Haven`t detailed in years..Make sure I am doing this right

[Zinda]

Alright, it’s that time of year again when the weather improves and I can finally get out there and detail my car. I haven’t detailed my car personally in like 2 years so I might be a bit rusty and that is why I am posting this thread. I want to make sure I am using the right products and that I am doing everything properly
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Exterior Detailing Plans:

Step 1:
Preliminary Wash:
I am going to hit the wheels first since they are the dirtiest part of my car and I don’t want to get anything on my panels. I am going to use the foamer to soak the wheels with the gold class wash and let it soak for a few minutes. Hose it down and do it again this time using a brush to get the brake dust off. Then I am going to hose it down and hit it with my trusty steam cleaner to remove more stubborn dust. Then finally I am going to probably give up and hit it with SONAX Wheel Cleaner and hose it down and be done with it. My car is terrible with brake dust and I have never been able to get it all the dust off. I might need to have these wheels refinished eventually.

Then I am going to clean the car with Meguiars Gold Class Wash and Meguiar`s Microfiber Wash Mitt using the 2 bucket system. I have a foamer that dilutes water with soap so I plan to let it soak for a minute or two just to get some of the dirt off before I even touch the paint surface with my wash mitt. After that I will clean everything properly with the mitt. And use my steam cleaner to clean the hard to reach areas.

Step 2:
Clean Engine Bay:
I have never in my life cleaned the engine bay of my car other than using the foamer and spray it down. So this is the first time I will be cleaning it properly and will need some guidance. The first thing I am going to do is clean the bottom of the hood and steam clean it. This way by the time I am done cleaning the engine bay the hood should be dry and I can close the hood to clean the rest of the car.

The first thing I am going to do is let the bay soak in water and Meguiars Super Degreaser. Let it sit for a few minutes and then hose it down to loosen up all the crap in there. Then I will hit it again with the same mix and use a clean brush I use to clean my tires get all the junk off. I will then hose everything down and pull out the steam cleaner to loosen anything that remains. Once I am done steam cleaning the engine I am going to hit it with the degreaser one last time and brush everything down again quickly. Then I am going to hose it back down and use a towel to try to dry the engine and components as much as possible. I am going to turn the car on and leave the hood open to let everything dry out before I put the engine covers back on.
While I am waiting for the bay to dry I am going to hit the covers with the degreasers and let it soak for a bit. Hose it back down and use the degreaser again and brush it all down. After that I will also hit them with the steam cleaner and one last time with the degreaser. Will dry them off and spray them with 303 Protectant.

Since I am just going to put my engine covers back on afterwards I am not going to apply any dressing to the engine.

Step 3:
Clay Barring
Since I have the car clean already I am going to clay bar the entire car with Blackfire Clay Bar and their associated lubricant. I am going to hit the windows with Griots Glass Cleaning Clay too unless you guys think I should just use the Blackfire clay for this as well.

Step 4:
Polishing the Glass:
Polish the glass with DRIVEN Extreme Duty Glass Cleaner using a glass polishing pad. I am going to tape up any trims so I don’t damage anything with the abrasives in the polish.

Step 5:
Polish the paint with Blackfire gloss enhancing polish. With a Meguiars soft buff polishing pad.

Step 6:
Washing Residue:
Wash the car again to remove all polish residue anything else before applying the wax.

Step 7:
Waxing and Sealants:
Hit the car with Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection with an orbital. Apply Meguiars NXT wax to the car and wipe down any leftover residue. Using a Griots Red Waxing pad for both.

Step 8:
Finishing touches
I am going to hit the tires with a couple of passes with the Meguiars tire shine. And apply Rain-X to the rear and front windshields.

Questions:
During engine bay cleaning is it okay to soak the engine in soap initially with the foamer with all plastic covers removed?
I am guessing alternator, battery, and fusebox?
What are some areas in my engine bay I should avoid with my steamer and water?
Is putting sealant on the rims worth it?

Interior Detailing Plans:

Step 1:
Remove Seats
I am going to remove both seats and apply leatherique to them(After a through vacuuming and wipe down) and toss em in my boiler room where they can get hit with some good heat. I will let them hang out for 24 hours or so I won’t put them back in until the next day. I will also apply leatherique to the seats in the rear and cover them up with a plastic bag.

Step 2:
Vacuum carpets

Step 3:
Windows
Clean all windows in the car with invisible glass.

Step 4:
Clean dash, door panels, and any other plastics or vinyl with my steam cleaner. Any stains or anything that doesn’t come off I can hit it with 303 Cleaner. Afterwards I will hit all these panels with 303 protectant.

Step 5:
Use my Bissell heated carpet cleaner and steamer to clean the interior carpets and mats thoroughly. I will use the 303 cleaner for any touch stains. Also after I am done I am going to use the 303 protectant and also spray the carpets with them. I also have scotchguard I wonder if that will be better for this than the 303 protectant.

Questions:
Should I apply leatherique to my steering wheel?
What should I clean my weathertech matts with?
Does anyone have a problem with the lip of the mats deforming?
I am considering eventually going coating route on some of our cars. Not sure what the drawbacks are? How long does the coating last and can I still apply wax/sealant? What happens if I need to polish? Should I get rid of swirl marks first?

