DFB's Detailing Garage

[DFB5.0]

No doubt I'm not the only one who was being spammed with ads for this brush across multiple social media platforms. After I noticed a few positive comments from people I trusted, I thought I'd give it a go. For $30 and a few bucks for shipping, it was worth a shot, my hope was to replace the EZ-Detail brushes in my arsenal.

Elyra Viking Wheel Barrel Brush

Well....................my delivery from Chiiiiiiiiina arrived today. This is what turned up in an unlabeled box made from the thinnest carboard I've ever encountered.

Tell me, does that brush look like the one promised in the marketing content? The handle is wrong, and the brush material is not even close to the same. Instead, this is just a microfiber brush. Actually, it's so thick and bushy that it doesn't fit between the wheel barrel and brake rotor, you know, like the marketing suggested it would.

I don't know who I'm more annoyed at, them for taking my money and sending some random brush they found in a warehouse somewhere, or me for breaking my own rules and buying a social media brand product. I've done that in the past, only to discover that all of the effort goes is the marketing material, not the product itself.

Let's be real here, no mater who "Elyra" claim to be, it's just some faceless marketing company selling cheap sh.t to social media consumers. And I fell for it too. I'd ask for a refund, but who do I contact in China for that? The only way to contact them is via email, and how do I prove they sent me the wrong brush if there is no way to send an image with it. They know exactly what they are doing.

My advice, you know the advice I chose to ignore myself, NEVER EVER buy products marketed on social media and nowhere else. Buy from proven, established brands with actual ethics and customer satisfaction as the priority.

Not happy!

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[Brisvegas]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...8-3Khwyu50JsDJa1xHd_cIXRtisJilg4aAijgEALw_wcB

$19 , might order one see if its different

Edit , ordered one . 19 bucks pffft , putting 20s on car so more likely to get between caliper and barrel

 

[DFB5.0]

Old Blue collected an unusual number of bugs the other day, well it was "bugging me" so it needed to be addressed. The longer bugs sit on paint, the more likely they are to leave permanent etchings behind. Acidic proteins and enzymes can eat right through ceramic coatings, waxes, and sealants down into the clearcoat, permanently etching the finish. At that point, you might wonder what the point of the coating or wax is in the first place. In reality, the protection buys you time before the etching sets in. Bug removers don't remedy the damage, they simply break down the bug itself, not the etching. Polishing the etchings out doesn't work either. In other words, don't sleep on it.

The car otherwise wasn't very dirty, so I went with Armour Detail Supply Hero rinse-less wash. Before that, I foamed the wheels with Bilt Hamber Touch-less, then scrubbed the tyres and rinsed. Drying Aid was a light amount of ADS Adapt, also used on the door jambs and engine bay. Tyres were treated with OG Tire Dressing, glass via Traceless (trying to use that crap up), interior ADS Pilot.

I also treated the steering wheel, gear shifter and handbrake with ColourLock Leather Protector.

 

[DFB5.0]

My next little project, a revamp of the bucket setup.

My current buckets came from Waxit waaay back in 2019. These started out as basic 15-litre buckets with grit guards, a standard white plastic lid, and pre-installed decals. For some unknown reason, Waxit in their infinite wisdom decided to use paper decals on their buckets, well I’m sure you can tell how that went, they weren't even installed straight, I'm sure you can imagine how that bugged me…………..

Over time, I modified those buckets, mainly for aesthetics but also functionality; colour coded gamma seal lids and matching dollies with upsized wheels. The fancy Obsessed Garage decals tied it all together. Don't ask how much time and money I put into that setup, I just closed my eyes in the end.

It's funny, I once had someone make comment, as if I wasn't in the room, ".....lol, what happens if he buys another car brand............" Like, well, I'll just pull the stickers off, not that hard. Probably said by a person who cleans his car with a mop bucket and dish sponge.

So why the update? Well, I wanted to shift from 15-litre to 20-litre buckets. To mix things up, I thought I may as well try something different, hence the black buckets this time around. The blue and red theme will continue.

Functionally, I'm good to go from here. However, I'm waiting on two more puzzle pieces to put the finishing touches on the project. Can't wait!

