0:00 / 0:00
How To Use Wheel Acid? Plus, We Talk About Towels, Ceramic Coatings, and Shop Flooring. Episode #949

How To Use Wheel Acid? Plus, We Talk About Towels, Ceramic Coatings, and Shop Flooring. Episode #949

0:00
0:00

About this episode

Nick and Eric kick off with a community story from Edward, who started detailing from humble beginnings and now tracks his BMW—used to argue that the industry’s low entry point is an opportunity, not something to be ashamed of. The bulk then turns to practical detailing: how to think about ceramic coating application amounts (and why “few drops” can be risky), whether coatings last on garage-kept cars, and how to approach acids like AWX with caution and smart dilution/soft brushes. They also debate towel choices, quick-wash strategy for pollen/birds, engine dressing “protection” marketing, and shop flooring ROI.

Filter:
|
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Concept

auto detailing

"Welcome to the Pints and Polishing podcast, the most influential and listened to podcast in auto detailing."

Auto detailing is more than a normal car wash. It’s a deeper cleaning and care process to make the car look its best.

Term

pressure washer

"you can start our business out of a truck with some, some buckets and a pressure washer."

A pressure washer is a high-pressure water tool used to remove dirt and grime from surfaces. In detailing and related services, it’s often used for initial cleaning before applying chemicals or coatings.

Concept

paint correction

"...what a break we've all gotten that ceramic coatings and paint correction and, you know, PPF and tint and all this stuff has gotten to this level."

Paint correction is polishing the paint to remove visible defects like scratches and swirl marks. It’s typically done before adding protective products so the protection locks in a clean, glossy finish.

Term

fully lowered

"But I posted a reply to your comment and then was driving down the road and saw a wagon, a BMW wagon that was fully lowered. And I did had like, what, another inch, inch and a half or so from that gap that I have in my front."

“Fully lowered” means the car is set as low as the suspension will comfortably allow. It usually looks great, but it can make the ride bumpier and may cause tires to rub.

Term

wheel gap

"And I did had like, what, another inch, inch and a half or so from that gap that I have in my front. And I just go, okay, proper."

Wheel gap is the empty space between the tire and the fender. People pay attention to it because lowering the car changes how much gap you see.

Part

coil overs

"Like, I get it. Mine, mine is coil overs, but it's not fully lowered. Yeah."

Coilovers are suspension parts that let you change how high or low the car sits. They can also affect how smooth or firm the ride feels.

Term

ceramic coatings

"I think a lot of times I go with a not all ceramic coatings are created equally, right? Everybody's got different. Just call it additives. Okay, right. I could, we can understand motor oil. Okay. Motor oil is motor oil, but then there's a bunch of different additives that go into motor oil."

Ceramic coatings are products you apply to your car’s paint to help protect it and make it easier to wash. Different brands can have different formulas, so results can vary.

Concept

bonding issues

"There's more to it. [766.9s] There's bonding issues and all that, but just from a reality."

“Bonding issues” refers to problems with adhesion between a coating/film and the paint surface. If the coating doesn’t bond properly, it can lead to reduced durability, uneven coverage, or premature failure.

Concept

PPF

"I've been told a lot of things about PPF, having a lot of PPF on cars. [829.2s] I see it very different than what's promised."

PPF is a clear protective film that you stick on your car’s paint, usually where it’s most likely to get chips or scratches. People often talk about how much protection it gives, and the speaker is saying some promises don’t match what they see in practice.

Concept

garages vs leaving cars out

"And the answer is, you know, the more cars are stored, you know, and I live in a sunny place and California is this way and Arizona is this way... where a lot of people don't use their garages. You know, they just leave cars out and you know, don't use."

They’re talking about whether cars are kept in a garage or left outside. Leaving a car outside exposes it to sun and weather, which can damage it faster.

Concept

cars that sit around

"But here, here's the thing about cars that sit around. If you're not going to move them, you need to be with something like eco one. You need to keep the dust and the dirt off them..."

A car that sits still can still get dirty and start to look worse over time. Dust and grime can build up and cause problems even if you’re not driving it.

Term

dust and the dirt

"If you're not going to move them, you need to be with something like eco one. You need to keep the dust and the dirt off them because it also goes the other way. You don't want things to go into disrepair..."

Dust and dirt act like abrasive contamination when they accumulate on paint and coatings, especially when combined with moisture or frequent wiping. Regular removal helps prevent dulling, staining, and bonded grime that’s harder to clean later.

Concept

maintenance is still a thing

"I will say this, that it comes down to maintenance is still a thing. Okay. You want to keep the dust and the dirt and the things that fall off out of the sea."

Even if you protect a car, you still have to keep up with basic care. Cleaning and checking it regularly prevents dirt from building up and causing damage.

Term

deep clean the wheels with acid

"[1234.4s] and you'd still be surprised. [1236.1s] Again, are you going to have to deep clean the wheels with acid? [1239.0s] No, man. [1239.7s] That's not what we're talking about."

“Wheel acid” refers to acidic wheel cleaners used to dissolve brake dust and iron-based contamination. The speaker clarifies that the discussion isn’t about doing a full acid wheel decontamination every time, but about appropriate maintenance steps.

Term

abrasion

"Washing cycles. Yeah, that abrasion constantly on someone's car is going to wear away a coating. That's not a reason not to put a coating on, but you got to be realistic."

Abrasion is what happens when something rubs against the surface and wears it down. In car washing, rough contact can slowly remove protection from the paint. That’s why how you wash matters, not just what you apply.

Term

maintain the car

"Guys, coding comes down to two things. A great coding being being applied properly and how you maintain the car."