[Todd@RUPES]

Step 1:
Preliminary Wash:
I am going to hit the wheels first since they are the dirtiest part of my car and I don’t want to get anything on my panels. I am going to use the foamer to soak the wheels with the gold class wash and let it soak for a few minutes. Hose it down and do it again this time using a brush to get the brake dust off. Then I am going to hose it down and hit it with my trusty steam cleaner to remove more stubborn dust. Then finally I am going to probably give up and hit it with SONAX Wheel Cleaner and hose it down and be done with it. My car is terrible with brake dust and I have never been able to get it all the dust off. I might need to have these wheels refinished eventually.

Then I am going to clean the car with Meguiars Gold Class Wash and Meguiar`s Microfiber Wash Mitt using the 2 bucket system. I have a foamer that dilutes water with soap so I plan to let it soak for a minute or two just to get some of the dirt off before I even touch the paint surface with my wash mitt. After that I will clean everything properly with the mitt. And use my steam cleaner to clean the hard to reach areas.

Hit the wheels with a wheel cleaner first, and make sure to agitate (brush) the cleaner everywhere. If any stubborn brake dust remains, hit it with an iron dissolver like Iron -X.

Step 2:
Clean Engine Bay:
I have never in my life cleaned the engine bay of my car other than using the foamer and spray it down. So this is the first time I will be cleaning it properly and will need some guidance. The first thing I am going to do is clean the bottom of the hood and steam clean it. This way by the time I am done cleaning the engine bay the hood should be dry and I can close the hood to clean the rest of the car.[

The first thing I am going to do is let the bay soak in water and Meguiars Super Degreaser. Let it sit for a few minutes and then hose it down to loosen up all the crap in there. Then I will hit it again with the same mix and use a clean brush I use to clean my tires get all the junk off. I will then hose everything down and pull out the steam cleaner to loosen anything that remains. Once I am done steam cleaning the engine I am going to hit it with the degreaser one last time and brush everything down again quickly. Then I am going to hose it back down and use a towel to try to dry the engine and components as much as possible. I am going to turn the car on and leave the hood open to let everything dry out before I put the engine covers back on.
While I am waiting for the bay to dry I am going to hit the covers with the degreasers and let it soak for a bit. Hose it back down and use the degreaser again and brush it all down. After that I will also hit them with the steam cleaner and one last time with the degreaser. Will dry them off and spray them with 303 Protectant.

Since I am just going to put my engine covers back on afterwards I am not going to apply any dressing to the engine.

Don`t allow entire to "soak" in water. Mask off any easily damaged electrical components, then spray the degreaser on, brush into stubborn areas, and carefully rinse. Dry as much water as you can out, then run the motor to dry...

Step 3:
Clay Barring
Since I have the car clean already I am going to clay bar the entire car with Blackfire Clay Bar and their associated lubricant. I am going to hit the windows with Griots Glass Cleaning Clay too unless you guys think I should just use the Blackfire clay for this as well.

Sounds good.

Step 4:
Polishing the Glass:
Polish the glass with DRIVEN Extreme Duty Glass Cleaner using a glass polishing pad. I am going to tape up any trims so I don’t damage anything with the abrasives in the polish.

Sounds good. Rewash at this point if you get dust on the body.

Step 5:
Polish the paint with Blackfire gloss enhancing polish. With a Meguiars soft buff polishing pad.

Sounds good.

Step 6:
Washing Residue:
Wash the car again to remove all polish residue anything else before applying the wax.

Don`t do this... Apply your sealant directly after BF GEP.

Step 7:
Waxing and Sealants:
Hit the car with Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection with an orbital. Apply Meguiars NXT wax to the car and wipe down any leftover residue. Using a Griots Red Waxing pad for both.

If you apply BF Wet Diamond, I wouldn`t recommend topping it with NXT. NXT is not a wax, but a sealant, and it features cleaners in it that will compromise the BF Wet Diamond`s layer.

Step 8:
Finishing touches
I am going to hit the tires with a couple of passes with the Meguiars tire shine. And apply Rain-X to the rear and front windshields.

Sounds good.

Questions:
During engine bay cleaning is it okay to soak the engine in soap initially with the foamer with all plastic covers removed?

Maybe, maybe not, but not worth the risk...

I am guessing alternator, battery, and fusebox?

Cover those...

What are some areas in my engine bay I should avoid with my steamer and water?

Any areas that have exposed electronics.

Is putting sealant on the rims worth it?

Yes

Questions:
Should I apply leatherique to my steering wheel?

Yes

What should I clean my weathertech matts with?

Mild soap and water.

Does anyone have a problem with the lip of the mats deforming?

I haven`t.

I am considering eventually going coating route on some of our cars. Not sure what the drawbacks are? How long does the coating last and can I still apply wax/sealant? What happens if I need to polish? Should I get rid of swirl marks first?

