Hardened Dirt and Brake Dust: Ford Explorer in Vancouver, WA
Interior and exterior detail with spray sealant
Before and after
Tap any one to zoom in.
BeforeAfter
This Ford Explorer had hard, dried on dirt along the bottom of the body and wheels gone brown with brake dust. We detailed it inside and out on site in Vancouver, Washington, cleaned the lower panels and the wheels, and finished the paint with a spray sealant. About three hours.
What we did
Hardened dirt and mud splatter along the lower doors, the rear quarters and behind the wheels. Brake dust baked onto the wheels, turning silver spokes a dull brown. A film of road dirt across the paint and the glass.
The bottom of an SUV takes everything the tires throw up. On this Explorer it had been there long enough to dry hard onto the lower doors and the rear quarters, which is the part of a car a quick wash usually leaves behind.
The lower body was cleaned until the dirt was gone rather than just lighter, and the wheels were cleaned of brake dust until the spokes were bright silver again.
After the hand wash the paint got a spray sealant, which leaves a slick protective layer so road dirt has less to grip next time. The interior was detailed in the same visit. This case is photographed on the outside.
What the three hours went into
Inside and out in one visit.
- Hardened dirt cleaned off the lower doors, rear quarters and wheel arches.
- Brake dust cleaned off the wheels.
- Hand wash of the whole vehicle.
- Spray sealant applied to the paint.
- Interior detailed in the same visit.
Result
- Lower body clean, not just lighter.
- Wheels back to bright silver.
- Paint glossy, with a spray sealant on it.
- Interior and exterior done in one visit.
A spray sealant protects paint that is already clean. It does not remove scratches or swirl marks, and it is not a ceramic coating. What it does is make the next wash easier and keep dirt from bonding as quickly, which matters on a vehicle that spends most of the year on wet roads.
About three hours, on site in Vancouver.
Finished
How it looked when we packed up.
Questions people ask about jobs like this
By cleaning it properly rather than running it through a quick wash. On this Explorer the dried dirt along the lower doors and rear quarters was cleaned until it was gone, which is the part of a car an automatic wash usually leaves behind.
Yes. The wheels on this Explorer came back from a dull brown film to bright silver. Brake dust left for a very long time can mark the finish itself, and cleaning does not undo that.
No. A sealant is a protective layer applied after the wash that keeps dirt from bonding as quickly. A coating is a separate, much longer and more expensive paint protection service.
Yes. This Explorer had both, plus a spray sealant, in about three hours on site in Vancouver.
