Cleaning Roof Of Car

Debelli

Debelli

New member
Being, as I've been told it's called, VERTICALLY CHALLENGED:lol Can you please give me some pointers on how best to clean the top of my Santa Fe?

There's a luggage rack with crossrails and it's not flat, has a few "lanes" up there. Hard to get to the back, near the rear hatch. I guess having a ladder would end up being easier than me trying to stand on the edges of the car door opening (and almost slipping off):bigscream, but arms can only reach that far and I can't get to the middle - so what's the best way to clean AND dry the roof, especially those hard-to-reach parts? Beyond washing - do you detail these areas, and if so, HOW?

I've seen poles that have extenders on them and then wonder, it's metal, I'd be lucky enough to hit something - and I also wonder about the chenille pad that covers it - is that good to use? Wouldn't it hold in grit and possibly scratch the finish (not that anyone sees up there). I've seen flow-through brushes and figured those were best to stay away from, seems too hard bristled to me to be safe enough to use.

And then drying - and ideas for that????

THANKS!!!:D

Debbie
 
I use a 4' StepLadder to clean the top of my V - it's a great work-out!!! :lol

. . . and I believe awd stands on a platform for reaching those places?
 
Debbie

Welcome to the site, I too share in your VERTICALLY CHALLENGED catagory.

I brought a good ladder, there is another platform style ladder that some here use, of whcih I might look into, I also have a soft brush with a short plastic handle that I use on the larger SUV. I try not using the brush all that often but some of these SUV / 4x4 are pretty big and high. I also have a natrual lambs wool mitt for washing but getting the center of some is really hard to reach for me, so that's were the brush comes in.
For drying I do the best I can with towels to soak up as much water as possible. I also use a leaf blower to get the water out of the cracks on the rails this helps alot in cooler weather here.

With your rack I think? that the bars that go across come off, most that I have cleaned have. This will open up the top a bit better. I do most all the SUV / 4x4 by hand unless like with pickups you have an open area. SUV I polish by hand down the middle of the rails that are attached to the roof. You have to be careful not to get to much product on the ralis if they are rubber, makes them hard to clean. For me its a slow process that I realy hate as I am up and down the ladder quite a lot. There is not much more for me that I have seen that works any better.

Good Luck!
 
Norah knows best....Get a steplader. :) Also, when polishing, etc. up there, break it up into sections so you can move the crossbars out of your way (I am assuming they slide back and forth). That's the way I do it on the SUV's I clean up.
 
Hi there.

051751068238.jpg


I've been using this platform from Lowes ($39.99) and an extendable chenille wash mop from target..

I did purchase these to try this weekend.

product_X-1040.gif
product_X-1190.gif


The mop should slide under the rails and the brush should conform around the raised areas on the roof to clean between the luggage reinforcements. Hope that makes sense. After I read it a few times it did to me finally. Good luck.
 
ARGHHHH!!!!! Not sure what's going on, but I've posted not only once, but twice and both times, I've lost it!!:mad As I'm short, short on time and short on memory, I'm going to try and make this even quicker than the first and second post:boohoo Forgive me, I posted so nicely to all that replied and now I have to make this a quickie...

SCRUB, found the same today on line, HD, $34.99 - GORILLA LADDERS, 20" high - sound the same? Found similar chenille thing at BIG LOTS $6.99, not sure if I should keep it, thought maybe it wasn't good to use - what do I know?:confused I know I can at least clean the roof with it, but what about detailing it? What do you do to detail it? What do detailers do to get in the middle of the roof of something as big as say a HUMMER? My arm span is too darn short :( Didn't see that brush.

JARED, I know at least they come off - would be great if they slide!

BEEMER, see above to SCRUB :) Too bad I sold the leaf blower at the last garage sale - who knew???

NORAH, 4ft would be good. - now, if only I could lengthen my arms!!!!!

My mind is taxed! I've been filling out fin. aid forms for my son at college for the last few days - that's what you get for being unorganized. I am NOT a paper person and I just HATE doing stuff like this - and to think, next year I have to do it all over again X 2:bigscream I need a drink!!! Damn, I don't drink:angel Chocolate - now THAT would do it!!!!!:lol


THANKS!!!!
 
