What's In DFB's Cabinet?

[DFB5.0]

The final piece of the puzzle arrived for my new buckets today..................

Most buckets come with a standard plastic sleeve handle — functional, but not much else. The Snappy Grip handles are a significant step up. Larger, contoured and noticeably more comfortable when you're lifting a full, heavy bucket.

Snappy Grip Ergonomic Bucket Handle - Skys The Limit Car Care
Snappy Grip – gritguard.com

And yet again, this is one of those tiny details that was hard to find in Australia, and more expensive than it should have been. Ideally, I'd have colour matched with the decals and Gamma Seals — red and blue — but black was the only colour I could make work. Watch, next week red and blue will suddenly appear.

Snappy Grip Ergonomic Replacement Bucket Handles (3 Pack) - BLACK : Amazon.com.au

Installation is straightforward. The Snappy Grips are a two-piece design that clip over the existing handle — but first, the original plastic sleeve needs to come off. A sharp utility knife does the job; I supported the handle with a towel to avoid taking a finger with it. Once clear, each half of the Snappy Grip clips together over the handle. Done.

The difference is hard to put into words, but you feel it immediately. Substantially larger, contoured in all the right places — lifting a full bucket just feels better. At $2.50 USD, it's a no-brainer. At $11.90 AUD, the maths doesn't quite hold up — but I'm glad I went ahead anyway.

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[WD Pro]

What a great idea !

I have just bought two in black (both my bucket logos are in black).

Surprisingly I could have had the colour options in the UK, and at a sensible price - it would have been very reasonable if I was ordering other kit to split the postage (or get free postage) :

Interestingly they have done a lime green handle in the states, but only the standard green has currently made it over here - if lime green becomes available over here I will do half n half 'clown pants' handles

WD

 

[kilobravo]

Day 2 in the books.

Heckuva job, Alex and she looks spectacular. Well done!

 

[skinnyb]

Silver can hide effort, but I can see the amount that went into that car.

That's why I've cooled on ceramic coatings, they can be super finicky, and it doesn't take much to end up with a problem on your hands.

Yeah, I had to look at it in multiple lights sources. Sunlight usually is the microscope, found several high spots when I backed out, even found a slight smear of polish residue under the coating in one spot. My Rupes Nano, an Oreo Urofiber pad and P&S rehab made short work of it, a quick speed 1 buzz across it and good to go. I LOVE the combo of the Urofiber oreo and Rehab, it is really nice, cuts out most any defect, and finished perfectly on Mustang paint at least...

And yea, I am glad I found the issues right away, on the rear panels, in the outside light, it was super helpful... But once I got it dialed in, it turned out great...

I just hope this coating holds up well, I have heard really good things about it. He drives the car a LOT as a daily driver, he has 31k miles on it in just over a year, he got it in May 2025. SO durable is good for him. And it is well maintained at least, so there is that. I have a carport ordered for the side of my garage so he can have covered parking hopefully soon. It is metal, and in production right now.. The concrete pad beside the garage is perfect for a carport...

 

[Evolvd]

Day 2 in the books. Super happy with the results. BUT I found out the ADS pro does NOT like hot weather too well. The heat and humidity had it curing super fast, I had to redo the rear bumper twice before I got the hang of it. I guess that is par for the course on a new product to me. It does make the paint super slick, I like it a lot for sure now that it is applied. I backed out in the sun to check for high spots, found a few, fixed them (Rupes long neck nano and a 2 inch pad with some P&S Rehab, wipe off, prep, re coat ) Now she is back in the garage for the evening, and I am having a shower and a nap again LOL... Gonna top with ADS Ceramic Spray sealant in the morning before it gets too hot, and call it done.

I installed some new fog lights on my F-150 and coated them with Pro beforehand and had a similar issue. But, I did them inside my conditioned garage. Not sure why they flashed so fast. I did the whole truck with ADS Pro and didn't have any issues

 

[skinnyb]

I installed some new fog lights on my F-150 and coated them with Pro beforehand and had a similar issue. But, I did them inside my conditioned garage. Not sure why they flashed so fast. I did the whole truck with ADS Pro and didn't have any issues

Yeah once I got the hang of it, it wasn't too bad. I just had to put my applicator in the right hand, and the wipe off towel in the left. Mr Miagi, wipe on, wipe off LOL... Then hit with the plush towel afterwards. And made each spot super small. Like did the hood in 4 sections.. Roof too, 4 pieces.

