another source of odor if the vehicle is equipped.

after a quick look, seems like there are upgrades to the stock models.
that may help with sensitivities to airborne allergens.

Not sure. I always thought they only filtered outside air. Always worth changing those on a regular basis. They're cheap maintenance.

Where abouts are you at? My new car (mazda3 hatch) is a lease, and while I can do the usual washing and vacuuming, I'd like to maybe do something once a year or so to keep it looking fresh for when I possibly decide to return it.

I'm in Cranford. I always tell people who own their vehicles to have a routine detail done 2x a year. April and October are typically the busiest. Once to clean it up nice for summer and once to prep it for winter.
Even 1x/yr helps tremendously though.
 

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
Great thread, and timely.

I've been thinking that my car is in pretty dire need of being clayed and waxed, but God only knows when I'll actually get around to it...
 

Chris(NJ)

Well-Known Member
Great thread, and timely.

I've been thinking that my car is in pretty dire need of being clayed and waxed, but God only knows when I'll actually get around to it...

Time is always the hardest thing to come by these days!
Lmk if you're looking to have it done...
 

Chris(NJ)

Well-Known Member
Utah's ride: Inside/Outside job completed over the course of the weekend.

White is always so tough to capture in a picture. The slickness of the paint was insane and it had some great clarity and depth after all of the fallout was finally removed.

















 

Chris(NJ)

Well-Known Member








Removed the stupid dealership stuff (sticker/license plate bracket)




Process of claying. Took forever! Lots of little fallout that was pretty stubborn.


Finally, after some long hours:




 

UtahJoe

Team Workhorse
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Thanks again Chris, your work is fantastic. Its so nice to have a brand new car again

This was a perfect birthday present from my wife
 

Pearl

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
you would think that focus was from 2000 with how well it wasn't taken care of
 
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