DIY Detailing- Pics Included!

[z1ggy]

There seemed to be positive feedback when I asked if ATG would like a detailing thread. I know there was one already many years ago, but I've included pictures and hopefully some more details left out before.

I hope this gets popular enough to be a sticky, and that you guys enjoy!

Here is the car I’ll be working on:

No Shine at All!

Swirls and imperfections!

Here is a pic of all the products and tools I will be using for this job...Looks like she wants to help?

I won't list every single product I used. You can pick the brand you like, as long as it is made for the task you are trying to do. Technique trumps product every day of the week.

Almost the entire batches of products were bought on Amazon. Things like microfiber towels, buffing pads, etc etc were got on other websites and local stores. For the other websites, I’ll include links at the end. I can include more links if needed, but a lot of is simple to find with a google search. Prices may vary.

Interior

So the first step to any detail you do is the interior of the car. The reason (at least in my point of view) to do the inside first is because you don’t want dirt and other things you have inside getting on your nice clean car once you’re done.

1) Remove all random crap from the car like garbage bags/cans, blankets etc.
2) Remove your floor carpets/mats and clean them off far enough away so dirt cant blow back into your car.
3) Use a good vacuum to get rid of all surface dirt left over. Don’t forget your trunk!
4) If needed, use carpet cleaner and a stiff brush to get any deeper stains out (check the liner on the roof, too)
5) Use soft bristled brushes to clean dash, console, air vents and other areas
6) Vacuum your car seats, floor, yadda yadda yadda
7) Using a microfiber towel and interior detail spray, wipe down everything
8) Condition leather parts if applicable

Don't forget those pedals!

Additionally, I clean out my engine bay area as well. I use the interior cleaner in here as well, as it's safe on rubber and metal parts. Honestly, my engine bay wasn't all that dirty so I didn't spend much time here. If you have a very dirty engine bay and it needs major TLC, check out How To Detail Your Engine Bay here. Sorry no pictures for this part, I forgot

At this point my interior detail is done. Put your floor mats and other things back in the car, make sure all windows are up and shut all the doors.

 

[z1ggy]

Exterior

There are many steps to a full exterior detail. For many of these tasks, there are substitute tools you may use in place of what I do. I’ll cover that as well. Additionally, it is ideal the entire exterior is done in the shade. A lot of products do not like being used in direct sun light. I don't have a garage, so I parked my car in a shady area for a lot of this.

Use a good quality wheel cleaner to spray down your wheels. This is one of the few times where I’ll tell you the product is what makes the difference here.
Before:

During:

After:

If wheels are very dirty and dusty, agitate with a brush

Now rinse your car off and get it all nice and wet. Start from the top and work to the bottom

This next part is very important IMO. You need to first foam down the entire car with soap. This step is important because it lifts up surface dirt and lubricates it so you don’t scratch the car while you wash. I'm using a foam "gun". It's not ideal. You really want to use a nice pressure washer with a foam "cannon". As you can see, I didn't get great foaming action here. Next timeI will probably put in a touch more soap and less water. The wash I was using was Chemical Guys Maxi Suds II. I used to use Meguiar's gold class...This wash right here is a bit better.

I also recommend using a "two bucket" approach when you wash. This is where you have one bucket just for soap and one just for water. You should also use grit guards in the buckets. These keep dirt and other crap from getting back onto your wash mit so you don't scratch up your paint. Just make sure your buckets are big enough for the guards.

Work your way from the top of the car to the bottom, rinsing your mit every half panel or so. If you happen to be in direct sunlight, the soap may start to dry during this part. To prevent that, make sure you keep the car wet by rinsing some water over the still soapy parts.

I use a two-step approach to drying. First, I use a leaf blower to get places where a towel just can’t get like the space between the side mirror edge and its holder, etc etc. Warning: IF you do this step, make sure the inside of the blower is very clean. You don’t want to blow dirt onto the clean car. If you don’t have a leaf blower that’s totally fine, I don’t really think this part is a need, I just like to make sure I get water out of all the tight spaces my towel won’t get to. Secondly, I use a high quality waffle weave towel on the rest of the car, ringing out excess water when needed.

All washed and dried!

Gotta get these out!

 

[z1ggy]

Next, we clay the car. Clay is used to remove surface contaminants that aren't removed during your wash. This step is absolutely crucial and should not be skipped if you plan on going on to the next steps of the detail. I use exterior detail spray to keep the paint lubed, but I've heard of folks using water. I suggest exterior detail spray, or clay lube spray. Clay your entire exterior making sure to use a clean section of clay if any one side gets overly dirty. There is something out there called NanoSkin that is a clay bar replacement… But I have no experience with it.

