"Beginner" - What are the essentials?

[BellyUpFish]

Ok guys-

I've always kept my cars clean and washed, but I guess never at the level I'm seeing here.. I'd go to AutoZ and grab some stuff, go home and wash my car, not really being too concerned with the "quality" I guess..

Anyway.. I've decided to do this right and have picked up 2 grit guards and 2 buckets.. Other than that, I'm starting fresh..

As a "newb" to correct car washing - what would you guys consider the essential basics?

TIA

BUF

[ski2]

Most of the information you seek has been written about by Mike. Here's a link to all his articles. If you don't want to purchase his complete and excellent book just scroll down to find the links to articles that interest you. Near the bottom are articles involving washing:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/23722-car-detailing-articles-mike-phillips.html

[Wheelzntoys]

A lot of quality microfibers
DG Aquawax
Speedy prep towel (claying)
IronX
Ultima Waterless Wash+


Always work clean, think clean

[swanicyouth]

Ok. I've got a lot of junk. So, I will tell you what I think you should get:

1. Montana Boars Hair Wheel Brush

2. Big Wheel Woolie Paint Brush.

3. The big Guzzler Waffle Weave towel.

4. Ultimate Waterless Wash + concentrate. Can be used for waterless or rinseless wash or clay lube. Also a good QD.

5. A bottle of good carwash shampoo.

6. Daytona brushes - at least the small one.

7. Some APC. Duragloss APC is good.

8. A 16oz bottle of Poor Boys Bold N Bright or Prima Infinity Dressing. Good for tires and all plastics.

9. Tuff Shine tire cleaner brush.

10. Cobra MF noodle wash mitt.

11. Ultima Clay Substitute block.

12. Some RubberMaid Professional spray bottles (Super Walmart).

13. A bunch of 530 or 600gsm Cobra towels.

*** If you need paint correction you will need a polisher, polishes, pads, and a pad cleaning chemical.

[VISITOR]

DA, couldn't be without one!

[Kamakaz1961]

A foam gun would be a nice addition, however, that is just me. There is a big stink whether to use a foam gun included in the wash stage. Having experienced washing with or without a foam gun....I will have a foam gun included with the 2-bucket 2 grit guard method no questions asked.

Now about a DA....YES and get it! AGO has a plethora of options. From about $125 all the way up to $400 +. Either way, a DA needs to be in your arsenal.

Welcome to the world of detailing!! This will be fun!! This site with all advice from everyone (whether you disagree or not) is where you will gain valuable knowledge.

Have fun and enjoy!!

[BellyUpFish]

Thanks guys.. Lots of good stuff.. I used to have a DA, lost it a little over a year ago to a series of unfortunate events.. I'll be grabbing a PC soon, I think..

[Mike Phillips]

Looks like you've been given lots of great suggestion so far and you'll probably get more.

Here's something to read through as it's covers everything you want to do and the order you want to do it PLUS it has links to even more info and videos.


How To Detail Your Brand New Car by Mike Phillips (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/54451-how-detail-your-brand-new-car-mike-phillips.html)


:xyxthumbs:

[Mike Phillips]

Most of the information you seek has been written about by Mike. Here's a link to all his articles. If you don't want to purchase his complete and excellent book just scroll down to find the links to articles that interest you. Near the bottom are articles involving washing:

Car detailing articles by Mike Phillips (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/23722-car-detailing-articles-mike-phillips.html)





Thanks for the plug.... now days I feel kind of bad about my list of articles because I have not updated it for at least a couple of years.

It's maxed out the limit for "characters" a single post can contain a couple of times and my guess is I have probably 400 articles NOT in the list. Heck I forget some of the articles I've written until I come across them accidentally because they are not on the list.

I'm hoping after the upcoming detailing boot camp class to free up enough time to update the list and even add the "new" second edition of my book in the very top of the article list.


::xyxthumbs:

[Photecs]

I was a beginner aswell.... Back on Jan 1st. Since then, started reading, watching videos... And with spending at least an hour a day (some days 4 hours) on this site and some others.... I now have a detailing cart, a PC DA polisher.... And a cabinet full of stuff.

Depending on how simple you wanna keep it.... You can really go in a few directions. As mentioned above, I also bought the Ultima waterless wash +. This might be the most versatile product out there.
I also think a nanoskin fine sponge for a clay substitute is a great call (UWW+for lube), and an AIO... Like Meg's D151 or XMT 360... Either can be applied by hand... But a DA will make it easier and quicker.
If you're really just wanting to wash... Get a foam gun/cannon, quality car soap (optimum wash), and some MF towels, including a couple waffle weave for drying.

[Julesh]

One really important piece of advice I can give you is that the majority of the swirls and scratches on cars are caused by us when we wash them.

The two buckets with grit guard help, so does really spraying down the car well before starting the wash to remove any debris sitting on the paint. All I am thinking about when washing my car is how to get it clean without scratching it. I use clean towels. Don't be afraid to switch towels. If you drop a towel on the ground, don't let it touch your car.