Steps for car detailing

[carahaha]

Hi:



I am new in this stuff of car detailing, i hace a question on how to step up the process of car detailing, please help me. What i do everytime i do a car is:



1- I do all the interior

2- Door frames

3- I wash the engine

4- I wash the car with shampoo

4.5- I pass the clay

5- I start polishing by the roof

5.5- Hood

6- Doors

7- Trunk

8. Take out all the swirls

9- Clean up windows with RainX

10- Finally do the rims and the tires



I wanna know if this order is ok, or there is any specific order to do the car detailing, thanks for your answers.

 

[Banacheq]

http://autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/85532-since-others-posting-how-i-wash-cars-threads-here-mine.html?nojs=1#usercptools



Scottwax made a useful guide to his routine. You might find it handy - I certainly did.

 

[carahaha]

Thanks, that was very helpful, but he dont explain the steps for cleaning a car, and i need that, the usefu part of that thread was the one of the products.

 

[BigJimZ28]

your steps look ok

but I would do the door frames after the car wash

 

[citizen arcane]

One thing I never see mentioned is this the best time to check the air pressure in the tires, being that the car usually has sat a while anyway and only takes a few mins. First step in my wash process and keeping my vehicles up; added value to those who do it for a living.

 

[NickelPlated.45]

One thing I never see mentioned is this the best time to check the air pressure in the tires, being that the car usually has sat a while anyway and only takes a few mins. First step in my wash process and keeping my vehicles up; added value to those who do it for a living.

That's something that should be done routinely regardless of detailing. Plus the best time to check air pressure is when it's cold in the morning before you drive anywhere.



Carahaha - Like Jim said it's better to do the door jams after the wash. You are going to have to go back and dry them up anyways.



What do you mean by step up the process? Are you looking for better results or a more time efficient process?

 

[RIDDLE]

if i had to change one thing, i would clean the wheels and dress them before you wash the outside.

 

[djrk111]

Personally, I would wash the wheels earlier. This is what I do because they're dirtiest.

 

[carahaha]

Thanks to all for your answer, what i want to know, is if there is a order to detail the car, and dont mess up what you have allready done, but with all these answer i see i am ok, in my order, just the wrong thing that i have is the door frame. Thanks.

 

[AP2TUDE]

Here is just a generic run down. Of course it will vary greatly depending on the task at hand, but for just about ever detail I do the list closely resembles this one.



Hope this helps.



Inside of the vehicle first.

- vacuum

- dust all surfaces

- spot check carpeting

- spot check all other interior surfaces

- final touch up



Exterior of vehicle second

- apply citrus degreaser to wheels, tires, and wheel arches

- clean wheels with variety of brushes, scrub tires, scrub wheel arches

- rinse each wheel upon completion

- rinse engine bay with hot water

- scrub all engine components with APC/soap mix

- wash fender tops, core support, hood underside and all painted components

- rinse with hot water

- rinse car exterior with hot water

- spot check for tar or other petroleum based contaminants

- wash car with two bucket method, top to bottom

- rinse with hot water

- blow dry and then spot dry

- dry and clean all door jambs, trunk, hood underside, engine components, etc.

- check for paint contamination

- clay exterior if necessary

- IPA wipedown

- check paint condition under halogen and sunlight

- mask off test area and polish accordingly to paint condition

- check test area under halogen and sunlight for correction level

- mask off vehicle according to required level of polishing needed

- polish exterior

- ipa wipedown

- check all door jambs, trunk jambs for oxidation and necessary paint correction

- apply LSP

- spot check wheels

- apply dressing to wheels and arches if necessary

- clean windows inside and out

- remove LSP (this varies in position depending on LSP used sometimes.)

- spot check for any dried LSP or polish

- quick detail if necessary

 

[carahaha]

Thanks a lot, that was very helpful. I just have a question, why you clean up with hot water, which is the purpose?

 

[jetset4me]

I'm almost out of breath reading the steps.:wow:

 

[Bunky]

I'm almost out of breath reading the steps.:wow:

I like to clean the windows as the very last step prior to the final walk around. Otherwise, something gets on them...detailer, etc.

 

[carahaha]

Thanks, to everyone for your opinions, all of them were very useful.

Thanks

 

[Slik560]

One final note - the intro to detailing section of this forum has a lot of information regarding what to do & when. Good stuff.