Keep the surface lubed! I used exterior detailing spray during this phase.

Hair...?

Looks like I missed some spots during my wash. Yikes.

Now that the car is totally clean and contaminant free, we can move on to polishing. I break polishing down into two stages: A compound stage and a fine polish stage. I do this because not all swirls, scratches and imperfections are of the same depth and size. Compound stage will remove the larger imperfections, while the final polish uses a finer grit material to get the final small left over stuff. I use a DA polisher with two different pads. One is a ‘cutting pad’ during the compound stage, and the other is a medium/light polishing pad for the final polish. I used Meg's Rubbing Compound for the cut, and Meg's Polish for the light polishing. If you want to splurge on this step, I highly recommend Menzerna products.

You can do this by hand... But be warned, your arms and back will not feel nice after. Especially because there are still two more steps after this involving some elbow grease.

Before we even put any product down, we need to protect our plastic/rubber like the seals that run along the outside of our windows. I use painters tape

Upside down..woops

To keep this DIY short, I am not going go into detail about how to use a DA polisher. Go watch a youtube video or read a eHow, etc. It’s pretty easy though.

Before polishing:

After

 

[ThatsABigOne]

Waiting for your finished thread. :thumbsup:

 

[z1ggy]

So at this point we should have a clean, contaminant free, scratch and swirl free exterior…Yay!! However, we now have to protect and guard our paint from the elements. I do this in stages, too.

First, I lay a sealant over the freshly polished paint. Sealant is synthetic and provides a base layer of protection from the elements. Once the sealant has cured on the paint, I then place a layer of wax over it for a final layer of protection. I like carnauba for its deep shine and depth. Be careful here to read instruction of your products. The sealant I use only needs a few minutes to cure, while the waxes tend to take long. This will depend on temp and humidity conditions though.

Again, I use my DA polisher to get this job done quicker. The pads to use here are as light as you can get them. As always, use quality microfiber towels to buff off your product. The last thing you want is to add scratches because you used junk towels.

Thumbs up baby!!!

Finally, remove all the painters tape. Get out your window cleaner and another microfiber and get those windows nice and clean. Remember, remove the tape at an angle. If you pull it off straight, it will tend to rip and piss you off

If you want to really step your looks up, you'll need to go back and dress up your wheels and tires. Use the same carnauba wax that you did on your car here if you've got painted wheels. If you have chrome, plasti-dip etc..I wouldn't do this step. Find a specific product for you.

Grab some glossing tire gel to get a nice wet shine on your tires. I like gel personally. Spray tends to go all over the place and also stain your driveway.
Before:

After. Oh so sexy.

 

[z1ggy]

Wooooo, at this point we are done. You can grab your exterior detail spray and give the car one last wipe down if you'd like to get any dust etc that's fallen on the car since your last pass over. Great job on your detail if you followed all these steps. Here, have a cold one!

Your car should now look a little something like this...

Shine so bright, you can see the sky!

Oh, and here's the link to a website where I get my microfiber products from. They have everything you need here...Don't cheap out and buy crap made in China. This is Korean made and it's very good quality!!
Microfiber Products!!

 

[Kaido]

All washed and dried!

Aww yisssssss

Edit: Missed the post above, D'OH

 

[xanis]

This was great. :thumbsup: Might take a crack at this next weekend.

What do you recommend for getting crap out of little crevices, like the edges of cup holders and the gear shift cover? I can never seem to get all the little bits of dust/whatever out.

 

[z1ggy]

This was great. :thumbsup: Might take a crack at this next weekend.

What do you recommend for getting crap out of little crevices, like the edges of cup holders and the gear shift cover? I can never seem to get all the little bits of dust/whatever out.

Compressed air. Grab a can from Radio Shack or some place like that.

And thanks

 

[xanis]

Compressed air. Grab a can from Radio Shack or some place like that.

And thanks

Didn't think of that. Thanks for the tip.

 

[z1ggy]

Didn't think of that. Thanks for the tip.

No prob. Good luck!

 

[xanis]

Another question: What do you think of no-rinse washes like this? I live in an apartment complex so I can't really wash my own car. Would a car wash place do an adequate job to set me up for the clay bar and waxing?

 

[iamwiz82]

I LOVE Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner but it smells like death. It's fitting because of the reaction to brake dust, which you didn't even show .

