Detailing Process - My 1st Time

[ThundermanBilly]

After reding and watching videos and reading posts from here and several other forums I have decided on a process. PLease offer you suggestions, critiques on the following process.

wash with optinum car wash
clay with meguiars smooth surface clay kit
wash with optinum car wash
polish with meguiars ultimate polish
seal with opti-seal
wax with meguiars ultimate liquid wax
final coat with collinite 845

What I have read about 845 is that it is very long lasting and durable. Because of that I chose it to be the final coat. Will it hurt or help putting 845 over ULW?

Any help will be appreciated.

Billy

[mwoolfso]

This order will work a little better....

1- wash with optinum car wash
2- clay with meguiars smooth surface clay kit
3- polish with meguiars ultimate polish
4- IPA wipedown (MUP has a lot of oils that need to be removed)
5- Opti-seal
6- Collinite 845

MULW is the odd man out. You have more than enough with OS and 845. If you do want to use it, then make it your LSP (#7) since the durability of this is the shortest. You can even eliminate one of #5 and #6 if you like or even change the order.

[ThundermanBilly]

Thanks for your reply, it is appreciated.

I notice that you do not suggest washing after claying. Is that because the additional wash would remove some of the benefit of the claying off the surface?

I may use the ULW over the Collinite as I already bought it. If i follow your process above and add the ULW as the last LSP, how long do you think this would last before next detailing? My vehicles are outside most of the time and one is used as a daily drive to work and back. I am retired so my 2012 Black F-150 sits in the driveway.

Thanks again,

Billy

[umi000]

Not much point in washing after claying - just wipe down each panel after you clay it, then proceed to polishing - the QD which you'll be using as a clay lubricant, along with a plush MF towel, will suffice to clean up any contaminants that might be dislodged by the clay.

[mwoolfso]

Thanks for your reply, it is appreciated.

I notice that you do not suggest washing after claying. Is that because the additional wash would remove some of the benefit of the claying off the surface? Any remaining residue from the claying step residue will be removed when you polish. I have done washes after claying but lately I feel that there is not enough benefit to justify the time. I will typically do a spot-check on a panel's surface before I polish it and if necessary I will QD on a case-by-case basis to mitigate the risk of contaminating a pad or worse.

I may use the ULW over the Collinite as I already bought it. If i follow your process above and add the ULW as the last LSP, how long do you think this would last before next detailing? My vehicles are outside most of the time and one is used as a daily drive to work and back. I am retired so my 2012 Black F-150 sits in the driveway. I would expect anywhere from 4-6 months with that combo.

Thanks again,

Billy

....

[mwoolfso]

I temporarily forgot a key point on ULW.... it probably has mild cleaners in it as most retail synthetic or hybrid waxes have them. If you use it as your LSP you will likely affect the durability of you sealants. That's another reason why it is the odd man out of your process (at least in my mind). How much affect is up in the air.