How to Clean and Restore Your Outbound Gear

Never wash your gear when it's hot to the touch. If you've been parked in the sun, chuck it in the shade for an hour first. If chemicals dry on hot plastic, they'll leave streaks that are a prick to get off.

Give everything a heavy soak with plain water. You want to move as much loose grit and salt as possible before you touch it with a brush. Focus on the underside of the roof rack where the salt likes to hide.

While you're there, just give the rack a wiggle. It's the best time to see if any bolts have rattled loose before you start scrubbing.

If you can, pop the snorkel head off. It's usually just one hose clamp. A customer once brought in a car complaining of a 'whistling' sound; it was just a massive dried-up gum leaf stuck in the grate. Cleaning it off the car is heaps easier.

Spray your APC onto the snorkel and the roof rack. Don't do the whole car at once; just focus on one section. Let it dwell for 2-3 minutes, but don't let it dry.

Use a soft brush in circular motions. Most snorkels have a textured finish that traps red dust. You've got to work the bristles into that texture to lift the dirt out.

This is the tedious bit. Use your small detailing brush to get into the T-slots and channels of your roof rack. This is where salt and dirt live, and if left alone, they'll start corroding the aluminium or the bolts.

Use your long-reach brush and some soapy water to clean the actual roof of the car under the rack. It's a pain to reach, but if you don't, that dirt just runs down your windows every time it rains.

If the snorkel still feels 'gritty' after washing, use a clay bar with some soapy water as lube. It's a trick I used on a black Commodore once that had overspray on the trim, and it works wonders for embedded iron and outback dust too.

Blast everything down with plenty of fresh water. Make sure you rinse out the inside of the snorkel head (if you took it off) and the drainage holes at the bottom of the snorkel pillar.

Use a dedicated microfibre or even a leaf blower if you've got one. You don't want water spotting, especially on black powder-coated racks.

Wipe the dry plastic with a bit of Isopropyl Alcohol on a cloth. This removes any leftover soap residue or oils so your protectant actually sticks.

Apply your trim restorer. If the snorkel is badly faded, I'd go for Solution Finish. If it's still in good nick, a ceramic-based trim coating like Gtechniq C4 is the gold standard. It'll last a year instead of a week.