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**PoisonMushroom** · April 22nd, 06:24 PM

So, you've seen the pictures of cars that gleam with better-than-showroom brilliance and now you want your car to do the same. Good. Keeping the outside of your car clean and well maintained is just as important as keeping the powertrain in good condition. A clean car improves the value of the car and will cause others to drool at the flawless paint. However, the task of detailing your car is much more intense than just thinking about it. You probably have no idea where to start and probably have none of the appropriate equipment to clean your car. Here's where I come in. I'm going to help you get your car to shine like it never has. But first, let's begin with the basics.

Every car made today has the same characteristics regarding paint. There are 4 layers that make up the appearance of your car.

The body
The primer
The paint
The clearcoat

The body is simply that, the bare body piece. It can be sheetmetal, plastic, rubber, fiberglass, or carbon fiber.

The primer is the first thing that covers the body. It gives the paint something to grab onto and provides a rustproof seal over the body.

The paint is just that, paint. It gives you the color of your car. Most cars are single colors and have no special additives like metal flake, which give the car a "metallic" look.

The clearcoat protects the paint. It is the thickest of the 4 layers because it is the one that is exposed to the environment the most.

Now, when you wash the car normally, you basically clean the clearcoat and prevent contaminants from hurting the paint. However, you cannot protect the paint at all times. Rocks, bugs, and other people all pose risks towards your paint. Washing the car only cleans it of some surface contaminants and, while a good practice, is not going to protect the paint forever and cannot repair scratches and scuffs. This is where detailing comes in. Detailing allows you to keep the car looking good long after washing. Detailing has several steps, which will be explained thoroughly.

Step 1: Dress appropriately
DO NOT DETAIL YOUR CAR IN JEANS!!!!! This is one of the most overlooked factors in car detailing. If you wear clothing that has hard objects (zippers, buttons, rivets) while detailing your car, then you run the risk of scratching it while you strain to reach difficult spots. The best things to wear are a loose cotton T-shirt, a pair of nylon basketball shorts, and flipflops/sandals. This prevents you from hurting the car you are trying to clean. Also be sure to remove rings, watches, and necklaces.

Step 2: Park your car in the shade
There's a reason every car care products says to park the car in the shade. The sun speeds evaporation and can cause damage if certain products evaporate too quickly. Also, some products will not work well if used on a hot car. A good place to park your car is close to a house or under a carport. This will help prevent the environment from interfering with your detailing. Personally, I start detailing early in the morning or mid afternoon. These times are good because the sun is not at full force and has less impact on the car and you.

Step 3: Gather materials
Gathering materials now allows faster detailing later and lets your car cool off in the shade while you run around. You need to gather all your supplies now. A water hose with sprayer, sponges, towels, and any other products should be close by but not in the range of indirect water spray. There's nothing worse than trying to dry your car with towels that are soaking wet. Here is an example of what I would use on a full blown detail job

Step 4: Clean yo' rims!
Your rims are probably covered in brake dust and other hard-to-clean things. Almost any wheel/rim cleaner will work on factory rims. Just spray it on, let it sit for a minute, and then spray it off. If the rim is still dirty, spray the cleaner then scrub the rim with a stiff wheel-brush to bust out the hard stuff. Cleaning the back of the rim is not necessary, but if it bugs you, then take the rim off and clean it separately.

Step 5: Rinse the car
Spray the car down with water. This removes the largest, most loose contaminants first. Rinsing also keeps the car cool and is necessary for almost everything that follows. Make sure to get inside your wheelwells and under the front bumper.

Step 6: Wash the car
Using a car washing solution, wash the car from top to bottom using microfiber sponges, towels, or mitts. A microfiber mitt such as the one here:

is soft enough to not hurt the paint, but strong enough to remove even stuck on bugs. NEVER DROP THE CLEANING ITEMS ON THE GROUND!!! Doing so will cause rocks and other things to get trapped in the item, which may scratch your paint when used. Should you drop a mitt or sponge, get a new one or thoroughly clean it out with water; inspect it afterward. Always wash from top to bottom as it prevents you from dragging large debris to the top of your car. Some good car washing solutions are Meguiars Gold Class Car Shampoo/Conditioner and Armor All Car Washing Gel. The Armor All gel allows you to forego a bucket and just apply the gel to the area to be cleaned. This saves time and effort.

