New to this whole detailing thing. What do you guys think of this list?

[AliMusa]

I've been doing as much research as I possibly can these past few days on here, DI and some other sources and compiled a list of what I feel is the correct way to do things with what I think is the correct items to use for the tasks. Please let me know if I'm missing anything or if something is wrong. Any input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Exterior
Rinse [Top To Bottom]
Wash [Start with wheels and then roof] [Foam Cannon, Two Meguiars Microfiber Wash Mitt Two Home Depot Buckets, One Grit Guard, Meguiar's Gold Class Shampoo and Conditioner or Meguiars Hyper Wash]
Rinse [Sheeting method]
Dry [Microfiber Towel, use the pat method, don't rub. Can also try Sheeting Method & Electric Blower]
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Clay [Mother's Clay Bar Kit]
Polish [Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish, Microfiber Towel to buff]
Wax [Collinite #845 or Meguiars NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0, Microfiber towel to buff]

Only use Clay Bar when waxing and/or polishing. Polish removes swirls and scratches. Only polish when paint requires it, such as when there are scratches, swirls, etc. Wax gives the car a deeper color and adds a wet look.Wax whenever you please but not too often. Check back of wax to see how long it lasts.

Tires/Wheels
Wash [Foam Cannon]
Sponge or Wheel Brush [Make sure to wash sponge/wheel brush each time before putting back into bucket]
Rinse
Tire Shine [Meguiars]

Interior
Vacuum
Windows [Meguiar's Glass Cleaner (Cheapest), Invisible Glass, etc., 2 or 3 Microfiber Towels to avoid streaks]
Dashboard, Doors, etc. [Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner, Microfiber Towels]

Extras
Generic Spray Bottle
Microfiber Towels
PorterCable Polisher
Backing Plate (5")
Applicator Pads (5.5" CCS Orange, Green, Red)

 

[gjantzer]

It sounds like you have been doing enough reading to have most of it figured out. Now experiment with it. Your process will change once you get experience with it. I prefer to wide down the door jambs and the like before washing the exterior. That way the excess water that runs into the jambs does not release new dirt onto the exterior of the car when i wash the outside. It will also keep your nicer microfibers from picking up unwanted dirt if you use a detailing spray after the wash.

I also like to do the windows last. I find that making windows streak free on the inside and then wiping down the dash and door trim is going to put streaks back in the window. If you can coat all of the trim without touching the glass you are either very good, lucky or taking too much time.

Make sure to clay bar very wet.....the bottle that comes in the kit will not last as long as your clay (unless your car is very dirty).

If you are going to go through the trouble to correct the paint and then wax with collinite cleaning is going to become much easier in the future. The easiest possible way to clean your car after that is with a quick detailer. They all act a little differently and they are fun to experiment with. I would advise finding a QD (or quick detailer) to use for future cleanings (only when the car is not very dirty though).

Have fun, good luck.

 

[harrigrant91]

Great list, I basically use the same process and many of the same products.

I recommend using a natural sea sponge, the sea wool sponge in particular, to wash your car after I saw a friend of mine washing his Porsche. In my experience – it outperforms any wash mit (MF or even genuine lambs wool). Most importantly, I found that natural sea sponges release dirt and grit picked up off the car better than any other car wash product I have tried – which significantly reduces the risk of swirl marks and scratches to your paint while washing.

I also use a leather chamois to dry my car. I have never had issues with it on my paint and find them to be the best on windows. I actually cut small pieces off the larger chamois and keep one in my car to clean the inside of the windshield, review mirror, touch screen, wood grain, even my small electronics… they work awesome.

I prefer to wide down the door jambs and the like before washing the exterior. That way the excess water that runs into the jambs does not release new dirt onto the exterior of the car when i wash the outside.

Great tip, I will incorporate that into my process.

 

[Evan.J]

Only use Clay Bar when waxing and/or polishing. Polish removes swirls and scratches. Only polish when paint requires it, such as when there are scratches, swirls, etc. Wax gives the car a deeper color and adds a wet look.Wax whenever you please but not too often. Check back of wax to see how long it lasts.

Everything looks pretty good. Now about the claying. If you clear coat has a rough texture then you are reducing the gloss and shine due to the above surface contaminants. Removing this with the clay will enhance the clarity and gloss. Compounding and polishing remove defects and greatly improve the gloss of the paint. The wax/sealant is a protectant and does add some look but most of you look will come from the polished painted prior to the wax application.

The length at which wax and sealant last has many factors such as weather, washing frequency, and other things. If all is right the sealants can last up to 6 months and waxes (carnuba) 2 months at the most but thats subject to change.

 

[AliMusa]

Thank you guys very much for your inputs. I'm glad to hear that I'm on the right track.

 

[AliMusa]

I prefer to wide down the door jambs and the like before washing the exterior. That way the excess water that runs into the jambs does not release new dirt onto the exterior of the car when i wash the outside. It will also keep your nicer microfibers from picking up unwanted dirt if you use a detailing spray after the wash.

I also like to do the windows last. I find that making windows streak free on the inside and then wiping down the dash and door trim is going to put streaks back in the window. If you can coat all of the trim without touching the glass you are either very good, lucky or taking too much time.

What do you clean and wipe your jambs with? And as for the windows, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that either. Would you mind explaining your steps for that?

 

[AliMusa]

Great list, I basically use the same process and many of the same products.

I recommend using a natural sea sponge, the sea wool sponge in particular, to wash your car after I saw a friend of mine washing his Porsche. In my experience – it outperforms any wash mit (MF or even genuine lambs wool). Most importantly, I found that natural sea sponges release dirt and grit picked up off the car better than any other car wash product I have tried – which significantly reduces the risk of swirl marks and scratches to your paint while washing.

I also use a leather chamois to dry my car. I have never had issues with it on my paint and find them to be the best on windows. I actually cut small pieces off the larger chamois and keep one in my car to clean the inside of the windshield, review mirror, touch screen, wood grain, even my small electronics… they work awesome.

Thank you for the sea sponge tip, I'm definitely going to have to look into that. I actually have "The Absorber" and never had the chance to use it yet and got mad because I read that a lot of people don't like using it when it comes to drying without marring the paint. It just occurred to me though that I can use the pat down method with the absorber rather than a microfiber towel.

 

[gjantzer]

The microfiber that you are using to wipe down the interior is going to get your cleaner or protectant on the window at some point. It is hard to wipe down the entire door panel or dash without making contact with the window at some point. Wash the windows last and this problem is solved.

I usually clean my door jambs with ONR (Optimum No Rinse). I put about 12 microfibers in a bucket and combine ONR with 2 gallons of distilled water. I use the first one or two microfibers (not quite dripping wet with ONR/water combo) to wipe down all of the door jambs. Once your door jambs have been cleaned once thoroughly (and waxed in my case) they are very easy to clean. Once a microfiber gets dirty it should be tossed in a separate bucket waiting to be washed in the washing machine, but never mixed with your clean microfibers and ONR/water mix. After the door jambs are clean i start washing the rest of the car from the top down. After each panel I throw the microfiber towel in the bucket with dirty microfibers and grab another clean one and start the next panel.