Cleaning the Prius

Possibly common-sense, can't-believe-it-needs-to-be-said advice, but:

Be very careful around the MFD screen - it scratches incredibly easily, which I discovered when vacuuming out the car for the first time and I managed to put a nice scratch in it with the vacuum nozzle.

 

What about cleaning under the hood? Is it safe to spray water to rinse off dust?

 

MFD. Don't use anything either alcohol or ammonia based. I use something that's safe for the screen on my laptop. (Kensington screen cleaner and lint free cloth)

After the screen is clean I put a screen protector on it. I bought it on eBay and it works fine. I usually clean the screen and interior with a swiffer. When the screen gets some fingerprints, I'll use the Kensington again.

When I go to sell or trade the car, I'll remove the protector at the last minute. Or not. Maybe I'll just tell the purchaser it's there and they can remove it or not.

 

I'm still stuck on the "7 month"-thing. anyone else offended that it took this guy 7 months to clean his car?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MJGreen @ Jun 28 2007, 11:19 PM) [snapback]469839[/snapback]</div>

Maybe he's conserving water.

I'm replacing my concrete driveway with checkerboard and some sort of plants to better utilize the run-off and provide a little tiny bit of carbon sequestering that wasn't there before.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Masnyd @ Jun 26 2007, 10:25 PM) [snapback]468605[/snapback]</div>

I hope you are asking about cleaning the interior of you car.... It's a shame if your car hasn't been washed in 7 months.

A vaccum cleaner and a California Dash Duster (Target or anywhere) are your best interior cleaning tools.
Soft cloth and tap water or mild detergent for basic stains or dirt. Otherwise choose an automotive cleaning product of your choice. I'd stay away from the silicon protectants. Also, page 381-387 of your owners manual has some basic cleaning guidance.

 

speaking of cleaning a prius i havent done that in 2 years
but then again i had the 05 sitting for 6 months

 

You can take it to a carwash without a problem. Remove the antenna on the roof. It just unscrews. It may survive, but the owners manual recommends removing it (just the straight part). If the carwash pushes the car through, put the car in "N". Don't leave it in "N" for long periods of time, as the battery will not charge. I'm talking of hours here. For the 5-15 min in a car wash it's not a problem.

I just washed Pearl this morning, after my trip to the coast. Some bugs (just brushed off due to the Zaino on the car), and lots of water marks from the rain. I'm absolutely sure she runs much better now!

 

One thing I have found essential in the past two years is the MONSTER LCD/Screen cleaner. It is designed for TVs and computer screens, also lcd screens. I keep a bottle in my car with the special cloth it comes with to keep my screen clean and dust free without having to worry if the cleaning products will ruin or streak my screen. Like i said I have used it two years now and it has worked extremely well. ( you can get it at Best Buy or any electronics store)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Jun 27 2007, 06:52 PM) [snapback]469161[/snapback]</div>

You are seriously "old school". Zaino doesn't even make Z1 anymore.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Prius The First @ Jun 27 2007, 11:33 AM) [snapback]468940[/snapback]</div>

Several people whose opinions I respect over on the detailcity.org forums have told me that ArmorAll has changed a lot and is not the crap product I tried 15+ years ago. That's probably true, but I will not be trying the product of a company that produced total crap for so many years.

For plastic I use 303 Protectant, or in a pinch, Lexol Vinylex.

 

We gave Rudy a good cleaning this morning, and a wipe-over with Zaino CS (he's had a full treatment, previously, with the AO1, Z2, and CS), and he GLISTENS!
He also seemed to cut through the wind much better (no wind resistance at all), got better gas mileage, and found better parking spaces than usual.

Zaino rocks!

 

Under hood cleaning is also not a problem. Don't use a pressure washer here though. I just use a garden hose, spray lightly, use my mitt to clean, and rinse lightly, then dry everything to eliminate water marks. I like to clean the water channels just under the windshield, at the fenders, and of course, the hybrid box, fuse box, and other large black plastic parts. Underhood is "outside" and is waterproof. Pressure washers can, however, force water through seals, so be careful. Again, pressure washers can also flatten radiator fins, so avoid those.

Yes, I was shocked to find yesterday I can no longer get Zaino Z1. Only reason I want it is because it cleans so well. Guess I'll have to move to the "advanced" Zaino techniques. Just goes to show how long Zaino lasts. My bottles of Z1 and Z2 just ran out after giving Pearl her treatment last week. Have had them for three years, doing two vehicles! In fact, it's been so long the original supplier in Canada is gone! Now we use Zaino.ca instead of carfanatic.com.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(aponteluis @ Jun 28 2007, 08:14 PM) [snapback]469817[/snapback]</div>

The Darell solution: Mist everything with 303, and wipe it all by hand. No worries of pressurized water getting anywhere, no need to "dry" it all off. Ends up looking far BETTER than when new, and everything will now last longer and be easier to clean next time. Just use an old rag and toss it when you're done.

 

Swiffer for frequent dusting, Windex and an old cotton rag for glass, slightly soapy sponge and rinse for the plastic surfaces. The owner's manual says only "glass cleaning cloth" for the MFD.

It can't be a good idea to spray water inside the drive (engine) compartment. Toyota designers went to a lot of trouble to keep water out of there; consider all of the gaskets they used to seal the hood.

 

Poor Mary---no one even mentioned the wurst (if you live in Wisconsin) problem: cleaning inside the hood and trunk Toyota symbols, and in and around the Toyota and Prius (and Hybrid and HSD and whatever else) badges you have.

Use an industrial-strength toothpick with a piece of cloth around one end. Snap the sharp point off first or it might poke through the cloth. Or you could use an old-fashioned kitchen stick match.

Some folks use a used toothbrush, but I wouldn't use one unless it was pretty soft-bristled.

Do others have better ways to perform this critical task?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jack Kelly @ Jul 2 2007, 02:21 PM) [snapback]471670[/snapback]</div>

Meguiar's:
Slide Lock Detail Brush
Triple Duty Detail Brush

The triple duty is great for around the emblems.



The triple duty has stiffer short bristles on side like a toothbrush and on end like a pencil point. Great for little crevices.



The slide lock has softer bristles. You can slide the lock forward to make them short and offer more support if you need something stiffer, or you can slide it back to make them longer for more swishing.

 

like the brush

I want to wash my car but it is supposed rain.