Is my detailing technique/products ok?

[gregozedobe]

A couple of comments I'd like to add:

A I'd wash the wheels before the arches if you are using the same soapy water for both (likely to have more grit on the arches than on the wheels).

B If you use a clay bar it will get a lot of crap off your paint. Do it after you have washed thoroughly, but read up on how to use it first. Used properly they are perfectly safe, abused and they can mar your paint. Google 'using clay bars' or visit one of the many car detailing sites that have instructions and they'll get you on the straight and narrow.

C Once your wash water (soap, not rinse) gets down to about 1/3 of a bucket left (or as soon as gets a bit dirty looking) thow it away and get a new lot (or if you are ikey use it for your wheel arches). Anytime your rinse water is getting dirty from the muck off your mitt replace it (and consider rinsing your mitt very frequently as well, as you must be getting a LOT of dirt off your car on that panel if it is making your rinse water dirty)

D Final rinse using the "sheet of water" method - more water, less pressure, just straight out of the hose without any fitting is ideal. This ends up leaving a lot less water on your panels( compare with spraying with the usual fine, high pressure jet), which makes drying much easier (see the next point).

E Pat your panels dry using a large, thick, soft, waffle weave microfibre towel, starting from the top. The more you move dry things (towels, chamois etc) across your paint, the more likely you are to add fine scratches. Patting dry means the towel isn't dragging across the paint, so no chance of creating more scratches/swirls.

To paraphrase a very respected US detailer (Mike Phillips, formerly Meguiars, now AutoGeek guru)

"Find a process and products that gives results you like, and use them often."

[SmutsGTI]

Check out the Dodo Juice wax, the smell alone will make you want to do it often, orange crush mmmm!

[DMS_Dan]

Some good tips there. However i take anything Phillips says with a grain of salt after reading how he said you cant apply wax by bare hands. Especially when the wax he tried to use was gold class liquid wax hahahahaha

[Mrk_Mickey]

And just to add...Carcareproducts have a video on how to use a claybar and I've stickied it among with the rest of their demonstration videos

Claybars should only need to be used about every 4-6 months I reckon, unless your car sits under a tree and you don't wax it often.

[AusScare]

Cheers guys.

To add, my car sits in a garage all day, has only been driven in the rain twice since owning it, and dust is the dirtiest thing that touches it usually, so the water in the bucket is never THAT dirty lol..

I'll keep checking up on those products.

[gavs]

When it comes to your interior, seals and other blacked out parts of your car, never go past 303 aerospace protectant.

This stuff was developed a couple of decades ago especially for the dash binnacles in planes, when above the cloud layer these planes have pure UV attacking their plastics so this stuff does the same for your dash.

You won't get the shiny look that silicone based products like armorall or kitten give, but the product absorbs into the plastic or rubber and gives it a deep, rich colour, more like a new car.

If DMSDan says the stuff is awesome, then i'd tend to believe him!