It sprays on green and then turns to a deep red.

 

[Mutilator]

Another question: What do you think of no-rinse washes like this? I live in an apartment complex so I can't really wash my own car. Would a car wash place do an adequate job to set me up for the clay bar and waxing?

I've used ONR numerous times... if your car is very dirty, like gritty, dusty, salty not washed in weeks or months dirty - you'll probably want to go thru a drive thru car wash to knock the big stuff off first. THEN you can go back with the ONR and hand wash without any issues. A lot of people don't realize those drive thru touchless washes don't really get your car clean, you have to actually wipe the crap off the paint to get it "clean" - especially if you're going to proceed to do a full detailing like we're talking about here.

There are several different ways to use ONR... I've typically just put it in a wash bucket with a mitt and used it like I would a normal wash, but that's when I have a hose available. In your case what you'll need to do is what I did the last time I used it and that's fill up a spray bottle with some ONR and water - this will be your presoak spray which also doubles as an excellent clay bar lube or quick detailer. If the car is clean enough you can simply spray it on to one panel or part of a panel at a time and wipe it back off with a clean microfiber towel - this is what I did when I detailed my car last after I had clayed it instead of washing it a 2nd time like I normally do - saved A LOT of time.

The other more traditional method I guess you'd say is to have the spray bottle with ONR + water to wet down the panel and then you would have several MF towels soaking in a bucket of a gallon or 2 of water + ONR. Those wet towels is what you use to wash with. Typically 1 per panel or so. Then you would have a large waffle weave MF towel to dry with - being sure to use a clean section of towel on each panel you dry. This way you need no hose, just 1-2 gallons of water in a bucket, and a spray bottle. And probably an empty bucket to throw towels in to after you use them.

As for other comments on the thread - nice write up z1ggy. Xanis - q-tips come in handy for crevices like that as well, particularly if what is in there can't be blown out (ie sticky soda residue). iamwiz full effect has been on my to buy list forever, BMW brake dust sucks. I got some Armor All Wheel Protectant I think it was a year or 2 ago and it works great at keeping the dust off the wheels and makes them very easy to wash but I haven't used it again since I got my new wheels, just haven't had time because I'd want to take the wheels off, clean them thoroughly, then spray on the protectant. This was one of those products Australia had forever and always raved about but couldn't be purchased in the states until then. I imagine by now there are probably numerous similar products on the market that I haven't kept up with.

 

[xanis]

I've used ONR numerous times... if your car is very dirty, like gritty, dusty, salty not washed in weeks or months dirty - you'll probably want to go thru a drive thru car wash to knock the big stuff off first. THEN you can go back with the ONR and hand wash without any issues. A lot of people don't realize those drive thru touchless washes don't really get your car clean, you have to actually wipe the crap off the paint to get it "clean" - especially if you're going to proceed to do a full detailing like we're talking about here.

There are several different ways to use ONR... I've typically just put it in a wash bucket with a mitt and used it like I would a normal wash, but that's when I have a hose available. In your case what you'll need to do is what I did the last time I used it and that's fill up a spray bottle with some ONR and water - this will be your presoak spray which also doubles as an excellent clay bar lube or quick detailer. If the car is clean enough you can simply spray it on to one panel or part of a panel at a time and wipe it back off with a clean microfiber towel - this is what I did when I detailed my car last after I had clayed it instead of washing it a 2nd time like I normally do - saved A LOT of time.

The other more traditional method I guess you'd say is to have the spray bottle with ONR + water to wet down the panel and then you would have several MF towels soaking in a bucket of a gallon or 2 of water + ONR. Those wet towels is what you use to wash with. Typically 1 per panel or so. Then you would have a large waffle weave MF towel to dry with - being sure to use a clean section of towel on each panel you dry. This way you need no hose, just 1-2 gallons of water in a bucket, and a spray bottle. And probably an empty bucket to throw towels in to after you use them.

As for other comments on the thread - nice write up z1ggy. Xanis - q-tips come in handy for crevices like that as well, particularly if what is in there can't be blown out (ie sticky soda residue). iamwiz full effect has been on my to buy list forever, BMW brake dust sucks. I got some Armor All Wheel Protectant I think it was a year or 2 ago and it works great at keeping the dust off the wheels and makes them very easy to wash but I haven't used it again since I got my new wheels, just haven't had time because I'd want to take the wheels off, clean them thoroughly, then spray on the protectant. This was one of those products Australia had forever and always raved about but couldn't be purchased in the states until then.

