If you haven’t seen it yet, you should check out part 1 of the State of Nine car cleaning guide first.

In part 1, Dan covered interior items (mats, carpets and glass) as well as cleaning your wheels and tires. In part 2, it’s time to get into washing and drying.

Again, my thanks to Dan at State of Nine.

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Exterior Washing

OK, this is the part most people love to do, but it is important not to damage your car when washing it. This is where you’ll see the most immediate results. We’ve all used the household dish soap in a bucket and washed the car out back. It’s not the end of the world if you do this, but you are removing any wax you have on the car and you’ll get a much better shine using a quality automotive shampoo like the P21S style we recommend below. Here are the steps:

GET YOUR BUCKEY READY

• Empty your bucket after cleaning the wheels and add clean water – even with the Grit Guard bucket

• Grit Guard Bucket – the concept is simple and it really works. After using the mitt and rinsing it, you leave the dirt that was on the car in the bucket. The screen in this bucket traps the dirt so you don’t pick it up and wash/scratch the car with it

• P21S Car Wash Shampoo – you will fall in love with this product. Just a half a cap full of soap in your bucket does all that you need. Use a strong stream of water to fill the bucket and get lots of suds – these suds help float away the dirt (without scratching the paint)

GET YOUR SAAB READY

• Lift the wiper blades up so you can wash all around the windshield area, but be careful of your eyes when washing – these wipers can be really dangerous. Sunglasses add great extra protection here…

• With a gentle, wide, spray, thoroughly wet your Saab down from the top of the roof (convertible owners: we typically advise not wetting the top at all, just using our Convertible Top Cleaner Kit) down the sides and the front and back of the car

• The key is to keep the car wet at all times during washing – don’t let certain sides dry in the sun (or wash it in the shade – SW)

• You want to begin to loosen the dirt up so you can float it off with your soapy wash mitt

ACTUALLY WASHING YOUR SAAB

• OK, we are ready! We want to wash and hose off the soap in sections

• Rubber gloves – it is not a bad idea to put on a pair of medical gloves at this point. You can usually get a box of a 100 or so from a big box store for about $2.00 more than you can a box of 20. You’ll have enough for a long time and your hands will thank you. Getting under license plate areas and wheel wells can really bang up your hands, so an extra barrier is nice to have

• Always start at the top of the car and work a side of the car, then go around and do the other side. This seems crazy, but it is also helpful in not missing sections of the car

• Start at the top driver’s side, do the sun roof area, driver’s window and driver’s side of the windshield

• Rinse! While everything is nice and soapy, rinse off the section you just completed

• Repeat these steps by completing the roof area, back and driver’s side windows – don’t get into the side of the car now though…these areas tend to be dirtier and you want to get the big surface areas clean first

• Move to the driver’s side of the hood, rinse, then the passenger side roof, going around the (again just the top, do the lower side areas of the car all at once later)

• Once the top surface of the car has been washed and rinsed, start on the driver’s door side and do the windows, mirrors and body panels. Rinse and repeat on the passenger side of the car

• The front and back of the car – typically you have bugs on the front and mud on the back, this is why we save these for last. Our Microfiber Wash Mitt has a second side that acts as a Microfiber Scrubber – this is great for bugs and the stuff you get on headlights and bumpers. Use the scrubber side here and then finish by wiping with the (white) Microfiber side

• Keep the car wet (during this process you may need to break to keep the car wet on the top surface areas – especially if it is hot out – you don’t want the car to dry on its own

• Repeat the above step for the rear of the car and rear wheel panels

• Finally, walk around and wipe down the lower spoiler areas of the car with the Wash Mitt

• Final rinse (from both sides of the car) so that soap that sits in door sills, etc. gets off the car

SUGGESTED TOOLS:

Grit Guard bucket – click here

Microfiber Wash Mitt – click here

P21S Car Wash Shampoo – click here

Saab Convertible Top Cleaner – click here

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Drying your Saab

Drying seems pretty straightforward; but having a strategic approach here is really beneficial. We want to get the car dry quickly – starting from the top down. Here are the steps:

• Keep your medical gloves on (or get a new pair) – this is where you can easily bang your hands into something you never new existed on your car

• The Absorber Towel is a great investment and if kept rolled up in the case that it comes with, you won’t need another one for 8 years. These are designed to stay soft, not dry and get hard like old leather chamois. The instructions on the case are pretty clear

• Start at the top of the car (driver’s roof area again) and work your way around the car drying in sections – just like we did during the washing phase.