There used to be a fairly lengthy thread about step ladders, but I can't seem to find it right now (is the Search function working correctly?).

Anyway, I am also vertically challenged. I use a couple different ladders to do SUV rooftops. If it's just a quick wash, a lightweight step ladder does the trick. If it's a lengthy polish job, I use one of those Gorilla Ladder Platforms. [Picture attached.]
 
THANKS NORAH! The links were VERY helpful! I found two products, thus far. The 2 step won't do me any good - measured and found it's the same height as if I were standing on the edge of the door. PLUS, on the edge of the door, I'm closer in - so that won't work. BUT, I did find a 3-step platform!!!!:D

3 STEP PLATFORM LADDER

Now, if I can find a coupon code for QVC that would be great! I'm going to search around a little more and see if that's the best price - so far, it is. That extra 8" would make a big difference!


The other one is a step - I like it because it has a place to put your "stuff"

PRO FOLD STEP LADDER
 
norahcrv said:
This one, http://detailcity.com/showthread.php?threadid=4401

which links to this one, http://detailcity.com/showthread.php?threadid=3334 ??


Or this one, http://detailcity.com/showthread.php?t=9582 ?? :dunno
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Those are the links I was thinking of Norah. Thanks for finding them. For some reason, the Search feature wasn't retrieving them for me. :dunno

BTW - I recently came across another platform design. It caught my eye as something that might be a good alternative to my current platform -

Workhorse Scaffold from Camping World
 
Wow, that is an interesting design! I like the "product platform" built right in, but I think I need the height of a "third step" - 20" won't let me reach the full roof of the V :( Maybe they'll come out with a taller version, in the meantime, I'll continue to get my work-out ;)

You're right, the "search" is very sketchy with its results. Those posts were in the archives, and it did take some digging to find them, but I remembered they were good & thought they deserved a "re-airing" in view of the number of "vertically challenged" new citizens. :D
 
norahcrv said:
Wow, that is an interesting design! I like the "product platform" built right in, but I think I need the height of a "third step" - 20" won't let me reach the full roof of the V :( Maybe they'll come out with a taller version, in the meantime, I'll continue to get my work-out ;)

You're right, the "search" is very sketchy with its results. Those posts were in the archives, and it did take some digging to find them, but I remembered they were good & thought they deserved a "re-airing" in view of the number of "vertically challenged" new citizens. :D
Click to expand...

This thread makes for interesting reading. My wife and I are redoing our kitchen and rasing everything 3 or 4 inches from standard heights. :D
 
dalmore said:
This thread makes for interesting reading. My wife and I are redoing our kitchen and rasing everything 3 or 4 inches from standard heights. :D
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Well, at least I have no problems with legroom on airplanes. :-p
 
dalmore said:
This thread makes for interesting reading. My wife and I are redoing our kitchen and rasing everything 3 or 4 inches from standard heights. :D
Click to expand...


Thanks, Stretch!! :D

How do you fit your lanky frame into that little bimmer of yours?? Wanna trade? :lol
 
AWD, I like that scaffold better actually, but like Norah, I need the extra height. Wonder if it comes in a taller version.

NORAH, what do you think of the 3-step one? I'm going to see if a store that sells Polder can order it any cheaper.
 
awd330 said:
Well, at least I have no problems with legroom on airplanes.
Click to expand...

:D You probably haven't ever been frighted of a ceiling fan either!! :eek

norahcrv said:
How do you fit your lanky frame into that little bimmer of yours?? Wanna trade? :lol
Click to expand...

With the top down of course!!
:car

EDIT: corrected awd330's quote.
 
norahcrv said:
I use a 4' StepLadder to clean the top of my V - it's a great work-out!!! :lol

. . . and I believe awd stands on a platform for reaching those places?
Click to expand...
Same here for the top of my V too
 
awd330 said:
Well, at least I have no problems with legroom on airplanes. :-p
Click to expand...

Neither do I, and I'm 6'5". Once I adjust the seat all the way down and back, and the rudder pedals full forward, I've got *tons* of room. Biggest problem is always bashing my head on the overhead panel getting into my seat.

Oh, wait, you were probably referring to sitting in back, huh? ;) :rofl :rolling :lol :crazy :hah :badabum
 
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