Body care / cleaning questions

[big.garcilla]

I have had the cybertruck for 3 days

- i have been keeping it clean, wiping things as they fall on it.

Today bird droppings appeared on the hood, i quickly cleaned it up (it was still wet) and found some strange discoloration on the body (image attached).
I used a rag to clean it off and a damp cloth with bar tenders friend liquid. i applied it and cleaned it offer by dumping a bucket of water over the areas. I wiped it down once more with a clean towel.

Any input on how to take care of this better is appreciated.

Thanks community.

kindest, jesus garcia

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[sgmorton]

Search is your friend... there are dozens of posts about this here already.

 

[big.garcilla]

True, i am checking those out. Any thoughts on the discoloration in the picture? it doesn't come off with BKF. Thanks/jg

 

[Zantosh76]

I have had the cybertruck for 3 days

- i have been keeping it clean, wiping things as they fall on it.

Today bird droppings appeared on the hood, i quickly cleaned it up (it was still wet) and found some strange discoloration on the body (image attached).
I used a rag to clean it off and a damp cloth with bar tenders friend liquid. i applied it and cleaned it offer by dumping a bucket of water over the areas. I wiped it down once more with a clean towel.

Any input on how to take care of this better is appreciated.

Thanks community.

kindest, jesus garcia

Lessons I learned:

1. Get the synoshi motorized brush - Synoshi - #1 Power Spin Scrubber: 70% Off! | Synoshi
2. Get extra sponges - Amazon.com: Synoshi Sponge Brush Heads (6 Units) for Electric Spin Scrubber | Designed for Cleaning Smooth Surfaces : Health & Household
NOTE - discard the green ones. Only use the yellow ones
3. Get barkeepers friend - Amazon.com: Black Swan Distributors - Bar Keeper's Friend Soft Cleanser (26 oz) & Non-Abrasive, Washable Microfiber Cleaning Cloth (15x15 in) - Home Cleaning Supplies Kit : Health & Household
4. Get windex with ammonia - Amazon.com: Windex Unscented Glass 1 gallon : Health & Household
5. Have a ton of microfiber cloths from costco

Have a beer.

Now put a bit of the BKF on the yellow sponge and then run the synoshi over your panels. Do it in sections. As you finish a section, spray it with the windex and then wipe it. Use a fresh cloth as often as you can.

 

[Zantosh76]

True, i am checking those out. Any thoughts on the discoloration in the picture? it doesn't come off with BKF. Thanks/jg

BKF works. You need to put your back into it.

 

[Stuck4ger]

I was chagrined to notice surface rust on one of my most prized former life going away gifts. Thanks to this forum I was able to get it back into shape but I’m glad it wasn’t a CT because I’m not sure that I’d be happy with the lack of uniformity of the finish if it was a large flat CT panel. BKF wasn’t strong enough so I used a rustoleum rust remover and after that back to BKF with a scouring wheel followed by a metal polisher with a buffer.

 

[Zantosh76]

You should drive your CT with that. It'll be cool.

 

[HaulingAss]

You should drive your CT with that. It'll be cool.

Haha, maybe wait until it has Full Self Driving, it looks like it might be a little vision-challenged for driving!

 

[HaulingAss]

I have had the cybertruck for 3 days

- i have been keeping it clean, wiping things as they fall on it.

Today bird droppings appeared on the hood, i quickly cleaned it up (it was still wet) and found some strange discoloration on the body (image attached).
I used a rag to clean it off and a damp cloth with bar tenders friend liquid. i applied it and cleaned it offer by dumping a bucket of water over the areas. I wiped it down once more with a clean towel.

Any input on how to take care of this better is appreciated.

Thanks community.

kindest, jesus garcia

If you stop using Barkeepers Friend, you will find the metal quickly develops a passivation layer that makes it resistant to staining and fingerprints and a simple washing with auto shampoo and water with a towel dry will have it looking good. Everytime you use BKF it strips the protective passivation layer away.

Also, "Barkeepers Friend" is not a single product, it's a trade-name for a line of products, not all of them have the same formula. I'm not familiar with how many total products they have, I know there are at least two, and at least one has fine abrasive polishing compounds, one is foamy, comes in a spray bottle, and has a weaker chemical reaction (and no polishing compounds). I use them on my stainless sink, not so much on the Cybertruck. I would use the one with fine abrasives if I had panels that didn't clean up well with soap and water, but in 2 1/2 months and 2000 miles that hasn't been necessary yet. If I did use it, I would scrub it down with soap and water immediately after, to remove any BKF residue, and let to passivation layer develop evenly.

The great thing about the Cybertruck's steel is how resistant it is to any kind of permanent stains. Even the staining from a strong acid can be polished back to new with a fine abrasive pad. The metal is too thick to worry about polishing through it. Not going to happen. But let that passivation layer develop and wash it normally, and most simple stains like bird poop, tree acids, road salts and the like, will clean up with soap and water.

The passivation layer needs oxygen to develop, and fats and oils will interfere with the natural passivation. That's why cleaning with soap and water works so well. Avoid harsh chemicals and cleaning products with oil in them. If you feel the need to polish the whole truck and start over, just remember to clean it well afterwards with soap and water and the natural passivation layer will start to form immediately. It will be more susceptible to staining until the passivation layer is well-established. According to literature on this it only takes 24-48 hours, although I suspect it continues to slowly become better established over time.

