Hi everyone! This community has been great in helping me so I thought I could at least give something back. So I'm creating this thread to offer some GENERAL tips about car detailing. I won't get in much detail about what products to use because that decision should be made by you. MY PURPOSE FOR THIS THREAD IS TO OFFER HELPFUL/LITTLE/SPECIFIC TIPS, DETAILS, AND ANSWERS THAT WERE HARD FOR ME TO FIND THROUGH REGULAR RESEARCH. I also want this thread to encourage noobs out there who are afraid or overwhelmed about the whole car detailing process. A little background...I am by no means an expert and don't claim to be. I myself am a detailing noob, my post is to provide a "noobs" perspective and to encourage other noobs about detailing their cars. I received most of these tips by asking through these forums, so I will respectfully not take credit for them. Hopefully this can help people.

Here are my tips:

- After research have a list of what specific products you want to purchse. If you're not ordering online be sure you have "backup" products because most likely you won't find every single item you initially want (this happened to me).

- Wash all your brand new towels/applicators/mitts before it's first use. Who knows how many times the towels have fallen to the ground or how many booger infested fingers touched them at the store.

- Quality products should be machine washable, its been suggested to wash each type seperatly from each other, like only wash mitts with each other, even seperate different types of microfibers. This may be considered "too much" but "better safe than sorry".

- Unless othwerwise specified wash the products only using liquid detergent! Don't add liquid softeners!

- If you're using a dryer, use low heat. Don't add those softener sheets!

- Store the products in a clean area (ziplock bags, plastic bags, etc.)

- If you drop a towel/applicator/ while working on your car, its done, get a new one. WAIT! Don't throw it away...just put it away and wash it later for future use.

- Have plenty of towels/applicators. This is serious especially if you're going to do multiple steps (clay, polish, wax, etc.). Each step must have AT LEAST 1-2 fresh and clean towels/applicators. This is important because I guarantee you'll drop a few (see above tip). If you're in the middle of a step and drop your last towel/applicator you'll have to go out, buy more, and take a chance and use a brand new towel/applicator before washing it. So basically if you initially plan to use 6-8 towels...buy 10-12.

- Try your best to get quality products!

- I know this can get expensive, but this aint your regular cheerleader car wash...trust everyone here, your car deserves it.

- Plan and make sure you have a clean work area around your car with plenty of room.

- Have a clean table/counter/area to place all your products on while you work on your car. Try to imagine it like surgery, you don't want your doctors tools and stuff to be dirty.

- Keep products protected from wind. I had two towels fall to the ground because of wind.

- "Noobs" and "First Timers", plan for a long process. You don't want to be rushed toward the end because you have a date at 1PM.

- Clean, wipe, buff, etc. in a "back and forth" motion, NOT "circular".

- STRETCH BEFORE YOU START! Espicially your fingers, wrists, and shoulders. While detailing you're going give your body a workout! Trust me on this. You'll thank me the day after you're done. I'm still feeling the pain 2 days after, OUCH!

- After completion I suggest to wash your towels/applicators/mitss immediately and properly store them away.

- Have fun, remember this is good for your car.

Thats all I can think of. REMEMBER I'M NO EXPERT SO I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILTY IF YOU MESS SOMETHING UP. These are just some of my personal tips/suggestions.

Please add more tips and/or correct some of mine.

Because I'm a noob at detailing, sorry if this was stupid for me to do but this is all I can offer back to the community...if so just let the thread phase out.

See ya later.

 

good post, thanks for the tips

 

Excellent tips. I've been doing detailing 4 times a year on my family's car and the tips are the things I experienced when I first started. It can get pretty expensive but rewards are far greater than the expenses. Most important tip of all, HAVE FUN!!! Also be patient because it will take lots of time. It usually takes me up to 15 hours to detail my Explorer in a couple of days.