When I backed outside, found at least 4 spots, all around corners ironically. PUt a dot of painters tape on each spot, then went around with the small polisher, then wiped off, prep wipe, then hit each spot (plus about 6-8 inches) with coating again. It did the trick just fine.

 

[DFB5.0]

A couple of months ago, I decided to try a different microfiber detergent. My go-to had been P&S Rags to Riches, but it commands a significant price premium in Australia, and I'd often read people say R2R is just hype — not worth the premium over competitor products. So I switched to 3D Towel Kleen.

3D Towel Kleen: $59.95 AUD (1 gallon)
P&S Rags to Riches: $109.95 AUD (1 gallon)

While roughly half the price, I don't think Towel Kleen is as effective as R2R. I've noticed my drying towels becoming increasingly hydrophobic since switching. Those towels had been in service for years under R2R with no issues, and only started underperforming after the switch.

So I've picked up a fresh gallon of R2R and I'm doing an overnight soak to try to revive them. To 15-litres of hot water, I added 125ml of R2R, gave it a stir and left them with the lid on to soak overnight.

I know towels have a finite lifespan, but the timing — performance dropping right when I switched detergents — points to the detergent, not just age.

I also know 3D and P&S are under the same parent company now, but both products were developed independently before merger.

 

[skinnyb]

A couple of months ago, I decided to try a different microfiber detergent. My go-to had been P&S Rags to Riches, but it commands a significant price premium in Australia, and I'd often read people say R2R is just hype — not worth the premium over competitor products. So I switched to 3D Towel Kleen.

3D Towel Kleen: $59.95 AUD (1 gallon)
P&S Rags to Riches: $109.95 AUD (1 gallon)

While roughly half the price, I don't think Towel Kleen is as effective as R2R. I've noticed my drying towels becoming increasingly hydrophobic since switching. Those towels had been in service for years under R2R with no issues, and only started underperforming after the switch.

So I've picked up a fresh gallon of R2R and I'm doing an overnight soak to try to revive them. To 15-litres of hot water, I added 125ml of R2R, gave it a stir and left them with the lid on to soak overnight.

I know towels have a finite lifespan, but the timing — performance dropping right when I switched detergents — points to the detergent, not just age.

I also know 3D and P&S are under the same parent company now, but both products were developed independently before merger.

Man I hate that R2R is so expensive for you, it seems you guys get boned regularly on most of my popular products. I tried MFX from CARPRO one time, and it indeed was not as effective. I just went back to R2R as well.

 

[vinny89gt]

Need a suggestion for a good water spot remover.

Picked up a new Edge ST as a DD and, while I love the color Lithium Gray, it shows every imperfection.

 

[skinnyb]

Need a suggestion for a good water spot remover.

Picked up a new Edge ST as a DD and, while I love the color Lithium Gray, it shows every imperfection.

Most of the commercial available ones are good. I personally use CARPRO Spotless. After a wash, I rub it in with a microfiber while a little wet, then rinse thoroughly with DI water after it sits for a few minutes. If its bad, I do the last wash with Descale or KCx Reactivation shampoo, which is an acidic car wash.

 

[Evolvd]

Labocosmetica Energo is one of the best I’ve found. CarPro Spotless works but not nearly as good as Energo.

Check out this YT video from Forensic Detailing where he tests and rates all the popular brands.

 

[larr12]

@vinny89gt i use the chemical guys one and is really good.

 

[larr12]

Armour Detail Supply with a 25% off sale.

Detailed Image with a 20% off sale

 

[DFB5.0]

With all of the rain we've had over the last week, the Wildtrak was in desperate need of a wash. Mud, road grime, tar, bugs and debris.............all hitching a free ride.

Before I did anything, I mixed up a 1.5% dilution of Bilt Hamber Touch-less, foamed it on and left to dwell while I filled buckets and got setup for the wash. I decided to do this first so that it would give me a headstart on the wheels, arches and tyres. After rinsing the Touch-less, it was business as usual; tyres with Wise Guy, wheels with Brake Buster, tar removed with KCx TEA. NV Snow then finished off the cleaning.