They’re saying the coating won’t last just because it was applied once—you have to keep washing and caring for the car the right way. Otherwise the coating can wear out faster.

Car

Chevrolet Avalanche

"Yeah, that is wild. They talk was Nissan Avalanche. No, Chevy Avalanche."

The Chevrolet Avalanche is a pickup truck made by Chevrolet. It’s built to carry cargo like a truck, but it also has features meant to make it more comfortable for everyday driving. Because it’s used for hauling and travel, it can get dirty fast, which is why it may come up in a car-care conversation.

Term

chrome wheels

"[1637.0s] maybe you just haven't been around acid, [1639.0s] you and I can go back to the old chrome wheels [1641.0s] and the specialty of acid with the old chrome."

Chrome wheels are known for developing oxidation and pitting over time, which can make them harder to clean with regular soaps. Acid-based wheel cleaners are often discussed as a way to restore older chrome, but they must be used carefully to prevent over-etching or surface damage.

Term

soft brush

"And I wanted to, I'm glad you mentioned the soft brush. That's what I wanted to bring up. Like, I know you've talked about it."

A soft brush is a gentle brush you use to loosen dirt on wheels. It helps you clean better without scratching the wheel surface.

Term

towels

"So for me personally, one of the most frustrating things about towels is a lot of towels I've loved over the years just magically don't get produced anymore... But I think what people do with towels, they do with everything else."

Detailing towels are the cloths you use to wipe and dry your car. The type of towel matters because some types are gentler and less likely to leave scratches or swirl marks.

Term

waffle weave

"Well, I think what's interesting, you mentioned waffle weave, which is what, you know, there's a question I had earlier… wanted to know if it was waffle weave… I hate the little like, if you don't get everything, like they'll leave that little, like you can see the waffle weave in the glass."

A waffle weave towel has a bumpy, grid pattern. Detailers use it for drying and cleaning, but some people don’t like how it can leave texture marks if you don’t get everything wiped clean.

Term

glass cleaner

"If you feel this other towel works great for, you know, glass and hyper clean glass cleaner. [2329.3s] Great man."

They mention a cleaner made specifically for glass. Using it with the right towel helps prevent streaks.

Term

GSM

"we have workaholic towels, which are like just red and black, what I call throwaway towels, right? They're low GSM work, do all the dirty work."

GSM is a way to describe how thick or heavy a towel is. Lower GSM towels are usually thinner and meant for rough cleaning; higher GSM towels are better for the final, cleaner steps.

Term

bird droppings

"I mean, whether that's they walk on your paint, you know, that that level of damage bird droppings for anybody that's ever seen bird droppings go awry."

Bird poop can actually damage your car’s paint. If you don’t wash it off quickly, it can eat into the paint and even make the clear coat peel.

Term

power washer

"The user experience of here's where you should use a power washer, use cleanse, and hit the car versus eco one. And here's the thing, even foam wash and a pressure washer, it's just it's just a cleaner process, right?"

A power washer is a high-pressure water sprayer. In car cleaning, it helps knock off dirt so you do less scrubbing.

Term

foam wash

"And here's the thing, even foam wash and a pressure washer, it's just it's just a cleaner process, right? Like, you know, bird droppings are, I mean, a lot of times, if caught very quickly, just rinse right off."

Foam wash refers to applying a foam pre-soak or foam soap to encapsulate and loosen dirt before rinsing and/or contact washing. It can improve safety by reducing friction during the later wash steps.

Concept

pollen

"yesterday that they couldn't go outside, you know, pollen so bad, and they were getting rain or waiting for it to clear... Like, you know, I did a quick wash here at the shop today. My vehicle was covered in pollen."

Pollen is a springtime dust from trees and flowers that can land on your car. It can make the car look dirty quickly, so you may need to wash more often during certain seasons.

Concept

quick wash

"Like, you know, I did a quick wash here at the shop today. My vehicle was covered in pollen. I did a very quick wash."

A quick wash is just a fast car cleaning when you’re busy. It helps get the dirt off so your car stays in decent shape until you can do a deeper cleaning later.

Term

door jams

"...whether that's one time or two times, you're going to be able to go in and get all those final touches like really soak down your door jams with something like slick..."

Door jams are the areas inside the door openings. People often skip them during quick washes, but cleaning them helps the car look properly detailed everywhere.

Term

heat shrink

"You're going down a rabbit hole. You're going down a first of all, you have hard plastics, you have heat shrink on those connectors,"

Heat shrink is a protective tubing that is heated to form a tight seal over wiring or connector areas. It’s used to help prevent moisture and corrosion at the connection points.

Term

engine gets hot

"[3133.9s] How long? Because as soon as that car gets heated up, that engine gets hot. That's a silicone a [3140.5s] protected like, right? Like, nothing."

They’re saying the engine’s heat changes how well the product works. So even if it looks protected right after applying it, heat can reduce that effect.

Term

epoxy

"I know some people have a real hard time getting epoxy where they live to actually work. We've had some really bad experiences with epoxy and customers garages like where things went really hey raw."

Epoxy is a thick coating people put on garage floors to make them tough and easier to clean. Sometimes it doesn’t turn out well, and then you have to remove it and redo it.

Concept

aesthetics

"There's the aesthetics, right? This is your thing is aesthetics how how things look."

Aesthetics just means how something looks. Here they’re talking about whether making the shop look nicer is a good reason to spend money on upgrades.

1 cars featured

Request an Explanation

Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.

Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.

Want to learn more?

Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.

Explore Terms

Help improve this episode

See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.

Report incorrect info
Suggest better explanations
Flag missing cars