Draw backs for some are that it doens`t need to be waxed as often. Most coatings will not accept any wax or sealant. Coatings can last between 1 year and for ever. If you need to polish you may, or may not remove the coating (depending on the depth of the defects and your polishing methods). Yes, remove all visible damage from the paint, or at least get it into a condition you are happy with.

[Zinda]

Won`t the polish residue make it difficult for the sealant to adhere properly?

What is the best sealant for the wheels?

[Todd@RUPES]

Won`t the polish residue make it difficult for the sealant to adhere properly?

What is the best sealant for the wheels?

Gloss Enhancing Polish is like a primer for Wet Diamond. It really isn`t a "polish" as much as it is a prep step. The "residues" will help the bonding process. Just wipe it off thoroughly and apply the Wet Diamond.

I like BLACKFIRE Crystal Seal for wheels... Super easy to use and lasts a few months.

[Zinda]

Ok cool I will post some pictures of the current situation of the car so you guys can make sure this is the proper things that need to be done. I have some swirls on the car right now, I wonder if I can get them fixed and then apply some coating. The thing is whenever I get my car serviced they always wash it even if you tell them not to they always make the mistake anyways.

I am hoping the coating will prevent swirl marks but I am going to need one that accepts wax/sealant and lasts long.

Retail link removed.

Is this decent enough to clean the carpets? What type of formula should I use? Anything better under 200-300?


ORRR

Would this be better at picking up water?

Retail link removed.

[0inDetail0]

Do the engine first. You are gonna fling a lot of muck out of the engine bay that will land on the car. Make sure you cover the alternator, Mass Air Flow sensor if exposed, Fuse box, Cover the inlet of the air intake and exposed electrical connections. I use plastic shopping bags and saran wrap with some masking tape.
I usually remove the battery if it is not covered. If it sits in the box you don`t know if there are drain holes at the bottom of the box.
Clean a cold engine. Spray it down with a APC diluted as per directions and scrub away.
I rinse with the mist setting on my hose. Yes it takes longer but there is very little water pressure on that setting so I`m not forcing water into places it should not be.
Drying I use an electric leaf blower only no gas. Blow it as dry as I can get it. Dry more with towels then start the engine to let it dry the rest of the water up.
Let it cool down then dress it.

[Zinda]

Can I apply gold class wax in that case after the BF Wet Diamond?



I have an older spot bot that leaks so I think I am going to use it to spray and mix my cleaners onto the rug. And then use the wet/dry vac linked below to remove the water from the carpets. Would I be right in assuming it will pick up more than the spotbot?

Link to retail site removed

The good thing about the model above is I can later use it to blow the water off my car and assist me in drying the vehicle and engine bay.

[Zinda]

I just washed the car with NXT to get the crap off from the whole winter and applied some gold class wax by hand.

I need suggestions for a good pad to apply BF Sealant and or a pad for waxing. How about a bad for BF polish?

Can I get out some of these scuff`s/scratches?

Car is 6 years old now...everyone is always impressed with the condition I have it but I feel like it has taken a beating.

Also I did the headlight restoration! Still waiting for some things before I completely detail the car!

[Todd@RUPES]

Can I apply gold class wax in that case after the BF Wet Diamond?

Yes, but allow the Wet Diamond to cure for 24 ours prior to the application. Alternatively, you could use BLACKFIRE`s Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Paste and really step the shine up.

[Todd@RUPES]

I need suggestions for a good pad to apply BF Sealant and or a pad for waxing. How about a bad for BF polish?

By hand or machine?

Can I get out some of these scuff`s/scratches?

By hand or machine?

Car is 6 years old now...everyone is always impressed with the condition I have it but I feel like it has taken a beating.

It looks pretty nice, from what I can tell, by the pictures. Proper detailing will definately step it up (from a little bit to big time, depending on the application and products).

Also I did the headlight restoration! Still waiting for some things before I completely detail the car!

Awesome! I am working my `05 Tahoe, and it has been slow going. One project at a time

[Zinda]

By hand or machine?

By hand or machine?

It looks pretty nice, from what I can tell, by the pictures. Proper detailing will definately step it up (from a little bit to big time, depending on the application and products).

Awesome! I am working my `05 Tahoe, and it has been slow going. One project at a time

By machine...I have the DA that meguiars makes...

Yeah, yesterday I hit it with some ultimate detailer to take off the stupid pollen that is on my car everyday now.

I am thinking of hitting it with the BF clay and some iron-x since I am going to fill in the chips soon. Haven`t decided rather to go the Dr chip route or use the toothpick to layer on the paint. Considering wet sanding and polishing for a smooth near perfect repair of the chips. Just a bit scared since I have never wet sanded on paint before!

[Zinda]

Any pad suggestions?

[Todd@RUPES]

Any pad suggestions?

I would recommend the Gold Jeweling Pads by Lake Country.

[Zinda]

I would recommend the Gold Jeweling Pads by Lake Country.

I mean specifically for this car...not sure how aggressive I would need my pads.

[Todd@RUPES]

BLACKFIRE SRC Compound = Orange Pad
BLACKFIRE SRC Finishing Polish = White Pad
BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish = Red Pad
BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond AFPP = Gold Pad
BLACKFIRE Midnight Sun Wax = Gold Pad