The Can Coat EVO I applied last May has left the building, so I'm nursing this car through winter. While performance dropped off around February this year, it's been present right up until this last wash, so the claimed 12-month durability is about right. The water behavior on the vertical panels is basically toast, the roof and hood are still decent enough. Completely normal.

To get it through the next few months, I decided to give a new-to-me product a try, Bilt Hamber Touch-On.

Bilt Hamber Touch-On Crystalline hydrophobic Treatment - Detailing Shed
Bilt Hamber Touch-On - 30 ml - Detailed Image

Touch-On is a competitor to the likes of Carpro HydrO2 Foam and Gyeon Bathe+. In that I mean a low foaming soap that delivers a layer of Si02 with minimal effort. Compared to HydrO2, which has separate versions for washing/foaming and the spray/rinse action, Bilt Hamber does it in one single product and applied three different ways -

- Via foam cannon. Add 30ml to 970ml of water, foam it on and rinse off immediately.

- Via bucket washing. Add 30-60ml to 10-litres of water, then wash working section to section and rinsing as you go.

- Via a trigger sprayer. Add 30ml to a 970ml of water, I'd use demineralized water in this case as you'll likely store this for a while. Again, working panel to panel, mist it on, then rinse off.

With all three methods, its recommend to wash the car first. However, if the vehicle isn't very dirty, or you've pretreated with Touch-less first, you can use Touch-On as a light cleaner. I would avoid using this in the sun or on hot days, especially if using the foam method as you risk causing water spots that will be extremely difficult to remove. Bilt Hamber also caution against using Touch-On any more than once a month to avoid overloading the paint and causing streaks and residue buildup.

Touch-On is sold in two formats, a 1-litre bottle or as the 30ml sachets I have here. My application method was via foam cannon. As you can see, the "foam" isn't all that foamy, but that's by design and the same as HydrO2 Foam. While the foam cannon does the delivery, its the rinse that does the work, helping to activate and disperse the sealant.

At this point, I'd say HydrO2 Foam provides a stronger beading effect, Touch-On seems to be more of a sheeter. That's not a complaint, just an observation. Either way, it brought back some hydrophobics to the paint, slickness too.

As for the rest of the process, I dried using ADS Amplify, interior cleaned with ADS Pilot, tyres got OG TD. I also gave P&S Reflect another try, which is proving to be an excellent product.

 

[DFB5.0]

Over the last few days, I've been attempting to revive a selection of towels that had become increasingly hydrophobic. I started by soaking overnight in hot water with Rags to Riches, then cycled through the washing machine with an extra rinse and spin, followed by drying on low heat. For now, I've done this to the following towels -

4x TRC Gauntlet 24x60 (Drying)
10x TRC Gauntlet 12x12 (Wheels)
4x Microfiber Madness Chipmunk Jr. 16x16 (Drying)
12x TRC Dry Me A River 16x4 (Glass)
2x TRC Dry Me A River 20x40 (Door Jambs)
9x TRC FTW 16x16 (Glass, Drying)

There is nothing worse than a hydrophobic towel, it just pushes liquid around and around, increasing the working time and contacting the paint more than you should need. In my case, there are two causes for this -

- Using SiO2 drying aids and glass cleaners
- A change in laundry detergent.

The obvious action here would be to stop using drying aids, at least ones with SiO2 or wax. However, the drying aid process is one of the tasks I truly enjoy, so I do my best to manage the situation.

In the past, I've noted that as long as you prevent the towels from drying out and get them into the wash ASAP, you'll reduce the likelihood of them become hydrophobic. And I still stand by that advice, leaving towels in an open pile for days or weeks is a one-way ticket to Hydrophobic City. But it's clear that the laundry detergent plays a role too. Moving onto a cheaper detergent didn't really save me any money. In the end, its actually been a waste of time and money.

Thankfully, it would appear I've managed to revive them. The drying towels are back to nearly new, easily soaking up water and spreading the drying aid. The glass towels are much better too, again absorbing moisture rather than moving it around.

So, I got lucky on this one. The retail cost of that collection of towels above comes in at about $715 AUD. Buying the cheaper detergent to save $50 risked a $700+ collection of towels.

I will also say this, sometimes the apparent "hype" is justified, as in Rags to Riches is THE BEST microfiber detergent on the market.

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