• Again, save the sides for later – they are less exposed to the direct sunlight and less likely to dry on their own

• Usually it takes two passes to dry a section completely. You can twist the Absorber and wring out the water after each pass on a section

• Walk around the car and repeat as needed. Do the sides, then the front and back of the car as we did during the washing

• Have a clean rag or two around. These are great for drying wheel wells and door sills

• Open each of the doors, the hood and the trunk and wipe down these sills with a rag (not the Absorber). Doing this each time you wash the car makes it easy to keep these areas clean and prevent them from getting out of control. Note: Don’t wipe off any grease you may see around the door hinge areas – removing this could cause squeaking later on

• With the rag, wipe the wheels and then the tires down if they are still wet

• Drying complete!

SUGGESTED TOOLS:

The Absorber drying towel – click here

Microfiber polishing towels – click here

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Here in the southern hemisphere it’s Spring. In the north, where most of you are, it’s autumn. Whether you’re looking at summer fun or winter storage, these are good times to give your Saab a good cleanup.

Dan from State of Nine has put together this cleaning guide full of useful tips and info. Part 2 will follow soon.

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Thanks for your interest in our first ever Saab Cleaning Guide! This guide is intended to be a quick and fun reference to give you some tips on safely and effectively cleaning your Saab (and you can apply this to other cars if you happen to own any non-Saabs…). Hopefully you will find these suggestions helpful and this knowledge will enable you to enjoy the process of keeping your Saab clean.

I have found that keeping your car clean on a regular basis makes it safer (i.e. better visibility in fog, rain, and snow) and it helps protect your investment when you go to sell or trade your car. Once you see the difference of cleaning your car with the right tools, you’ll never look at your Saab the same way – that part can be dangerously addictive though…

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

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Weekly interior wipedown.

Whilst some of you may wash your car weekly, if you don’t you should at least do a bit of preventative maintenance to stop the build-up of dirt and grime that can permanenty stain your interior. These tips will keep your interior a nice place to be and reduce your workload later on, too.

VACUUMING

Washing the exterior is typically the most fun, but I have found that the vacuum can kick up lots of dust, so it is a good idea to vacuum before you wash the car so that you don’t get the car all dusty. The other not-so-obvious thing I learned over the years is when cleaning you carpet – vacuum the mats first – then try to brush out those stains and spots. By vacuuming first, you don’t have sand and dirt flying around into all the hidden places in the car as you try to brush out spots. Here are the steps:

• Remove all your floor mats

• Starting with the front seats, raise the seats and put them all the way back – this will give you access to lots of hidden areas where dirt builds up

• Take a moment to vacuum the opposite side of the car from other rider’s perspective (i.e. vacuum the passenger area from the driver’s side and the driver’s side from the passenger seat ) – you will catch things that you might not normally see

• After vacuuming both front seats, slide the seats all the way up and repeat the process for the back seat areas

• Vacuum the (four) floor mats outside the car and remember to get any dirt that may be on the bottom of the mats from when they were inside the car

• SUGGESTED TOOLS: Standard Shop Vac (or household vacuum with attachments as no moisture is involved)

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CLEANING CARPET

This process does not need to be done every week, but if you do it twice a year, you will be happy and you’ll keep your Saab from getting to the point of no return. Tip – Carpet usually has a dark and a light side, depending on which direction you brush it. Find a side that looks better for your interior and when finished brush all the carpet in the same direction. Here are the steps:

• Slightly unscrew the nozzle on our DP-310 Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner so you get a nice wide spray and don’t waste the liquid

