Noob here. How do you clean the roofs?

N

NYC2SoCal

New member
Hi, I've been reading the forums for the past week or two.. Talk about information overload!! I'll admit, I never thought about washing/detailing my own car. To keep the car clean, I always took it to the car wash (auto, hand, you name it, it's been through it). That was with my Accord. After reading this forum, I noticed all the swirls, chips and crap on the Accord. I feel a strange tugging sensation to get into detailing.. Maybe even get a PC... :D



But outside of that, my real question. My wife just bought a brand spanking new Toyota Sienna XLE Limited in Arctic Frost Pearl (4 miles on the ODO when we picked it up). I was thinking of doing the wash/clay/aio/sg thing but realized I'm alittle too short to be washing the roof. I can use a step ladder, but I'm not even sure if that's enough to get ALL of the van (because of the way the van angles outward). Any suggestions on reaching these middle of roof locations? And because of the size, it's quite intimidating - might be a whole day thing.. Actually, I plan to run through the wash/clay/aio/sg with the Accord this weekend (as a trial run before the new "baby").



Thanks for all the info!
 
You might try a Boar's Hair Brush (BHB) or and OXO SUV/Van wash brush. Both can be paint safe as long as you rinse them often during the wash.
 
Ah, when I wash the roof of my car (2002 Altima), I use a small step stool. A minivan would be too much for me even with the stool!
 
Meguiars sells a long handled wash mitt on a stick they call the mop. I use it when I clean my truck or wife's SUV, works great. When I wax I have a small plastic stool that I kick around the car to do the roof.
 
I usually wash with a pressure washer on the roof, then open the doors and hop up in a doorjamb to dry and wax. Pressure washing probably isnt the greatest thing for the roof, but honestly, no one outside of the NBA is going to notice.
 
I use one of these aluminum stepladder/bench things. It was $30 at Menards.



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Since no one else has mentioned it, make sure to read some threads on AIO/SG application. If this is your first time detailing and you put the SG on too heavy, you may decide you've had enough of detailing! To paraphrase "The Graduate", I have one word for you--thin!
 
Yeah, get a work platform or two. I have two of THESE, one for each side of the vehicle. I'm 5' 10" and was able to do the whole roof of a Suburban with no trouble. Our minivan is a piece of cake with them, and they can even be handy for doing the roofs of regular cars.
 
White95Max said:
I use one of these aluminum stepladder/bench things. It was $30 at Menards.

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i use the same thing, but i got mine from lowe's(the same price) :) it's light, well made, and sturdy for a cheap platform.
 
Thanks for all the replies!! I think that's what I'm looking for, one of those step platforms.. I'll also look at the megs mop and the oxo suv/van brush! Setec, thanks for the tip on the AIO/SG.. Thin is good.. Another good line that I use alot is "slow is smooth and smooth is fast" :D
 
Accumulator said:
Yeah, get a work platform or two. I have two of THESE, one for each side of the vehicle. I'm 5' 10" and was able to do the whole roof of a Suburban with no trouble. Our minivan is a piece of cake with them, and they can even be handy for doing the roofs of regular cars.
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How would you say this is better than the ones white95max and fujifast have considering that it's like 5x the price?
 
Terran said:
How would you say this is better than the ones white95max and fujifast have considering that it's like 5x the price?
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Why would you buy a 7 series when you could buy a Buick with the same kind of features?



Build quality.
 
Accumulator said:
Yeah, get a work platform or two. I have two of THESE, one for each side of the vehicle. I'm 5' 10" and was able to do the whole roof of a Suburban with no trouble. Our minivan is a piece of cake with them, and they can even be handy for doing the roofs of regular cars.
Click to expand...

That's one expensive step stool, though I am in a need of one myself. It's good when people ask questions :)
 
Terran said:
How would you say this is better than the ones white95max and fujifast have considering that it's like 5x the price?
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Mr. Terran,



Can we get links where the stools from the brands you listed reside?





Thank you :bigups
 
The one Accumulator listed has a non-skid coating on the top. Mine has a non-skid texture to the aluminum, which is adequate for me. I am careful when I stand on it. Non-skid coating is a good idea though. I wanted one right away, so I went to Menards to get one.
 
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