Step 7: Dry the car
Dry the car using microfiber towels. The larger, the better. Large towels hold a LOT of water and can be used all over the car. Microfiber is recommended, as it will not hurt the paint. Drying allows for even distribution of water and prevents water spots from forming. Never wash the car and let it dry on its own. You should dry the rims AFTER everything else, as they are usually still dirty.

Step 8: Use a claybar
So, you washed the car. It's clean now, right? Wrong. Run your hand across your paint. Feel any bumps? No? Look closer. You will see that there are still dozens of tiny, tiny particles of stuff attached to the car's paint. This is most noticeable at the back of the car and just behind the wheelwells. To get rid of these, you need a claybar. A claybar "scrubs" the top of the clearcoat and removes the particles. The particles stick to the clay and are pulled out of the clearcoat. I strongly recommend Meguiar's Claybar kit (tall, red box) as it comes with everything you need to clay your car. It comes with two claybars, a towel, and a quick detailing lubricant. Open the claybar and hold it in your hand. Mold it into a flat disc on the palm of your hand. Next, spray the lubricant where you want to remove the particles (I start at the rear as it usually has the worst buildup). Now, place the claybar on the lubricated surface and move it back and forth. You can see the particles being removed. Some pressure may be required to get some of the tougher stuff out. If you can't remove a particle, then it's too deep for the claybar to clean. Skip it and move on. Only do a small area at a time, no more than 1/2 a body panel. Make sure to cover all the cleaning area with the lubricant. If the clay sticks, it needs lubricant at that spot. If the claybar begins to get covered in particles, then fold it up and reknead it into a disc. Check the claybar frequently to see if you need to reknead. You don't want those particles hurting the paint. IF YOU DROP THE CLAYBAR ON THE GROUND, THROW IT OUT IMMEDIATELY!! It will pick up rocks, so throw it out and get another claybar. A claybar is usually good for around 6 details, but if it gets clogged up before that, then keep it to use on the windows, as they are harder to scratch. Never use a claybar more than 10 times. After claying an area, wipe up the lubricant with a towel. Feel the paint, is it smooth like glass? If yes, move on, if not, try again. Personally, when I clay a car, I'll do the whole thing as it helps to keep the gloss even. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on this step. You may want some cardboard to kneel on, as you will get tired.

**PoisonMushroom** · April 22nd, 06:24 PM

Step 9: Rubbing compound
Now the car's paint is nice and clean. It's never looked better. But wait, there are scratches on the roof from someone's purse, scuffs on the rear bumper, and tons of other little blemishes that you notice every time you get in your car. Now we will fix them. The solution for scratches is Meguiar's Scratch X.

This stuff is best there is and will fix almost any scratch. It works better on lighter cars than darker ones, though. Just take a terry cloth applicator pad and put a pea-sized amount of Scratch X on it. Rub the Scratch X on the scratch or scuff with a ton of pressure. After you think you have it, remove the pad and wipe the surface clean with a microfiber towel. The scratch should be gone. If it's not, try again. Never go more than twice. If Scratch X cannot remove the scratch then it's too deep. Use Scratch X on every scratch and scuff. If it doesn't remove it, it will help hide it. Always be sure to wipe the surface clean and try to keep the rubbing compound close to the scratch. This step is fairly quick, but you’ll probably want to keep removing scratches once you see how easy it is.

Step 10: Polishing
This step is completely optional. Polishing buffs the paint to a near mirror shine and removes swirls and tiny scratches. Polishing is normally done with a random orbital buffer, but can be done by hand. Most cars will not need polishing, but will benefit from it regardless. Polishing should, however, be done with caution. Polishing too much will damage the paint. To polish the car, simply apply a small amount of polishing compound, such as Meguiar’s Step 2, to a foam or cotton terry pad. Rub it on the paint the same way as the Scratch X. You will want to cover the entire car in order to keep the shine even. Never stay in one spot for too long with the polish, as you can hurt the paint. When you are done polishing, wipe away any left over residue with a microfiber towel. Rub your hand across the paint, it should be completely smooth by now.

