Keeping Your Snorkel and Roof Rack Mint: The Real Way to Clean Offroad Gear

Never, ever wash a car that's been sitting in the Feb sun. Move it into the shade or wait for the arvo. If the metal is hot to the touch, your chemicals will dry instantly and leave nasty spots.

Give the rack a good shake. If it's wobbling, you've got loose bolts. Better to find out now than when you're doing 100km/h on the highway.

If you've got recovery tracks, shovels, or awnings attached, chuck 'em off if you can. You can't clean what's underneath them properly while they're mounted.

If you're using a heavy-duty plastic restorer later, use some blue painter's tape on the paintwork where the snorkel meets the A-pillar. It saves a lot of cleanup work.

Check the little duck-bill valve at the bottom of the snorkel airbox. If it's clogged with mud, the water you're about to spray in there might not drain out.

Blast the snorkel head and the rack with water. Focus on the underside of the rack and the gaps between the rails. This is where the salt likes to hide.

Spray your diluted All Purpose Cleaner over the snorkel and rack. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes, but don't let it dry. This breaks down the 'traffic film' and greasy road grime.

Use your detailing brush to get into the grill of the snorkel. A customer once brought in a rig where a wasp had built a nest in there, use the brush to clear any debris.

Use a wash mitt with soapy water. Snorkels are usually textured plastic, so you need to really work the suds in to get the red dust out of the 'pores'.

Be careful here. Direct the water hit the snorkel head from an angle, not straight down the pipe. You want to rinse the mesh, not drown your air filter.

Most modern racks (Rhino-Rack, Yakima, etc.) have T-slots. These are magnets for dirt. Run your brush through every single channel.

Use your long-reach brush to clean the roof of the car underneath the rack. If you leave dirt here, it'll hold moisture and eventually cause rust or paint damage.

Rinse from the top down. Ensure no soap bubbles are clinging to the mounting brackets or the snorkel seals.

If the rack feels rough, spray some iron remover on it. If it turns purple, it's working. Rinse it off after a minute.

Use your leaf blower to blast water out of the snorkel's internal lip and the rack's bolt holes. This prevents those annoying 'runny nose' drips later.

Wipe everything down with a clean, dry microfiber. Make sure the plastic is completely dry before moving to protection.

Apply your trim restorer to the snorkel. Work in small sections. This is the only method I trust for keeping that 'factory' look. Don't use 'tyre shine', it's too greasy and will attract dust instantly.

Apply a spray ceramic sealant or a good wax to the metal parts of the rack. This keeps the UV from chalking the powder coat.

Once dry, check the bolts. If any are loose, give them a dab of blue Loctite and tighten them up. (Your partner will thank you when the rack stops whistling on the highway).