Originally Posted by
Caffeine Fiend
Hand mitts are good as long as they're of a high quality and kept in good condition. I normally use two buckets. One with car washing detergent, the other with plain water. After doing a section of the car, I rinse the mitt on the bucket of water to free any debris that is on it, so it doesn't transfer to the soapy water, or back onto the car (where it might scratch the surface)
For car wash, I use Prima Mystique from ZAS. it's a top quality product. I've found give better results than Polyglaze etc
For drying I use a waffle weave towel, also from ZAS. it soaks up water well and minimises surface scratching.
I then finish it off with a spraying of Prima Slick or Hydro (ZAS again) and a light (deep pile) polishing cloth
For windows I use Megs No Smear Glass Cleaner and a micro fibre cloth
For wheels I use ZAS Wheel Armor, then polish with Prima Amigo, with the occasional quick spray of Hydro every few weeks (being careful not to get it on the rotors by spraying the cloth itself)
For tyres, I use Blackfire Tire Gel. Can be a bit messy to use, but goes on easily enough and lasts a fair while once applied
And that's about it for my normal routine.
For detailing, the process and some of the products used are different because you're wanting to achieve a slightly different result (Ie obtain a scratch-free high gloss from the ground up as opposed to bring out what's already there as best you can)
Dan