Step 11: Waxing
Waxing preserves the paint’s shine and provides another layer of protection from the environment. Waxing is preferably done by hand, but can done by using a random orbital buffer. There are two types of waxes, Carnauba and synthetic. Carnauba waxes come in a paste form. Synthetic waxes come in paste, liquid, and spray forms. Carnauba waxes give a deeper shine than synthetics, but have shorter lifespans and don’t protect as well. Synthetics provide a shine that is close to carnauba waxes, but also protect for a longer time. Liquid synthetic waxes are, more or less, the preferred way of applying wax today. Spray-on waxes do not protect well and do not last very long, and paste waxes can be messy and difficult to work with. Liquid waxes are a good medium. Recommended waxes are Meguiar’s NXT wax and Mother’s Synwax. In any case, the liquid wax is put on an applicator pad and then spread out on the surface of the car. Be sure to spread the wax evenly across all surfaces. When you get to a seam (such as ones between doors) stop about ½ an inch short. This prevents you from getting wax in between hard to reach spaces. After you spread the wax across the car, let it dry for around 10 minutes. Next, go back with several microfiber towels and rub off the dry wax. Remember stopping short near the seams? When you rub the wax off, wipe it towards the seams. This prevents you from having dried up wax in the creases of the body and looks better overall. Also, make sure to get ALL the dried wax off. If wax is left over, it will not look good and probably cause swirls in the clearcoat. The hardest cars to wax are white cars because the wax is also white. If you own a white car, triple check to make sure you have gotten all the wax wiped off.

Step 12: Tire shine
The final step in detailing your car is to use a tire shine. Tire shine makes the tires look brand new and really sets your car apart. Good tire shines are Armor All Spray on Foam and Meguiar’s Extreme Tire Shine. Both of these are spray-on tire shines and last a long time. Just spray the tire and let it sit. Make sure the tire is dry though. Water will cause spots.

Congratulations! You’re car is now completely detailed. I hope this guide helped you. If you need additional information or find a problem, then please let me know. Good luck!

**ViP_ViPeR** · April 22nd, 07:05 PM

thanks alot dude. This definately needs to be stickied.

**1337** · April 22nd, 10:24 PM

Dooms actually made one of these already. I thought it was stickied?

**DaBluedevil** · April 23rd, 12:10 AM

Not to bad.

I really like using a backpack blower to get all the water off while i'm dryin my car(s). It helps.

Also, black spraypaint makes wheel wells nice n clean.

***Dooms*** · April 24th, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1337

Dooms actually made one of these already. I thought it was stickied?

This thread is basically "How to detail". In mine I just went over what I use to keep the car looking "just detailed", not the whole process.

Car cleaning supplies basics:

Anyway, the thread is pretty good. What you use is basically the same stuff I use, with a few differences (I use some commercial stuff instead of store bought stuff).

It does a nice job, this is the Cobra after being detailed:

This is the Envoy a few days after being detailed:

Both of them you can see yourself in just like a mirror (which you usually don't get on lighter colors).

**1337** · April 24th, 05:00 PM

Ugh I hate you Paul.. you have 2 nice ass cars.

***Dooms*** · April 24th, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1337

Ugh I hate you Paul.. you have 2 nice ass cars.

Thanks...I think?

**E-99 king** · July 29th, 11:13 AM

Good write up! Couple things I want to add...

Its a good idea to use a two bucket or even three bucket wash method. When I wash cars, the first bucket is clean soapy water, the second bucket is soapy water with a grit guard in the bottom of the bucket (picks up grit and debris from the sponge), and the third bucket is clean water for a final rinse of the sponge before soaking it in the first bucket and reapplying the microfiber sponge/wash mitt onto the car. This will really help prevent swirling/marring caused by improper washing/detailing techniques.

Before I apply ANY microfiber cloth/sponge/mitt/applicator pad to a car, I rub it on the bottom of a new cd-r. If it makes small scratches/marks on the cd-r, I DO NOT use it on the car. I grab another cloth and try again. Thats the sure way to prevent swirling/marring.

Personally, I detail cars for a hobby/part time job. I polish using a Porter Cable 7424 random orbital polisher. A good paint correction is usually a 2-3 step process with products and type of pads varying from one car to the next. Though, trying to "refinish" your cars paint with no prior knowledge can result in a trip to the body shop. Scratch X is a nice consumer product, but if the swirls/marring are severe and over the whole car, it might be a good idea to take it to professional just once, and then properly maintain it after that.

