I've developed my "best practices" over 47 years of detailing and they are constantly evolving as new products come to market. But, bear in mind that there are a lot of right answers and a lot of good products to choose from. This is what works for me and I'm of the opinion that you should to find what works for you and stick with it. An important fact to remember, it is the process that is the key to stunning results and the products are secondary to the process.

Typically, every 3-4 months I do a complete detail on my personal cars. The timing depends on the environment and how the car was kept. The detail entails a Wash, Clay, Polish and Wax or Sealant. Once I have done a complete detail I maintain by washing every week and applying a gloss enhancer product Ultimate Quik Wax (UQW) after every wash.

Washing - An occasional run through a touchfree Laser Automatic Wash won't damage the finish during periods of inclement weather but I avoid any cloth automatic wash or washes that towel dry your car. I prefer washing it myself using a good car wash like Meguiar's NXT Tech Wash or Gold Class Wash.

I never use a dishwashing detergent on my vehicles as it is not as good as a car wash. It is designed to remove grease from dishes, not dirt from paint.

I use two 5 gallon buckets with grit guards (one for soap and one for rinsing the wash mitts) and I measure the precise amount of car wash concentrate to use. Using too much will shorten the life of the wax or sealant. Using too little will not deliver the needed lubricity.

I always wash my car in the shade when the paint is cool to the touch so that I don't develop water spots which can be difficult to remove.

I buy new sheepskin wash mitts every few months and keep them spotless. I don't use the same mitt on my wheels and rocker panels that I use to wash my paint. Older mitts get this dirtier task.

I dry my vehicle using an open hose and low pressure flow to sheet off as much water as I can then I gently blot dry with waffle-weave microfiber towels. I consider these much better at absorbing water and not marring the paint than a chamois.

I now inspect the paint to see what steps are needed to perfect the paint.

Clay - Even new cars can benefit from clay. I lightly draw my dry fingertips over the paint on my hood after it has been washed and dried. If it doesn't feel as smooth as glass, I clay. I prefer Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit but others (Mothers, Clay Magic, etc.) also make good kits. I like the Meg's kit because it comes with a premium Microfiber towel as well as a plastic case to store the unused clay.

I cut the clay bar into two pieces and put the unused piece back in the plastic box. If (when) I drop a piece of clay while using it, I throw it away and fetch one of the unused pieces. I use lots of the supplied Quik Detailer lube. I clay a 2' x 2' section at a time and test with my fingertips to insure that the contaminants have ben removed. As the clay gets dirty I fold it and re-kneed it into a pad and continue the process.

I clay my paint then move on and clay the windows and finally the wheels. I toss the piece of clay when I have finished with the wheels as it is now qute contaminated and should not be used back on paint again.

Cleaning and Polishing - I use a paint cleaner or a combination cleaner/polish product to remove stains and grime that is imbedded in the paint pores. I like Meguiar's new #205 (Ultra Finishing Polish) or #80 (Speed Glaze) for this but Meg's SwirlX is also fine if you prefer OTC products. If you have deeper marring you might try the more aggressive Meguiar's #105 (Ultra Cut Compound), ScratchX or their Ultimate Compound product.

On a new car these cleaning and polishing steps might not be needed.

If you can afford a buffer look for a good dual action orbital type. Don't expect to polish paint with the cheap $30 stuff on the market. They might apply wax ok but they don't have the power needed to correct defects in paint. A rotary buffer can damage your paint if you are not skilled in it's use and paint repair costs a lot of money. OTOH, it is almost impossible to harm your paint with a good DA orbital buffer and the proper foam pads. You can use a DA buffer to polish your paint very frequently with no fear of removing too much paint. I use a Porter-Cable 7336 that is now 13 years old and still going strong. One of the best detailing tools I ever bought, it cuts my detailing time by a factor of 10 over polishing by hand.

Waxing/Sealing - Now that the finish is looking it's best, I seal it to protect the look. It is important to note that a wax or sealant imparts surprisingly little to the overall look. Most of the appearance (85-90%) comes from the previous polishing steps in your preparation. Waxing or sealing just protects that look.

It is commonly believed that if you live in a very hot area of the country, a polymer sealant may be a better choice than a carnauba wax. Tests show that pure carnauba wax begins to evaporate at 160° F, a temperature paint surfaces easily can reach. Most carnauba waxes are not pure carnauba but polymer sealants do have a much higher resistance to heat.

For sealants, I like Meguiar's #21 (Synthetic Sealant) or NXT Tech Wax 2.0. The wetlook shine delivered is as good or better than any other product I've used. If you prefer the warm glow of a carnauba by all means use it. Plan on applying carnaubas more frequently in hot climates to keep the protection intact. Meguiar's #26 (Hi-Tech Yellow Wax) is my choice for a very nice carnauba that leaves a deep, warm glow to the paint.

A polymer sealant is a great product for wheels too. It resists brake dust and wheels stay clean longer and clean up easier. I like Meguiar's Quik Wheel Detailer for this purpose as it is extremely slippery and brake dust hardly sticks to it. I spray on a MF applicator and apply to the wheel and buff.

Leather - I use a leather cleaner and a protectant at least quarterly to keep it clean, supple and to prevent it from drying out and cracking. My favorite products for leather are Leather Masters Strong Leather Cleaner and Leather Masters Protection Cream.

When cleaning leather, I make sure to wipe off all traces of the detergent with a moist mf towel after cleaning. I then buff dry with another mf towel and wait about 10 minutes before applying the protection cream. I advise against using conditioner products. They are, as a group, oily or slippery and they can't penetrate the leather as most auto leather is coated with a urethane paint. a conditioner usually leaves a film of oil or silicone on the seats which acts to attract more dirt and dust. I prefer to use a protectant on the leather as it dries hard and does not attract or hold on to dirt. The LM Protection Cream leaves the leather dry and silky smooth. The best thing one can do for their leather is to keep it clean. I use Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer on a weekly basis to remove any dirt and dust from my leather and also lay down UVA and UVB protection.

Other Interior - For interior detailing I prefer Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer. This is a product that does not add gloss or leave an oily residue. It leaves the interior looking like new. It doesn't make the dash glossy so that it produces glare. This product also has UV protection to slow aging and prevent sun damage and is nearly odorless.

Tires - It is important to clean the tires well prior to application of any dressing. I don't like chemical tire/wheel cleaners as they will strip any wax or sealant on the wheels. Instead I use a stiff brush and car wash soap. I let the tires dry fully then apply a thin coat of tire dressing. I pay particular attention to keeping the coating thin and even. I spray it on a foam tire applicator and wipe down the tire with a clean terry cloth to remove excess. I carefully wipe out the tire sipes to minimize any potential for it to sling onto the paint.

I also occasionally clean the tires with a pressure washer that has a low power setting (600-800 psi). This device is also fairly useful for cleaning fender wells.


Maintenance - Finally, I maintain the exterior paint with a spray gloss enhancer. There are several products here that work well. I use Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax (UQW). This is a Wipe On - Wipe Off (WOWO) product that applies in about 10 - 15 minutes and leaves the paint very slick with that freshly detailed look. The added slickness afforded by this approach greatly aids in preventing bugs and dirt from sticking to the paint and makes the car almost self cleaning.

I also keep a bottle of Quik Detailer and a few microfiber towels in the car to use to remove bird droppings, bugs or other messes as soon as they occur. Bugs and bird droppings will often permanently etch paint if not removed promptly.

As a last note, swirls and cobwebs are easier to prevent than to remove. Everything that touches the paint has the potential to cause marring so I take great care to use impeccably clean towels and applicators and minimize, as much as possible, any unnecessary contact with the paint.
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