a cleaning conumdrum..., advice sought Options

[1970 Neun vierzehn]

Without going into the why and wherefore, the 914 has gotten itself covered in a fine (poor adjective, there) coating of concrete dust. After removing much of it with a v. powerful leaf blower, I am still left with this very thin layer of dust.

Being reluctant to "flood" the whole car with water and thereby possibly relocating this contamination into all the crevices of weatherstripping, body cavities and the (still clean) engine compartment, my best thinking is to utilize "Griot's Spray-On Car Wash". Having used this product a few times on both my motorcycle and the 914 to remove both light dust and minor road film with no adverse effects, I'm disposed to use this product very carefully, using clean micro-fibre rags and not allowing any foreign material absorbed by the rags to be re-introduced to the cleaning process.

Any suggestions or advice is welcome and very much appreciated.

And Pat, don't suggest dry paper towels to wipe the car off with........that's absurd, think of the environmental impact of those towels going into a landfill! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[Pat Garvey]

You used a floor cander to clean the garage floor, didn't you?!

Do what you wish, but I would do differently. Then again I have a monstrous collection of terrycloth towels, blood rags, etc.

What you need are two 2-5 gallon buckets and a bunch of old (clean) terrycloth towels. One bucket should have 2 gallons of water and about a quarter ounce of Ivory Liquid (others brand are more harsh). The other bucket should have nothing but clear water in it. Use the largest tc towels you have (old is best, and you ARE old & should have plenty). Dip a towel into the first bucket, with the detergent in it, wring it only to the point of not dripping, drape it on one side of the 914, reach over & grab it & pull it softly accross the car. Turn it over & do the same on the same spot.

Put the towel aside & reach for bucket #2, which should have another tc towel resting in clear water. Wring the towel out slightly (dripping is OK) & swipe it across the same surface, turn it over & do it again. Now's the time to use the microfiber to dry the surface you just cleaned. Be sure to set aside all towels from this procedure - do not use them again, until they've been washed.

Do the same procedure for the next strip of cleaning - DO NOT use the same towels! Concrete is terribly abrasive - wash them before ever using them again.

Repeat with fresh towels (never dip them back into the buckets!) until you've cleaned all painted surfaces.

Once the upper surfaces have been cleared of concrete dust you can use any goo of your choice to remove the dust from the ancillary crevices, like door jambs, f&r trunk seal tracks, etc, but use clean cloths for each area.

I've used this method for over 20 years (though I've never had to deal with concrete dust) and my finish is nearly perfect.

I would follow the whole ordeal with a fresh pasting of carnuba, or your wax of choice.

Yes, I'm anal about my paint!

Hope this helps.
Pat