I went from being the worse "detailer" (car washer / OTC wax applier) to someone who is pretty darn good. It takes me a long time, but I can get excellent results, so can you. A few things I've learned:
1. Never rush or work when you have time constraints. If you don't have the time, don't bother, or tell yourself from the beginning your just going to do one panel. You can eventually complete a whole car that way. An example is a test spot. If you don't spend the time to do that and just keep going, you will be super frustrated at the end if you see all the scratches staring back at you. If you can't get the test spot right, you can't get the rest of the car right
2. Don't try and come up with "short cuts" or think you know better than someone who has been doing this for a long time. There is a reason for all the steps. If you read what M. Phillips writes, every sentence and word is chosen for a reason. Things are done in a certain order for a reason. He doesn't recommend procedures that are not needed IMO.
An example here is cleaning the wheels first and with a dedicated wheel cleaning product. I resisted this for a long time, because I used to use my left over wash solution to clean wheels. Nobody professional does it this way. Everyone uses a dedicated wheel cleaner and does them first. So, I would end up getting splash back on the paint and water spots on the paint from it drying. The wheels never came out super clean because I was just using spent soap.
I used to try and "do it my way", but eventually learned there were reasons why knowledgeable detailers do certain things. .
3. Don't get frustrated if you don't get the results you were looking for the first time. This isn't rocket science, you can teach yourself. But, there is some learning involved and some experience necessary. When I first bought a PC, I didn't get the results I wanted (didn't do it right), so I gave up and assumed my PC wasn't working right and put it away for years. I should have kept with it.
4. Spend the money for the correct tools and use the right tool for the right job. Having stuff like: Daytona Brushes, Boars Hair Wheel Brushes, a quality wash mitt, Wheel Woolies, quality towels, a stiff tire brush, a quality APC (not Fantastik!), a dedicated pad cleaning product and brush, a microfiber wash, quality drying towels, Boars Hair Paint Brush, quality spray bottles, etc... Does really help you get better results.
When I first started out I resisted buying a lot of stuff thinking I could just "cross use" tools, products, and cleaners. First its a PIA, second its just more work. Then I figured out there was a reason for this stuff. Honestly, most quality products aren't "hype" and they do work well for what they are intended for if used as directed. Most times it is worth it to get a specific product to use for a specific task.
5. Shop around and wait for sales. AG has pretty decent sales every other day. Always get your "free sample" when spending $50. The BOGO stuff is really the way to go. When something you use a lot comes up on BOGO, buy 2 (your allowed to get 4 products total). A lot of times even if stuff isn't on sale, if your buying several products from the same manufacturer, just google their name - like "Menzerna" or "Sonax". Sale codes usually come up for a manufacturer.
Like this:
Well, happy detailing and Good Luck!