After machine polishing, glaze and sealant is another good idea before waxing. Glaze helps bring a lasting wet look to a just polished car and really helps bring out color before you wax. Sealant creates and hard shell on the clear coat, lasts much much longer than wax, but does not provide any gloss. But, you must wax after a sealant though, this will provide the best protection for your paint.

And with tire products, I strongly advise against anything silicone based as most consumer tire products are. Silicone never really dries, slings all over the car, and is actually bad for the tires in the long run. Silicone based tire shine products can actually cause browning and premature cracking/rotting of a tire. Water based products are the safest for the tire, but they do not create the "I just rubbed greasy fried chicken all over my tires" look. Some products I use are Zaino Z-16 perfect tire polish, and Optimum tire shine, both silicone free, and decently, but not extremely glossy. Dry to the touch, wont sling and won't attract dust/dirt as silicone based products do. Though, these can't really be found in retail stores. A product that is available at advanced auto parts that I'd recommend is called Black Magic Titanium Matte Tire finish. Not the BM wet shine, but only the matte tire finish. It is silicone free, and while it isn't that glossy, it creates a clean, matte look that makes your tires look fresh and brand new. Always scrub your tires with a tire brush to clean them before applying any tire product.

My .02cents

**DaBluedevil** · July 29th, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E-99 king

Good write up! Couple things I want to add...

Its a good idea to use a two bucket or even three bucket wash method. When I wash cars, the first bucket is clean soapy water, the second bucket is soapy water with a grit guard in the bottom of the bucket (picks up grit and debris from the sponge), and the third bucket is clean water for a final rinse of the sponge before soaking it in the first bucket and reapplying the microfiber sponge/wash mitt onto the car. This will really help prevent swirling/marring caused by improper washing/detailing techniques.

Before I apply ANY microfiber cloth/sponge/mitt/applicator pad to a car, I rub it on the bottom of a new cd-r. If it makes small scratches/marks on the cd-r, I DO NOT use it on the car. I grab another cloth and try again. Thats the sure way to prevent swirling/marring.

Personally, I detail cars for a hobby/part time job. I polish using a Porter Cable 7424 random orbital polisher. A good paint correction is usually a 2-3 step process with products and type of pads varying from one car to the next. Though, trying to "refinish" your cars paint with no prior knowledge can result in a trip to the body shop. Scratch X is a nice consumer product, but if the swirls/marring are severe and over the whole car, it might be a good idea to take it to professional just once, and then properly maintain it after that.

After machine polishing, glaze and sealant is another good idea before waxing. Glaze helps bring a lasting wet look to a just polished car and really helps bring out color before you wax. Sealant creates and hard shell on the clear coat, lasts much much longer than wax, but does not provide any gloss. But, you must wax after a sealant though, this will provide the best protection for your paint.

And with tire products, I strongly advise against anything silicone based as most consumer tire products are. Silicone never really dries, slings all over the car, and is actually bad for the tires in the long run. Silicone based tire shine products can actually cause browning and premature cracking/rotting of a tire. Water based products are the safest for the tire, but they do not create the "I just rubbed greasy fried chicken all over my tires" look. Some products I use are Zaino Z-16 perfect tire polish, and Optimum tire shine, both silicone free, and decently, but not extremely glossy. Dry to the touch, wont sling and won't attract dust/dirt as silicone based products do. Though, these can't really be found in retail stores. A product that is available at advanced auto parts that I'd recommend is called Black Magic Titanium Matte Tire finish. Not the BM wet shine, but only the matte tire finish. It is silicone free, and while it isn't that glossy, it creates a clean, matte look that makes your tires look fresh and brand new. Always scrub your tires with a tire brush to clean them before applying any tire product.

My .02cents

Zaino is probably my favorite tire dressing for customers. For my car I don't use anything, I just keep it clean haha. Good tips on the cd, some of the stuff I do and I just don't even think about telling people. Like the 2 bucket wash system. It just comes natural.

I also do it on the side for some income and pride. A customer just bought a m3, and said I'm the only one that will ever touch it. It's absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to strip off all the dealer filler wax and see what the clearcoat really looks like. Should be doing that this week.

**lovetocheat69** · July 29th, 07:05 PM

I should detail my bike.............eh too lazy. My subby is really dirty too but she don't get to much driving time these days anyway.

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