Found Myself Browsing DIY Guides for Detailing Cars - sad ... 1

Brand Names I tend to use

1. Meguiar's
2. Mother's

I consider most products interchangeable

But I use the clay bar supplied by Mother's as Meguiar's tends to be too soft/less effective

External

General tips

1. Don't wash your car if its been in the sun and gotten hot
1. Cool it down; park in shade/garage
2. Use warm water, not hot

1. Google "Washing & Drying using 2 Bucket Method
1. Use only products designed for cars, not cleaners from the kitchen and bathroom!
2. Avoid bristles & grit and keep high-pressure water hoses at least a meter from the car
1. the large brushes you find at the DIY spots could scratch the car badly
1. The bristles may scratch the car's surface
2. Grit in the bristles could also scratch the car's surface
2. If you drive through an automatic cleaning system, make sure there is no direct contact between rollers etc and your car
3. Use microfiber or terry towelling to wipe-on/wipe-off product
1. Best to use products supplied by company's such as Meguiar's and Mother's
1. Incl consider Meguiar's woollen mit
4. Start by washing the roof of your car

Typical sequence

1. Wash
1. Self-explanatory
2. Use a shampoo and conditioner
2. Clay bar
1. Removes grit and other particles that could affect the paint (inc tree sap, which appears to be one of those "hidden problems" that require consideration)
1. And which tend not to be removed by washing and polishing
2. I like to use Mother's vs Meguiar's as it's a little firmer & easier to use
1. Mother's clay kit consists of a spray bottle of Showtime + terry towel + 2 clay bars
3. Polish
1. Often called "paint correction"
2. Don't polish too often; Polish new paint even less often
3. Helps remove paint imperfections incl minor surface scratches and swirl marks
4. Also adds a layer of paint protection
4. Wax
1. Most car manufacturer's recommend waxing every 2-3 monthsWindows
5. Windows
1. I tend to use Meguiar's product
1. Brand products claim to remove "pollutants" more efficiently  vs household products such as Windex

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