Super helpful, thanks.

 

[z1ggy]

I LOVE Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner but it smells like death. It's fitting because of the reaction to brake dust, which you didn't even show .

It sprays on green and then turns to a deep red.

Haha you're right, I didn't show it turn purple/red... But there wasn't too much of that going on as I tend to keep my wheels pretty clean Mostly dirt on there, not a ton of brake dust.

 

[z1ggy]

I've used ONR numerous times... if your car is very dirty, like gritty, dusty, salty not washed in weeks or months dirty - you'll probably want to go thru a drive thru car wash to knock the big stuff off first. THEN you can go back with the ONR and hand wash without any issues. A lot of people don't realize those drive thru touchless washes don't really get your car clean, you have to actually wipe the crap off the paint to get it "clean" - especially if you're going to proceed to do a full detailing like we're talking about here.

There are several different ways to use ONR... I've typically just put it in a wash bucket with a mitt and used it like I would a normal wash, but that's when I have a hose available. In your case what you'll need to do is what I did the last time I used it and that's fill up a spray bottle with some ONR and water - this will be your presoak spray which also doubles as an excellent clay bar lube or quick detailer. If the car is clean enough you can simply spray it on to one panel or part of a panel at a time and wipe it back off with a clean microfiber towel - this is what I did when I detailed my car last after I had clayed it instead of washing it a 2nd time like I normally do - saved A LOT of time.

The other more traditional method I guess you'd say is to have the spray bottle with ONR + water to wet down the panel and then you would have several MF towels soaking in a bucket of a gallon or 2 of water + ONR. Those wet towels is what you use to wash with. Typically 1 per panel or so. Then you would have a large waffle weave MF towel to dry with - being sure to use a clean section of towel on each panel you dry. This way you need no hose, just 1-2 gallons of water in a bucket, and a spray bottle. And probably an empty bucket to throw towels in to after you use them.

As for other comments on the thread - nice write up z1ggy. Xanis - q-tips come in handy for crevices like that as well, particularly if what is in there can't be blown out (ie sticky soda residue). iamwiz full effect has been on my to buy list forever, BMW brake dust sucks. I got some Armor All Wheel Protectant I think it was a year or 2 ago and it works great at keeping the dust off the wheels and makes them very easy to wash but I haven't used it again since I got my new wheels, just haven't had time because I'd want to take the wheels off, clean them thoroughly, then spray on the protectant. This was one of those products Australia had forever and always raved about but couldn't be purchased in the states until then. I imagine by now there are probably numerous similar products on the market that I haven't kept up with.

Thanks for the props and good advice above.

I'm glad you had success with the ArmorAll..However, I really dislike their product. It's cheap garbage in my experience, and there's a reason why they sell it at dollar stores and Walmart.

Not saying Walmart and those places don't carry some good product (like Meg's) but I really don't like ArmorAll. If you want to protect your wheels and they are painted, just use a good wax. Apply it with a foam pad, let haze, buff off. I bet it will be 5x better than what you've been using before.

 

[Mutilator]

Thanks for the props and good advice above.

I'm glad you had success with the ArmorAll..However, I really dislike their product. It's cheap garbage in my experience, and there's a reason why they sell it at dollar stores and Walmart.

Not saying Walmart and those places don't carry some good product (like Meg's) but I really don't like ArmorAll. If you want to protect your wheels and they are painted, just use a good wax. Apply it with a foam pad, let haze, buff off. I bet it will be 5x better than what you've been using before.

I only used it that one time and was surprised that it did actually do what it's supposed to do cause I'm not a fan of Armor All myself. It was kinda like a teflon coating (or rainx/aquapel) for the wheels - went a month at a time without having to touch them instead of a week because rain would actually wash them off for me hehe. I don't use any other Armor All products (303 Aerospace ftw).

I've had things like wheel wax on my list of products to try (or just use Klasse AIO like I've done in the past) - I just typically don't bother putting anything on my wheels, they're not that hard to clean so I've never seen much of a point (well my stock wheels were easy, new Apex wheels are a bit more work, more spokes heh). For that matter I usually just clean them with regular car wash which is probably why I haven't bought Full Effect yet. If I detailed cars professionally it'd be a different story. Not sure I'd bother using just regular carnauba wax on wheels though unless you do actually do it every month or so, if I'm going to put something on my wheels I'd rather have it last 3-6 months.

I have a feeling this thread is going to cost me money... gonna make me start looking around for new things to try lol.

