I know what most non-car people are thinking... 4 hours? I do mine at the gas station in 15 minutes!
Sure you so, and the ill equipped careless hacks scratch your clearcoat overtime you go there! (You will see this most with a darker colored car, Black, Navy Blue, Deep blood red...) if you have a silver or white car, you wont notice till it's really bad.
I also know what most car people are thinking... 4 hours? That isnt enough! I detail my car in 8!
Yes, a FULL detail will take about 8 hours, if you are polishing, and waxing with a full wax.
In this post we will basically wash, wax, and buff. Let me explain.
The full (kind of) tools you will need are shown in the picture above. If you want to be anal like I am you will also need a
kit like this and some soft wooden toothpicks to get the wax out from between panels. I will list my full "Arsenal" at the bottom.
Your best and most important tool will be a chair because 4 hours on your feet will be hell on your back AND will prompt you to say fuck it, 1/2 ass is good enough after about 40 minutes.
1. Make sure the car has been off for some time, and that you are in a cool and shaded place. Here in the UAE when the heat can get up to 48 degrees (it was 44 today) I suggest doing what I did... I started the process at 12 MIDNIGHT and finished by 4 AM.
2. Prep your car with spraying warp water all over the car. make sure to use a high powered hose so that you get all the crap out from between the panels. Also make sure to use enough water. fuck the environment.
3. Pour the Meguiar's NXT soap into a clean bucket, add cold water.
4. Use a micro fiber cloth (I refuse to use cotton) to wash the car. Make sure the sudsing was enough as you want ZERO annoyances to the clearcoat. In a perfect world you would use a foamer, but the world isnt perfect.
Make sure you use a separate cloth for the rims, and spend at least 3 minutes per rim. no fast jobs. I usually spend 5 minutes (FULL MINUTES) per rim. Also use a separate cloth for the wheel wells and bottom of the side skirts and bumper.
5. Rinse the car, with cold water. make sure you get all the soap from between the panels, and from the runners on the roof and trunk. Soap also hides in the side mirrors and the gas cap door.
6. Dry the car using an Absorber rubber towel. Yes, a rubber towel. Dont ask. DO NOT use a cotton towel, DO NOT use a microfiber one. Trust me on this one.
7. Let the car sit for half an hour. During this time clean the inside. The dash, the seats, the center console... also dry the runners and inside of the doors.
8. Get a foam applicator (Not pictured in my picture) and get out the Meguiar's NXT SPRAY WAX (Aha! This is why we are able to do it in 4 hours. I call this a minor wash and detail, for major ones we would 1st use the Gold Class Polish, the Gold Class Wax, which would add 3 hours easy to the process) and go to work. Cover an even decent layer of the stuff. DO NOT let it drip, DO NOT go side to side. Think Mr. Myagi. Circular motions.
9. Let the wax glaz over. 1/2 an hour is enough with this stuff.
10. Use a buffer to take the stuff off. OR, in my case, use a clean microfiber rag and do it by hand. Again, circular motions. Make sure EVERY inch has been covered.
11. Use your brushes and toothpics to get the extra crap out from between the panel ends.
12. Start up your buffer. and with a wool or microfiber buffing pad go over every inch again. Remember, A buffer is a NEED, and the buffing brings out the deep gloss and shine.
13. She looks real nice now. just one thing left. Go over her with some Meguiar's Easy Mist Detailer. Rub it in with one micro fiber cloth and ripe it off with another. This isnt a wax or polish, so you dont let it glaze over.
14. Clean your pretty exhaust pipes and add a gloss to your tires.
15. Take a shower, you probably stink.
What I use religiously:
Only Meguiar's products. They cost a bit more than what you will find in the UAE, and you can only find it at ACE Hardware SOMETIMES but it is WORTH IT. I use these products by them:
Quik Mist Detailer
NXT car wash soap
NXT spray wax
NXT polymer wax
Not used in this post, but also used:
Gold Class Paint Cleaner
Gold Class Polish
Gold Class wax
Interior foam cleaner
Tire cleaner
Tire Gloss
Wheel shine cleaner
Scratch/swirl b-gone
Color protect compound
I also use only Maguiar's rags, towels, and applicators. My buffer is a Black and Decker, the pads are made by Chicago power Tools available on Amazon. I also use Son of a Gun tire cleaner before and after a wash.
Go try it, but be careful in the heat! Drink LOTS of water.
My results, A car so shinny, glossy, and swirl free, it looks like a mirror!:
