GEN 2 Cleaning running boards

[CFIT]

Does anyone else's running boards look like they're several years old? I had the truck washed today, and even had the guy clean them twice. Admittedly he didn't seem to put a whole lot of effort into it, but seriously - it looks like I took these things are several years old, not ONE month old.

How do you clean these things effectively, and keep them looking good? I'm concerned that any of the typical dressing options will make them slippery.

I did a search, but couldn't find anything other than the Gen 1 thread below. I'm not even sure if the running boards, or at least the finish on the running boards, is the same between Gen 1 and Gen 2.

Any suggestions?

running board help

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...rforum.com/showthread.php?t=9221&share_type=t



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[AdamsPolishes]

Does anyone else's running boards look like they're several years old? I had the truck washed today, and even had the guy clean them twice. Admittedly he didn't seem to put a whole lot of effort into it, but seriously - it looks like I took these things are several years old, not ONE month old.

How do you clean these things effectively, and keep them looking good? I'm concerned that any of the typical dressing options will make them slippery.

I did a search, but couldn't find anything other than the Gen 1 thread below. I'm not even sure if the running boards, or at least the finish on the running boards, is the same between Gen 1 and Gen 2.

Any suggestions?

running board help

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...rforum.com/showthread.php?t=9221&share_type=t



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How are you having the truck washed? Is it washed by hand, or do you use the automatic car wash?

If your running boards are already looking that bad, I would guess that the chemicals used during the wash are harsh (ie from an automatic or touchless wash), OR, if you are having it hand washed, then they might be using some shampoo or detailing spray that has wax in it, and it is getting buildup in the coating material on the running boards.

To get them cleaned up, use some of our Tire & Rubber Cleaner during your next wash, scrubbing them really good with a small brush, and then rinse. Repeat the scrubbing and rinsing, then dry them and see how they look. If the cleaning made them look better, then spray them down with water, and then dress them with H2O Guard & Gloss. Since this product is a water-activated acrylic sealant, the surface needs to have some water on it to make the product cure. You can also use the "dry application" method shown in the video, by spraying the product onto a wet towel first, then using this towel to wipe the product onto the running board.

This will make them a little darker looking, and give them some protection to keep them looking nice. Once this product is dry, it is not slippery.

Don't forget to use the current sale discount code APRIL to save 15%.

 

[Mark986]

Believe it or not, I use dawn dish soap on the running boards with some hot water. Scrub with a soft brush and it looks like new.

 

[Wolfeman]

How are you having the truck washed? Is it washed by hand, or do you use the automatic car wash?

If your running boards are already looking that bad, I would guess that the chemicals used during the wash are harsh (ie from an automatic or touchless wash), OR, if you are having it hand washed, then they might be using some shampoo or detailing spray that has wax in it, and it is getting buildup in the coating material on the running boards.

To get them cleaned up, use some of our Tire & Rubber Cleaner during your next wash, scrubbing them really good with a small brush, and then rinse. Repeat the scrubbing and rinsing, then dry them and see how they look. If the cleaning made them look better, then spray them down with water, and then dress them with H2O Guard & Gloss. Since this product is a water-activated acrylic sealant, the surface needs to have some water on it to make the product cure. You can also use the "dry application" method shown in the video, by spraying the product onto a wet towel first, then using this towel to wipe the product onto the running board.

This will make them a little darker looking, and give them some protection to keep them looking nice. Once this product is dry, it is not slippery.

Don't forget to use the current sale discount code APRIL to save 15%.

Thanks for the heads up on the Guard and Gloss. Never would have thought to use it on the boards.

 

[CFIT]

How are you having the truck washed? Is it washed by hand, or do you use the automatic car wash?

If your running boards are already looking that bad, I would guess that the chemicals used during the wash are harsh (ie from an automatic or touchless wash), OR, if you are having it hand washed, then they might be using some shampoo or detailing spray that has wax in it, and it is getting buildup in the coating material on the running boards.

To get them cleaned up, use some of our Tire & Rubber Cleaner during your next wash, scrubbing them really good with a small brush, and then rinse. Repeat the scrubbing and rinsing, then dry them and see how they look. If the cleaning made them look better, then spray them down with water, and then dress them with H2O Guard & Gloss. Since this product is a water-activated acrylic sealant, the surface needs to have some water on it to make the product cure. You can also use the "dry application" method shown in the video, by spraying the product onto a wet towel first, then using this towel to wipe the product onto the running board.

This will make them a little darker looking, and give them some protection to keep them looking nice. Once this product is dry, it is not slippery.

Don't forget to use the current sale discount code APRIL to save 15%.

Thanks for the info. The truck is only a month old, and has only been washed twice. Both times it was hand washed, but it was a touchless/automatic car wash. I can understand how certain wash chemicals could affect the finish over time, but mine looked the way they do before even the second wash. I took the truck on a long road trip and spent several days driving in the rain. They looked pretty filthy after that, as you can imagine, but I figured they'd clean right up easily enough. I thought dirt would mostly just rinse off honestly, but no such luck.

I love these running boards. They're easily the most functional running boards I've had on any vehicle I've owned. I just hope that they don't become a chore to maintain in terms of aesthetics.



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[hkguns]

I use a power washer on mine and it works great.

 

[CFIT]

Believe it or not, I use dawn dish soap on the running boards with some hot water. Scrub with a soft brush and it looks like new.

I'll have to give this a shot. Thanks for the tip!


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[AdamsPolishes]

Thanks for the info. The truck is only a month old, and has only been washed twice. Both times it was hand washed, but it was a touchless/automatic car wash. I can understand how certain wash chemicals could affect the finish over time, but mine looked the way they do before even the second wash. I took the truck on a long road trip and spent several days driving in the rain. They looked pretty filthy after that, as you can imagine, but I figured they'd clean right up easily enough. I thought dirt would mostly just rinse off honestly, but no such luck.

I love these running boards. They're easily the most functional running boards I've had on any vehicle I've owned. I just hope that they don't become a chore to maintain in terms of aesthetics.



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The automatic wash would not cause the faded look after only two times, but the harsh chemicals tat are used will fade them, and the rest of the plastic and rubber trim, over time (year or so).

If they looked bad after only a short time, and one wash, then perhaps the dealer used some dressing on them that dried out to look faded, or maybe even a liquid wax that would start to look lighter over a few weeks.

It also might just be as simple as them having dirt embedded in the texture of the running boards, and the automatic wash is not cleaning it out.

I know that scrubbing with the Tire & Rubber Cleaner will make a huge improvement, and sealing them up with the H2O Guard & Gloss will help prevent this from happening again.

Since you will also need to keep your tires clean, consider the Tire & Rubber Cleaner Collection, which gets you the 16oz sprayer, a tire bush, and the gallon refill.

Believe it or not, I use dawn dish soap on the running boards with some hot water. Scrub with a soft brush and it looks like new.

Save the Dawn Dish soap for your lasagna pan!

It is a harsh soap designed for breaking down grease, and while it might get the dirt off the running boards, it will fade them out over time.

 

[pjones]

Pics?

 

[Ruger]

I wash my running boards with the same Meguiar's Car Wash that I use on the rest of the truck. Looks great every time.