Thread: Pledge Dusting Polish As A Engine Bay Detailer

I dont know where exactly I ran across the tip, but a long time ago I was either told or read about using pledge dusting polish as an engine bay detailer. The reason behind it was that it did not attract dust as bad as using ArmorAll and other similar products.

So I gave it a try and fell in love with it immediately. My engine bays stayed cleaner, was easier to touch up (With ArmorAll and other similar products the dust would get so caked on sometimes that it was hard to do touch up work). It doesnt leave the bling bling shine that ArmorAll does, but it does clean really well and I can wipe down the painted surfaces in the engine bay for a little extra shine. It also seems to last a lot longer than ArmorAll as well and is by far cheaper.

I wipe down every rubber hose I can get my hands on, vacuum lines, basically everything I can with it and have never had any problems using it and I have saved a ton of money over what I spent on other products.

what are fisheyes?

We've been using pledge on motorcycles for years, it's good stuff. I prefer Protect-All though. Protect-All is just that, it's good on everything.Once I get my paint cleaned with the claybar, I'll use it on my car like I did on my motorcycles.

you know what else works good under the hood to clean is WD40 and a tooth brush to get in those tight places...

Originally Posted by archemedes

every spray some paint and have little circles that look like ripples on water? Those are fisheyes, and are caused by silicone, and the part not being cleaned

I hate fisheyes. I am trying to paint my HUD trim on my dash and I cant avoid fish eyes no matter how much I cleaned, prep, and sanded. Dang fisheyes still come through. Probably a result of 10 years of armorall in the part.
Any suggestions?

Thanks!! All this is my first time painting anything major. Most everything turned out good except my dang HUD trim. The rest of the interior trim is good and my bumper inserts as well as the inner part of my air dam turned out ok.
I cleaned the interior trim with acetone. I'll have to try laquer thinner on the HUD trim. I figure the sun and heat cooked the armorall in for years for that part. It was pretty brittle and old looking. May have been no hope for it anyaway. I may just get another one and start over since I have gone so far down the wrong road with it LOL
I'll pick up some laquer thinner at Home Depot tomorrow.

I like my dressing BUT, dang after a show the dust clumps on it and it is a PITA to clean off. I also have been told it is bad for tires dispite what the labels say. Every tire supplier has told me to avoid tire dressing. Plus my latest issue with fisheyes I dont want any armorall type product near my car LOL
I just bought a big can of pledge and will try that.

That's messed up. I can't see myself hitting my engine bay with Pledge. I'll stick with Meguiars.

It works though. Cheap, effective, less work, you cant beat it.

Originally Posted by SyntheticShield

It works though. Cheap, effective, less work, you cant beat it.

At first I thought thats crazy, but cant deny so many people saying it works so I have to give it a try.

Originally Posted by David99GTP

I like my dressing BUT, dang after a show the dust clumps on it and it is a PITA to clean off. I also have been told it is bad for tires dispite what the labels say. Every tire supplier has told me to avoid tire dressing. Plus my latest issue with fisheyes I dont want any armorall type product near my car LOL
I just bought a big can of pledge and will try that.

You have to look at what is in the dressing. Make sure it has no silicone in it. After sitting on the tire for a while, silicone starts to rot the rubber turning it brown (ever wonder why your tires look brown after you've used the stuff a while?) I use Meguiar's Hot Shine and it works fine. No silicone.

And, applying the Pledge, you just spray it on a rag and wipe?

Originally Posted by Sabrewings

And, applying the Pledge, you just spray it on a rag and wipe?

Yes, thats the gist of it. However, with things like the coolant/radiator hoses, things like that, I'll spray it directly on it as much as I can and let it sit and soak in a bit. It helps with cleaning the rubber some and makes it look a bit better.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Sabrewings

You have to look at what is in the dressing. Make sure it has no silicone in it. After sitting on the tire for a while, silicone starts to rot the rubber turning it brown (ever wonder why your tires look brown after you've used the stuff a while?) I use Meguiar's Hot Shine and it works fine. No silicone.

And, applying the Pledge, you just spray it on a rag and wipe?

I bought the hot shine too. I like the spay can, easy to apply and control. Doesnt goo up on the tire either. Glad to know it doesnt have silicone in it.
I know most dressing is bad. I had a set of ties on a car once and they got really bad. I was told the cause was tire dressing. Usually tires dont last me long enough to notice the effects LOL.
I did use the pledge under the hood on the plastic parts and it gave the parts a nice satin shine. No goop or build up. I havent noticed the usual dust sticking to it like other products.

Ive seen pledge used on dashes before, not personally but Ive heard it works well. I might give it a try on my radiator hoses sometime. Auto magic had a similar product in a spray can, but I cannot recall the name.

Call me crazy but I'm not a fan of any "tire shine" products. I use it for outside shows since it is the standard there but I immediately wash it all off. I prefer the new tire look. I just keep them clean and use a water based rubber conditioner every few weeks. The 12-year old BFG radials on my Trans Am still look brand new, but then again my beater truck is the only vehicle I own that sees constant sunlight. But I have junk tires on that anyway....

David99gtp>> Instead of thinner, which can effect plastics and leave a residue and before any sanding, try soaking the parts in a mix of dishwashing soap and hot water, then spray them off. It also helps to do it before you paint. Just make sure all the soap is rinsed off. In a pinch I've used it when repainting plastic bumper covers and havnt had a problem.

Also, products like quick scuff used with wet scotchbrite pads help clean and lightly sand the part after your initial sanding with paper.