Favorite cleaning products

[LessPaul]

Since I'll have several months to tinker and clean up my new (to me) '86 Concours, figured I ask a question I'm certain has been thoroughly flogged before.....what are your favorite cleaning products for various surfaces?  Painted plastic...aluminum/alloys....windshields....seats.....rubber....engine detailing....etc.

Did I hear correctly that CD2 has been discontinued?

[gPink]

  cleaning?

The only CD2 I'm familiar with is a lead substitute gasoline additive.

[LessPaul]

[stevewfl]

Paint (extreme road crud and or old adhesives):  Goo Gone and heat

Rims: WD-40. Clean,  wipe it off good, then wipe it off again

Windscreens/plastics:  McGuires Plast-X cleaner/polish followed by PLEXUS - very expensive but unarguably the BEST

Engine:  depends....

Chains: kerosene followed by a shot of chain wax

[gPink]

Might be the same company.

snip

[T Cro ®]

Favorite cleaning product...

Fixed that for ya.....

PLEDGE....

Works on EVERYTHING...

[Rhino]

Favorite cleaning product...

Fixed that for ya.....

PLEDGE....

Works on EVERYTHING...

+1 Lemon Pledge is awesome!

[T Cro ®]

+1 Lemon Pledge is awesome!

Learned about using Pledge in the mid 80's while I worked in a Honda MC dealership where we used it to detail showroom bikes and helmets etc; also learned that minor scuffs in painted surfaces would disappear with a light application of Neverdull metal polishing wad.... WD-40 is another favorite for cleaning something that is a little grimey....

[Rhino]

My brother used to be a crop duster in WY. I visited him one day (early 90's some time) and he let me taxi his Texas Air Tractor. The windshield was the clearest I've ever seen so I asked him if he just got it replaced. He said no, just use Lemon Pledge.

[LessPaul]

Anybody ever use RainX on the windshield?

[gPink]

Might be some problems with RainX fogging the plastic.

[IraB]

Been using rain-x for a couple of months now, works great and no fogging so far.
I suspect if it does cause fogging it will take awhile.  Will post if it does.

[tweeter55]

I agree with Steve on the Plexus. Best stuff I've found,  but you gotta take a loan out to buy it.

[Steve in Sunny Fla]

I use nothing but pledge and microfiber rags. Steve

[Nosmo]

Lemon Pledge.  Also makes your helmet smell good when you use it on the inside of your visor.

When I installed my Rifle windshield I called them and asked about Rainex and they said, "NO!!!!!".

[Daytona_Mike]

It is interesting to know what is in Pledge.  Nothing that should hurt anything but I did not like that oily residue it leaves. Now I know- it is silicone oil.  Interesting to know that it works perfect for removing finger prints from crime scenes.
http://www.hdtalking.com/touring_models/13248-chemical_analysis_of_pledge_furniture_polish.html

Quote from the above thread: What makes it better than most other chrome or metal cleaners, is your not wiping off the dust created by cleaners drying. Smitty hit the nail on the head. Micro-Fiber Cloth. This is the trick when using Pledge.

So it appears Steve is correct with using the microfiber cloth. What and where do you get that from Steve?

[mvjr1904]

I used lemon Pledge on my wife's 2010 Acura TL. Once I knew it didn't damage the paint and left it in a high gloss condition, I decided to use it on my C14.  Best shine ever and it has that nice lemonie smell.  Only bad part, it attracts bees.

Pick up some microfiber towels at Harbor Freight.

[Steve in Sunny Fla]

I picked up some microfiber towels at the auto parts store in the detailing section. I noticed that my wife just brought home some towels for the kitchen that are labeled "microfiber" I expect they cam from someplace like Walmart.

  I try to keep a package of pledge wipes in the bike. the wipes are microfiber.

 BTW don't use the Pledge all surface product. not the same, doesn't work well. Steve

[RFH87_Connie]

I have always used the Hondaline Cleaner aerosol spray cleaner with a wash cloth or microfiber towel on almost every square inch of my bikes except the tires - those just get washed.  Its real similar to Pledge and only a few dollars more.  Supposedly it has UV inhibitors in it (or at least it used to).  One can lasts me about 3 years or so.  I've been using it since the mid-80s.  A few years back they changed the ingredients a little.  Still works good.  I found a pic so we must have talked about this before.

Found this on the web (so it must be true):

•Quickly cleans, polishes and protects.

•A complete detailer in a can. Cleans and polishes all plastics, chrome, aluminum, and painted surfaces without water.

•Leaves a clean, streak-free finish with one application.

•Contains anti-static ingredients to repel dust and dirt.

•Protects finished surfaces from harmful UV rays.

•Leaves a long lasting high gloss finish.

•Contains Carnuba wax.

•Low VOC formula meets or exceeds current CARB and OTC standards.

[gPink]

pulled from http://www.stromtrooper.com/general-v-strom-discussion/33336-plexus-vs-lemon-pledge-ingredient-comparison.html

Lemon Pledge Ingredients:

Naphtha, petroleum, light alkylate 5%-10%
Polydimethylsiloxanes (Silicon oil) 5%-10%
Water 70%-85%
Butane 1% -5%
Isobutane 1% - 5%
Propane 1% - 5%


Source: Consumer Product Information Database

Silcon based cleaners(silicon oil) are said to be O.K. for Lexan, but not alcohol or ammonia-based cleansers. At this point I was not sure whether any of these ingredients contained alcohol or ammonia, or were safe for Lexan—until I compared them to those chemicals found in Plexus.

Plexus ingredients:
Alipathic petroleum distillates 23%
Isobutane 12%
Propane 3 %

Source: Plexus Plastic Cleaner MSDS Page 1 of 3 Material Safety Data Sheet

I think the rest is water, just like lemon pledge. Another Pledge similarity is listed Under “Appearance and Odor”. It states, “White/Off White creamy emulsion with Lemon Odor in an Aerosol can.”

However, there are those “Alipathic petroleum distillates” listed for Plexus in this MSDS, but I believe I found what those are in another MSDS listing for Plexus :

Solvent Naptha(Petroleum) light Aliphatic, 23 % - also found in Pledge(5%-10% Naptha/Petroleum & 5%-10% Silicon Oil)