 

[DFB5.0]

I added these to the bucket order above. Both have been available for a while in the US but only recently landed here.

Reflect is yet another glass cleaner with rain repellent, think the OPT Glass Clean & Protect or Stoner's Ceramic Glass Cleaner. I note you can use Reflect on interior glass, which is not recommended with competitor products. These glass cleaners are hit miss, some work well (OPT, Stoners), others are pointless in that they leave streaks and haze behind (ClarifyPhobic, Griots). Which one will Reflect be?

As if the detailing scene needs more product terminology, Release is described as a "vacuum aid", designed as an anti-static agent for vacuuming carpets laced with sand and pet hair. The concept being that it cuts down on static charge and makes for easier removal via the vacuum. Release morphed out of using Paint Gloss for the same role, however it goes further in that it contains anti-soiling agents and odour neutralizers.

Both are nicely scented.

 

[AZ_Ryan]

Another two bite the dust..................

The Undressed was my second gallon of the product. As a heavy-duty tyre cleaner, it does the job — it's just a shame it doesn't lather the way Brake Buster does, because that's the only thing stopping it from being perfect. So I won't be getting a third gallon, but I already know exactly what will replace it.

That gallon of Paint Gloss has been sitting since December 2021. I'm genuinely torn — I love using it and the scent is addictive. But I almost never reach for it. Five years of taking up shelf space kind of answers the question for me.

Traditional quick detail sprays like Paint Gloss still have a place, but the roles I'd assigned it have quietly been filled by better products. For clay lube, a rinse-less wash or a dilutable option from Gyeon or Carpro is much better value. As a mild interior detailer, ONR does it better. For spot cleaning, something like ECHO2 or Adapt is safer and more effective. And as a drying aid, ADS Amplify does everything Paint Gloss does — just quicker and easier. In a way, I've already replaced it.

I only use paint gloss on a wet car before I dry if im going to a car show or something. Otherwise its a bit usless.

 

[DFB5.0]

Wash Bucket Update - Part 2

To recap, I bought some larger 20-litre buckets, swapping from white to black in the process. I also got new red and blue gamma seal lids, colour matched to the carry over bucket dollies and grit guards. From here, I wanted to mix things up.

If Obsessed Garage still offered those original red and blue decals, I'd probably have just bought a fresh set and called it done. But OG recently redesigned their bucket package too. The red, blue and black on white is gone — replaced by a monotone look across black, grey or white buckets with black and grey labelling. The new labels look slick, but there's no colour recognition, which I always thought was the whole point of the decals. I hate to say it given how much influence Matt has had on my detailing over the years — but I feel like it's time to stop promoting someone else's brand. So, I decided to go my own way...........

After some time online, I landed on a basic logo and a font I liked, then worked through several colour combinations before settling on crisp white lettering set against red and blue backgrounds. The decal designations also got a rethink to better reflect how I actually use them. Blue for RINSE, red for WHEELS, red for WASH (laundry) — and a new addition, blue for RINSELESS.

From there, I took the design to a local sign maker, colour matched the decals to the gamma seal colours, worked out the sizing and finalised the shape. I'd originally planned to go rectangular, but asked them to mock up circular and hexagon options to compare. I'm glad I did, the rectangle looked bland, the circle a bit "me too." The elongated hex looked fresher, more personalized.

Yesterday I picked up the decals from the printer and went ahead and installed them on the buckets. The smaller sizing of the decal was deliberate. While I like the impact the larger OG decals make, on my shorter buckets they were partially hidden by the bucket dolly. So, smaller, less in your face, fully visible. And because I've kept the colour deviations, they are easily identifiable.

Did I need to have a dedicated RINSELESS bucket? Not really, I just thought why not. The WASH bucket is for holding used towels, basically a dedicated laundry basket. I guess I could have gone with LAUNDRY, but I felt like sticking with WASH because that's what its for........washing towels.

With anything custom, you never truly know if it will meet the vision you had in your head. And while this wasn't totally what I'd originally planned — it's actually better than I had anticipated. But more importantly, this time it's mine.

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