 

[z1ggy]

I only used it that one time and was surprised that it did actually do what it's supposed to do cause I'm not a fan of Armor All myself. It was kinda like a teflon coating (or rainx/aquapel) for the wheels - went a month at a time without having to touch them instead of a week because rain would actually wash them off for me hehe. I don't use any other Armor All products (303 Aerospace ftw).

I've had things like wheel wax on my list of products to try (or just use Klasse AIO like I've done in the past) - I just typically don't bother putting anything on my wheels, they're not that hard to clean so I've never seen much of a point (well my stock wheels were easy, new Apex wheels are a bit more work, more spokes heh). For that matter I usually just clean them with regular car wash which is probably why I haven't bought Full Effect yet. If I detailed cars professionally it'd be a different story. Not sure I'd bother using just regular carnauba wax on wheels though unless you do actually do it every month or so, if I'm going to put something on my wheels I'd rather have it last 3-6 months.

I have a feeling this thread is going to cost me money... gonna make me start looking around for new things to try lol.

Yeah there are LOTS of products out there. What I usually do is once I find something I like..I stick with it unless somebody gives me a reaaaaally good reason to switch. I'll watch youtube videos and let people do the buying and testing for me

AIO seems to be a good product, I just haven't used it yet. MY next purchase is probably going to be Zymol Carbon wax. I've seen a few reviews of it online, and it looks amazing.

And hopefully a good carnauba wax will last you more than 1 month!! I mean, doing it more often won't hurt you, but high quality ones should last significantly longer. I'd say though you'd be about right if you used Meg's. I love the shine and depth I get, but it doesn't last much longer than 4-6 weeks. A super expensive wax like Swissvax will likely last you 3+ months. But... It's like $100+ just for the entry level stuff.

 

[Mutilator]

Yep, that's why I've stuck with my Klasse + P21S combo for so long. Sure I've been tempted to try the more expensive exotic waxes or paint color specific ones (Souveran, Dodo Juice, Swissvax, etc.) but if it ain't broke don't fix it right? Even if they do smell like tropical fruits or something.

I did see they have P21S 100% which is supposed to last longer than regular P21S does which I might try after my jar of P21S runs out... which will be a while since I think I've only used this jar once or twice so far. I didn't even put it on my car last month when I detailed it because it just doesn't seem to have the same effect on white paint as it did on black and red. Might be another one for you to consider/compare to that Zymol. Can't beat it for ease of application - might as well be rubbing melted butter on and off your paint which is nice at the end of a long day detailing. 100% is supposed to be even easier. And I just saw these pics while I was poking around looking at details & reviews. Mmmm yes please.

I just love the wet paint look a good sealant/wax combo gives vs the more plasticy look of something like Zaino. (No, there's nothing wrong with Zaino, I used it for years myself)

 

[JulesMaximus]

I LOVE Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner but it smells like death. It's fitting because of the reaction to brake dust, which you didn't even show .

Dude, someone bled all over your wheel. D:

 

[xanis]

Went out yesterday and bought myself some quality supplies:

Meguiar's Clay Bar Kit
Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer Wipes
Stoner's Invisible Glass
Microfiber towels

FYI, Pep Boys was having a BOGO sale on Microfiber cloths, so if you need some, it might be time to stock up. IIRC they were $5 for a 3-pack.

Going to go out later on and get wash mitts and some no-rinse wash. There are A LOT of negative reviews for the two car washes near me so I figure it's better to do it myself. Also going to pick up some wax for post-claybar. Any suggestions?

 

[Mutilator]

Sticking with products you can pickup locally? Probably Meguiar's Gold Class wax or Meguiar's NXT tech wax if you want something that'll last a little longer. Sticks with the Meguiar's theme that way.

If you're willing to buy online then there are a lot more options available. Poke around someplace like www.autogeek.net and you'll see what I mean. Prepare yourself for sensory overload though.

 

[xanis]

Sticking with products you can pickup locally? Probably Meguiar's Gold Class wax or Meguiar's NXT tech wax if you want something that'll last a little longer. Sticks with the Meguiar's theme that way.

If you're willing to buy online then there are a lot more options available. Poke around someplace like www.autogeek.net and you'll see what I mean. Prepare yourself for sensory overload though.

I think I'll stick with Meg's. I'm not detailing a Ferrari, but I do like a clean car. Looks like Gold Class or NXT will suffice.

 

[ballmode]

Love these threads, we need more like these. I might do mine next.