Detail Schedule

[12thMan]

I just bought a brand new BMW 3-series. It`s Sapphire Black with Terra (dark reddish brown) leather interior. This is the first nice new car that I`ve bought and I plan to do everything in my power to keep it looking as great as it does now. I`ve read a lot on these boards about the techniques and products used to detail cars, but not much about the recommended schedules for doing all of these activities. I`m going to outline my current plan and ask you guys what, if anything needs to change in order to keep my car looking good for a long time.



First, I`m going to have the exterior professionally detailed this weekend and then again every 6 months or so. Scott (scottwax) is going to do it for me and most of the stuff below is based on some of the conversations I`ve had with him, but I wanted to get a few more opinions.



I plan to ONR, spray wax, wash the wheels and dress the tires, and clean the glass [almost] every weekend. Is there anything else I need to do on a weekly basis? Should I dress the exterior rubber trim every time I wash it? Should I be using something besides the spray wax such as a quick detail spray for weekly washings?



For the interior I`m a little less sure. I`ve already scotch garded the floor mats. I assume I need to apply a vinyl protectant to the dash and other similar surfaces and re-apply periodically. I`m going to get a leather cleaning and protecting kit from Leather Master, but I`ve been told to wait for the factory leather protectants to wear off before I apply that. Once I start that cycle I`m thinking I`ll clean and protect the leather every 6 weeks or so.



If you guys have any suggestions for how I could improve this or if there`s anything I`m missing I`d appreciate the input.



Also I`ll let you know that I live in Texas so there`s not much of a salt issue, and I`m lucky enough to have covered parking at both work and home.



TIA



-Mike

[a.k.a. Patrick]

I would recommend quarterly treatments with a cleaning and polish swapped at 3 month intervals. Followed by a nice polymer sealant after each. A spray wax once monthly after a wash, with a QD after periodic washes to maintain slickness.

As for the interior, keeping it clean is easy with weekend wipedowns with a warm moist MF. I would keep interior protectant applications at a minimum, maybe bi-monthly. Stay on top of the wheels to keep brake dust at a minimum. Tires could receive protectant monthly but avoid harsh chemicals with each wash as its not really necessary. Just use a old rag to remove any dust buildup, and reapply protectant according to your preference of appearance.

Starting and maintaining from scratch is easy. Its when that routine falls at the wayside, and you have to catch up becomes the hard part. Just stay on top of it, and commit 1/2 hr a weekend fo quick cleanups.