It's a 2011 BMW. I was very close to getting XMT 360 but I removed it from my cart because it says it was made for machine application. I plan to do everything by hand.
This article walks you through everything you want to do, that is the order of the steps. It's very detailed with LOTS of information and links and videos for even more information. A complete Newbie could read this article and know more than most detailers.
How To Detail Your Brand New Car by Mike Phillips
When it comes to the paint polishing side it covers working by machine. But fear not... here's an article that walks your through how to work by hand and it too is very detailed.
How to clay, clean and wax paint by hand with Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion and Pinnacle Signature Series II Carnauba Paste Wax
So a AIO is necessary even with washing and claying? So after claying and before sealing, should I go with AIO or a polish?
An AIO is a Cleaner/Wax. These are the exact same category of product, zero difference. Some people like to use the term AIO I prefer to use the term cleaner/wax but they mean the exact same thing. These types of products do three things in one-step....
Since your BMW is 3 years old, chances are the paint could use cleaning. You can clean paint without removing swirls and you can clean paint and remove swirls.
If you're working by hand you're mostly going to clean paint without removing swirls because the paint is simply too hard for the human hand to be effective, that's why you'll find most people eventually move up to machine polishing.
So to clean your paint you have three options,
1. Use a dedicated paint cleaner also called a pre-wax cleaner.
These are mostly chemical but do a great job of cleaning the surface of impurities, stains and light oxidation. In the second article I linked to above I'm using a paint cleaner on the Lexus.
2. Use a dedicated fine cut polish.
A QUALITY fine cut polish can be applied by hand and will do everything a paint cleaner will do PLUS remove some very fine or shallow swirls and scratches depending upon your skill to move an applicator pad over the paint.
3. Use a cleaner/wax.
A cleaner/wax will clean, polish and protect, so it will do what a paint cleaner and a fine cut polish will do and leave some wax protection all in one step. Some people use a cleaner/wax AS THERE Pre-Wax cleaner and then wax over it. The most famous example is the Klasse Twins.
If it were me? Well I have access to machines so I'd do it all by machine. If I were you? I'd hand apply a fine cut polish after washing and claying and then apply a wax or paint sealant.
Get a copy of my how-too book, while it covers removing defects by machine as well as machine polishing and waxing, it's LOADED with tons of other information that will help you take care of your BMW by hand.
Video Intro inside the ibook version
[video=youtube_share;Z34ApdBPH1g"]The Art of Polishing Paint[/video]
Video Intro for the paperback and ebook versions
[video=youtube_share;AR9P9211Hh4"]The Art of Polishing Paint[/video]