I love the timeless look of the bare metal and the way it reflects the colors around it so I could never wrap it with cheap looking and fragile plastic wrap. I've never liked the look of plastic and wraps and automotive polyurethane paint is essentially plastic, which is why all of our painted Tesla are white, I find white looks the least "plasticky" of any paint color. Silver is nice too. Bare metal? Priceless!

 

[Zantosh76]

If you stop using Barkeepers Friend, you will find the metal quickly develops a passivation layer that makes it resistant to staining and fingerprints and a simple washing with auto shampoo and water with a towel dry will have it looking good. Everytime you use BKF it strips the protective passivation layer away.

Also, "Barkeepers Friend" is not a single product, it's a trade-name for a line of products, not all of them have the same formula. I'm not familiar with how many total products they have, I know there are at least two, and at least one has fine abrasive polishing compounds, one is foamy, comes in a spray bottle, and has a weaker chemical reaction (and no polishing compounds). I use them on my stainless sink, not so much on the Cybertruck. I would use the one with fine abrasives if I had panels that didn't clean up well with soap and water, but in 2 1/2 months and 2000 miles that hasn't been necessary yet. If I did use it, I would scrub it down with soap and water immediately after, to remove any BKF residue, and let to passivation layer develop evenly.

The great thing about the Cybertruck's steel is how resistant it is to any kind of permanent stains. Even the staining from a strong acid can be polished back to new with a fine abrasive pad. The metal is too thick to worry about polishing through it. Not going to happen. But let that passivation layer develop and wash it normally, and most simple stains like bird poop, tree acids, road salts and the like, will clean up with soap and water.

The passivation layer needs oxygen to develop, and fats and oils will interfere with the natural passivation. That's why cleaning with soap and water works so well. Avoid harsh chemicals and cleaning products with oil in them. If you feel the need to polish the whole truck and start over, just remember to clean it well afterwards with soap and water and the natural passivation layer will start to form immediately. It will be more susceptible to staining until the passivation layer is well-established. According to literature on this it only takes 24-48 hours, although I suspect it continues to slowly become better established over time.

I love the timeless look of the bare metal and the way it reflects the colors around it so I could never wrap it with cheap looking and fragile plastic wrap. I've never liked the look of plastic and wraps and automotive polyurethane paint is essentially plastic, which is why all of our painted Tesla are white, I find white looks the least "plasticky" of any paint color. Silver is nice too. Bare metal? Priceless!

This makes sense. I used the barkeeper's friend plastic bottle compound, I forgot the specifics, but after I was done, the truck looked great. And it's been a few weeks and it still looks great and I don't have to work as hard to keep it clean. Sunscreen, though, that requires some work to remove.

 

[CyberTW]

If you stop using Barkeepers Friend, you will find the metal quickly develops a passivation layer that makes it resistant to staining and fingerprints and a simple washing with auto shampoo and water with a towel dry will have it looking good. Everytime you use BKF it strips the protective passivation layer away.

Also, "Barkeepers Friend" is not a single product, it's a trade-name for a line of products, not all of them have the same formula. I'm not familiar with how many total products they have, I know there are at least two, and at least one has fine abrasive polishing compounds, one is foamy, comes in a spray bottle, and has a weaker chemical reaction (and no polishing compounds). I use them on my stainless sink, not so much on the Cybertruck. I would use the one with fine abrasives if I had panels that didn't clean up well with soap and water, but in 2 1/2 months and 2000 miles that hasn't been necessary yet. If I did use it, I would scrub it down with soap and water immediately after, to remove any BKF residue, and let to passivation layer develop evenly.

The great thing about the Cybertruck's steel is how resistant it is to any kind of permanent stains. Even the staining from a strong acid can be polished back to new with a fine abrasive pad. The metal is too thick to worry about polishing through it. Not going to happen. But let that passivation layer develop and wash it normally, and most simple stains like bird poop, tree acids, road salts and the like, will clean up with soap and water.

The passivation layer needs oxygen to develop, and fats and oils will interfere with the natural passivation. That's why cleaning with soap and water works so well. Avoid harsh chemicals and cleaning products with oil in them. If you feel the need to polish the whole truck and start over, just remember to clean it well afterwards with soap and water and the natural passivation layer will start to form immediately. It will be more susceptible to staining until the passivation layer is well-established. According to literature on this it only takes 24-48 hours, although I suspect it continues to slowly become better established over time.

I love the timeless look of the bare metal and the way it reflects the colors around it so I could never wrap it with cheap looking and fragile plastic wrap. I've never liked the look of plastic and wraps and automotive polyurethane paint is essentially plastic, which is why all of our painted Tesla are white, I find white looks the least "plasticky" of any paint color. Silver is nice too. Bare metal? Priceless!

I wish I had a bookmark option.. this is good stuff

 

[HaulingAss]

This makes sense. I used the barkeeper's friend plastic bottle compound, I forgot the specifics, but after I was done, the truck looked great. And it's been a few weeks and it still looks great and I don't have to work as hard to keep it clean. Sunscreen, though, that requires some work to remove.

Warm soapy water doesn't work? You might also try isopropyl alcohol, neither of these will strip the passivation layer.

I should also mention, I think the ammonia free glass cleaners like Sprayaway and Invisible Glass won't strip the passivation layer or leave residues. The problem with spot cleaning with products that strip the passivation layer is that can cause a blotchy look to develop, and to fix it you have to do an entire panel (or all panel areas with the same orientation).

 

[rudedawg78]

I wish I had a bookmark option.. this is good stuff

 

[CyberTW]

[face palm].

 

[rudedawg78]

[face palm].

haha, all good man. It took me a bit to explore all the features on this forum.

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