• Spray the soiled areas of your interior carpet or floor mats and let sit for a few seconds

• Use a white bristle (iron-style) brush that you probably have around the house (make sure the bristles are white – I have seen blue and yellow ink run off colored versions of these brushes) and brush over the stained area to help the DP-310 loosen the dirt (this is when you are happy the car has been vacuumed)

• Get a clean towel (microfiber towels tend not to lose lint in the car, but any clean towel/rag will do) and rub the stained area back and forth – this transfers the dirt from the carpet on to your towel and thus out of your car

• Reapply DP-310 and brush/towel as needed

• Finish by brushing your carpet in the same direction to so it all looks the same shade

• Rinse your brush in a bucket of water and shake out the water

Suggested Tools:

DP310 Carpet Cleaner – click here

Microfiber polishing towels – click here

Grit Guard bucket – click here

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GLASS CLEANING

Cleaning the windows is honestly my least favorite part of cleaning the car, but it can be one of the best safety advantages when driving in foggy or rainy weather. Aerosol glass cleaners really help you get the interior glass nice and clean whereas traditional glass cleaners contain oils and can take several cleanings and lots of towels to get an area clean.

Tip – Want to keep your windows from getting dirty (so quickly) again? Close the windows and sun roof when parking at night in the summer. The moisture in the air collects dust and pollen on the inside of your windows and you can’t really see it until the next time it is raining or foggy.

Here are the steps:

• With the car out of the direct heat of the sun, use the Aerosol Cleaner to spray the inside windshield

• Use a Microfiber Towel or another clean towel to rub the windows and remove the excess dirt and spray

• Fold the towel to the other side (drier side) and wipe the window area down again

• Spray another window section – without spraying too much of an area so to keep the spray from drying

• Fold back to the “1st” side of your towel and wipe off the excess

• Then fold to the “drier” side again and finish cleaning

• Repeat process above

Recommended products:

Aerosol glass cleaner – click here

Silbead windsheild protecting spray – click here

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Wheel and Tire Cleaning

We are starting to get to some fun stuff!

Saab brake pads have been made from organic materials since the 1980’s – not asbestos like some other makes. The result is often lots of brake dust. Our Kleen Wheels are a great solution for this, but if you don’t have these then you need to clean your wheels at least every month to prevent them from so filthy there’s nothing you can do to save them.

The products below make it really easy and you’ll find that the P21S Cleaner actually helps seal the pores on your wheels so that the dust does not get inside as easily between washes. We suggest the Liquid P21S Wheel Cleaner only because it tends to last a little longer, but if you rarely clean your wheels, you might want to go with the Gel.

Here are the steps:

• Important Note: If you are working on a brand new cement floor – beware – the wheel and tire dirt could leave stains on the cement if you don’t back the car out and hose off the area shortly after cleaning

• Don’t wet the rims first

• Unscrew the nozzle on the P21S Wheel Cleaner just a tiny bit, again this will give you a nice wide spray and it helps you stretch out the liquid rather than wasting half a bottle on one cleaning

• Spray each wheel thoroughly with P21S starting at the top of the wheel (so that it drips down with gravity and wastes less)

• Spray the driver’s wheel (front wheels usually need it the most and can use the extra soaking time) and then do the front passenger side and then the two rear wheels

• Start cleaning with the back two wheels using our incredible Drill Wheel Brush. I thought this product was crazy when I first received a sample, but once I tested it, I was sold. Safe on your wheels and reaches areas inside the lug bolts and deep into the wheel. Attach it to a portable drill, dip it in a bucket of water and clean up those wheels like magic

• After cleaning each wheel, use the Tire Brush (firm bristle, but don’t use your carpet brush here or it will get your carpet dirtier next time) and brush off the brake dust on each tire. By doing this your tire shine will stick and shine much better

• Thoroughly rinse each wheel immediately after cleaning it

• Between wheels dip the brush into the bucket to rinse off the dirt and dust

Recommended tools:

P21S Wheel Cleaner – click here

Drill wheel brush – click here

Tire Cleaning Brush – click here

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